Belgian photographer Frederik Buyckx has been named the Sony World Photography Awards’ 2017 Photographer of the Year for his series, "Whiteout," which captures the transformation of nature when winter arrives. The Awards’ judges were challenged to find the best photographic series and were taken by the beauty, scale and effort involved in Buyckx’s winning work. Born in Antwerp in 1984, Frederik Buyckx is a freelance photographer for the Belgian newspaper De Standaard. The 2017 Awards received over 227,000 entries from 183 countries and is the world’s largest photography competition. An exhibition of all the winning and shortlisted work, along with rare black-and-white images by British photographer Martin Parr, recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize, will run at Somerset House, London from 21 April – 7 May. The exhibition is accompanied by a book of the winning and selected shortlisted works, available to buy from the website below.

Samyang today unveiled a new addition to their VDSLR lens line-up. Designed specifically for video shooting with DSLR cameras, the Samyang VDSLR 16mm T2.6 is an affordable wide-angle lens offering a traditional distance scale with depth-of-field marks and built in follow focus gearing on both the focus and aperture rings. The new lens will be available from June, priced at £529..

The Sony A9 is a new 35mm full-frame mirrorless camera aimed at professional sports and action photographers. It boasts a 24.2 megapixel stacked CMOS sensor, expandable ISO range of 50-204800, 693 focal plane phase detection AF points, 20fps burst shooting, 5-axis in-body image stabilisation and 4K UHD video recording. We've spent some time getting to know the Sony A9, so check out our Hands-on Review of Sony's latest full-frame mirrorless camera...

Canon U.S.A. today announced their new Compact-Servo 70-200mm Telephoto Zoom Lens (also known as the CN-E 70-200mm T4.4 L IS KAS S), a compact and lightweight 4K lens designed for professional videographers. The second in a new class of Canon lenses, the Compact-Servo 70-200mm Telephoto Zoom Lens is a cinema-style lens that includes a servo drive unit as a standard feature. Additionally, the lens incorporates image stabilisation, auto focus and Auto Iris functionality The lens also provides high image quality that supports 4K image productions and was designed to be utilised in a variety of shooting styles including, hand-held, shoulder mounted, and tripod mounted. Compatible with EF-mount Super 35mm large-format cameras, the lens maintains brightness across the entire focal range at T4.4 (equal to f/4.0). The lens is also compatible with both the Canon EF 1.4x III (expanded focal range of 98-280mm) and EF 2x III (expanded focal range of 140mm-400mm) external extenders, expanding the focal range of the lens for additional versatility when the shooting situation calls for it. The Canon COMPACT-SERVO 70-200mm Zoom Lens is scheduled to be available later in 2017.

At the 2017 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Canon will showcase its line of professional 4K and high-definition imaging equipment for motion pictures, television production, video content creation, and still photography at booth C4325. The stand will feature presentations and panel discussions throughout the show with industry experts, ASC members, and up-and-coming voices in imaging culture. New to the Canon booth this year, The Virtual Reality Experience showcases Canon’s innovation in current, emerging, and future imaging technology by providing a simulated journey through a panoramic landscape powered by Canon digital imaging solutions. Additionally, visitors to the Canon booth will have hands-on opportunities with the full range of Canon Cinema cameras, 4K reference displays, HD Video and DSLR cameras and lenses.

Canon today announced the availability of a feature upgrade for the EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera that will add the ability to record with Canon Log. With this upgrade, the EOS 5D Mark IV can achieve a cinematic look similar to what can be achieved using Cinema EOS cameras. Current EOS 5D Mark IV camera owners can have the Canon Log feature upgrade installed for $99 at any of the Canon service centres starting in July. The camera will also be available for sale (body only) with the feature upgrade pre-installed starting in July, with an estimated retail price of $3,599.00.

Sigma today announced the development of a new full-frame CINE lens, the 135mm T2 FF High Speed Prime. Based on the existing Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art telephoto lens, the new Sigma CINE 135mm T2 FF High Speed Prime offers an angle of view of 15.2° when mounted to a full-frame camera (10.4° on Super35 and 10.0° on APS-C). Available in June-July 2017 in Canon EF, Sony E and PL mounts, the Sigma CINE 135mm T2 FF lens has an 82mm filter thread and a close-focus point of 0.875m / 2'11". Like all of Sigma's FF High Speed Primes, the 135mm T2 FF lens has an iris diaphragm with 9 rounded blades. The new lens will be available for test shooting at the 2017 NAB Show held in Las Vegas from 24-27 April 2017.

The Sigma CINE 14mm T2 FF High Speed Prime is a new full-frame UWA lens aimed at cinematographers. Currently under development, the Sigma CINE 14mm T2 FF High Speed Prime will be available in Canon EF, Sony E and cine-standard PL mounts. Offering an angle of view of 104.3° when mounted to a full-frame camera, the new lens has a 9-bladed iris diaphragm and a close-focus point of 0.27m / 11" (measured from the sensor plane). Based on the SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art lens, the Sigma CINE 14mm T2 FF High Speed Prime will be available for test shooting at the 2017 NAB Show held in Las Vegas from April 24th and 27th.

