Leica Camera has announced the first two editions of a new line of high-performance Summicron-SL lenses for the Leica SL-System; the APO-Summicron-SL 75mm f/2 ASPH. and the APO-Summicron-SL 90mm f/2 ASPH. Both lenses seamlessly work with the SL-System’s lightning-fast autofocus and, as with all SL-Lenses, have been designed and constructed in Germany with exceptional materials for a long work life.

In the USA the APO-Summicron-SL 75mm f/2 ASPH. and the APO-Summicron-SL 90mm f/2 ASPH. will be available in February.

In the UK the APO-Summicron-SL 75 mm f/2 ASPH. will be available from 25 January 2018, and the APO-Summicron-SL 90 mm f/2 ASPH. from 8 February 2018 at £3,750 and £4,100 (including VAT) respectively.

In the second half of 2018, Leica will launch two more lenses, the Summicron-SL 35 mm f/2 ASPH. and APO-Summicron-SL 50 mm f/2 ASPH.

Canon are launching a special pricing promotion for new and existing Canon Professional Service (CPS) members at the Imaging USA EXPO 2018 hosted by Professional Photographers of America (PPA). This exclusive promotion, offers 20 percent off new, renewed or upgraded CPS gold or platinum memberships for active PPA members.

What a strange and exciting time we live in! This is the new Tamron 100-400mm lens for full-frame DSLRs, in a Canon EF fit, mounted on the new Sony A7R III mirrorless camera, via a Sigma MC-11 adapter! Talk about worlds colliding! And it actually works too...

(disclaimer: we've initially reviewed the lens on a Canon 5DS R)

Read our in-depth Tamron 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD review

Kodak is showcasing its newest flagship Astro Zoom bridge camera at CES 2018, which boasts an impressive 102x zoom lens, a first in its category. The new model is part of the KODAK PIXPRO compact camera range, which starts with Friendly Zoom point and shoots priced well under $100US to the powerful, mega long-zoom Astro Zoom (AZ651 model pictured above) category with prices starting at $129.99 for a 25x zoom up to 65x zoom priced under $400US. No further details about the 102x Astro Zoom camera, including a full name, have been released so far.

The Typhoon H Plus is Yuneec's most powerful consumer drone yet, equipped with a high aperture 1-inch sensor camera capable of 20 megapixel stills and 4K resolution video at 60fps. The new model also boasts an improved low-light performance compared to previous models. A continuous rotation gimbal combined with retractable landing gear provides seamless 360-degree unobstructed views. The Typhoon H Plus will retail at $1799.99.

The Lensbaby 46mm Macro Filter Kit is a new set of +1, +2 and +4 close-up filters. The 46mm Macro Filter Kit is multi-coated to deliver the highest possible contrast and is compatible with the Sweet 35, Sweet 50, Sweet 80, Edge 50, Edge 80, Twist 60 and Creative Bokeh Optics. The Lensbaby 46mm Macro Filter Kit is available now for $49.95.

Canon ranked third for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2017, has been in the top five for 32 consecutive years, and first among Japanese companies for thirteen years running.

"Looking East: Portraits by Steve McCurry" is a new book that presents a selection of the best and most poignant portraits by acclaimed photographer Steve McCurry. Looking East was first published by Phaidon in 2011 and has since sold over 30,000 copies worldwide. Now available for the first time in an elegant paperback edition, this book features an astounding range of colour photographs, gorgeously reproduced in large format.

Sony have released firmware uodate 2.0 for the A9 mirrorless camera. Continuous auto-focus for moving subjects and AF-C stability while zooming have been enhanced, while "all-round operational stability" has been improved, among other minor changes.

KODAKCoin is a new photo-centric cryptocurrency designed to empower photographers and agencies to take greater control in image rights management. “Kodak has always sought to democratize photography and make licensing fair to artists. These technologies give the photography community an innovative and easy way to do just that.” said Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke. The initial coin offering will open on January 31, 2018 and is open to accredited investors from the U.S., UK, Canada and other select countries.

The Lenovo Mirage Camera is a new VR180 camera that simplifies creating virtual reality content with easy video or image capture and wireless upload to your personal Google Photos and YouTube account. VR180 eliminates the need for specialized virtual reality videography skills and professional camera gear to shoot immersive 3D VR videos and photos.

The Mirage Camera is expected to be available beginning in the second quarter this year.

The YI Horizon VR180 camera gives users an easy way to capture high-resolution, immersive video. It seamlessly integrates with YouTube and Google Photos so viewers can easily activate a VR experience when viewed with Google Cardboard, Daydream, PSVR, and a number of other certified VR viewers. the YI Horizon VR180 Camera captures 3D video in 5.7K resolution at 30 frames per second (fps).

The RICOH THETA V Partner Program will launch in Spring 2018. The new program will support third-party developers interested in creating their own Android-based plug-ins for the RICOH THETA V, the top-of-the-line Ricoh 360-degree camera capable of capturing fully-spherical photos and 4K video. As part of the program, Ricoh is making available the RICOH THETA V's application program interface (API) and software development kit (SDK) and will provide tools and guidance to support plug-in development. It will also open an online RICOH THETA V partner marketplace, where plug-ins can be uploaded and shared.

The AirSelfie2 pocket-sized flying camera features 12-megapixel resolution, 85° field of view and 50 percent longer battery life. Other enhancements include 16 GB memory and choice of four colors. The AirSelfie2 includes a flying camera, a powerbank for anywhere/anytime recharging, a USB cable for connecting to a computer and a protective bumper. AirSelfie2 will be through airselfiecamera.com and select retailers for $299.95.

The Vuze+ VR Camera is the first camera to give VR content creators, filmmakers, and video and production industry pros the full suite of tools needed for capturing, producing and sharing VR content, all within one eco-system. Priced at $1,199, the Vuze+ VR  camera includes sophisticated capture functionality, such as live broadcasting and custom lenses for improved image quality, and is accompanied by Vuze VR Studio editing software, as well as access to Humaneyes Zone, an industry-first VR platform enabling users to host, stream and share VR content.

The Pilot Era is the world’s first VR 360° camera with in-camera 8K video stitching. With the new Pilot Era, photographers will be able to use a self-contained professional-grade panoramic camera to create high quality stitched videos and images easily and quickly and upload them, all within the camera itself. Pilot Era is the only camera which can shoot and record images and videos from 4k to 8k and stitch them seamlessly inside the camera, with up to 6K stitched in real time. The Pilot Era is expected to be available on Amazon in April 2018.