Pentax have introduced 5 new lenses for their DSLR cameras, including 300mm and 200mm Supersonic Motor lenses. Both lenses are also weatherproofed and protected from penetrating dust by appropriate seals. The full lineup is:

- smc PENTAX-DA* 300mm F4.0 ED [IF] SDM
- smc PENTAX-DA* 200mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM
- smc PENTAX-DA 35mm F2.8 Macro Limited
- smc PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED
- smc PENTAX-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL II

Prices range from £99 for the 18-55mm to £899 for the 300mm lens, availability to be confirmed.

The Pentax Optio S12 is a new ultra-compact 12 megapixel digital camera. The Pentax S12 includes digital Shake Reduction and Face Recognition functions, 2.5 inch screen, ISO sensitivity up to 3200, 18 different Picture modes and comes in 4 different colours. The new Pentax Optio S12 will cost £199.99 / $279.95 and be available in March 2008.

The Pentax Optio M50 is a new 8 megapixel compact digital camera with 5x optical zoom (36-180mm). The Pentax M50 features a 23.5mm deep aluminium body, 2.5 inch LCD screen, digital Shake Reduction and fastest ISO speed of 6400. The new Pentax Optio M50 will cost £149.99 / $229.95 and be available in March 2008.

The Pentax Optio E50 is a new 8 megapixel entry-level digital camera with numerous automatic functions. The Pentax E50 offers a 3x zoom lens, 2.4 inch LCD screen, digital “Shake Reduction” system and AA battery power supply. The Pentax Optio E50 new costs £99.99 / $149.95 and will be available in February 2008.

Sony have just taken the wraps off 8 shiny new compacts, but that hasn’t stopped them promising more new products before next week’s PMA show in Las Vegas. “Keep a look out for more exciting news from Sony as we get closer to PMA” declares jpeterson on the official Sony Electronics blog. Could this be news of the much-rumoured pro-level DSLR from Sony -  possibly called either the A300 or A900, depending on which flavour of internet forum you prefer. PhotographyBLOG will be at PMA to bring you all the latest news live from the show floor.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H10 is a new 8 megapixel compact digicam with a 10x optical zoom lens. Successor to the H3 model, the DSC-H10 adds a larger 3 inch LCD screen, dubbed the Clear Photo LCD Plus - and that’s about it. The Sony H10 offers the same 8 megapixel sensor and 10x zoom lens as its predecessor. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H10 will ship in May for about $300. It will be available in Europe from the end of March 2008.

The new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T300 digital camera features a 3.5 inch touch-screen LCD and 5x optical zoom lens. The 10 megapixel Sony T300 features a a stylish, ultra-compact design with virtually no external controls to clutter the interface. It features Sony’s new intelligent scene recognition (iSCN), which allows the T300 to analyze shooting conditions and automatically select the best settings.The DSC-T300 camera replaces the DSC-T200 model and will be available in red, black and silver in March for about $400.

Sony has unveiled 4 new additions to its W-range of Cyber-shot compact digital cameras. The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W170, DSC-W150, DSC-W130, DSC-W120 all feature Sony’s new “Smile shutter"mode, which automatically captures an image when your subject smiles without even having to press the shutter. The 10.1-megapixel DSC-W170 and 8.1-megapixel DSC-W150 models feature 5x optical zoom lenses and 2.7 inch LCD screens. The 8.1-megapixel DSC-W130 and 7.2-megapixel DSC-W120 models both have 4x optical zoom and 2.5 inch LCD screens. The DSC-W120 camera will be available for about $200 and the DSC-W130 for about $230, both in March. The DSC-W150 will cost $250 in April, and the DSC-W170 for $300.

The new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S780 and DSC-S750 entry-level cameras, now with Lithium Ion batteries instead of AA batteries. Consequently battery life is improved (around 275 shots) and the cameras are much slimmer than previous designs. Both the DSC-S780 and DSC-S750 models feature Sony’s face detection technology which identifies up to three faces in the frame. The 8.1-megapixel Sony S780 and the 7.2-megapixel Sony S750 models both offer 3x optical zoom lenses and 2.5 inch LCD screens. The DSC-S750 model ships in March for about $150, and the DSC-S780 will be available in April for about $180.

Announced just last week, the HP B8850 is a new, competitively priced 13 inch / A3 photo printer aimed squarely at the keen amateur photographer. The B8850 offers a very similar specification to its well-received big brother, the B9180, whilst cutting features that most users won’t need to bring the price down. Is the HP B8850 a veritable bargain, or does it cut too many corners? Jon Canfield finds out, as we bring you the World’s first ever review of the HP Photosmart Pro B8850 printer.

