Fuji have published seven full-resolution sample images captured with the just-announced Fujifilm X-A2 compact system camera and new Fujinon XC16-50mm II & Fujinon XC50-230mm lenses. Shot at sensitivity settings ranging from ISO 200 to ISO 800, these Fujifilm X-A2 samples span a variety of genres including wildlife, landscape, portraiture, street and architectural photography.

Website: Fujifilm X-A2 Samples

Fuji have posted 12 high-resolution sample photographs taken with the Fujifilm XQ2 digital compact camera announced today. Shot at various sensitivity settings ranging from ISO 100 to ISO 800, the sample images were made by photographers Issaque Foujita, Tomasz Lazar, Yukio Uchida and Paco Navarro. You can download these Fujifilm XQ2 samples from the website below.

Website: Fujifilm XQ2 Samples

The new Fujifilm X-A2 is an ultralight, "selfie-ready" compact system camera featuringo a 175° tilting LCD, a 16.3-megapixel APS-C sensor and newly-developed Eye auto focus (AF), Auto Macro AF and Multi-Target AF technologies. Other highlights include on-board Wi-Fi, in-camera raw processing, a sensitivity range of ISO 100 – ISO 25600, a start-up time of 0.5 seconds, new Classic Chrome and other film simulation modes, Full HD videos, and a multiple exposure mode. The Fujifilm X-A2 ships with the newly-developed Fujinon XC16-50mm II (24-76mm) F3.5-5.6 OIS zoom lens, for a kit price of £449.99 / $549.95. Availability is slated for February in the USA and March in the UK.

The Fujinon XC50-230mm F4.5-6.7 OIS II is a new, optically stabilised telezoom lens for Fujifilm's X-series compact system cameras. Featuring a 35mm equivalent focal range of 76-350mm, the Fujinon XC50-230mm F4.5-6.7 OIS II's optical formula comprises 13 all glass elements in 10 groups including 1 aspherical lens and 1 ED element. Availability and pricing to be confirmed..

The Fujinon XC16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OIS II is a new 24-76mm equivalent, optically stabilised zoom lens for Fujifilm's X-series compact system cameras. The lens consists of 12 all-glass elements in 10 groups including 3 aspherical elements and 1 ED element, and an iris with 7 rounded aperture blades. The lens can be purchased in a bundle with the new Fujifilm X-A2 compact system camera.

The Fujifilm XQ2 is a premium pocket-sized digital camera with a bright 4x zoom lens, an advanced 12-megapixel 2/3” X-Trans CMOS II sensor with phase detection, and the EXR Processor II that delivers the fastest auto focus speed in its category. Key highlights include a 25-100mm (eq.) f/1.8-4.9 lens, built-in WiFi, Full HD movies with stereo sound, a sensitivity range of ISO 100 - ISO 12,800, and a 3" rear screen with 920,000 dots. The Fujifilm XQ2 will be available in black, white and black-and-silver in February (March in the UK), for an MSRP of £329.99 / $399.95.

Fuji has announced a duo of superzoom cameras; the Fujifilm FinePix S9900W with wireless connectivity and the Fujifilm FinePix S9800, a near-identical model sans Wi-Fi. These camreras feature a 16.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor with a maximum ISO sensitivity of 12,800, and deliver rapid focusing speeds for beautiful high resolution images. Both cameras also give users an f/2.9-6.5 lens that offers a 35mm equivalent focal range of 24-1200mm while going all the way down to 1cm in Super Macro mode. The cameras each have a startup time of just 1 second, autofocus in as little as 0.15 seconds, and are ready to take another shot in just 0.6 seconds. Those wanting to capture a burst of full resolution images in quick succession can do so using the continuous shooting speed of 10fps for a maximum of 10 frames. The Fujifilm Finepix S9900W / S9800 will be available in March 2015 for £299.99 / $349.95 and £259.99 / $329.95.

