Nikon has announced that entries for the Nikon Photo Contest 2016-2017 will be accepted between 17 October 2016 and 27 January 2017. One of the world's largest international photo contests since its inception in 1969, the 36th Nikon Photo Contest sees the addition of two new categories. The ‘Nikon 100th Anniversary’ category celebrates Nikon's upcoming 100th birthday in 2017, and the ‘Next Generation’ category, for anyone under the age of 30, looks to encourage the talent of the next generation of photographers. The winners of the Nikon Photo Contest 2016-2017 will be announced in July 2017, with an awards ceremony in Japan.

The Royal Photographic Society's International Print Exhibition - world’s longest running photography competition - has announced the winners of its 159th edition. UK photographers Carolyn Mendelsohn, Polly Braden and Poem Baker secured the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards and Russian photographer Anna Shustikova won the under-30s Gold award. The competition attracted entries from 57 countries and the finalists and winners were selected by a panel consisting of social documentary photographer Dougie Wallace; Brighton Biennial Photo Festival director, Celia Davies;  the director of Glasgow’s Street Level Photoworks, Malcolm Dickson; Russ O’Connell, Picture Editor for The Sunday Times Magazine and the photography writer and editor Gemma Padley. The Gold Award image, titled Alice by Carolyn Mendelsohn focusses on the complex transition between childhood to young adulthood. Under-30s Gold winner Anna Shustikova’s image School Bus (above) was taken after a school excursion to the Dubna wetlands nature reserve in the northeast Moscow province. All the photographs selected for the exhibition will be shown at the opening exhibition at London’s Photomonth International Photography Festival, at the Old Truman Brewery, on Brick Lane, from 13–18 October (as part of the PHOTOBLOCK series of events).  The exhibition will travel to The Royal Albert Hall before moving to other venues in the UK, including the Belfast and Retina (Edinburgh) International Photography Festivals.

British Journal of Photography’s International Photography Award 2017 is now open for entries. One photographer will be selected by a panel of elite industry experts to receive a three-week solo exhibition at TJ Boulting, an innovative gallery in the heart of London, plus a £5000 production grant from Metro Imaging. The winning photographer will also have their work published across British Journal of Photography’s print and digital channels, and showcased globally on WeTransfer. Previous winners include Juno Calypso, Felicity Hammond, Dominic Hawgood, Chloe Dewe Mathews and Edmund Clark. Photographers may enter projects on any topic, shot in any format or camera model, on film or digital. Projects entered must contain a minimum of 10 and maximum of 30 images. The closing date for entries is Sunday 20 November 2016, and BJP is offering a 25% discount for early-bird entries until Friday 30 September 2016.

DJI has launched the Osmo+, which brings an integrated zoom camera to the Osmo hand-held camera stabilisation system. The Osmo+ camera has a total of 7x zoom, with 3.5x optical and 2x digital lossless zoom (only available when shooting at 1080p), giving it a focal length ranging from 22mm to 77mm without sacrificing Full HD video quality. Without digital zoom, the camera is capable of recording movies in 4K resolution. It is similar to, but not interchangeable with, the new Zenmuse Z3 zoom camera recently launched for the Inspire 1 drone system. “The Osmo+ opens up entirely new capabilities for creators who love the Osmo’s ability to deliver crisp, sharp and detailed handheld imagery,” said Paul Pan, Senior Product Manager. “From action selfies to detailed panoramas to motion timelapses, the zoom features of the new Osmo+ once again expand the capabilities of handheld photography to push the limits of the imagination.” The Osmo+ is available for £629.

Fuji have announced the Wi-Fi enabled Fujifilm X-A3 compact system camera, featuring an APS-C sized 24.2-megapixel imager. Unlike its siblings, the new X-A3 forgoes the company's much-touted X-Trans sensor technology in favour of a more conventional Bayer colour filter array. Key highlights include a sensitivity range of ISO 200-6400 (expandable to ISO 25600), a tilting LCD touchscreen, 11 Film Simulation modes, 10 Advanced Filters, two command dials, an auto focus system with 49 selectable AF points plus Zone and Wide / Tracking modes that use 77 focus areas to capture a moving subject, an  extended battery life, and Full HD (1080/60p, 50p, 24p) video recording capabilities. Additionally, the Fujifilm X-A3 now features Panorama and Time-Lapse functions. In the UK, the X­-A3 will be available exclusively at Jessops from the end of September 2016, kitted with the Fujinon XC16­-50mm F3.5­5.6 OIS II lens, with an SRP of  £599.

Fujifilm have announced the upcoming release of the Fujinon XF23mmF2 R WR lens. Dustproof and weather-resistant, the new XF23mmF2 R WR has a highly versatile focal length equivalent to 35mm (in the 35mm film format), suitable to a range of genres and subjects from street photography to landscapes and environmental portraits. The inner-focus AF system uses a stepping motor to drive the focusing group of lens elements for silent and fast auto-focus. When combined with the phase detection AF system of the Fujifilm. X-Pro2 or X-T2, the lens can lock focus in 0.05 seconds. The optical formula comprises 10 elements in 6 groups, including 2 aspherical elements, plus an iris diaphragm with nine rounded aperture blades. This lens can be used with the vented metal hood LH-XF35-2, which is also compatible with the XF35mmF2 R WR. Coinciding with the launch of the XF23mmF2 R WR, a silver version of the lens hood LH-XF35-2 will also be released, allowing users to choose an optional hood that matches the colour of the lens. The Fujifilm XF23mmF2 R WR lens will be on sale in the UK from September 2016, at a suggested retail price of £419.

