Venus Optics have announced the US SRP of the new Laowa 105mm f/2 STF lens. This unique manual-focus lens has an integrated apodisation filter that promises to deliver "superior bokeh rendering and crystal sharp images." The full-frame Laowa 105mm f/2 STF lens features 11 elements in 8 groups with a 14-bladed diaphragm and a minimum focus distance of 0.9m. The STF abbreviation stands for Smooth Trans Focus, a reference to its special optical system, which is intended to deliver smooth transitions between crisp in‐focus areas and a defocused background or foreground. Weighing in at 745 grams, the Laowa 105mm F2 STF will be available from April for $699. In the UK, the lens will be priced at £649.99, with first shipments expected later this month.

Canon today unveiled  a new entry-level EOS digital SLR camera – the EOS 1300D. The 18-megapixel APS-C model includes Wi-Fi and Dynamic NFC functionaliy, a 3-inch 920k-dot rear screen, and a sensitivity range of ISO 100-6,400 (expandable to ISO 12,800). The camera's new "white priority" Auto White Balance setting enables users to create images with a more neutral tone when shooting under incandescent lighting. Videos can be recorded in Full HD resolution, with full manual control over exposure and gain. Using Video Snapshot mode, users can also record a series of short clips, which can be automatically joined together in a slick video sequence that shows a summary of their day. The Canon EOS 1300D is available from early April for £289.99/€ 399.99 (body only). Kit prices are £369.99 / €519.99 / 549.99 for the 1300D + 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II bundle and- £329.99/€459.99 for the camera + EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DCIII kit. The Canon EOS 1300D is marketed as the Rebel T6 in the US.

Adobe has teamed up with The Photography Show (TPS) to offer visitors to the show 20% off the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan. “Photoshop and Lightroom have been fundamental in the evolution of digital photography and we are extremely excited to be giving photographers of all abilities the chance to learn more about what Creative Cloud Photography plan has to offer at this year’s show,” said Liz Wilkins, Head of Digital Media Marketing, Northern Europe at Adobe UK. The Adobe Theatre is returning to The Photography Show this year from March 19 to March 22 2016, offering a comprehensive programme of sessions for all levels to help improve and enhance photographer's image editing skills.

A mural-sized silver print of Ansel Adams' dramatic Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1948, sold for $221,000 at Swann Galleries’ February 25 auction Art & Storytelling. Photographs of famous and influential figures were among the top lots, with Garry Winogrand’s portfolio 15 Big Shots, with each of the silver prints signed, selling for $45,000. Richard Avedon’s oversized silver print Suzy Parker and Robin Tattersall, evening dress by Grés, Moulin Rouge, 1957, showing the photographer’s muse with accomplished sailor and surgeon Robin Tattersall, sold for $35,000. “We are thrilled with the success of this sale,” said Daile Kaplan, Swann Vice President and Director of Photographs & Photobooks. “Iconic photographs sold competitively, auction records were set for 19th and 20th-century images, and clients new to the photography marketplace were successful bidders.” The department’s next auction, Images & Objects: Photographs & Photobooks, will be held on 19 April 2016.

Sigma Corporation of America has announced a special $80 instant rebate on its Sigma Global Vision18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary lens. Available for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sigma and Sony camera mounts, the Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 is designed for APS-C cameras and features an enhanced optical stabiliser, an optimised hyper-sonic AF motor, four FLD elements and a 1:3 macro ratio. In addition to the rebate, Sigma is packaging in, at no additional cost, its Sigma AM72-01 close-up lens, a $55 value. Designed exclusively for the 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 lens, the Sigma close-up converter offers a maximum reproduction ratio  of 1:2. The instant rebate and close-up lens bundle is available now.

