Intro2020 today announced the immediate UK availability of the Metz mecablitz 44 AF-2 flash. Featuring a guide number of 44 (in metres at ISO 100/21° and 105 mm), the mecablitz 44 AF-2 has a bounce-and-swivel head with a motorised 24-105mm zoom function, plus an integrated (12mm) wide angle diffuser and flip-out bounce reflector card. A built-in LED light - with an output of 100 Lux at a distance of 1m - creates additional lighting opportunities for moving images. The Metz mecablitz 44 AF-2 flash can be synchronised to the first or second shutter curtain and supports High Speed Synchronisation (HSS). The unit's firmware can be updated via the integrated USB socket. Available for Canon, Four Thirds, Fujifilm, Nikon, Samsung and Sony cameras, the mecablitz 44 AF-2 carries a suggested retail price of £179.99.

We're revealing our favourite products from last year in our annual awards, looking back at the essential photography kit that helped to define 2015.

The Compact System Camera of the Year 2015 award goes to the Fujifilm X-T10.

“The Fujifilm X-T10 successfully repackages most of the core features of the flagship X-T1 camera into a smaller, lighter and cheaper body...”

Read the Full Review

Congratulations to Fujifilm and the X-T10!

We're revealing our favourite products from last year in our annual awards, looking back at the essential photography kit that helped to define 2015.

The Compact Camera of the Year 2015 award goes to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV.

“The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV makes for a very appealing back-up camera for everybody who craves high quality images even when they don’t have the ability or inclination to carry around heavy and cumbersome kit.”

Read the Full Review

Congratulations to Sony and the Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV!

We're revealing our favourite products from last year in our annual awards, looking back at the essential photography kit that helped to define 2015.

The Lens of the Year 2015 award goes to the Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD.

“...we can heartily recommend the Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD as an attractively priced, excellent quality ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for full-frame DSLR owners.”

Read the Full Review

Congratulations to Tamron and the SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD!

Activeon has unveiled a solar powered action camera called the Solar X. Currently on display at the Consumer Electronics Show, Activeon's Solar X camera offers 4K video performance and includes a two-inch touchscreen, a built-in 1100mAh rechargeable battery, and Wi-Fi connectivity. With its 16-megapixel CMOS sensor and 7-element f/2.4 glass lens, the Solar X can also capture high-resolution stills at a continuous shooting speed of 6fps. The camera's unique solar-charging solution allows the battery to be charged up to 80% in 30 minutes and to 100% in 60 minutes. The camera can  be controlled from a smartphone or tablet using an Android/iOS app, or directly via the built-in 2" touchscreen. The Solar X has a micro HDMI output and is also compatible with nearly 40 additional accessories such as 8 different mounts; 7 grips, selfie sticks, and straps; diving glasses; and a Wi-Fi remote. Availability is slated for March, the estimated retail price is $430.

Samsung today announced the Samsung Portable SSD T3, a premium, palm-sized, external solid state drive that offers multi-terabyte storage capacity. Equipped with the company's proprietary Vertical NAND and SSD TurboWrite technology, the T3 drive is currently on display at Samsung’ booth (#11906) during CES 2016. Available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities, the Samsung Portable SSD T3 offers sequential read and write speeds of up to 450MB/s with a USB 3.1 interface. The new SSD will be first launched in February, 2016 in countries including the United States, China, Korea and select European countries.

ShooTools have launched their latest joined solution, the Slider ONE eXtension Track 240. Joining three 80 cm tracks through a junction plate, the Slider ONE eXtension Track 240 is a handy, portable soluion for time-lapse photographers and videographers. The ShooTools Slider ONE eXtension Track 240 is available now for € 1,390.00 + VAT.

We're revealing our favourite products from last year in our annual awards, looking back at the essential photography kit that helped to define 2015.

The Printer of the Year 2015 award goes to the Epson SureColor SC-P600.

“The Epson SureColor SC-P600 has plenty to offer the photographer in quality terms and will no doubt satisfy the most demanding user.”

Read the Full Review

Congratulations to Epson and the SureColor SC-P600!

Adorama is now taking pre-orders for the Flashpoint StreakLight TTL, a 360Ws TTL barebulb strobe designed for on- and off-camera use on Canon or Nikon models. Evolved from the original Flashpoint StreakLight, it produces all of the TTL functions of a proprietary flash, including exposure bracketing, high-speed synchronisation, ratios, remote manual control and more. The StreakLight TTL also features a built-in R2 radio system for manual or TTL control of other R2-enabled units or TTL flashes mounted on an R2 receiver. With more than 30 channels, it allows for interference-free shooting regardless of other photographers or equipment in the area. Its internal transmitter ranges 300+ feet for larger venues. The Flashpoint StreakLight 360 TTL retails for $489.95.

Following its European launch, the Kodak PixPro SP360-4K Action Cam is now available worldwide. Billed as the World's first and most complete 4K recording device to capture 360° immersive videos and still images without the need for multiple cameras, the 4K capable version of the PixPro SP360 camera captures 360-degree field of view in multiple directions via its dome shaped lens design and can be panned not only 360-degrees horizontally, but also up and down with a host of different vantage points and views for playback post capture. Newly added features include time-lapse video, 12-megapixel stills capture and a burst mode. Like its predecessor, the new Kodak PixPro SP360-4K comes with a wide range of attachments from a waterproof housing (up to 60m) to a flat adhesive suction mount and remote control. The Kodak PixPro SP360-4K is available for purchase online now starting at $499.