Waterproof to 15m, shockproof from 1.75m and freezeproof to -10 °C; the Fujifilm FinePix XP80 is Fuji’s toughest camera to date. Key features include a 16.4-megapixel 1/2.3” CMOS sensor, a 28-140mm equivalent lens with optical image stabilisation, Full HD movie capture at up to 60 frames per second, and wireless connectivity for instant image and movie sharing. Other highlights include a high-speed 480fps movie mode for slo-mo playback, an LCD screen with anti-reflection coating, and a dedicated HDR mode for shooting in contrasty light. Available in Blue, Yellow, and Graphite with green accents, the Fujifilm FinePix XP80 will retail for £199.99 / $229.95, starting March 2015.

Gary Fong today introduced his new Interactive Virtual Camera Modules. With a model-specific virtual camera, photographers have the ability to intuitively navigate through information-packed Premium Video Tutorials that directly reflect what each button does. The Premium Videos behind each press of the virtual camera’s buttons contain extended, carefully-detailed tutorial courses from Gary Fong himself. “Customer education is the cornerstone of our business,” Gary says. “It is imperative we explore new approaches to learning, such as the Interactive Virtual Camera Modules, to teach our customers how to bring their cameras to life.” The Interactive Virtual Camera Modules are currently available for the Sony a6000 and the Sony A7 II. Modules for the Canon 7D Mark II and Nikon D750 are coming soon

Photo Productions, a UK company that produces Premium Photobooks for the public and professional photographers, have just launched its January sale and new permanent offers. During the sale, Premium Pocket Books and Parent Books can be ordered at a 50% discount. The permanent offers include a '50/50 Cashback' scheme on trade sample albums, a 'Double Discount' on additional copies of albums and a free Premium Pocket Book with every 12x15" and 12x18 album. To learn more, visit the website below.

The category winners in the latest Outdoor Photographer of the Year (OPOTY) have just been announced. Shaun Walby, from Leeds, scooped the prize in the At the Water’s Edge category with his exquisite capture of a misty morning on the river Wharfe (above). Greg Whitton from Solihull won the Light on the Land prize with his evocative photograph of a fleeting moment of stunning light illuminating Icelandic peaks. Craig Parry from Byron Bay in Australia picked up top prize in the Under Exposed category, for underwater images, with his wonderful half-submerged shot of a humpback whale swishing its giant fin through the blue waters of the South Pacific off the coast of Tonga. Stefan Gerrits from the Netherlands, triumphed in the Wildlife Insight category, Johannes Klapwijk won the Small World prize, while Sandi Bertoncelj captured the essence of what it feels like to be on a high mountain in adverse weather with his gritty black & white image of two ski tourers climbing a Slovenian peak, winning the Live the Adventure category. Ten-year-old Josiah Launstein, from Alberta, Canada, was crowned Young Outdoor Photographer of the Year for his image of bighorn sheep going head to head in battle.

Nikon has unveiled three new digital compact cameras. The 16-megapixel Nikon Coolpix L31 (£79.99) is an easy-to-use and affordable shooter with 5x optical zoom, and one-touch HD movie recording, in-camera special effects and AA batteries. Fitting easily in a pocket, the 20-megapixel Coolpix S2900 comes in a range of colours, and also features a 5x zoom lens, HD movie recording capabilities and a handy Panorama Assist feature. The range-topping Coolpix S3700 (£99.99) also has a 20-megapixel CCD imager, but comes with 8x optical zoom plus Wi-Fi and NFC technology on board.

The winners of the South Downs photo competition have been announced. An ethereal photograph of a dew pond at dusk by Andy Flowerday (above) has been chosen as the overall winner. “I have been past this dew-pond on several occasions and thought there could be potential for a nice image of it,” says Andy. “The sunset wasn’t going to give the glorious colours I had hoped for; however the cloud cover that was increasing led to some lovely soft shades of colour. I used a special filter to blur water and cloud movement. It was a very still evening – I used a four minute exposure and the tree didn’t move at all during that time.” A partly hidden cyclist resting in the shade of a leafy wood, taken by Neil Hulme in Eartham Woods, came close second place; and a surprising shot of a surfer wading into the sea at sunrise has won third place for Ivan Talboys.

