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.

Lucid VR today officially announced the availability of their easy-to-use, pocket-size 3D 180° VR camera, the LucidCam with a preview sale launch campaign starting June 26th. Exceeding the original specifications of the LucidCam crowdfunding campaign, the engineers at Lucid VR enhanced it and developed a robust 4K 3D 180° VR camera with on-the-go VR content processing of pictures and videos, plus livestreaming capabilities. With the addition of Lucid’s viewing clip or phone case, you can create and view your own 3D 180° VR anywhere with a click of a button. “It’s been an incredible journey to bring this product to life while the industry was chasing 360° VR. 180° VR is much more appealing for the masses, as its simplicity and user experience allows more users to easily capture VR content. With Google’s announcement one of the major players in VR is realizing the benefits of 180° VR video for consumers,” said Jin. “LucidCam creates images and videos which let you for the first time see the world through someone else’s eyes as if you were really there. I want everyone to have such incredible superpowers.” Lucid kicks off the one-month preview sale campaign starting Monday, June 26th, where the camera will be discounted 15 percent off the retail price and delivered August 9.

Sigma have unveiled pricing and availability for the new Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art lens. Featuring a brand new optical stabiliser and highly efficient and fast AF system, the revamped 24-70mm F2.8 Art covers a wide range of shooting scenarios, the lens includes three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements and four aspherical elements to reduce chromatic aberration. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG HSM OS Art supports Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts and works with Sigma’s MC-11 Sony E-mount converter. The Nikon version additionally features a brand new electromagnetic diaphragm. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art lens will have a suggested retail price of £1,399.99/$1,299.00. Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts will be available to purchase in early July.

Sigma have announced pricing and availability for their 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art lens. Boasting outstanding image quality from centre to edge, the 14mm F1.8 Art features the largest glass mold (80mm) in the industry, offering photographers an ultra-wide prime with virtually no distortion, flare or ghosting. Three lens elements are made with FLD (“F” Low Dispersion) glass, which is equivalent to calcium fluorite in performance, and four SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements, which reduce chromatic aberration. The all new Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Art lens supports Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts and works with Sigma’s MC-11 Sony E-mount converter. The Nikon version features a brand new electromagnetic diaphragm. The Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art lens will have a suggested retail price of £1,679.99/$1,599.00. Sigma and Canon mounts will be available to purchase in early July with Nikon mount following towards the end of July