The new Sony HVL-F45RM is a radio-controlled flash unit with a guide number of 45 (in metres at ISO 100/21°). The radio capabilities of the HVL-F45RM allow it to be used as a transmitter or a receiver at up to 30m (approximately 98 feet). Additionally, unlike optical flash systems, radio-control flashes do not require a direct line-of-sight between components to function properly, while also minimising any impact that bright sunlight has on signal transmission and control. The Sony HVL-F45RM flash has a battery life of up to 210 bursts, and can tilt up to 150° vertically, a complete 360° horizontally and up to 8° downward. A new large, bright and highly visible LCD display, an LED light, dust and moisture resistant design; and a revamped menu system round off the list of features. Available from March, the Sony HVL-F45RM flash unit will be priced at approximately £420.

The Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 is a new mid-telephoto prime lens for full-frame Sony cameras. The lens features a 9-bladed circular aperture mechanism that ensures smooth, natural looking bokeh, and a double linear motor system to allow for fast, precise and quiet focusing. It also has a focus hold button that can be customised and assigned together with functions in the camera body like the popular Eye-AF feature. There is a smooth, responsive focus ring and AF/MF switch and the lens is also dust and moisture resistant. The Sony FE 85mm F1.8 will be priced at approximately £550. Availability is slated for March 2017.

The Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS is a new mid- telephoto prime lens with a unique STF (Smooth Trans Focus) design. Built to produce a truly unique and beautiful bokeh while maintaining the high standard of resolution that is showcased throughout Sony’s line-up of flagship G Master series lenses, the FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS features a newly designed 11-bladed aperture and a unique optical apodization lens element. Similar to a neutral density filter that increases in density towards the edges, the apodization element creates beautiful transitions of in-focus to out-of-focus areas within an image, making for exceptionally soft, smooth bokeh that adds depth and dimensionality. This allows the subjects to stand out against beautifully defocused elements in both the foreground and background, producing an image that is naturally pleasing to the eye, the company says. Additionally, the new 100mm lens supports both contrast AF and focal-plane phase detection AF, and has a high-precision, quiet direct drive SSM (Super Sonic Motor) system that ensures fast and accurate auto focus performance. Priced at approximately £1700, the lens also offers up to 0.25x magnification with a built-in macro switching ring, built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation, a customisable focus hold button, AF/MF switch and aperture ring.

This year, Magnum Photos will celebrate 70 years of contribution to photography with the launch of a global public events, exhibition and new content programme. Centred on the three themes of community, witnessing history and Magnum Photos Now, the special anniversary programme will explore the institution and photographer personalities of then and now, central to past and current visual culture. Throughout the year, the website will feature defining images and visual stories from the past seven decades of Magnum including founding member Robert Capa’s iconic documentation of the D.Day landings in Omaha Beach, 1944, Henri Cartier-Bresson’s 1947 record of the independence of India and Stuart Franklin’s first-hand account of the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989. Magnum photographers will also take on an ambitious new visual project, Magnum Retold, to mark the occasion. This will see Magnum’s contemporary photographers reshoot some of the agency’s most seminal stories, reworked to reflect the changing world we live in today.

Click through / scroll down for a list of key events.

Epson America today announced Epson Print Layout, a software application designed to simplify the highly complex print and colour management workflow for photographers. Compatible with Epson SureColor P-Series printers, Epson Print Layout provides an intuitive linear workflow specifically designed to provide easy printer selection, layout, and colour management settings, in addition to providing a live Advanced Black-and-White Mode output preview. Available as an Adobe Photoshop  plug-in or standalone application for Windows and Mac, Epson Print Layout makes printing easier with a step-by-step selection of frequently used printing options, such as printer selection, layout, and colour settings. The program offers full ICC profile support or users can select automatic colour modes through the Epson print driver. Enhanced features include customised frame and border options for gallery-wrap printing and automatic paper sizing for panoramas. Epson Print Layout software is currently available for free download.

The Tamron 10-24mm F/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD is a new ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for APS-C DSLR cameras. In 2008, Tamron launched the SP AF10-24mm F/3.5-4.5 Di II LD Aspherical [IF] UWA zoom. Building on that lens’s popularity, this new lens has improved optical performance and new features. It offers Vibration Compensation, Moisture-Resistant Construction and Fluorine Coating, and the first implementation of Tamron’s new HLD (High/Low Torque Modulated Drive Motor). When shooting in AF mode, the Full-time Manual Focus override allows you to instantly make fine focusing adjustments manually, without having to switch between modes. The optical formula comprises 16 elements in 11 groups. Special lens elements include one LD (Low Dispersion) element, one XLD glass element, one molded glass aspherical element, and one hybrid aspherical lens. Availability is slated for late March, with pricing to be confirmed.

The Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 is a new full-frame telephoto zoom lens with an all-new optical design and "dramatically faster" AF speed. New features include eBAND Coating, a moisture-proof and dust-resistant construction, fluorine coating and compatibility with teleconverters. The optical design of the new lens consists of 23 elements in 17 groups. The deployment of XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) and LD (Low Dispersion) glass elements thoroughly eliminate chromatic aberrations, while ensuring uniform image quality even on the periphery of the image frame. Bokeh has been enhanced to deliver outstanding background effects across the entire zoom range. The improved Vibration Correction system provides a 5-stop advantage over non-stabilised lenses. Availablity is slated for late February, with pricing to be confirmed.

Panasonic have announced a delay in the launch of the Panasonic GH5 compact system camera. Citing an unexpectedly large amount of preorders, the company says the camera is now scheduled to be released on 23 March 2017. Adorama and B&H both expect the Panasonic GH5 to be available on 30th March.