Issue 36 of David Noton’s Chasing the Light Online Magazine is now available. In this month's Behind the Lens feature and Video Blog, David relates his adventures in the little known yet beautiful region of eastern France known as the Jura. In Stepping Back, he presents the first of our South American inspired articles in this edition, reminiscing on his productive shoot in the Atacama Desert in 2003. For The Low Down, David continues his new mini series on exposure, this time covering exposure modes – and he also presents his two usual Video Tutorials. In Hoddinott’s Hangout, Ross Hoddinott explores his long-terms relationship with the beautiful wilderness of Dartmoor National Park, providing readers with his top location and technique tips for capturing the moor’s majesty in winter. In The Storyteller, Chris Weston reviews the suitability of the Fuji X-T1 mirrorless camera for his style of wildlife photography. Do note that the full contents of the magazine is available to full f11 subscribers only. Non-members can purchase individual issues of the magazine at a price of £4.20.

Shenyang Zhongyi Optics has released Version II of its M42 -Fuji X Lens turbo adapter. This adapter allows M42 screw mount lenses to be mounted on Fuji X cameras while altering their magnification by a factor of 0.762x and improving their aperture speed by a full stop. The reduced magnification enables users to partially regain the angle of view lost by mounting a full-frame lens on a camera with an APS-C sized sensor. In other words, the M42 -Fuji X Lens turbo adapter (ver II) effectively reduces the crop factor of Fujifilm X series compact system cameras from 1.5x to 1.14x. The optical construction comprises 4 lens elements in 4 groups, including 1 extra-low dispersion element which helps reduce the chromatic aberrations on the image. The adapter is available now for $149, via the website below.

The Samyang 135mm T2.2ED UMC VDSLR Cine Lens is the cinema / video version of the Samyang 135mm f2.0 ED UMC telephoto prime. Featuring a floating type design, one extra-low-dispersion lens element and a clickless diaphragm with nine rounded aperture blades, the Samyang 135mm T2.2ED UMC VDSLR Cine Lens comes with geared aperture and focus rings to accommodate a range of video accessories. The optical construction comprises 11 elements in 7 groups. Initially expected to be released in Canon, Nikon, Sony E and MFT mounts, the new Samyang VDSLR lens can now be preordered for $599. In the United Kingdom, the Samyang 135mm T2.2ED UMC VDSLR Cine Lens will be priced at £429.99.

The Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC is a new full-frame telephoto lens for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Samsung, Pentax and Olympus/Panasonic cameras. Featuring one extra-low-dispersion (ED) element, ultra-multi-coating, an iris diaphragm with nine rounded aperture blades, and a 77mm filter thread; the Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC has a close-focus point of 2.6 feet and an angle of view of 18.8 degrees (11.7° on APS-C, 9.4° on Micro Four Thirds). The new lens can be preordered now for $549. In the UK, the Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC will be available in early February, priced at £419.99 for Nikon AE and£389.99 for Canon, Sony A, Pentax and Sony E fittings.

Samsung has announced a firmware update for the Samsung NX1 compact system camera. The new release incorporates a variety of Movie mode refinements, several interface upgrades and expanded connectivity options. Other updates include Trap Shot, an addition to the Samsung Auto Shot mode. Users can now adjust the settings so that when a moving object hits this line, the camera will automatically take a picture. PC tethering via USB is now a reality for those using Samsung Remote Studio software and developers can take advantage of Samsung’s Software Development Kit for Windows PC, meaning they have remote access and control software for the Samsung NX1. The firmware update will be available later this month. Click through / scroll down for the complete list of feature improvements.