MindShift Gear have announced the launch of their new PhotoCross sling bags. Built to withstand the elements yet comfortable enough to wear on long days in the field, these bags stay out of the way when scrambling but offer quick camera access when ready to take the shot. They feature weatherproof zippers and abrasion-resistant materials, plus a carrying system for tripods or jackets. The PhotoCross 10 fits an ungripped DSLR and one to two lenses, plus a 10” tablet, or a compact system camera body and three to five lenses, plus a 10” tablet. The PhotoCross 13 fits an ungripped DSLR, two to four lenses, including a 70–200mm f/2.8, and some 13” laptops. The bags are available in two colour, Orange Ember and Carbon Grey.

The Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 is a brand new professional zoom lens for full-frame cameras. The new Dual MPU (Micro Processing Units) provide rapid autofocusing with improved accuracy and the highest vibration compensation performance of any lens in its class (a full 5 stops of image stabilisation according to CIPA standards). The use of specialised, high-quality glass materials assures accurate color reproduction and superior sharpness, perfect for today’s high-pixel-density cameras. The optical formula comprises 17 elements in 12 groups including 2 XR (Extra Refractive Index) elements, 3 LD (Low Dispersion) elements, 3 GM (Glass-Molded aspherical) and one hybrid aspherical lens element. Tamron’s exclusive eBAND Coating substantially curbs ghosting and flare, while a protective Fluorine Coating on the front element provides added convenience. The new lens also benefits from a moisture resistant construction a locking lens hood. In the UK, the Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 will be available in July, pricing to be announced. In the USA, the Tamron SP 24-70mm G2 in Nikon mount will be available in August and the Canon mount in September priced at $1199.

Akvis today released Refocus 8.0, an application designed to improve the sharpness of out of focus images and apply lens blur effects to your photos. This update adds the ability to save and load custom presets and improves on the Crop tool. Additionally, the Batch Processing feature is now available for all editing modes. The software runs on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10; and on Mac OS X 10.7-10.11 and macOS 10.12, and is available as a standalone application and as a plugin to a photo editor. Prices start at $39.

Canon have published 11 high-resolution sample images and a reduced-resolution sample movie captured with their new EOS 6D Mark II full-frame digital SLR camera. Taken using a variety of Canon EF lenses including the EF85mm f/1.2L II USM, the EF24-105mm f/4L IS II USM, the EF35mm f/1.4L II USM, the EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM, the EF11-24mm f/4L USM, the EF24-70mm f/4L IS USM, the EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM and the EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM; these Canon EOS 6D Mark II samples were shot at sensitivity settings ranging from ISO 100 to ISO 800.

Website: Canon EOS 6D Mark II Sample Images & Sample Movie

Canon Japan have released nine high-resolution sample photos and a reduced-resolution sample movie captured with the new Canon EOS 200D digital SLR camera. Taken using a variety of Canon lenses including the EF-S18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM, the EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, the EF50mm f/1.8 STM, the EF-S35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM and the EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, the Canon EOS 200D sample images were shot at sensitivity settings ranging from ISO 100 to ISO 3,200.

Website: Canon EOS 200D Sample Images

Following the launch of Canon's Live for the Story advert and marketing campaign targeting a new ‘millennial’ audience last month – and for which there wasn’t a camera in sight  – the photo giant is back to targeting its core users with two new DSLRs. Arriving in July are the enthusiast targeted EOS 6D Mark II, and the beginner friendly EOS 200D.

Photography Blog was at the London preview to bring you this report…

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EOS 6D Mark II DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EOS 6D Mark II DSLR camera.

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EOS 200D DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EOS 200D DSLR camera.

The Canon EOS 6D Mark II is the latest generation full frame DSLR camera. The EOS 6D Mark II features a ​full frame 26.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 7 processor, 45 point AF system and Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology.

The Canon EOS 6D Mark II will be available in July 2017 with an RRP of  £1,999.99 / €2,499.99 body only. The EOS 6D Mark II can also be purchased with an EF 24-105 STM kit with an RRP of £2,379.99 / €2,944.99

In the USA, the Canon EOS 6D Mark II DSLR camera is scheduled to be available in late July 2017 for an estimated retail price of $1,999.00 for body only, $3,099.00 with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM II lens and $2,599.00 with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 STM lens.

The Canon EOS 200D is the world’s lightest DSLR with the world’s fastest auto-focusing system. The new EOS 200D (also known as the EOS Rebel SL2) is billed as the perfect replacement for the avid smartphone photographer looking to step up to their first camera.

The Canon EOS 200D will be available in July 2017 with an RRP of £579.99 / €719.99 body only. The EOS 200D can also be purchased with an EF 18-55mm kit with an RRP of £679.99 / €839.99

In the USA, the Canon EOS Rebel SL2 is scheduled to be available in late July 2017 for a retail price of $549.99 for body only and $699.99 with the Canon EF-S 18-55m f/4-5.6 IS STM lens.

Western Digital today expanded their line of WD branded My Passport portable drives with the redesigned My Passport Ultra drive. In addition to a new metallic look, the drive offers intuitive WD Discovery software to help consumers easily back up photos, videos and important documents shared and created across multiple social networks, cloud services and devices. In addition, the My Passport Ultra drive features 256-bit AES Hardware Encryption with WD Security software built in to help keep private content secure. With a personalised password, users can activate hardware encryption and data protection. Available in 1TB, 2TB, 3TB and 4TB versions, the My Passport Ultra drive has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $79.99/£82.99 (for the 1TB edition).

