Sigma has announced the recommended price of the new Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens. The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM has an optical formula featuring 13 elements in 8 groups and an iris diaphragm with 9 rounded blades. The lens incorporates a floating system that adjusts the distance between lens groups while focusing, thereby reducing the amount of lens movement required. A Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) enables fast and quiet auto focus operation. The 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens will be available later this month for $949 in the USA. In the UK it will cost £849 with Canon and Sigma fits available in May, Nikon fit following in June, and Sony and Pentax still to be determined.

You can now buy Luxi, a small diffusion dome that turns your iPhone 5 into an incident light meter, from Photojojo's online store. Available for $30, Luxi helps you determine the best settings for your SLR or other camera so that you can take perfectly exposed pictures regardless of your subject's reflectance.

Website: Photojojo

Located along the banks of the Zambezi River,  Chiawa Camp is offering a unique technique that will allow you to take wildlife shots during night game drives without compromising the animals’ natural behaviour. The camp has developed a spotlight protocol which comprises red light filters and the Chiawa Filter. Red light filters are used on headlights and spotlights for locating animals and reducing any discomfort; the Chiawa Filter is then used for maximum photographic effect, eliminating the disorienting hot spot and unwelcome red tinge, using instead a specially-designed filter that creates diffused, natural light. For more information, visit the website below.

Warehouse Express has started taking pre-orders for the brand new Sony A7S, a 35mm full-frame compact system camera that shoots 4K video without pixel binning. The camera's professional video functions include XAVC S Full HD recording at 50Mbps, time code and optional XLR audio inputs. The new α7S full-frame digital camera from Sony will be available in Summer 2014, priced at £2499 without a lens. For comparison, Warehouse Express sells the Sony A7 for £1235 and the A7R for £1669.

Website: Warehouse Express

AJA Video Systems have announced a professional grade 4K/2K cinema camera called CION. When recording in HD or 2K, the image is oversampled from the full 4K sensor, retaining focal length and angle-of-view. Featuring a PL mount, CION is compatible with industry-standard cine lenses and offers in-camera recording directly to the Apple ProRes family of codecs. Additionally, CION has the ability to output 4K raw data at up to 120 fps via 4x 3G-SDI outputs and can record directly to AJA Pak SSD media at up to 60 frames per second. CION will be available Summer 2014 via a worldwide network of AJA resellers at a US MSRP of $8,995. AJA Pak SSD media is available at a US MSRP of $695 (256GB) and $1295 (512GB).

The Photography Show has announced that Leica and Ricoh, absent from the 2014 event, will be exhibiting at the 2015 show. “Selection for the 2015 show was made on the basis of the 2014 show evidence and exhibitor feedback," says David Bell, Managing Director of Leica Camera. "Fresh and alive, the 2014 show attracted new visitors and exhibitors as well as the important seasoned photographic community. This at a time when the industry is facing many challenges was good to see." According to officially audited data, attendance for the 2014 exhibition was 30,003.

Tamron today officially announced the Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro lens. Designed for dSLRs with APS-C sized sensors, the Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro has a 35mm focal range of 24-450mm and an optical formula comprising sixteen elements in twelve groups, plus an iris diaphragm with seven rounded aperture blades. Shipping with a petal-shaped lens hood, the Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro has a 67mm filter thread, 39cm minimum focus distance and a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:2.9. The lens incorporates a PZD (Piezo Drive) focus motor and Tamron’s exclusive VC (Vibration Compensation) technology to combat motion blur resulting from shaky hands. Pricing has yet to be communicated.

Unresolved Dreams is an exhibition of photographs by photojournalist Ed Kashi, currently on display at the gallery@oxo in London. Commissioned by The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS), Ed has charted the lives of a handful of the approximately one million Azerbaijani internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees who are the ongoing casualties of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The exhibition runs from 10–13 April, and is open every day from 11a.m. to 6p.m.

After completing a financial overhaul, Contour is now under new ownership and is back on the map as a player in the action camera market, the company says. In the coming months Contour plans to launch new cameras with a one-touch locking record switch, laser alignment system and 270-degree rotating lens. The company’s return to the market is punctuated by the re-launch of its website that currently offers the Contour+2 with wireless connectivity (pictured), the waterproof ROAM2 and a full range of accessories.

Fuji has revealed an officialunderwater housingfor the Fujifilm XQ1 digital compact camera. The Fujifilm WP-XQ1 Underwater Housing allows you to use the XQ1 camera at depths up to 40m. Built from Transparent Polycarbonate the sturdy housing not only protects the camera but allows you to use all its controls whilst underwater. With built in Wireless Image Transfer you don’t even need to take the camera out of the housing to transfer your images to smartphone or tablet, so you can start sharing your shots as soon as you come up to the surface. The WP-XQ1 housing can be yours for £249.95 / $329.99. An XQ1 dive kit will be available in the UK through the network of Authorised Fujifilm Dive centres nationwide.