Plustek will showcase their next-generation 35mm slide, negative and photo scanners at The Photography Show held at the NEC in Birmingham between 19-22 March 2016. Two brand new models are on display: the Plustek ePhoto Z300 – a consumer focused dedicated photo scanner – and the recently announced Optic Film 135, a motor-driven 35mm film scanner (pictured). Offering a maximum input resolution of 3,600ppi, the Plustek OpticFilm 135 comes with Plustek’s new QuickScan Plus utility which allows users to apply a variety of automatic image enhancement tools as well as preset filters and effects. Users can also upload images directly to Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and Picasa. With a special, separately sold film holder, the scanner is also capable of digitising panoramic images – up to 120mm across - shot on 35mm film. In the UK, the Plustek OpticFilm 135 is priced at £245 + VAT.

On Saturday 19 March 2016, National Geographic Traveller and CEWE Photobook, Europe’s leading photo book and instant print online retailer, will host a free exhibition of winning photography at Birmingham’s Hotel du Vin. In association with Capture Birmingham, The National Geographic Traveller – Winner’s Photography Exhibition will showcase a selection of winning images from the prestigious National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition. The gallery exhibition is part of a weekend of events held across the city to celebrate photography, providing something for everyone. Birmingham’s Hotel du Vin is located at 25 Church St, Birmingham B3 2NR.

Canon today announced the expansion of the imagePROGRAF PRO Series with four large-format inkjet printers. The new models include the 11-Colour plus Chroma Optimizer 44-inch imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 (pictured) and 24-inch imagePROGRAF PRO-2000, designed for the fine art and photographic markets, as well as the eight-colour 60-inch imagePROGRAF PRO-6000S and 44-inch imagePROGRAF PRO-4000S aimed at the production signage industry. “From the time a photo is taken, to the time it is reproduced in print, imaging professionals require output solutions that accurately preserve the detail and vibrancy of that moment,” said Toyotsugu Kuwamura, senior vice president and general manager, Business Imaging Solutions Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “The new imagePROGRAF PRO Series models not only deliver an impressive and well-appointed design equal to Canon’s EOS digital cameras, but are also equipped with advanced technology features to faithfully reproduce high-quality photos taken by Canon’s EOS digital cameras with outstanding image quality.” The imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 is available for an MSRP of $5,995. The imagePROGRAF PRO-2000 is available for an MSRP of $2,995.

Profoto has released a new version of the classic Profoto Softlight Reflector. The new version is named OCF Beauty Dish and is a collapsible, more portable version of the original. Available in white and silver, the OCF Beauty Dish is not made of metal but high-quality fabrics. When collapsed, it is stored in a carrying bag that fits in a small backpack. Mounting the OCF Beauty Dish is quick and easy too, thanks to a clever, patent-pending design that allows you to snap it onto the OCF Speedring without having to bend and fumble with the rods. The entire tool, including speedring and deflector plate, weighs a mere 0.48 kg (1.1 lbs.). When mounted, the OCF Beauty Dish has a diameter of 56 cm (2'). The OCF Beauty Dish is available for €160/$179.

Sony have announced plans to release a new wireless lighting control system. Designed for compatibility with their a interchangeable cameras and external flash units, the new lighting system will include the FA-WRC1M wireless radio commander as well as the FA-WRR1 wireless radio receiver. With a maximum range of 30m, the new radio controlled system can control a maximum of 15 separate flash units in up to 5 groups.  Additionally, the new lighting control system will be capable of flash sync speeds of up to 1/250th of a second with high speed sync (HSS) available as well. A prototype of the new system will be on display in Sony's booth at WPPI 2016.

Sony today introduced the newest addition to their compact zoom camera lineup, the DSC-HX80. Featuring an 18.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, 30x optical zoom and a retractable OLED EVF, the Wi-Fi / NFC compatible Sony HX80 also boasts a tilting 921k dot LCD screen and Full HD movie recording capabilities. The new camera will be available next month, priced at $350.

Akvis have released version 3.5 of their MakeUp application for MacOS and Windows. This update adds support for 4K and 5K resolution screens, new print options, a modernised graphical user interface, support for more raw files and native 64-bit support on Macs. Registered users can upgrade to version 4.0 for free.