Via PR

Fantasea and AOI have just released the UWL-09F wide-angle conversion lens for compact, mirrorless and SLR underwater housings. According to the manufacturer, the UWL-09F offers unmatched quality with 5 multi-layered precision optic elements. The combination of a super wide field of view (130 degrees) and zero minimal focus distance provide unlimited opportunities for image framing and creative compositions, including close-focus wide-angle images. The lens barrel is made from durable aluminium alloy with black coating. The dome is covered with hard coating as well, protecting it from easily getting scratched or damaged. The lens features a 67mm thread mount, compatible with most housings available in the market today. The base of the mount is covered with a rubber ring, providing a firm grip of the lens during installation and removal. Non-corrosive front and rear lens caps are included in the box. A quality padded carrying case allows safe storage and transportation. Weighing in at 1033g/36.4oz, the Fantasea UWL-09F wide-angle conversion lens is depth rated to 60m / 200ft. Available now, the lens carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $799.95.

The Samyang XEEN 20mm T1.9 is a new full-frame wide-angle lens designed for professional video- and cinematographic applications. Like the existing 14mm, 16mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 135mm XEEN lenses, the new Samyang 20mm T1.9 wil be available in five different mounts - PL, EF, F, E, and MFT -, and with two different focus scales (metric and imperial). Priced at £1799.99, the Samyang XEEN 20mm T1.9 lens is expected to hit the shelves in March 2017.

Ferrania have just announced the resurrection of their classic black-and-white film stock, Ferrania P30. Expected to be available shortly, in a limited 'Alpha' edition, Ferrania P30 is an ISO 80/20° panchromatic film which was originally manufactured for motion pictures in the 1960s. "With its cinema pedigree, ultrafine grain, and very high silver content, Ferrania P30 ALPHA has no peers in the modern analogue film market," the company says. The film will be available in 35mm format later this month. Pricing to be confirmed.

Website: Ferrania P30

Via PetaPixel

DxO Labs have announced a special offer enabling anyone to download a copy of DxO Optics Pro 9 Elite for free. To take advantage of this offer, you simply need to provide your email address and wait for your activation code and download link to be sent to your inbox. Do note that the free license is not upgradable and your camera may not be supported if you are using a recent model. The offer expires on 28 February 2017.

DNP will host a daily product giveaway of its award-winning dye-sublimation printers - including the DNP DS620A (pictured), DS820A and SnapLab+ SL620A - at WPPI 2017. Expo attendees need to visit the DNP booth #549 to enter. The daily winners will be announced at the DNP stand each day of the expo on February 7 and 8 at 3:00pm and February 9 at 2:00pm. The Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Conference (WPPI) will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers (SINWP) has announced the winners of the Weather Watch Photography Competition. Hamish Scott-Brown from Warwickshire was chosen as the overall winner for his image, "Sunrise Over Flecknoe" (reprinted above). The runners-up are Anthony Zacharias from London and Peter Jones from Nottinghamshire.

Jessops and Olympus have joined forces to curate a collection of photos captured by amateur photographers this winter. Twenty photographs capturing winter at its finest will be hung on the walls of the Art Bermondsey Project Space in London following a four week social media competition. The exhibition will open on Monday and will be on diaplay until 12th February. The photographers will be celebrated at an awards evening hosted by Jessops and Olympus on the 10th February, where an overall winner will receive an Olympus EM5 Mark II camera with a 12 – 40mm lens worth £1149.

Phase One have released version 10.0.2 of Capture One Pro. This update brings support for the Fujifilm X100F, the Olympus E-PL6, the Fujifilm X-A3, the Panasonic LX9/LX10/LX15, the Panasonic G8/G80/G81/G85, the Canon M5 and the Nikon 1 J5 cameras, and the Sony DT 18–250mm F3.5–6.3, Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM, Panasonic LUMIX G Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH, Panasonic LUMIX G LEICA DG VARIO-ELMAR 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 ASPH, Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm F4 ASPH and Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD lenses; and fixes bugs.

Yuneec has announced significant upgrades to its flagship professional small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) platform, the H920, creating the H920 Plus (pictured) and improved ProAction handheld grip. The H920 Plus includes the ST16 Pro Ground Station which operates on an Android platform with an integrated transmitter, flight controls and large 7-inch screen display with a HD 720p video downlink for real-time flight footage and an HDMI uplink for distribution to external monitors, command/control centers, or broadcast trucks. The refined main control system now allows pilots to not only save settings but also select various mission task modes: Orbit Me, Point of Interest, Journey, Curve Cable Cam as well as waypoints, providing a bevy of programed options for high-end commercial use. Yuneec will offer its CGO4 – developed in close cooperation with Panasonic – with a 16-megapixel FourThirds sensor, 14-42mm lens, an all-new histogram, 4K 30FPS/ 100 Mbps video resolution as the H920 Plus core camera. The drone is outfitted with a carbon-fibre fuselage and arms and six rotors, quick-disconnect props and a 360-degree, 3-axis gimbal coupled with retractable landing gear that provides an unobstructed view from any angle. The camera and gimbal are capable of a 20° up-angle for upward-looking inspections. The ProAction Grip is a dual-grip ground handle that allows users to capture ultra-stable and remarkably steady footage.  The H920 Plus is available now and will be offered in a variety of configurations with prices ranging from $2,499 to $3,999. The ProAction handle and CGO4 bundle is available now for $1,500.

Getty Images are now taking applications for a newly created female sports photographer internship. Offered in partnership with Women’s Sport Trust, Cerno Capital and Canon, the internship will be a paid position in Getty Images’ London office and will run for one year from July 2017. During this time the photographer will learn all angles of the sports photography business by shadowing the picture desk, assignments team and field editors and honing her photography skills at sporting events. Applicants are asked to submit a CV and cover letter alongside a portfolio of their 15 best images.