Want to see exactly what the new Sony A9 compact system camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Sony A9 compact system camera, the FE 100-400mm lens, and some of the new accessories.

The Sony A9 is a new full-frame mirrorless camera that can shoot 24 megapixel images at 20fps. The Sony A9 interchangeable lens camera will start shipping from June 2017 priced at approximately £4,500 / $4,500.

The Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5–5.6 GM OSS is the furthest reaching E-mount lens in the range. The Sony FE 100-400mm GM lens will start to ship from July 2017, priced at approximately £2,500.

PolarPro has announced it will launch two new accessories for the action-bound cinematographer later this year. The PolarPro FiftyFifty HERO5 Dome ($49.99) is an accessory lens designed for the latest GoPro HERO5 action camera to enable split-level over/under images at the waterline, while the PolarPro Katana Mavic Tray ($49.99, pictured) allows owners of the popular DJI Mavic Pro to use the compact drone as a stabilised, hand-held shooting platform. PolarPro will first demonstrate the new accessories at the upcoming 2017 NAB Expo (April 24-27 in Las Vegas, NV).

Manfrotto have launched the new Nitrotech Video Head - a revolutionary head that combines the most successful features of Manfrotto’s video heads with the company's unique-to-the-market Nitrogen piston mechanism that guarantees continuous counterbalance. The Nitrotech N8 (£449.95) - the first model in the Nitrotech range - securely supports a load up to 8 kg. The new head features a precise, continuous counterbalance system that effortlessly and safely holds and operates a wide array of video camera models in a variety of sizes. It also features a 3/8” Easy Link equipped with an anti-rotation function that enables an external monitor or other accessories to be fitted.

The waterproof Sennheiser MKE-2 elements microphone has been designed specifically for the GoPro HERO4 Black and Silver action cameras. The MKE 2 elements is based on a professional Sennheiser microphone, with innovative features making it nearly immune to snow, wind, and water. It is even capable of recording under water. Its special windshield continues to reduce wind noise for clear sound when it gets wet, while an elastic suspension suppresses any structure-borne noise. Available from 24th April, the Sennheiser MKE 2 elements action microphone comes complete with a special windshield and a back cover for the GoPro HERO4 protective case, keeping the camera hermetically sealed.

Today LaCie announced the next evolution of its 2big professional 2-bay RAID storage solution. Now with Thunderbolt 3 technology, the LaCie 2big Dock delivers fast speeds and up to 20TB of storage, making it a powerhouse tool for photographers and videographers. More than storage, the LaCie 2big Dock is a powerful docking station that helps photographers and videographers simplify their workflows. Front-facing SD and CF Card slots allow the pro to directly ingest files off memory cards from a drone, DSLR, GoPro and other devices into Adobe Lightroom or Premiere Pro. The USB 3.0 hub charges a phone or connects a shuttle drive or digital camera to offload footage or files. Via DisplayPort, professionals can connect the LaCie 2big Dock to high-resolution 720-1080p or even 4K displays. Dual Thunderbolt 3 ports can also power a compatible laptop while simultaneously daisy-chaining up to five additional Thunderbolt or one USB-C drive. Plus, the USB 3.1 port enables universal compatibility with USB-C and USB 3.0 computers via the included adapter cable. The new LaCie 2big Dock will be available in 12TB, 16TB or 20TB capacities through LaCie Resellers this summer. It will be showcased for the first time at the NAB Show in Las Vegas next week.

A new firmware update for the Fujifilm GFX 50S camera will be released in late May 2017. It will "will add (a) new function for computer tethering via Wi-Fi and improve operability in exposure compensation and autofocus performance in difficult scenes." In our Fujifilm GFX 50S review, we noted that exposure compensation was difficult to set and that the auto-focusing system was often a little sluggish, so it will be very interesting to see what imrpovements Fujifilm can make via this firmware update.

The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 is a square format hybrid instant film camera that combines digital imaging technology with square film prints. The SQ10 is the first camera in the INSTAX series to be equipped with the newly developed hybrid INSTAX system – a digital image sensor and image processing technology integrated with the existing INSTAX system. These technologies allow the SQ10 to take brighter photos in low-light conditions (indoor and night scenes) and close-up shots from a distance as close as 4 in \10 cm with new functions including automatic exposure control, facial recognition, and auto-focus. 

The INSTAX SQUARE SQ10 will be available in May 2017 in the U.S. and Canada for USD $279.95 and CAD $369.99. In the UK, the camera will hit the shelves at the end of May, priced at £249.

INSTAX SQUARE Film will also be available in May 2017 in the U.S. and Canada for USD $16.99 and CAD $15.99. In the United Kingdom, the film will have an expected retail price of £8.99.