The LG 360 Cam is a compact 360° camera module equipped with two 13-megapixel 200-degree wide angle cameras, 1,200mAh battery and 4GB internal memory, which can be supplemented by a microSD card. The device can be easily connected to the LG G5 allowing users to create 360° content. The LG 360 Cam provides 2K video and 5.1 surround channel recording on three microphones. Thanks to the partnership with Google, images taken with the 360 Cam can be uploaded to Google Street View and YouTube360, adding the option of sharing creative contents with others. “This announcement of the LG 360 CAM means a lot to over 500 million Street View users and all who love to create and share 360-degree content,” said Charles Armstrong, Product Manager of Google Street View. “With its capability to create 16MP images, the LG 360 CAM will be the most preferable choice for anyone to join in the fun of 360-degree content.” The images will also be available to view on the LG 360 VR or other smartphones or devices that are capable of 360-degree content.

The Polaroid Brightsaber is a new LED lighting wand with an integrated rotating tungsten filter. The highly portable lighting solution can be comfortably handheld or mounted to a tripod for studio setups, and comes with 298 efficient, low-heat 5600K LED bulbs rated at >50,000 Hours. Helping photographers stay focused on set, the Polaroid brightsaber comes with an innovative multi-function IR remote. This handy device gives users full control over the lighting, while doubling as a remote shutter release for virtually any Canon, Nikon or Pentax camera. The Polaroid Brightsaber is available now for $162.29.

Sigma has announced its presence at the 2016 Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Conference (WPPI) in Las Vegas, NV from 7-9 March 2016. Sigma will showcase its brand new products including the 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art lens (pictured), the MC-11 mount converter and the 30mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens; as well as feature a lineup of Sigma Pro speakers in its theatre at booth 521. Attendees who visit the Sigma booth will have multiple chances to win Sigma lenses each day by simply scanning their badge or participating in the new Sigma Social Studio.

DJI has launched the Phantom 4 quadcopter, billed as the first consumer drone to use "highly advanced computer vision and sensing technology to make professional aerial imaging easier for everyone." The Phantom 4’s camera has undergone an upgrade that includes improved optics for better corner sharpness and reduced chromatic aberration. The quadcopter also has DJI’s signature Lightbridge video transmission system onboard, allowing users to see what their camera sees in HD and in real-time on their smart devices at a distance up to five kilometres. Additionally, the Phantom 4’s Obstacle Sensing System features two forward-facing optical sensors that scan for obstacles and automatically direct the aircraft around the impediment when possible, reducing risk of collision, while ensuring flight direction remains constant. The DJI Phantom 4 is now available for preorder, priced at £1229. Customers will begin receiving their units on 15th March.

Issue 50 of David Noton’s Chasing the Light Online Magazine is now available. In this month's Behind the Lens article and accompanying video blog, David Noton continues his travelogue about his recent trip to Western Australia. Meanwhile, in the Low Down, the next instalment of David’s mini series on new inspirations considers the opportunities to be found in shooting textures, a subject he now feels may have far more potential than he had previously thought. For this month’s edition of The Pipe Line, Ben Piper embarks upon a weekend of shooting the diverse architecture of Berlin. 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.

UK Optics (Laowa UK) has announced the Laowa 105mm f/2 STF lens. This unique manual-focus lens has an integrated apodisation filter that promises to deliver "superior bokeh rendering and crystal sharp images." The full-frame Laowa 105mm f/2 STF lens features 11 elements in 8 groups with a 14-bladed diaphragm and a minimum focus distance of 0.9m. The STF abbreviation stands for Smooth Trans Focus, a reference to its special optical system, which is intended to deliver smooth transitions between crisp in‐focus areas and a defocused background or foreground. Weighing in at 745 grams, the Laowa 105mm F2 STF will be available later this month, priced at £649.99.