Fujifilm has revealed  that two new dedicated X-Mount system Macro Extension Tubes; the MCEX-11 and MCEX-16, will be available from the middle of December 2014. Inserted between the lens and the camera body, these 11mm and 16mm extension tubes increase the distance between the lens elements and the sensor enabling users to focus on subjects much closer to the camera. Electronic connections automatically pass information from the Fujinon X-Mount lens to the Fujifilm X-series camera body so you can still use autofocus and control the aperture.

Fuji has launched its "HS-V5 for Windows Ver. 1.0" software which enables PC tethered shooting for the Fujifilm X-T1 and Fujifilm X-T1 Graphite Silver Edition. In Camera Mode, users hold the camera by hand or set it up on a tripod and adjust the settings on the camera itself, and the images shot are simultaneously transferred to the computer for display on the screen or saving on the PC. Adjusting exposure and other shooting settings or activating the shutter release are all carried out on the camera. In PC Mode, users can check the viewfinder image of a remotely-setup camera, operate the camera and adjust its settings on the PC screen, with all images taken simultaneously transferred to the PC for display on the screen or saving onto PC. All adjustments to exposure and other shooting settings or activation of the shutter release are carried out remotely on the computer. The application features an "image analysis" function with histogram, highlight clipping warning and EXIF data display, plus an "image assessment" function that displays two images side-by-side for comparison, and a "categorisation / organisation" function.

Today Panasonic announced the new firmware update program for its Lumix GH4 compact system camera. Firmware version 2.1 will enable users to embed the time code and recording control signal in the HDMI output signal. Additionally both FHD at 30p/25p native or at 60p/50p will be selectable to output via HDMI while recording video in FHD at 30p/25p. The Interface Unit DMW-YAGH will also be updated to firmware version 1.1 to support these functional enhancements. The new firmware updates are scheduled to be released with more information in detail at the Panasonic Support Sites in December, 2014.

Tiffen has released version 4 of the multiple award-winning Tiffen Dfx digital filter suite. This update adds OFX plug-in support, making it compatible with the digital intermediate programs Davinci Resolve and Assimilate Scratch, as well as the high-end Nuke visual effects program from The Foundry. The program now also includes support for Sony Vegas NLEs as well as 12 new visual effects filters, 93 new historical photographic processes, 30 new motion picture film stocks, a "dramatic" speed increase in GPU acceleration, state-of-the-art floating point precision for a non-destructive workflow, and Retina display support for Mac. The Tiffen Dfx 4 film/video plug-in is available  for $499.95. The photo-ony version of the plug-in can be purchased for $149.95. The standalone version of Tiffen Dfx 4 is available today for $129.99.

The EIZO ColorEdge CG318-4K is a new 31-inch monitor with a DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) 4K (4096 x 2160) native resolution. Featuring a 10-bit Ultra HD LCD panel with a wide colour gamut that reproduces 98% of the DCI-P3 and 99% of the Adobe RGB colour space, the ColorEdge CG318-4K comes with a built-in sensor to enable self-calibration for hassle-free monitor maintenance. For video editing and post production, the ColorEdge CG318-4K has a 3D look-up table that adjusts colour individually on an RGB cubic table. With ColorNavigator NX’s film emulation function, the 3D LUT applies a film look to the image so creators can preview how the image will be seen by their audience. Viewing angles are 178° and the maximum brightness is 350 cd/m2. Dark tones retain their depth with a 1500:1 contrast ratio even when viewing the screen from an angle. The ColorEdge CG318-4K will begin shipping in April 2015.

Phase One today released Capture One 8.0.2. This update adds support for Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite; lenses including the Zeiss Otus 55mm f1.4, the Zeiss Otus 85mm f1.4, the Nikon AF-S Nikkot 20mm f/1.8G ED and the Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro; and cameras including the Nikon D750, D3300 and P340, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, the Leica T (Typ 701) and C (Typ 112), the Panasonic GM1, and the Samsung NX30.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.7 is now available as a final release. The update adds support for raw image files generated by the Canon EOS 7D Mark II (pictured), Canon PowerShot G7 X, Canon PowerShot SX60 HS, Casio EX-100PRO, Fujifilm X30, Fujifilm X100T, Fujifilm X-T1 Graphite Silver, Leaf Credo 50, Leica D-Lux (Typ 109), Leica M-P, Leica V-Lux (Typ 114), Leica X (Typ 113), Nikon D750, Olympus PEN E-PL7, Olympus STYLUS 1S, Panasonic DMC-CM1, Panasonic GM1S, Panasonic GM5, Panasonic LX100, Pentax K-S1, Pentax QS-1, Samsung NX1, Sony Alpha A5100 and Sony QX1 models. Additionally, it brings updates to synced collections, supports tethered shooting with the Nikon D810 and D4S, adds a host of lens profiles, and fixes bugs. You can download the update - for both Mac OS and Windows - from the website below.

