MxCamera has started taking preorders for the manual-focus Mitakon SpeedMaster Series FE 50mm f/0.95 full-frame E-mount lens. Developed for Sony A7 and A7R users, the Mitakon SpeedMaster Series FE 50mm f/0.95 has an oprical formula comprising 10 elements in 7 groups, including 4 ED lens elements and 1 high-refractive-index element. Other key features include a stepless aperture control ring, a 9-bladed iris diaphragm and a close-focus point of 50cm. Weighing in at 720g, the Mitakon SpeedMaster Series FE 50mm f/0.95 features a distance scale with depth-of-field marks, a metal barrel, 58mm filter thread and a metal bayonet mount. The lens sells for $799.

An Indian Inflection is a solo exhibition of new work by award-winning photographer, Jack Fillery. The five-week long exhibition at The Borough Barista in London’s St James comprises of 22 photographs taken across India in January 2014. The prints, shot in a limited colour palette, are intended to offer an alternative perspective to typical artistic expectations of India, which Fillery argues often present a rose-tinted view of the country. An Indian Inflection, by contrast, aims to offer a more honest and uncompromising opinion of a nation that is the photographer feels is characterised by polar forces of disorder and unity in equal measure. The exhibition opens on 22nd May 2014 (6pm – 9pm) and will run daily at The Borough Barista and will run from 22nd May until 1st July 2014. The Borough Barista is located at 15 Charles II Street, St James, London, SW1Y 4QU.

BBC Wildlife Magazine has launched a photographic grant, sponsored by Kowa, which aims to find exciting new talent in wildlife photography. Open to new photographers, the winner of the award will receive a £5,000 grant to shoot their project and could see their work published in BBC Wildlife Magazine. Eligible photographers are invited to submit 12 wildlife photographs - six from a single wildlife project - that showcase their technical range, creativity and ability. Photographers must also explain how their story, which can be based in the UK or abroad, is going to interest and excite the readers of BBC Wildlife Magazine. All entries must be submitted via the website below, by the closing date of 30 September 2014.

The Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) has announced the winners of its Memorable Moments photography competition. The photo 'Cheers' (above) by Jon Philpott from Oxford, England was chosen as the winner out of over 170 entries. Sophie Callahan came in second, and John Wood won third place in the contest.

Datacolor has announced its Great Alaskan Photo Expedition Sweepstakes. The online promotion, running through 27th May, will award one lucky winner an all-expense-paid trip to Cook Inlet, Alaska to spend one week with award-winning nature photographer David Cardinal. The grand prize, valued at an estimated $10,000, will include round-trip airfare to and from Anchorage, departing from the winner’s home town on 8 July and returning 16 July 2014; all meals and lodging, including a 5-night stay at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge; private charter flights to and from Lake Clark National Park and Preserve; one-on-one photo instruction both in the field and in a classroom setting; and a Datacolor SpyderCAPTURE PRO. Datacolor’s Great Alaskan Photo Expedition Sweepstakes will also award the winner a 150-500mm F5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM telephoto lens to be used while on the safari and long after.  Second and Third prizes will include a SpyderCAPTURE PRO and SpyderCHECKR PRO. To enter, visit the website below.

ADATA has launched its XPG and Premier Pro series SDXC UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3) memory cards. Both series are designed to support the latest UHS-I U3 specifications, enabling the cards to deliver read/write speeds of up to 95/85 MB/s (XPG) and 95/60 MB/s (Premier Pro),ű. The XPG series provides 64GB of storage capacity (£89.99) and the Premier Pro series is available in both 64GB (£49.99) and 128GB (£79.99).

