News

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Ahead of our full review, here are sample images and a 1080p movie taken with the Olympus TG-860 camera. The Olympus TG-860 is a brand new tough camera featuring a 16 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, 21-105mm ultra-wide zoom lens, built-in wif-fi and GPS, and a 180-degree flip LCD monitor.

Joining the existing Explorer and Athena ranges, the new Hiker line-up from Nest includes three shoulder bags and two backpacks. All of these bags are available in a camouflage 600D waterproof nylon version as well as a black 210D waterproof rip-stop nylon edition which has a stylish patterned finish. The Hiker 10, 20 and 30 shoulder bags offer an integrated padded shoulder strap and rain cover. The Nest Hiker 100 backpack has two sections, one for camera gear and one for everyday items. The Hiker 200 is a dedicated photo backpack with a separate compartment for a 15" notebook. Pricing starts at £49.99 for the shoulder bags and £99.99 for the backpacks.

Joining the existing Explorer and Athena ranges, the new Hiker line-up from Nest includes three shoulder bags and two backpacks. All of these bags are available in a camouflage 600D waterproof nylon version as well as a black 210D waterproof rip-stop nylon edition which has a stylish patterned finish. The…

Yongnuo has announced a new full-frame 35mm prime with auto focus. The Canon-mount Yongnuo YN35mm F2 lens has a minimum focus distance of 25cm, and a maximum magnification of 0.23x. The optical construction features 7 elements in 5 groups and an iris diaphragm witrh 7 rounded blades. The lens takes 52mm filters, and will be available from Yongnuo's Amazon and eBay stores.

Yongnuo has announced a new full-frame 35mm prime with auto focus. The Canon-mount Yongnuo YN35mm F2 lens has a minimum focus distance of 25cm, and a maximum magnification of 0.23x. The optical construction features 7 elements in 5 groups and an iris diaphragm witrh 7 rounded blades. The lens takes…

The Canon PowerShot SX610 HS is a new travel-zoom camera with an 18x zoom lens. The Canon SX610 offers 20 megapixels, a high-resolution 3-inch LCD screen, built-in wi-fi and NFC connectivity, and 1080p HD movies. Read our in-depth Canon PowerShot SX610 HS review...

Adobe today announced a major update to its Creative Cloud Photography plan with the release of an all-new Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC. This is a subscription-based desktop application that boasts a number of new features including HDR Merge, Panorama Merge, Face Recognition, advanced video slideshows and various performance/GPU enhancements. Automatically synced with Lightroom CC on the desktop, Lightroom on mobile devices lets users access and edit their catalogue of photos across a full range of iOS and Android devices. This release includes a major enhancement for Android with DNG raw file support on compatible Lollipop-enabled devices. The Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan (£8.57/$9.99 per month) includes Lightroom CC across desktop, Web and mobile, Photoshop CC and Photoshop Mix (for iPhone and iPad). All products are also available as part of Creative Cloud complete plan.

Adobe today announced a major update to its Creative Cloud Photography plan with the release of an all-new Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC. This is a subscription-based desktop application that boasts a number of new features including HDR Merge, Panorama Merge, Face Recognition, advanced video slideshows and various performance/GPU enhancements. Automatically…

Totally Rad! announced today the launch of Replichrome III: Archive, a new collection of presets for Adobe Lightroom and Camera Raw. While Replichrome I and II concentrated on modern and semi-available films, Replichrome III: Archive introduces photographers to 22 different films and 183 different presets, based on rare, expired, discontinued and eclectic films from across the world. “With Replichrome III, we wanted to give photographers a palette of choices that they wouldn’t have access to anywhere else,” said Doug Boutwell, CEO of Totally Rad! Inc. “We tracked down these expired and outdated films for years, and recreated the vintage looks with Replichrome III: Archive. Offering more unique choices than ever, if photographers are looking for timeworn, perfectly weird and rare, dramatic looking film, then Replichrome III is for them. We’re excited to offer emulations of this kind, which can’t be found on the market today.” Replichrome I and II are available now for $99 each. For a limited time, Replichrome III: Archive will be available at a discounted price of $69.

Totally Rad! announced today the launch of Replichrome III: Archive, a new collection of presets for Adobe Lightroom and Camera Raw. While Replichrome I and II concentrated on modern and semi-available films, Replichrome III: Archive introduces photographers to 22 different films and 183 different presets, based on rare, expired, discontinued…

Monday, April 20, 2015

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) has announced four bursaries to help students and other photographers to realise projects across the still and moving image. These include the Joan Wakelin Bursary, the Short Film Award, the Postgraduate Bursary and two Environmental Awareness bursaries. Click through / read on for more information.

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) has announced four bursaries to help students and other photographers to realise projects across the still and moving image. These include the Joan Wakelin Bursary, the Short Film Award, the Postgraduate Bursary and two Environmental Awareness bursaries. Click through / read on for more information.

