The Camera Lift Strap is an innovative camera strap that reduces the neck and back strain caused by the weight of your camera. "Our camera strap design clasps right onto to your backpack handle and keeps the weight of your camera distributed along the shoulders, one of the strongest parts of the human body," the company says. "It has the capacity to carry the heaviest of camera equipment with ultimate comfort, so you can experience the weightlessness of your camera like never before!" The Camera Lift Strap is available exclusively on Kickstarter in leather (red and black) or canvas (Midnight Blue, Fire Brick, Light Steel Blue, and Burnt Orange) versions.

Phottix have launched a new light modifier called the Spartan Beauty Dish. Easily assembled using flexible rods, the Phottix Spartan is more than just a beauty dish—it quickly transforms into a traditional octa softbox by replacing the metal diffuser with the internal baffle. Users can add an outer diffuser for even more softness and a grid to make the light more directional. Available in two sizes, 50cm and 70cm, the Phottix Spartan collapsible beauty dish is priced from $120.

Vienna-based master printer Tom Bates has launched a Kickstarter campaign for his project, Shots/on\Stone, offering hand-crafted and custom-made analogue prints on natural limestone that promise to "reignite the magic of tangible relationships with the photos we take." Each Shot/on\Stone is created using a rare process whereby the stone is hand-coated in photographic emulsion and hand-developed in a darkroom using traditional techniques. Finally, the photograph is painted with two coats of UV protective varnish to help ensure it lasts for many, many years. Each Shot/on\Stone tile measures 20x20cm (7.8”x7.8”) and weighs between 800 and 1200 grams. "When you look at a Shot/on\Stone, you aren’t just seeing a photograph, you are viewing something which has a real, living history and an image which has become fused with the natural patterns and markings of the stone," Tom says. "Since there is no frame around the stone, or glass covering it, you are instinctively drawn to establish a direct, tangible connection with the photograph by touching it and feeling the natural stone surface beneath." Shots/on\Stone are available now via Kickstarter with prices starting from €40.

Leica has announced that it is to become Sky Arts’ exclusive technical provider for Master of Photography, the first TV talent show dedicated to photography. Hosted by Isabella Rossellini, the programme will involve 12 young talents – either amateur or pro photographers – from all over Europe. During the eight episodes in the series, competitors will face challenges both in the studio and outdoors, touring several European locations from Rome to Ireland and London to Berlin. A jury comprising three globally-renowned photographers and experts, Oliviero Toscani, Simon Frederick and Rut Blees Luxemburg, will select the first Master of Photography, with the winner receiving a prize of €150,000.

Benro have added two new entry-level tripod kits to their video lineup. Both the Benro KH25N Video Tripod Kit ($199) and the KH26NL Video Tripod Kit ($249) are ideal for compact digital video cameras, HDSLRs and still cameras with long lenses weighing up to 11 lb (5 kg). These tripods feature an improved leg locking system as well as an improved fluid pan and fluid tilt head. An interchangeable pan arm allows both right- and left-handed use. The KH25N tripod extends from a minimum height of 28.9 in (73.4 cm) to a maximum height of 61.0 in (155 cm). The tripod can be folded to a length of 30.5 in (77.4 cm) for transport. The KH26NL tripod extends to a maximum height of 72.0 in (182 cm) and folds down to 35.2 in (89.4 cm). The KH Video Tripods will replace the AD71FK5 model which is now discontinued.

The Laowa Zero-D 12mm f/2.8 from Venus Optics is a new ultra wide angle lens for 35mm full-frame cameras. Available in Canon ,Nikon, Pentax and Sony E mounts, the Laowa Zero-D 12mm f/2.8 is comprised of 16 elements in 10 groups, including 2 aspherical elements and 3 elements made of glass with anomalous dispersion. This manual focus lens offers a field of view of 121.96°, 7 aperture blades, minimum focusing distance of 18cm, and an aperture range of f/2.8 - f/22. The lens is so new that we don't have an official picture yet (we've shown you the Laowa 15mm f/4 Macro lens instead), and the scheduled release date is "more likely to be August rather than July", according to distributor UK Optics Ltd.

ADATA have launched the AI910 Lightning Card Reader Plus, a memory card reader which works with iOS-, Android-, and Windows-based devices. Featuring SD and microSD slots with support for up to 256GB capacity, the AI910 is a “three-way” device, allowing users to backup, read, and share content across multiple platforms. It has a Lightning connector (MFi certified) and ships with microUSB/USB cables to ensure seamless connectivity out of the box. Data transfer speeds through the Lightning connector to iOS devices are up to 30MB/s read and 20MB/s write.