Website: HP B8850 Review

The new Olympus Type M+ xD-Picture Card is up to 1.5 times faster than Type M xD-Picture Cards when used with Olympus digital cameras. Type M+ the only xD-Picture Card that supports the exclusive Olympus Panorama, 3D and Art modes. Available as M-XD1GMP (1GB) and M-XD2GMP (2GB), Type M+ xD-Picture Card also enable longer movie recording times in 640X480/SHQ (30fps) mode.

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 offers more than 50 new and significantly enhanced features. “The end result is CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 - a suite that provides users with easy-to-use tools that deliver outstanding results, while also having a dramatic and positive impact on their day to day productivity”. said Gérard Métrailler, director, product management, graphics at Corel. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 will be available across Europe for a suggested retail price of £329 for the full version and £149 for the upgrade (excluding VAT).

The latest round of Kingston’s “Critique My Image” series has just been published. This part of Kingston’s ‘Icons of Photography’ microsite allows you to have your images reviewed by some of the best photographers in the world. “The continued positive response demonstrates the benefits of the Icons program educating consumers on Kingston Flash memory. The Icons have said sharing so much of their knowledge and experience with digital photographers of all levels is tremendously rewarding.” said Jaja Lin, Flash product marketing manager, Kingston.

PhotographyBLOG’s PMA 2008 Report is now open for business. The Photo Marketing Association (PMA) Annual Convention and Trade Show takes place this year in Las Vegas, USA, from 29th January - 2nd February 2008. PMA is the world’s largest annual photo imaging trade show, where all the major photography manufacturers unveil their new product line-ups for 2008 and beyond. Just like last year, PhotographyBLOG will cover PMA live from the show floor. There are a lot of announcements both in the weeks leading up to PMA and during the 3 days of the show itself, all of which are included in our PMA 2008 Report. To help you keep track of everything that’s going on, this page contains links to all of the latest product announcements. You can also signup for our email Newsletter or subscribe to our RSS feed, which will keep you up to date with everything that is happening before, during and after PMA 2008.

Website: PMA 2008 Report

Tamron are releasing a new version of their popular 70-300mm telephoto lens that’s compatible with the Nikon D40/D40x DSLRs. The revamped AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 lens will have a built-in motor AF system. The price of the new Tamron 70-300mm for Nikon in the US is $189.00 and it will ship this week. It will be launched in Japan on February 1st 2008.

The new Olympus SP-570 UZ features a 20x zoom equivalent to 26-520mm, the world’s longest zoom lens on a compact digital camera. Dual Image Stabilisation helps eliminate blur associated with camera shake to deliver sharper images, and there’s a larger 2.7 inch LCD screen and increased 10 megapixel resolution. Other highlights of the SP-570 include High ISO Settings, Face Detection Technology, Shadow Adjustment Technology, and TruePic III. The Olympus SP-570 UZ will be available to buy in March for £389.99.

The new Olympus mju 1020 digital camera will be released in Europe and the USA (but not in the UK). The mju 1020 offers a 7x optical zoom (equiv. to 37-260mm), 10.1 megapixels and a 2.7 inch LCD screen. It features a slim, metallic body in a choice of Starry Silver and Midnight Black. The main difference between the 1020 and the 1010 models is the new HyperCrystal II LCD screen, which is 4 times brighter than ordinary LCDs.  Price and availability of the Olympus mju 1020 to be announced.

The new Olympus mju 1010 and mju 840 digital cameras offer a 7x and 5x optical zoom lens respectively. Both models offer Dual Image Stabilisation, which helps protect against blur caused by camera shake, and feature a large 2.7 inch LCD screen. As the names suggest, the Olympus mju 1010 is a 10 megapixel camera, and the mju 840 an 8 megapixel camera. The Olympus mju 1010 and mju 840 will be available from February 2008 at recommended prices of £229.99 and £199.99 respectively.

The Olympus mju 1030 SW and mju 850 SW digital cameras are new additions to the successful Olympus shock and waterproof camera range. Both models offer protection against falls, water immersion and the freezing cold. The Olympus mju 1030 SW is waterproof to a depth of 10m, shockproof against falls to 2m, freezeproof to temperatures as low as -10°C and crushproof to weights of up to 100kg. The mju 1030 SW has a 3.6x wide zoom lens (28-102mm), 10.1 megapixel sensor and 2.7 inch screen. The cheaper 8 megapixel mju 850 SW is waterproof to 3m, shockproof to 1.5m, and freezeproof to -10°C. They will be available from February 2008 at recommended prices of £319.99 for the Olympus mju 1030 SW and £229.99 for the Olympus mju 850 SW.

The Olympus FE-350, FE-340 and FE-310 are new entry-level digital compact cameras. All three models offer 8 megapixel resolution, with the FE-310 and FE-350 having 5x optical zoom lenses (36-180mm) and the FE-340 a shorter but wider-angle 4x lens (28-112mm). The new Olympus FE models arrive in stores in February at the following prices: FE-310: £120, FE-340: £159.99 and FE-350: £199.99.