Manfrotto are running a series of pop-up events across Britain in April and May. At these events, Manfrotto will be your local photographic store for one day offering customers the chance to come along to free photography talks, take advantage of special discounts and exclusive offers plus free demonstrations and the chance to view all of their latest products. Click through / scroll down for a list of dates and locations.

Manfrotto are running a series of pop-up events across Britain in April and May. At these events, Manfrotto will be your local photographic store for one day offering customers the chance to come along to free photography talks, take advantage of special discounts and exclusive offers plus free demonstrations and…

The winners of the Event Photography Awards 2015 were announced at a cocktail party in the Barbican’s Garden Room. Professional photographer Miles Willis scored a double win for his artful capture ‘Portrait of a flyman at Hackney Empire’, taking home both the ‘Behind the Scenes’ category title and the overall accolade of ‘Best Event Photograph of the Year 2015’. Amateur talent Ocean Belcher, from New Zealand, transported judges to a passionate rendezvous between two lovers at a party, as they found themselves lost in the music surrounding them. Her image was named winner of the ‘Music Events’ category. Other winners on the night included Antony Alexandrou in ‘Private Events & Weddings’, Martin James in ‘Corporate Events’ and in ‘Experiential & Trade Shows’, and Steve Fleming in the ‘Sporting Events’ category, who wowed judges with the grueling drama and beautiful scenery captured in his photograph of two cyclists tackling The Fred Whitton Challenge in the Yorkshire Dales (above). All the winning photographs will be displayed, with the help of sponsor Perton Signs, at Square Meal’s Venues & Events Live exhibition at Old Billingsgate in September 2015.

The winners of the Event Photography Awards 2015 were announced at a cocktail party in the Barbican’s Garden Room. Professional photographer Miles Willis scored a double win for his artful capture ‘Portrait of a flyman at Hackney Empire’, taking home both the ‘Behind the Scenes’ category title and the overall…

Broncolor has launched the new FT System, an advanced addition to the existing family of Broncolor continuous lights and Para products. The Broncolor Para is a true parabolic light bank that provides focus and the control to create a sculpted soft and beautiful effect not possible with a simple umbrella or reflector. As part of the Broncolor family, the new Para HR (Heat Resistant) reflectors support the most powerful lighting options and the new Para FT (Focusing Tube) lamphead design allows the use of HMIs, tungsten heads and strobe heads in parabolic light banks that can be setup in just minutes.The broncolor HMI FT1600 is dimmable, and provides constant colour at all times. New heat-resistant materials make it possible for both the 88 HR and 133 HR Paras to handle the high output from the new HMI 1600W FT and 2000W tungsten-halogen light sources. The new Para 88 HR and Para 133 HR kits will be available in June 2015. The complete broncolor FT System will be shipping September.

Broncolor has launched the new FT System, an advanced addition to the existing family of Broncolor continuous lights and Para products. The Broncolor Para is a true parabolic light bank that provides focus and the control to create a sculpted soft and beautiful effect not possible with a simple umbrella…

Friday, April 17, 2015

Hama has added the new Traveller Premium Mono 170 monopod to its product range. Like its sister product, the Traveller Premium 144 Ball tripod, the monopod features an extremely light and sturdy aluminium design and screw clamps for quickly locking the leg at the required length. The Hama Traveller Premium Mono 170 has a minimum height of 45cm and can be extended to 170cm. The maximum load capacity is 8kg, making the monopod well suited for larger cameras and lenses. The Hama Traveller Premium Mono 170 is available for €69.

Hama has added the new Traveller Premium Mono 170 monopod to its product range. Like its sister product, the Traveller Premium 144 Ball tripod, the monopod features an extremely light and sturdy aluminium design and screw clamps for quickly locking the leg at the required length. The Hama Traveller Premium…

Olympus have issued a firmware update for their OM-D E-M5 Mark II compact system camera. According to the company, Version 1.1 incorporates the following enhancements and fixes:

  • Audio can be faded out of movie files created with My Clips editing.
  • Speed at which information is displayed when the camera is turned on has been improved.
  • The issue of noise appearing in images captured while shooting with High Res Shot has been corrected.

You can install the firmware upgrade via the Digital Camera Updater utility.

Olympus have issued a firmware update for their OM-D E-M5 Mark II compact system camera. According to the company, Version 1.1 incorporates the following enhancements and fixes: Audio can be faded out of movie files created with My Clips editing. Speed at which information is displayed when the camera is…

The Panasonic LUMIX G 42.5mm f/1.7 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. is a new portrait lens for the Micro Four Thirds system. Offering an 85mm focal length, fast and near-silent focusing, image stabilisation and a bright maximum aperture of f/1.7, this short telephoto lens is perfect for head and shoulder portraits. Read our Panasonic LUMIX G 42.5mm f/1.7 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. review to find out if it's a must-have for all Micro Four Thirds users...