As the first female Fuji X-Photographer in the UK, Kerry Hendry has teamed up with Fujifilm and Aspire Photography Training to host three seminars in May, August and November. The first one-day event, entitled Becoming a Storyteller with the Fujifilm X-T1 and X-Pro1, is scheduled for 29th May and has a Midsummer's Night theme. "Woodland, fairies, amazing styling, a little bit of creative magic and Aspire fairy dust - it should be a really fun and creative training day." Kerry says. "The Fuji team will also be joining us - and the new X-T1, X-Pro1 & range of lenses will be available to try." Click through / read on for the details.

jAlbum has launched Version 12 of its desktop software. Founded in 2002 by David Ekholm, jAlbum is one of the world's most powerful web gallery creating applications. Version 12 is up to 5x faster in dealing with images loaded over network drives, has a redesigned user interface with an all-new "Effects" settings tab, and features an integrated Web browser. For more information visit the website below.

Nikon Japan has issued a product advisory to owners of the Nikon DF-N1000 electronic viewfinder. According to the company, the EVF may get stuck on the Nikon 1 V3 compact system camera, making removal difficult or impossible. The issue affects DF-N1000 units with serial numbers lower than 11003000. Nikon Japan has vowed to repair the defective EVFs free of charge.

Lomography has updated its LomoScanner iPhone app. First launched alongside the Lomography Film Scanner, the LomoScanner software allows users to convert negative scans into positives, stitch together scans into seamless panoramas and animate 35mm analogue movies shot using the Lomography LomoKino camera.Version 2 has a cleaner interface and offers manual controls, revamped panorama stitching, fuss-free moive animation and instant sharing. Currently the app is available for iOS 7 only, with the company planning to update the Android version in the near future.

Adore Chroma is a new fine-art photography magazine from the creators of Adore Noir. Dedicated to contemporary colour photography of the highest quality, Adore Chroma is available exclusively in digital format. The inaugural issue features images from Seung Hoon Park's TEXTUS series, stunningly interesting photographs of "seemingly trivial and ordinary" subjects by Abba Richman, surprising conceptual images Estelle Choe, painterly long-exposure images by Fabrice Silly, and much more. "Chroma is all about colour," says editor Sandra Djak Kovács. "Our Chroma Highlight features the unique world of Cristina Venedict’s digital brush and with this brush she tells us that 'I want to encourage people to dream.'  And she does so, with vivid fairy tale like scenes where the viewer is easily drawn in, and never wants to leave." The first issue is now available for purchase, priced at $2.95.

Website: Adore Chroma

Our World Tour: A Photographic Journey Around the Earth by Mario Dirks is a new title from Rocky Nook. In the fall of 2011, camera and lens manufacturer Sigma sent Mario on a yearlong adventure to photograph the most beautiful places on earth. As Sigma’s World Scout, he spent 50 weeks visiting a total of 77 cities, 48 countries, and 6 continents. He took 101 flights and traveled 2,500 miles by foot. The result of his tour is a collection of 347 extraordinary photographs showcasing fascinating destinations and scenic locations from around the globe. The 352-page volume is available for $44.95.

Fujifilm and Jessops have teamed up to host a seminar and workshop with leading commercial portrait photographer Jim Marks. Taking place on Saturday 17th May at Jessops Oxford Street, the two-hour seminar will consist of Jim providing a background to some of his favourite work, an overview of tips and techniques, the opportunity to shoot in a studio environment with Jim, and to try Fujifilm's latest products. The event is free and places are strickly limited. Advance booking is mandatory. There will be 3 sessions on the day starting at: 9am - 11am, 11.30am - 1.30pm and 2pm - 4pm. For more information, visit the website below.

Pyle Audio has revealed the eXpo Hi-Speed HD Action Camera. Recording at 60,50,30 or 25 frames-per-second, this camera produces 1080p and 720p movies and comes complete with a "marine-grade" waterproof case that is safe for up to 190 feet. The camera can also be operated by a Wi-Fi remote control to wirelessly snap pictures and record video. With the addition of the Pyle eXpo app you are able to capture/record videos and photos directly from your smartphone. The eXpo Hi-Speed HD Action Camera from Pyle is available in black and white for $249.99.