The Sony RX1R II is a new "palm-sized" digital compact camera with a 42.4-megapixel full-frame sensor, a variable optical low-pass filter, a Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 lens and a convenient retractable XGA OLED viewfinder for eye-level shooting. The three settings for the AA filter include “off”, which provides comparable effects to having no low-pass filter and is suitable when prioritising resolution, “standard”, which strikes a balance between resolution and removal of moiré and colour artifacts, and “high”, which places more emphasis on reducing moiré and artifacting. The RX1R II model is the first in Sony’s acclaimed RX line of compact cameras to feature Fast Hybrid AF capabilities. The camera’s sensor features 399 focal-plane phase-detection AF points that cover about 45% of the image area – the world’s widest AF coverage on a full-frame sensor – that work together with 25 contrast AF points to achieve focus response that is about 30% faster than the original model. Offering uncompressed 14-bit-per-channel raw image capture, the Sony RX1R II will be available in December 2015, priced at £2,600/$3,299.

Canon are offering up to £75 on selected products in the United Kingdom. The cashback promotion runs from 14th October 2015 to 13th January 2016 for eligible products purchased from selected UK or Republic of Ireland retailers. Eligible products include seven SLRs, twelve lenses, two flash units, half a dozen compact cameras, six camcorders and four printers (click through / scroll down for the full list). Registering with Canon to claim cashback on any of these products will give you the chance to win a luxury trip to St. Moritz in Switzerland.

Lexar has announced two additions to its CFast memory card line: the Lexar Professional 3500x CFast 2.0 card and the Lexar Professional 3600x CFast 2.0 card. The Lexar Professional 3600x CFast 2.0 card provides read transfer speeds up to 540MB per second, and comes in 256GB (£739.99) and 128GB (£394.99) capacities. The 3500x CFast 2.0 memory card will be available in capacities ranging from 32GB to 256GB (£129.99-£739.99) and provide read transfer speed up to 525MB per second. “More and more cinematographers and videographers are embracing cutting-edge video cameras for important shoots,” said Steffi Ho, product marketing manager, Lexar. “The goal in developing the Professional 3600x and 3500x CFast 2.0 cards is to provide them with the fastest memory cards available to capture high quality 4K video and beyond.”

The Lomographic Society has just introduced the Lomo'Instant Wide instant film camera. Featuring a moderate wide-angle 90mm lens, the Lomo’Instant Wide uses Fujifilm Instax Wide film, which has an exposure area of 64mm x 99mm. The lens cap of the Lomo’Instant Wide doubles as a remote control that allows easy and convenient self-portraits, group photos and long exposures. The camera has three different shooting modes including Auto, Bulb and a Fixed Shutter Speed mode for studio settings. The Lomo'Instant Wide comes with a built-in flash as well as a standard Prontor-Compur sync terminal, allowing users to attach an external flash unit to the camera. This latest Lomo model is being produced in small batches, one edition at a time, which means pre-orders will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Delivery for the first batch is estimated to begin early December 2015.

Lexar has just announced a new 128GB version of its Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II memory card. Launching later this month, the 128GB Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II card will be the fastest UHS-II memory card available at this capacity in the market. Offering read transfer speeds up to 300MB per second and write speeds up to 260MB/s, the new 128GB memory card includes an SD UHS-II reader for high-speed file transfer of photos and videos. The card also comes with a limited lifetime warranty and includes a lifetime copy of Image Rescue software. The suggested retail price is £224.99.

The ZEISS Otus 1.4/28 lens offers unrivalled image quality unseen until now in wide-angle photography, even with a wide-open aperture. Even with a maximum aperture, the corners of the image are completely usable, so there are no limits to composition. In poor light combined with fast-moving objects, the lens also excels due to its high speed of f/1.4.

The ZEISS Otus 1.4/28 ZF.2 and ZEISS Otus 1.4/28 ZE will be available worldwide starting in the second quarter of 2016. The lens shade is included with delivery. The retail sales price is unknown to date.

Apple today updated the entire iMac family. The 21.5-inch iMac is now available with a display featuring a 4096x2304-pixel resolution and 9.4 million pixels, 4.5 times more than the standard 21.5-inch iMac. The Retina 5K display that now comes as standard with every 27-inch iMac offers a staggering 14.7 million pixels of resolution. The new Retina panels feature a wider P3-based colour gamut that provides a 25 percent larger colour space than standard sRGB-based displays. Two Thunderbolt 2 ports now come standard on all iMacs and deliver up to 20Gbps data transfer speeds for external drives and high-performance peripherals. And three stream 802.11ac Wi-Fi allows every iMac to support up to 1.3Gbps wireless networking. The 21.5-inch iMac is available with a Retina 4K display starting at £1,199. The 27-inch iMac comes in three models starting at £1,449, £1,599 and £1,849.

Canon have posted 8 full-resolution sample photos and 2 reduced-resolution sample videos captured with the new Canon EOS M10 compact system camera. Taken with a variety of lenses including the EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM, EF-M11-22mm f/4.0-5.6 IS STM and EF-S60mm f/2.8 Macro USM; these Canon EOS M10 samples were captured at sensitivity settings ranging from ISO100/21° to ISO400/27°. You can download the sample images and videos from the website below.