Xara has announced a new release of Xara Designer Pro X. Billed as the ultimate all-in-one creative software that provides all the tools for illustration, photo editing, web graphics and desktop publishing; Xara Designer Pro X365 contains major enhancements for both web and graphic design, and a new delivery model that gives access to new updates as they happen in the 365 days after purchase. The photo editing tools have been enhanced with two new W3C standard transparency blend modes and a new ultra-easy way to rotate, scale / pan and crop images. The photo editor provides vector based, editable, non-destructive photo editing so the user can return to the original image at any time. Additinally, there are two new types of photo grids. ‘Static’ Photo Grids are simple, fixed, visually attractive grids of photos onto which users can drag & drop their own photo. ‘Smart’ Photo Grids smartly resize to fill the rectangles as photos are added or deleted, and users can swap the positions of the photos, adjust the number of rows and columns and the border / gap between all the photos.Xara’s new Update Service means that users will no longer have to wait a year between releases to access new features and content. Users will have access to new features and content as Xara develop them, at any time during the year after their purchase. An enhanced Online Content Catalogue will also be included free for one year as part of Xara’s new Update Service. The catalogue will provide access to a new library of over 500,000 quality royalty-free, high quality, high-resolution stock photos, provided under a CC0 license. Xara Designer Pro X365 is available for £219.

The 36exp Photographers' School has announced the 2016 London Photo Show; a 5-day long exhibition in which photographers from all walks of life have the opportunity to display their work at the 5th Base Gallery in East London. The event, which will run from September 28th and October 2nd 2016, will present amateur and professional photographers a chance to display and sell their prints, enter competitions and network with industry contacts. Event organiser Andrew Mason commented: “With the London Photo Show, we wanted to give those people the chance to experience the buzz of presenting their work in a central London gallery, and allow them to get their work seen – for some this could even be the start of a whole new career, helping to turn a passion into a profession. For others, it’s a chance to gain valuable feedback, and to mingle with like-minded people.” Exhibition space is available from £55 - £155.

Really Nice Images today announced the immediate availability of RNI All Films 4.0, a film simulation package for Adobe Photoshop / Camera Raw and Lightroom. Containing 58 film stocks and over 300 presets organised into 5 categories including Negative, Slide, Instant, BW and Vintage; this completely revised version of RNI All Films features customised camera profiles for a wide range of cameras and a lot of major improvements. RNI All Films 4 is available now in tw versions; Pro ($122) and Light ($59).

Southampton-based Hungarian amateur photographer Tímea Kónya-Valentényi has been chosen as the second winner of Jessops’s Share your summer competition; winning the opportunity to exhibit her work across 52 Jessops store windows. On her win, Tímea said; “I couldn’t be happier to have been selected as the second share your summer winner. It’s an incredible feeling to know that my photo is being viewed up and down the country right now. Visiting my local Jessops store in Waterlooville to see my photo on display was just brilliant.” On top of a week-long window display, Tímea will also be invited to show off her work in the Olympus-sponsored Project Space Gallery in Bermondsey, London from 8th – 14th August.

XP Distribution, the specialist distributor for X-Rite’s range of colour management products, has announced their debut attendance at IBC 2016, the premier annual event for filmmaking professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of entertainment and news content. At the show, X-Rite’s team of colour management experts will be on hand to explain the benefits of the ColorChecker Video range and monitor calibration, and the company will be teaming up with professional filmmakers to demonstrate how the products fit into their workflow. X-Rite will be on Stand LP8, in Hall 9 at IBC, RAI Amsterdam from 9-13 September 2016.

The first free beta version of Affinity Designer is now available for Windows. Designed to work on 64-bit Windows 7 and above, Affinity Designer is part of a trio of professional quality design software tools. Affinity Photo launched for Mac last year and will follow for Windows, while Affinity Publisher is expected early in 2017. “The beta launch of Affinity Designer on Windows is a huge step towards that, although it's important to remember that it's not the finished product at this stage,” says Serif Managing Director Ashley Hewson. “Our beta phase for Mac was exceptionally valuable in helping us to refine the software and now we’re excited to work just as a closely with Windows users, to deliver a brilliant end product.” The first full version of Affinity Designer for Windows is likely to go on sale in around three months, for direct download from the Affinity website. People can still sign up for the Windows beta at the website below.