MindShift Gear today launched three UltraLight series photo daypacks. The UltraLight Sprint 16L ($116.99), UltraLight Dual 25L ($169.99), and UltraLight Dual 36L ($199.99) side-panel designs allow quick access to cameras, lenses, and accessories without first having to take off the bag. The backpacks also offer generous space for personal belongings, tablets/laptops and hydration reservoirs. Additional features include an integrated tripod mounting system and highly breathable shoulder straps. Click through / scroll down for the details.

Seagate has launched the Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim, the World's thinnest 2TB mobile hard drive. At just 9.6mm, the Backup Plus Ultra Slim external drive employs Seagate’s latest 2.5-inch HDD technology, making it more than 50 percent thinner than other 2TB drives on the market. The new drive comes with 200GB of free Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage for two years, which lets users share and access their favorite files anywhere. The Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim gold and platinum finishes will be available this quarter.

Lexar have announced the Lexar Professional 1800x microSDHC and microSDXC UHS-II cards. Offering read transfer speeds up to 270MB per second, the new cards are designed for sports camcorders, aerial cameras, tablets and camera phones. Available in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities, Professional 1800x microSD cards leverage Ultra High Speed II (U3 technology) to provide faster capture, playback, and transfer of high-quality videos and photos. The cards are currently available with an MSRP of £65.99 (32GB), £109.99 (64GB), and £219.99 (128GB).

Over the next 6 days we’ll be revealing our favourite products from last year in our annual awards, looking back at the essential photography kit that helped to define 2015.

Kicking things off is the Software of the Year 2015 award, which goes to Adobe Photoshop Elements 14.

“...for anyone new to image editing or the keen photographer who just wants to achieve a quick result, then Photoshop Elements 14 will not disappoint.”

Read the Full Review

Congratulations to Adobe and Photoshop Elements 14!

Lexar has revealed the Lexar Portable SSD, which is designed to deliver read transfer speeds up to 450MB per second. This compact and durable portable solid state drive features an LED capacity meter to easily gauge available storage space. The Lexar Portable SSD will be available in Q1 2016 with MSRPs of £120.99 (256GB) and £200.99 (512GB).

Sony is expanding its lineup of memory card options to include newer and faster XQD and SD media, as well as card readers for the XQD and SD formats, and an XQD USB adapter, all designed to support the latest high-performance DSLR cameras like Nikon D5 or D500. Sony’s XQD-M series provides users data transfer speeds of up to 440MB/s (read) and 150MB/s (write) for stable burst shooting, and the ability to backup 64GB of data in approximately 3 minutes when using Sony’s newest card reader. In addition, Sony’s newest SD cards, the SF-M series, are UHS-II supported media promising read/write speeds of 260MB/s and and 100MB/s, respectively. In conjunction with the new card options, Sony is introducing the World’s first XQD/SD card reader, the MRW-E90 (pictured), which supports, ultra-high speed data transfer to a PC from all XQD series and UHS-II SD cards, eliminating the need for multiple adapters and readers. The new card reader also supports SuperSpeed USB (USB3.1 Gen. 1).

Felleowes' ExoLens brand and Zeiss have announced their collaboration in the design and development of accessory lenses for camera phones. The companies presented the first jointly developed accessory lenses at the Fellowes booth (no. 31016) at CES 2016. The first three lenses – wide-angle, telephoto and macro (pictured) – are scheduled to be launched later this year. The new lenses can be used on the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S and 6S Plus with customised mounting brackets (the companies plan on releasing brackets for more devices in future). The ExoLens bracket features a standard tripod mount (1/4”-20) as well as a cold shoe for mounting accessories. All lenses incorporate the T* anti-reflective coating from Zeiss, which minimises reflections at the glass-to-air surfaces and improves the transmission of light.

At CES 2016, Kodak announced the launch of an initiative aimed at putting Super 8 cameras into the hands of a new generation of filmmakers. Showing off an early prototype of a new Kodak Super 8 camera that combines the classic features of a Super 8 with digital functionality, the company is providing an opportunity for visitors to shoot their own Super 8 footage and watch home movies on the Kodak CES booth (South Hall #20618). Kodak has engaged with Yves Béhar, design entrepreneur and founder of Fuseproject, to ensure that the new Kodak Super 8 camera design echoes the look and feel of the original Kodak Super 8 camera, while offering modern functionality such as a swivelling 3.5" colour display. However, the Kodak Super 8 Revival Initiative reaches far beyond the introduction of a new camera. The company has built a roadmap that includes a range of cameras, film development services, post production tools and more. “It is an ecosystem for film” said Jeff Clarke, Eastman Kodak Chief Executive Officer. “Following the 50th anniversary of Super 8, Kodak is providing new opportunities to enjoy and appreciate film as a medium.”

Sony today introduced their newest action camera, the HDR-AS50. The new model has an 11.1 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor paired with a Zeiss Tessar lens, and features advanced SteadyShot image stabilisation which is especially effective against the kind of low-amplitude vibration that can occur when used with radio-controlled helicopters or drones. The new camera has implemented some changes based on customer feedback from athletes and other previous users and now comes with several new and improved user features. Adjustable and enhanced beep sounds as well as three tally lights on the top, front and back have been added to allow greater notice of camera conditions even when wearing a helmet and when mounted on handlebars or monopods. Divers and swimmers can now benefit from a supplied underwater housing, which allows footage to be captured down to 60m under water. Sony’s own in-built movie creator, Highlight Movie Maker now incorporates face detection and automatically assembles a highlight package which can be viewed and shared immediately. Sony’s new HDR-AS50 Action Cam will be available in February 2016.