Lee Filters have just launched a new line of professional-grade neutral density filters. The new ProGlass IRND filters were originally designed for the film industry, to meet the exacting needs of the world’s leading cinematographers. Now, they are available to the stills photographer, in sizes to fit the LEE Filters Seven5, 100mm and SW150 systems. The filters, which are manufactured from 2mm-thick, optically flat glass, are available not only in strengths of two (0.6ND), three (0.9ND), four (1.2ND) and six (1.8ND) stops, but also in ultra-long 10 (3ND) and 15-stop (4.5ND) versions. Not only this, but all filters in the range – whatever their strength – are designed to be free of colour casts, with extremely accurate stop values, ensuring consistency in all shooting conditions and allowing for absolute precision when exposing images. In addition, filters in the ProGlass IRND range are designed to block both infrared and ultraviolet pollution. Prices start at £132.00 plus VAT.

The Olympus PEN E-PL8 has just won a Red Dot Design Award with its combination of form and function. Awarding the title Red Dot Award Winner 2017, the international Red Dot jury of 40 design experts stated that “the compact and lightweight PEN E-PL8 is a prime example of retro design, high grade materials and state-of-the-art technology all in one.” To further compliment the camera, Olympus commissioned high profile Berlin fashion designer Malaika Raiss to create some beautiful accessories including specially designed straps and bags. “Women are amongst the most prolific and creative visual online content creators,” says Tanja Mehler, European Marketing Manager for Olympus PEN. “They can for example appreciate the E-PL8 camera as a way to expand their creative power if they are moving up from a phone because along with its quality, it is easy to use. Or they can appreciate how small and easy-to-carry it is compared to a conventional DSLR. What was missing were good looking accessories to go with it.”

Lensbaby's new Velvet 85 lens is now available for preorder. Manufactured in Canon EF, Fuji X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F, Pentax K, Samsung NX, Sony A and Sony E mounts; the Lensbaby Velvet 85 delivers a velvety, glowing, ethereal look at brighter apertures, and beautifully sharp but subtly unique, film-like images as you stop down. Building on the strengths of the existing Velvet 56 lens, the Velvet 85 is said to combine "lustrous skin tones with the added compression and sublime bokeh of high-quality 85mm portrait lenses." This manual-focus lens has a minimum focus distance of 9.5 inches, enabling close-up photography. The optical formula comprises 4 elements in 3 groups and a 12-bladed diaphragm. The maximum aperture is f/1.8 and the lens takes 67mm filters. The Lensbaby Velvet 85 is priced at $499.95 and will begin shipping on 11th July.

Manfrotto are running a series of activities over the summer months to help you capture the best of summer. These include weekly competitions - simply upload you photo to the competition being hosted on Manfrotto Facebook page and include the hashtag - #ManfrottoSummerReady – to be in with the chance of winning a PIXI mini tripod each week - and a new promotional offer running on selected products across the Manfrotto and Lastolite by Manfrotto ranges. The offer spans a range of products from tripods to bags and is available from all authorised Manfrotto dealers in the UK. Click through / read on for the details.

On 30th June Hasselblad will be opening its first retail store in Stockholm, Sweden. Located at Fotografiska, a centre for contemporary photography, the Hasselblad store will be home to a full range of Hasselblad cameras, lenses and products, while encouraging visitors to explore the Hasselblad brand. The collaboration will enable Hasselblad and Fotografiska to provide access to a full range of Hasselblad cameras, while also sharing their joint knowledge on the art of photography. Per Broman, founder of Fotografiska, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with an iconic Swedish camera brand like Hasselblad on the opening of its first store. We share the same values and devotion for photography and together with Hasselblad’s renowned technical excellence and creative vision, we aim to welcome photography enthusiasts around the world. It is a perfect match for our 535 000 guests who visit us every year for inspiration via the very inclusive art form of photography.”

OmegaBrandess has announced the new Flexy Strap, an ultra-compact camera neck strap and wrist strap all in one. The Flexy Strap is compact and extremely comfortable thanks to the thick and soft Neoprene neck pad.  The strap cord is made using a proprietary technology allowing an elastic effect.  The result is the strap extends when carrying a camera around the neck and shortens when using as a wrist strap.  The Neoprene pad incorporates a magnetic button that allows the conversion to a very comfortable and secure wrist strap.  Made in Italy, the b-grip Flexy Strap retails for $39.99.

TH Swiss have just launched their newest product - a set of fifteen neutral density gelatin filters designed specifically for Irix lenses. Each filter is made with ultra-thin (0.1mm) high-quality film to keep the image free of optical aberrations and distortions. Thanks to the square shape and rounded corners, the filters easily fit to Irix lenses equipped with a 30x30mm rear filter slot. The Irix Egde Gelatin Filter Set is a convenient option for photographers who want to obtain a longer shutter speed with Irix 11mm f/4.0 or use an ND filter simultaneously with a screw-in polariser on the Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens. THe filters are available with three density factors: 0.6 (ND4), 0.9 (ND8) and 1.2 (ND16). The recommended reatil price is €8.45.