EEF, the UK manufacturers’ organisation, is asking photographers to submit images that capture the essence of modern British manufacturing for the annual EEF photography competition. Photographs can portray any stage of manufacturing, from design, process and technology in action through to the finished product, and can cover traditional or high-tech sectors. Companies are being encouraged to open their doors to photographers in their local area to demonstrate what makes manufacturing so great. Winners of the EEF Manufacturing Photography Competition offers three categories to enter: professional, amateur and young photographer (under 20 at 30th September 2016). Entries will be shortlisted by a panel of photography and industry experts, with winners announced in December. The submission deadline is Friday 30th September.

Fotodiox Pro has announced the LED Studio-in-a-Box; a lightweight, fold-out kit for tabletop product photography. Available in four different sizes, the LED Studio-in-a-Box comes equipped with built-in LED lights and a removable diffusion panel. The kit includes four plastic, wrinkle-free “cyclorama” backgrounds in black, white, gray and blue, as well as a removable diffusion panel and an integrated ring of top-mounted LED lights. Pricing starts at $69.95.

Panasonic will be exhibiting at The Farnborough International Airshow public weekend, taking place in Hampshire on 16th and 17th July. With an array of products suited to enthusiasts and families alike, Panasonic will showcase a selection of their Lumix G & Lumix cameras and HD camcorders on their stand. Having only just been announced, this will be one of the first chances for consumers to see the new ultra wide-angle Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens (read review) that has been created to satisfy professional needs for shooting landscapes. The Panasonic Lumix GX80 and a selection of Panasonic’s 4K camcorders will also be on the stand. For those interested in purchasing a product, Panasonic has teamed up with London Camera Exchange to give visitors the chance to secure exclusive show offers on the Lumix G, Lumix and camcorder range.

Leica are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the launch of the Leica M8, their first-ever digital rangefinder camera, with a special trade-in promotion. The Leica M8 marked the beginning of a new era, bringing the unique characteristics of Leica's rangefinder focusing technology into the world of digital photography. Later models, such as the Leica M9 (2009) – the first Leica camera with a 35mm full-frame sensor – further built on this success and repeatedly set new standards with innovative features and functionality, while always retaining the basic principles of the Leica M-System. Leica UK are celebrating the anniversary with a number of special promotions, available at any authorised UK Leica System Dealer, Leica Boutique or Leica Store. Among these is a trade-in offer allowing customers to trade in any camera for a new Leica M (Typ 240), M-P (Typ 240) or Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) and receive a special £500 bonus in addition to the value of the camera system traded in. The promotion runs until October 31st 2016.

Issue 54 of David Noton’s Chasing the Light Online Magazine is now available. In this month’s Field Trial article, David Noton Canon takes centre state, as David Noton explains why he chose the system, and why he sticks by his decision. Then in the Low Down, he turns his attention to the photographic inspiration to be found in photographing faces around the world, as he reminisces on the memorable portraits he has shot over the years. In an edition of Stepping Back, David takes readers to the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, revisiting the trip he made in 2008 and the location’s possibilities. And in this month’s How It’s Done, he shows us what’s in his photo backpack, a piece accompanied by a video link. Finally, David presents two of his popular Fundamentals of Post-Production Videos.Do note that the full contents of Chasing the Light Online Magazine is available to full f11 subscribers only. However non-members can purchase individual issues of the magazine at a price of £4.20.

Meyer-Optik Goerlitz announced today the availability of its new portrait lens, the Trimagon f2.6/95. According to the company, the Trimagon 95mm lens uses a unique coating and design that delivers sharp images with minimal reflections. “While the Trioplan 100 restored Meyer-Optik’s long lens to the artistic photography market, the Trimagon 95 provides professionals a dynamic modern lens that delivers extraordinary portraits and natural-looking photographs,” said Dr. Stefan Immes, CEO, Meyer-Optik Goerlitz.  “The remarkable nature of the lens is its rendering of secondary light, specifically providing realistic reflections of the finest structures.” Handmade in Germany, the Meyer-Optik Trimagon f2.6/95 has an optical construction comprising 3 elements in 3 groups, an angle of view of 25°, and a 52mm filter thread. The Trimagon f2.6/95 is available for Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Leica, Sony and Micro Four Thirds, priced at $1,699.