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Zhongyi Optics have announced the full-frame Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2, an ultra-bright short telephoto lens ideal for portraiture. Available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony FE mounts (with the Sony A and Pentax K editions coming later this year), the Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 has a circular aperture with 11 diaphragm blades, and incorporates 9 elements in 6 groups, including 2 extra-low-dispersion elements and 4 high-refractive-index elements. "Manual focus design and a click-less, silent aperture ring promote smooth handling and are especially well-suited to video applications," the company says. The lens weighs 921 grams, takes 77mm filters, and focuses down to 1m. The Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 is available for $799.

Zhongyi Optics have announced the full-frame Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2, an ultra-bright short telephoto lens ideal for portraiture. Available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony FE mounts (with the Sony A and Pentax K editions coming later this year), the Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 has a circular aperture with…

Nikon has posted a service advisory concerning the Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR telephoto lens. The company has confirmed that when the lens is used with the D800, D800E or D810 cameras, images captured at shutter speeds of around 1/125 s with the VR (NORMAL or SPORT) function enabled sometimes exhibit noticeable blur. To reduce the occurrence of this, Nikon will offer a service for updating the lens firmware. D800, D800E and D810 users who are concerned about this issue may take or send their lens to an Nikon Service Centre, where their lens firmware will be updated free of charge. Note that firmware for lenses with a serial number of 205101 or later have already been updated.

Nikon has posted a service advisory concerning the Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR telephoto lens. The company has confirmed that when the lens is used with the D800, D800E or D810 cameras, images captured at shutter speeds of around 1/125 s with the VR (NORMAL or SPORT) function enabled…

Macphun today launched their latest application, Noiseless. Using newly developed imaging technology; Noiseless provides a one-click solution for eliminating the noise generated by every camera when shooting in low-light situations. Advanced users can use the “Adjust Panel” of Noiseless for even greater control, including unique detail preservation and selective reduction tools. The program is available in two versions, a standard version, sold exclusively through the Mac App Store; and a Pro variantsold on Macphun’s website.

Macphun today launched their latest application, Noiseless. Using newly developed imaging technology; Noiseless provides a one-click solution for eliminating the noise generated by every camera when shooting in low-light situations. Advanced users can use the “Adjust Panel” of Noiseless for even greater control, including unique detail preservation and selective reduction…

The Canon SELPHY CP1000 is a new compact photo printer that allows you to print lab-quality photos at home and on the move. With an elegant, compact design, the Canon SELPHY CP1000 has a 2.7" tilting screen and an optional battery pack accessory. With the ability to control the heat applied to the ink ribbon on the print head, the Canon SELPHY CP1000 offers four print finishes without ever having to use a different paper or media type. The SELPHY CP1000 also allows for ID Photo Printing at 43 pre-set sizes with the ability to print two different ID image sizes on one sheet. The Canon SELPHY CP1000 will be available from early July for £89.99/€109.99.

The Canon SELPHY CP1000 is a new compact photo printer that allows you to print lab-quality photos at home and on the move. With an elegant, compact design, the Canon SELPHY CP1000 has a 2.7" tilting screen and an optional battery pack accessory. With the ability to control the heat…

CheeringTech has released Version 2.0 of its CASE Remote iOS app. Designed to work with CASE Remote hardware, the smartphone app enables you to wirelessly control DSLR camera from your mobile devices. "CASE Remote is the best solution for tethered photography with live view function,." the company says "It does not only add WiFi function to your camera, but also introduce more advanced photography functions, making your photography much easier!" New in Version 2.0 adds focus peaking and video recording capabilities, and delivers an improved user experience. You can download the free app from iTunes.

CheeringTech has released Version 2.0 of its CASE Remote iOS app. Designed to work with CASE Remote hardware, the smartphone app enables you to wirelessly control DSLR camera from your mobile devices. "CASE Remote is the best solution for tethered photography with live view function,." the company says "It does…

The Panasonic LUMIX G MACRO 30mm f/2.8 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. is a new macro lens for the Micro Four Thirds system of interchangeable lens cameras. Offering an effective focal range of 60mm in 35mm terms, the Panasonic 35mm lens offers 1:1 magnification and built-in image stabilisation, yet it's small enough to fit in your hand and only weighs 180g. Read our Panasonic LUMIX G MACRO 30mm f/2.8 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. review to find out if it's worth adding to your lens collection.

Fujifilm officially announced the availability of the Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 R WR (Weather Resistant) lens, which first appeared on the X-mount lens roadmap in July 2014. Equivalent to a 24mm lens in a 35mm system, the Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 R WR features 13 lens elements in 11 groups, including two ED and two aspherical elements, and an iris diaphragm with nine rounded blades. The lens itself will be available from mid-May, priced at £729.99. A premium-quality metal lens hood (LH-X16, optional) will be released in September.

Fujifilm officially announced the availability of the Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 R WR (Weather Resistant) lens, which first appeared on the X-mount lens roadmap in July 2014. Equivalent to a 24mm lens in a 35mm system, the Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 R WR features 13 lens elements in 11 groups, including two…