The Adobe Theatre will return for the second year at The Photography Show, held at NEC Birmingham, 19-22 March 2016. Thirty-minute sessions are planned for the theatre across the four-day event, exploring the various ways in which photographers can process and edit their photos. "We’re delighted to have the opportunity to showcase what the modern day photographer needs to know, covering all aspects of a photographic journey," says Adobe Principal Solutions Consultant Richard Curtis. "We’ll share tips on how to add value to the image capture within your camera, image editing techniques and best practices at the computer, as well as many options to publish your work to the internet and across your social channels."

The Societies have announced the overall winners of their photography competition. Chris Chambers from West Yorkshire was awarded the Photographer of the Year title during the Awards Dinner at the Societies' annual convention. In addition to receiving his trophy Chris also walked away with a Fujifilm XT1 Camera with XF56 1.2 Lens and a fully paid ticket to the WPPI Convention in Las Vegas with a flight and 5 nights accommodation to the value of £3,200.

Sony have launched a new USB Type-C standard pen drive. The USB 3.1 Gen1 CA1-series utilises dual connectors, including Type-C and A, combining up to 130MB/s transfer speed with durability and design. Ideal for storing photos, music, videos and other data on-the-go, thenew USB CA1 will be available from February 2016 in 16/32/64GB capacities.

‘A masterpiece for creating your own masterpiece’ is the confident pitch for the latest Micro Four Thirds compact system camera from Olympus: the Pen-F.  Rather than replace the formerly range topping E-P5 in the Pen line up however, Olympus suggested to Photography Blog at its London preview that the new rangefinder-styled camera – if successful – should form a new, independent strand on its own.

The Olympus PEN-F is the most powerful ever PEN and one of the most beautiful system cameras Olympus has ever produced. The PEN-F inherits much state-of-the-art optical technology from Olympus’ larger, high-end OM-D camera family, including its world’s best 5-axis Image Stabilisation system (worth some 5 EV stops when shooting at low ISO), a 50-Megapixel high resolution shot capability, and a built-in electronic viewfinder with a real-time preview of settings adjustments.

The Olympus PEN-F is available in black or silver from end- February 2016. PEN-F body only £999.99, PEN-F and M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm 1-3.5-5.6 EZ Pancake lens kit £1099.99, PEN-F and M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm 1:1.8 lens kit £1199.99.

Manfrotto UK have announced the extension of the 190go! range with a new lightweight and compact carbon fibre tripod. Now available in carbon fibre, the 190Go! Carbon is 18% lighter than the current 190 range. When the tripod is closed it measures only 45cm (17.70") and weighs just 1.67kg. The 90° column and the leg angle selectors enable photographers to get low down to the ground, reaching a minimum height of 7cm (2.5"). The 190Go! also includes an Easy Link attachment in the top casting which enables instant connection between the tripod and a variety of accessories, including LED lights, reflectors and other pieces of gear. 

Hahnemühle have added two panoramic formats to their FineArt Photo Rag papers. The matte-coated Photo Rag 308 and the high-gloss Photo Rag Baryta are now available in 21x59,4cm (8.27"x23.386") size. The moderate 21cm width of these papers ensures that most LTR size fine art printers will accommodate this format.

Nikon Europe have released a 4K sample video recorded with the new Nikon D5 digital SLR camera. Entitled 'My Nebraska,' this 5-minute short film was directed by Nikon Ambassador Bill Frakes. Click through / scroll down to watch the movie.

Sigma have announced availability and pricing information for the Sigma Water Repellent Ceramic Protector filter. With many applications in aerospace and other industries, glass ceramic is an extremely tough type of crystallised glass that serves as the foundation for Clear Glass Ceramic. While featuring the high transmittance required of optical devices, this advanced new material combines greater hardness than chemically strengthened glass and greater flexibility than sapphire crystal glass. These qualities make Clear Glass Ceramic the ideal material for protective lens filters. The Sigma Water Repellent Ceramic Protector filter is offered in the most popular filter thread sizes, and is compatible with all lenses that accept front filter threads that are 67mm-105mm diameters. The product is available now, priced from $130-$441 depending on the corresponding lens size.

The prestigious Leica Oskar Barnack Awards are returning for the 36th time this year. Opening for entries on 1 March 2016, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award is one of the industry’s most prestigious photographic competitions. The winner in the main category will be honoured with a cash prize of 25,000 euros and Leica M-System equipment (a camera and lens) with an additional value of €10,000. Photographers interested in taking part can submit their applications and photographic projects online, with a closing date of 15 April 2016. The recipients of this year’s Awards will be honoured at an official prize-giving ceremony in Germany.

The Lomographic Society has announced a new version of the classic Jupiter 3 lens for rangefinder cameras. Featuring an L39 screw mount, the 50mm f/1.5 Jupiter 3+ Art Lens ships with a Leica M mount adapter for use on bayonet-mount cameras. The optical formula comprises 7 elements in 3 groups, and the lens takes 40.5mm filters. In addition to having a modified 0.7m closest focusing distance (an improvement from 1m on the original lens), the New Jupiter 3+ Art Lens is much more durable than the original Jupiter 3 as it is constructed from chrome-plated solid brass. The new lens is available for £499.

Nikon Europe has released a 4K sample video recorded with the new Nikon D500 DX-format digital SLR camera. Showing dramatic scenes from a mountaineering / rock-climbing / cave trekking / rope-walking adventure, this spectacular short movie titled 'Exposure' was filmed exclusively on the Nikon D500 by National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Keith Ladzinski. Click through / scroll down to watch the video.