Photography Blog attended the recent UK press launch of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in central London. As one of the first people outside of Canon to actually get their hands on the new EOS 5D, here are my initial thoughts...

Canon have released thirteen full-resolution sample photos and two reduced-resolution sample videos shot on their new EOS 5D Mark IV digital SLR camera. Captured with a variety of lenses including the EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, EF11-24mm f/4L USM, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, EF600mm f/4L IS II USM and new EF24-105mm f/4L IS II USM, these Canon EOS 5D Mark IV samples were taken at  sensitivity settings ranging from ISO 100 to ISO 6,400.

Website: Official Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Sample Images & Movies

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera, including a side-by-side comparison with the previous 5D Mark III, and the new EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM and EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM lenses.

Want to see exactly how the new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera compares to the previous 5D Mark III model?

Check out our side-by-side comparison of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with the previous 5D Mark III.

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens.

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM lens looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM lens.

The new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is the most versatile EOS DSLR camera yet. Featuring a 30.4 megapixel CMOS sensor with wide exposure latitude, 7 frames per second (fps) high speed shooting, internal 4K movie recording and built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, the 5D Mark IV fuses speed and resolution with excellent low light capability and movie functionality. The EOS 5D Mark IV is also the first EOS camera to premiere the innovative Dual Pixel RAW file format, allowing photographers to fine-tune images in post-production by adjusting or correcting the point of sharpness, shifting the foreground bokeh or reducing image ghosting.

Canon have also added the new EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM and the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM to their extensive lineup of lenses.

Finally, Canon have announced a new firmware update for the EOS-1D X Mark II. Adding IPTC support and LCD colour tone as featured in the EOS 5D Mark IV, the update also improves the network and GPS functionality. The firmware will be available in September.

Pricing

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV - RRP £3,629 / €4899.99, available September 2016

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L II USM - RRP £1,129 / €1,449.99, available Q4 2016

Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L III USM - RRP £2,349 / €2,999.99, available October 2016

The Canon Wi-Fi Adapter W-E1 is a dedicated Wi-Fi adapter for Canon’s EOS 7D Mark II, EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R DSLR cameras. Portable and lightweight, the Wi-Fi Adapter W-E1 is the size of an SD card. A firmware update is required for all compatible models. The EOS 7D Mark II new firmware is available September 2016 and the EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R new firmware is available November 2016. The Canon Wi-Fi Adapter W-E1 will cost £39.99 / €49.99, available in October.

PowerEgg, the first consumer drone developed by PowerVision Technology, is now available for pre-order. With its unique egg-shaped robotic design and the industry’s first gesture recognition remote control, PowerEgg addresses user demand for easy drone portability and handling. The drone's integrated 4K UHD camera can produce both still photographs and videos with panoramic 360 degree views on a 3-axis gimbal, delivering stabillised aerial views with an immersive “spherical” experience. In addition, PowerEgg’s flight software includes multiple automated flight modes that let the user easily frame their shots while the PowerEgg automatically manages its flight path.  These PowerModes include Follow Me, Orbit, WayPoint, and Selfie mode, and are easily accessed through the iOS or Android user interface. PowerEgg is available for $1,288.

UK Optics have announced the launch of a new website dedicated to their Novo brand. "All the products on this site are home grown and tweaked and developed by ourselves," says Tony Edwards, UK & European Sales Manager for UK Optics. These include hard cases, shoulder bags, backpacks, rolling bags, tripods, monopods, camera L-plates and a range of tripods heads comprising the Novo LGH 25 (£49.90), Novo LGH 30 (£104.90), Novo LGH 40 (£144.90), Novo LGH 55 (£199.90, pictured) and Novo CBH 40 (£84.90) ballheads

Sony today introduced its latest NXCAM camcorder, the HXR-NX5R. Boasting three 1/2.8-type Full HD Exmor CMOS sensors and 40x Clear Image Zoom function, the Sony HXR-NX5R camcorder offers multi-format recording to cater for a wide range of shooting applications. Upgrades versus the NX3 and NX5 include a 3G-SDI terminal that supports Full HD 60p output, the industry’s first adjustable brightness LED video light and advanced noise reduction. Additionally, the Sony HXR-NX5R provides content creators with new upgraded network functions including FTP and live streaming, with built in Wi-Fi, along with simultaneous backup recording through dual SD card slots. A choice of advanced XAVC S 50Mbps or established AVCHD / DV recording formats is available to suit a range of workflows. The new camcorder is planned to be available in September 2016.

The Lomographic Society have teamed up with Nixon for the new edition of the Nixon Surf Challenge, an international competition that gathers the best surfers from all over the world. Lomography gave photographers Bastien Bonnarme and Benjamin Wu Tiu Yen a selection of film cameras and asked them to document the Nixon Surf Challenge which took place around the coast of Ireland. The photographs they took during the contest will be exhibited at the Lomography Gallery Store Soho (3 Newburgh Street, London W1F 7RE) from 15 September 2016.

Eyefi has combined efforts with Toshiba to deliver Eyefi Connected features to the upcoming versions of Toshiba's FlashAir WiFi SD memory card product line. In addition, Eyefi has added direct support for automatic wireless transfer of images from Toshiba FlashAir cards to Eyefi Mobi apps on all major platforms. FlashAir customers only need to install the Eyefi Mobi app on their device and enter the required FlashAir user ID and password into the app to begin enjoying instant transfer of their images. Toshiba Flash Air customers can use Eyefi Mobi apps as an alternative or complement to the existing FlashAir apps available on iOS and Android. Eyefi Connected features are available on over 300 camera models from more than 10 leading camera manufactures, including Canon, Nikon and Sony.