Website: Official Canon EOS M10 Samples

Canon Japan has released 4 high-resolution sample images captured with the new, 20-megapixel Poweshot G9 X digital compact camera. Spanning a variety of genres incuding still life, macro, landscape and portraiture, these Canon PowerShot G9 X samples were all taken at the sensor's base sensitivity of ISO 125/22°.

Website: Official Canon PowerShot G9 X Sample Photos

Canon Japan has published four full-resolution sample photos taken with the brand new PowerShot G5 X compact camera. Captured at a sensitivity setting of ISO 125/22°, these Canon PowerShot G5 X samples span a variety of genres including product photography, landscape and portraiture. You can download the G5 X sample images from the website below.

Website: Official Canon PowerShot G5 X Samples

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EOS M10 compact system camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EOS M10 compact system camera.

Want to see exactly what the new Canon PowerShot G5 X compact camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon PowerShot G5 X compact camera.

Want to see exactly what the new Canon PowerShot G9 X compact camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon PowerShot G9 X compact camera.

The Canon EOS M10 is a brand new Compact System Camera that distils the best of DSLR photography into a compact body. The EOS M10 combines Canon’s most advanced image processor, DIGIC 6, an 18 Megapixel sensor, and Hybrid CMOS AF II to deliver responsive handling and stunning image quality in both stills and Full HD Movies.  Also launched today is the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM, a new collapsible standard zoom lens for the EOS M10.

The EOS M10 will be available from November 2015 with the following RRPs:

EOS M10 + EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM  - £399.99/€589.99.
The EOS M10 body only £309.99/€449.99

Canon has expanded its prestigious PowerShot G-series with two new additions, the PowerShot G5 X and PowerShot G9 X. The PowerShot G5 X is ideal for serious enthusiasts wanting professional levels of DSLR-like control and quality, whilst the PowerShot G9 X is perfect for those who want to unleash their creativity with a premium, pocket sized camera capable of capturing spontaneous moments.

The Canon PowerShot G5 X will be available from November 2015 with an RRP of £629.99/€899.99. The Canon PowerShot G9 X will be available from November 2015 with an RRP of £399.99/€569.99.

This Saturday, Jessops are to host an exclusive Manfrotto photography takeover event at their Kingston store. Visitors are invited to join free ambassador talks, competitions and exclusive offers and discounts across the Manfrotto range for one day only. Manfrotto experts Victoria and Eddie will also offer exclusive one to one sessions providing tips and advice on how to shoot and capture the perfect photograph. The Jessops Academy will be present on the day, showcasing some of the Manfrotto products in collaboration with their Exotic Macro Experience. All visitors will get the chance to get up close and personal with some unusual and exotic creatures, learning how to get the perfect images of living subjects. To book your place, call 01530 566 090.

Transcend have launched their CFast 2.0 CFX700 memory cards for industrial-grade applications. Compliant with the new-generation CFast 2.0 specifications, the Transcend CFX700 memory cards combine a SATA III interface and built-in SLC NAND flash; and boast a sequential read speed of 530 MB/s and write speed of 260 MB/s. To strengthen product performance, Transcend's CFX700 cards support various value-added technologies such as device sleep mode, S.M.A.R.T., security command, built-in ECC and global wear-leveling algorithm. Transcend's CFast 2.0 CFX700 memory cards are available now in 16GB and 32GB capacities.

Akvis has released a major update to Akvis Draw, an application which converts photos into pencil sketches and line art pictures. Version 3.0 boasts a completely reworked photo-to-drawing algorithm, advanced colour options, better contours, plus a number of new tools and features. All registered users of Akvis Draw can upgrade to the new version for free.

Issue 45 of David Noton’s Chasing the Light Online Magazine is now available. In this month's Behind the Lens feature, David fills us in on his exciting experiences shooting the Royal Scotsman in the Scottish Highlands last August. In the final instalment of his Low Down series on exposure, he looks at the creative possibilities of using fast glass wide open for minimal depth of field and dreamy bokeh backgrounds. In Hoddinott’s Hangout, Ross Hoddinott looks at lighting for close-ups. Meanwhile, this month in Sense of Space Jeremy Horner travels to Morocco, reminiscing on the many times he has visited this magical country, and his favourite photo locations there. And in this edition’s Guest Feature, renowned photograper Alessandra Meniconzi explains her love of capturing the ancient heritage and daily life of indigenous peoples – with stunning images from Ethiopia and Tibet to Greenland and Siberia. Do note that the full contents of Chasing the Light Online Magazine is available to full f11 subscribers only. Non-members can purchase individual issues of the magazine at a price of £4.20.

DJI has launched the Osmo, an integrated 4K camera and hand-held stabiliser featuring a 1/2.3”-type sensor and a 94° lens. Its onboard universal mount works together with an included smartphone holder in addition to other optional accessories including a tripod, a bike mount or an extension arm. The Osmo handle comes equipped with an on-board stereo microphone, as well as a 3.5mm audio jack for recording professional-quality external sound. In addition to capturing 4K footage, the DJI Osmo can record Full HD movies at 120fps for slow-motion playback. The Osmo is available for pre-order now for $649 and £549 and will begin shipping on 15th October.