Photography Beyond Auto: Switch off auto mode and take better, more original photos by Chris Gatcum is a new title from Ilex Press. Billed as "an easily accessible guide which will set you free," this book does not attempt to explain each and every button, dial and feature on your camera, or explore precisely where each pixel comes from. Instead it concentrates on the key creative controls, including exposure, focus and colour; essential skills that’ll enable you to take pictures that are simply impossible to capture with the camera left on auto. The 144-page paperback is available for £9.98 / $13.88 on Amazon.

Ricoh have issued a firmware update for their GR II large-sensor compact camera. Version 1.10 adds compatibility with the company's Image Sync 1.0.5 software, and improves overall operational stability. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website bleow.

Website: Ricoh Japan

Manfrotto has announced its new 290 collection, featuring a completely renewed range of tripods, kits and monopods. The Manfrotto 290 Xtra tripod (pictured) boasts a completely new style and 4 leg angle positions. Available in aluminium and carbon-fibre versions, the new 290 Xtra comes with a dedicated shoulder bag. The new 290 Dual bridges the 290 and 190/055 tripod ranges. Maintianing the sturdy construction of the 290 range, the Manfrotto 290 Dual also features an innovative 90° centre-column mechanism. This feature, alongside the 4 leg angle positions, enables ground-level shooting. The updated, more compact and lightweight 804 3-way head features new retractable levers with rubber handles. Last but not least, the new 290 collection includes an updated version of the Manfrotto 290 Monopod boasting new rubber legwarmers and an angled wrist strap, together with an upper disc with integrated ¼” and 3/8” attachment. Prices start from £49.95.

Under its new EcoTank brand, Epson have launched five all-in-one printers featuring large ink reservoirs that come loaded and ready for up to two years of prints without replacing the ink. The WorkForce Pro WF-R4640 EcoTank All-in-One ($1,199), the WorkForce ET-4500 EcoTank All-in-One ($429) and the WorkForce ET-4550 EcoTank All-in-One ($499) are targeted at small and medium enterprises, whereas the Expression ET-2550 EcoTank All-in-One ($399) and the Expression ET-2500 EcoTank All-in-One ($379) are aimed at home users. The ET-2550 (pictured) features a 1.44” colour LCD screen, PC-free photo printing with a built-in memory card slot and Wi-Fi Direct technology.

Fujifilm and Nikon are planning to examine the compatibility of their digital cameras and applications with Windows 10. Specifically, Fuji are testing their X series cameras and all FinePix models launched since 2010, plus a suite of computer programs including MyFinePix Studio, PC AutoSave, the Tethered Capture Plug-in for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Tethered Shooting Software HS-V5 for Windows, and RAW FILE CONVERTER EX 2.0 powered by SILKYPIX. Nikon are planning to check the compatibility of 13 software applications and codecs (see below).

Calumet UK has announced a range of seminars and workshops for the month of September. All of these mini-courses are individually priced and students can take advantage of a discounted rate. Expert photographer Mark Prime will be hosting a one-day workshop entitled "Photo Editing: Processing Your Images for the Perfect Finish" on 5 and 23 September 2015 in Manchester. Andy Ashbury will hold an Auto Focus Masterclass in Calumet Photographic's Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol stores on the 9th, 16th and 23rd of September respectively. Rory Lewis will leas a Portraiture Masterclass on 12th Seotember in London. Last but not least, the company's London shop will be home to a seminar entitled "How to Make Money from Stock Photography," with Martin Norris. Click through / scroll down for the details.

Toshiba today announced the development of the world’s first 16-die stacked NAND flash memory utilising Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology. Claimed to provide the ideal solution for low latency, high bandwidth and high IOPS/Watt in flash storage applications - including high-end enterprise SSDs -, this new flash memory achieves an I/O data rate of over 1Gbps. The prototype will be shown at Flash Memory Summit 2015, to be held from 11-13 August in Santa Clara.

FXHOME have released version 7 of PhotoKey Pro, the industry-leading green screen editor for photographers. Featuring the most powerful automatic chroma key tool available, PhotoKey 7 Pro instantly analyses and removes the green screen before replacing it with a new background, allowing you to easily create composites. In Version 7, a new spill simulation system accurately replaces unwanted light spill from your green screen with natural ambient lighting from your new background, whilst the new client preview window enables photographers to show off a full-screen, live preview of their work on a second monitor. The update also adds raw image file support, intelligent keying, Retina screen compatibility, FTP export and various hot folder enhancements. PhotoKey 7 Pro is available for both Mac and Windows, priced at $299.

Tamron have just released the new 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC lens. Billed as the World's lightest superzoom lens in its class, the Tamron 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC weighs in at a mere 400 grams, allowing for greater portability than any of its predecessors. Featuring 16 elements in 14 groups, the 18-200mm VC uses an LD (Low Dispersion) lens element to minimise chromatic aberrations, and boasts the manufacturer's Vibration Compensation technology, which allows photographers to take sharp hand-held shots at shutter speeds that are critically slow for the focal length used. The suggested retaill price is £169.99 / $249.00.

Phase One Industrial has introduced the iXU-R camera series for aerial applications. Available in 80 MP, 60MP and 60MP achromatic versions, these cameras feature interchangeable 40 mm, 50 mm and 70 mm Phase One Rodenstock lenses equipped with central leaf shutters that can be quickly changed in the field. The Phase One iXU-R systems have been designed to address the aerial data acquisition market's needs for a small, lightweight camera with the high resolution of a medium format system, plus high-performance optics, flexibility to fit into small places and Phase One's fastest 80 MP platform. Cameras are easily integrated into new or existing setups with USB 3.0 connectivity for control and storage via the Phase One iX Capture application. For more details, visit the website below.

Fotodiox has added five new bi-colour models to its innovative FlapJack LED Edgelight series. “The world of imaging is in constant flux, and it’s our goal to continually improve our ideas,” said Bohuš Blahut, filmmaker and marketing director for Fotodiox. “We’re particularly proud of the design of the FlapJack LED Edgelights, and when our customers told us they wanted these in bi-colour, we listened." A perfect solution for filling in shadows, giving glamour portraits a beautiful glow or expertly lighting run-and-gun video shoots, the five newest models of bi-color FlapJack LED Edgelights have a fully adjustable color temperature between 3200K and 5500K. Each model of single-colour and bi-colour FlapJack LED Edgelight comes complete with a lithium-ion battery, battery charger, AC adapter, car adapter and mounting ballhead – all in a fitted case with a handle. Prices start at $179.95.