Lensbaby has launched  a 5.8mm circular fisheye lens in Canon EF and Nikon F mounts. This manual lens has built-in aperture control ranging from f/3.5-22 and features an angle of view of 185°, close-focus point of 1/4 inch as well as traditional distance and DoF scales. Unlike most other Lensbaby optics, the 5.8mm Circular Fisheye is not a selective-focus lens. “Our Circular Fisheye lens, from a hardware perspective, functions just like any other manual lens,” said Craig Strong, Lensbaby co-founder & Chief Creative Officer. “Simply attach it to your camera, and start shooting - no additional parts needed. Of course it wouldn't be a Lensbaby lens without something fun, different, and wacky. That’s why Circular Fisheye lets you focus on objects nearly touching the lens, while getting a 185 degree view of your surroundings. Plus, the flare this lens can produce adds a creative element to the border around the sharp circular image.” The lens is currently available for pre-order from B&H, Adorama and Amazon, priced at $299.95. Availability is slated for mid-May.

The Nikon 1 J4 is a new, WiFi-enabled compact system camera with an 18-megapixel CX sensor with no low-pass filter, improved hybrid AF system, touch-sensitive LCD screen and an aluminium housing. The auto focus system offers 105 focus points with phase-detection AF and 171 focus points with contrast-detect AF. The Nikon 1 J4 supports high-speed continuous shooting at approximately 20fps with AF tracking, and up to 60fps when focus is locked. Other highlights include a sensitivity range of ISO 100-12,800, a 1-million-dot 3" touchscreen, Full HD 60p movies, improved Motion Snapshots and manual exposure modes. Availability is slated for June, with pricing to be confirmed.

The Nikon SB-N10 is an underwater flash unit compatible with the Nikon 1 AW1 and new Nikon 1 J4 compact system cameras. This speedlight can be attached directly to the AW1 or the Nikon WP-N3 waterproof case, which is compatible with the J4. Powered by 4 AA sized batteries, the Nikon SB-N10 has a guide number of 28 in metres at ISO 100/21° and is depth rated for 100m.

The Nikon WP-N3 is a new underwater case for the Nikon 1 J4 compact system camera. Depth rated for 45m, the Nikon WP-N3 is designed to accommodate the Nikon 1 J4 with the 1 Nikkor VR 10–30mm PD-ZOOM lens or the 1 Nikkor 11–27.5mm f/3.5–5.6 lens attached. Comfortable to grip, even when you’re wearing gloves, key camera controls remain easy to access. When used with the Underwater Speedlight SB-N10, underwater flash photography is also possible. Pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed.

Nikon has announced a new Android-powered compact camera called the Nikon Coolpix S810c. Equipped with 12x optical zoom, a 16-megapixel sensor and WiFi, the Nikon Coolpix S810c features a newly adopted comment function which enabless users to add comments, such as their impression of the scene, immediately after the shutter is released. Successor to the Coolpix 800c, the Nikon Coolpix 810c adds a 3.7" display with a resolution of 1.2 million dots. Other feature highlights include Vibration Reduction, geotagging, Google Play support and Full HD video recording capabilities. The camera will be available in May for £249.99 / € 299.00 / $349.95.

The AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR is a new, stabilised superzoom lens for Nikon dSLRs with DX  size sensors. Approximately 30% lighter than the existing AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR (read review), the new lens has a brand new optical formula comprising 16 elements in 12 groups, and a smaller 67mm filter thread. The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR will be available next month for £629.99 / €749.00 / $899.95.

Akvis has released Version 7.0 of Retoucher, an image restoration program for Mac and Windows. This update adds two new options, Flip Vertical and Flip Horizontal, to the Chameleon Brush; support for more raw file formats (standalone version); new shortcuts for workflow efficiency; and a few bug fixes. Registered users of the software can upgrade to version 7.0 at no charge.

The Lomographic Society has announced the upcoming launch of the Russar+, a rebirth of the legendary 1958 Russar MR-2 lens. With a focal length of 20mm and a maximum aperture of f/5.6, the Russar+ is compatible with all L39/Mmount analogue cameras (and nearly all CSCs when using approriate mount adapters). On a 35mm film camera, the Russar+ offers an angle of view of 94°. Going on sale in July 2014, the lens is already available for pre-order in the Lomography Online Shop, priced at €599 .