Website: Adobe Lightroom Journal

PhotoShelter has recently published The 2015 Photographer’s Guide to Photo Contests. Readers can get a fresh look at over 25 photo competitions worldwide, including new insights on which photo contests are worth their time, and which they should skip. The competitions covered include the Sony World Photography Awards, the World Press Photo Contest, PDN Photo Annual, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the Smithsonian Photo Contest, the Communication Arts Photography Competition, Pictures of the Year International, and many more. To claim your electronic copy of the guide, visit the website below.

Website: Photoshelter

Anima and The Widest Prairies is the first UK solo exhibition by Dutch artist Charlotte Dumas. Hosted by The Photographers’ Gallery, this exhibition focuses on the wild horses of Dayton, Nevada, famed as one of the first settlements of the gold rush in the West. These horses once symbolised the freedom, possibilities and dreams associated with the American West but now their very existence is under threat from changing political and economic conditions. This series of photographic encounters depicts the horses as part of a shifting landscape, exposing their resilient and wild character.  Pictured as Nomadic drifters, they visit towns and trailer parks in search of food and water. Dumas also observed groups of horses in corrals, photographing them in profile, seemingly lost in contemplation during rare moments where they would allow her to come closer. The exhibition also features Dumas' first moving image work Anima. The pictures and video will be on display from 6 February - 6 April 2015.

Digital Film Tools today released Film Stocks v2.0, Light v4.0, and Rays v2.0. In response to customer requests, Bleach Bypass, Cross Processing, Grunge, Three Strip and Two Strip Processes have been integrated into the Film Stocks v2.0 workflow. The Film Stocks user interface has also been upgraded with Retina display support for Mac as well as three new masking types: Path, Snap and Selection. Light v4.0 also benefits from a new user interface, as well as filter layering, seven masking types, GPU acceleration, Mac Retina display support and 1300 Rosco gobos. The Rays user interface has also been upgraded with Retina display support for Mac in addition to layering and seven masking types for photo plug-in hosts.

Sony have announced a 21-megapixel stacked CMOS sensor with on-chip phase detection AF. Designed for use in camera phones, the 1/2.4"-type Sony Exmor RS IMX230 is capable of recording 4K videos and supports HDR exposure blending for both movies and stills. Sony's Exmor RS sensors use a chip consisting of signal processing circuits, on top of which is stacked a pixel section consisting of back-illuminated pixels for an original stacked construction. This kind of stacked CMOS imaging sensor was first commercialised by Sony in 2012. The newest addition to the Exmor RS line-up will be available to manufacturers in April 2015.

Mazzo Mobile has launched its new PowerDrive line of products, including the PowerDrive P1 and PowerDrive Slim, the world’s first combined USB storage drives and battery backups certified MFi by Apple. The MazzoPowerDrive P1 offers up to 40 hours of back-up battery capacity and up to 128 GB of additional storage. Sporting a sleeker design, the PowerDrive Slim offers enough power to fully recharge your iPhone 6, and features the same storage capacities (16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB or 128 GB) as the P1. With these PowerDrives, you can save your photos and videos to the device while you’re out and about and also access files from the device through your iPhone, iPad or iPod. Prices start at $79.

X-rite have teamed up with Color Confidence to offer a free GrafiLite worth £50 with all purchases of the X-Rite ColorMunki Photo. The GrafiLite, an accurate desktop lighting solution, enables reliable and consistent print assessment helping users calibrate screens to their print standards. Offering a cost effective and convenient alternative to traditional viewing booths, GrafiLite helps photographers overcome the issues of colour becoming distorted under standard home and office lighting. The promotional offer is available from major photographic retailers and direct from the website below.

Fastcut from Magix is a new video editor optimised for action cams. The program allows you to automatically or manually edit your videos, and offers a wide range of thematic templates with fitting songs, cuts and transitions. Additional effects such as vintage look, tracking shots and slow-motion effects can also be added individually. You can minimise wind noise, correct skewed footage, remove lens distortions, adjust the colours and apply post-capture exposure compensation to backlit shots. Fastcut is available now online for a special introductory price of £39.99.

Multiblitz USA today announced the upcoming launch of the Multiblitz V6, a powerful LED light to the North American market. Weighing 3lbs and producing a 6000 lm luminous flux, the V6 features one of the most advanced LED modules available with a color temperature of 4000K that generates 2200lux at a distance of 6 feet. Flicker-­free light output is controlled over 2.5 f-­‐stops, in half-stop increments. Equipped with a silencer fan, the V6 is also suited for videography with sound recordings. Available from 1 December 2014, the Multiblitz V6 is priced at $799 (reduced to $699 for the month of Devember). A starter kit including the Multiblitz V6, a carry case, a light stand and a 28-inch octabox will also be available, priced at $1,149 (reduced to $1.049 in December).

Website: Multiblitz