Lexar has announced the immediate sample availability of the new Lexar Professional 3333x CFast 2.0 card - the fastest memory card in the world. With capacities available for sampling in 256GB, 128GB, 64GB, and 32GB, the Lexar Professional 3333x CFast 2.0 cards demonstrate new speed thresholds to capture high-quality images and 1080p full-HD, 3D, and 4K video. Designed to maximise the capabilities of the next-generation of high-definition camcorders and high-resolution digital SLR cameras, the new cards provide a read transfer speed up to 3333x (500MB per second), which is three times faster than any CompactFlash card. The company has also introduced the Lexar Professional Workflow CFast 2.0 USB 3.0 reader for the Lexar Professional Workflow Reader Solution.

The new Lexar Professional 1066x 256GB CF card offers a read transfer speed up to 160MB per second and write speeds up to 155MB per second. Additionally, it supports the Video Performance Guarantee (VPG-65) specification for professional video capture streams at a minimum guaranteed write speed of 65MB per second for compatible host devices.

The new Lexar Professional 800x Compact Flash card is the industry’s first memory card to be offered in a capacity of 512GB. Also available in a 256GB version, the Lexar Professional 800x Compact Flash memory card supports the VPG-20 specification with a minimum guaranteed write speed of 20MB per second. Compatible with all CF devices, the cards help accelerate the digital photography workflow, especially when paired with a compatible card reader, such as the Lexar Professional Workflow Reader Solution. The Lexar Professional 800x CF card will be available in the first calendar quarter of 2014 with MSRPs of £1,099.99 (512GB variant) and £479.99 (256GB).

As part of its "Art" line, Sigma has added a new 50mm lens to its product portfolio. 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. Availability and pricing have yet to be confirmed.

Sigma has announced a new version of its 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 superzoom lens as part of its "Contemporary" product line. The new lens is smaller and lighter than its predecessor and bears the "Macro" designation to reflect its maximum reproduction ratio of 1:3. The close-focus distance is 39cm, which translates into a minimum working distance of less than 15cm. This lens incorporates SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements that have a high refractive index, and corrects chromatic aberration at the telephoto-end very well, the company claims. As before, the Canon, Nikon and Sigma versions have an Optical Stabiliser on board, while the Pentax and Sony variants come without this feature. Availability and pricing have yet to be communicated.

We've teamed up with Lomography to give away a fantastic Lomography M4/3 Experimental Lens Kit!

The lucky winner is Sumit Singh. Congratulations!

Fully compatible with all Micro 4/3 Digital cameras (the world’s most popular Mirrorless Camera System), the new Lomography M4/3 Experimental Lens Kit gives you full creative freedom, whether shooting photos or movies. Take amazing circular 160° shots with the Fisheye lens. Looking for some wild landscape shots? Go for the wide-angle 12mm lens. Or take photos with a natural field of view with the standard 24mm lens. With 3 lenses and infinite possibilities, the kit is available at a truly great price!

The Experimental Lens Kit is the first lens kit in the world which allows you to take optical multiple exposures using a digital camera. By using the built-in mechanic N/B shutter on each lens, you can take multiple exposures with ease (without having to merge photos together using post-production techniques). With the Lomography M4/3 Experimental Lens Kit, photos have remarkable color saturation. Shoot as close as 5cm with the Fisheye lens and as close as 20cm with the 12mm Wide-angle lens.

We've teamed up with Nero to give away a copy of Nero 2014 Platinum!

The lucky winner is Justin Douglas. Congratulations!

Nero 2014 Platinum enables users to connect, access and use all their media at home and on the go. It is ideal for people who want to centralise all their content in one place and make it accessible from any device, allowing users to manage, create, convert, play, and share movies, music and photos across all their devices.

Nero 2014 Platinum allows users to achieve professional results quickly and easily with fully integrated applications. Users will enjoy Nero 2014’s fast and easy ripping, conversion, and video editing with Ultra HD (4K) support. The new version also includes full media management functions, superior disc and file playback including Blu-ray 3D discs, Nero Play to TV streaming and the best burning tools in the industry.

To enter all you need to do is answer this simple question. Good luck!

Silver Groves, a UK based silverware and gifts company, are giving away two gifted credit amounts of $80.00 for Photography Blog readers to spend on their frame section.

The lucky winners are Carrie Miller and Ronald Capek. Congratulations!

So far you have the best camera equipment, but do you have any frames to display the images you have taken? Perhaps you are looking for the perfect way to incorporate your own work into a Christmas gift for a loved one? Silver Groves have the perfect frames for any occasion with traditional frames as well as more modern and contemporary. You can even add a more personal touch by adding an engraving text of your choice.

Eye-Fi is launching Eye-Fi Labs, an experimental platform for customers that want to preview and test new Eye-Fi technology. Eye-Fi Labs will host new mobile apps and beta product features for its popular wireless memory cards before they are available to the general public. Eye-Fi’s product development teams monitor and engage directly with Lab participants to further refine products based on customers’ needs and desires. Users can register for the Labs programme by visitibg the website below. Additionally, Eye-Fi is also announcing beta Mac desktop receiver software for its Mobi card, following the release of its Windows desktop receiver last month.

The Sony A5000 is billed as "the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable-lens digital Wi-Fi camera" with an APS-C sized sensor and built-in flash. Headline specifications include a 20.1-megapixel imager, 180° tiltable LCD screen, NFC and Wi-Fi for one-touch sharing and remote control, and support for PlayMemories Camera Apps. Weighing in at 210 grams, the Sony A5000 features a redesigned hand-grip and a Sony E bayonet mount. An upgraded Time-lapse Ver.2.0 can now smoothly track changes to ambient brightness in a scene. The brand-new Sync to Smartphone function automatically transfers shots to a pre-registered smartphone or tablet each time the camera’s switched off. The transferred photos can then be automatically relayed to your PlayMemories Online account if the mobile device has the PlayMemories Online app installed and the All Sync feature enabled.

Sony has unveiled two new Cyber-shot W series digital compact cameras with 20.1-megapixel CCD sensors. The Sony Cyber-shot W830 combines a 26-208mm equivalent lens, Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation and a metallic exterior in a sleek and compact body. The W810 (above) shares the same CCD but comes with a 26-156mm equivalent lens. The new models offer the opportunity to shoot 360-degree Sweep Panoramas and feature an advanced flash which optimally controls ISO sensitivity so users can light faraway subjects to really bring their pictures to life. Both cameras are limited to 720p capture in video mode, for reasons inherent in the design of their CCDs. The Sony Cyber-shot W830 and W810 will go on general sale in Europe from February 2014.

Billed as the world's smallest and lightest 4K camcorder capable of recording in XAVC S, the Sony 4K Handycam AX100E allows users to record video clips in stunning Ultra HD resolution with a body that allows easy one-handed operation. Equipped with a back-illuminated 1.0-type CMOS sensor, the Sony 4K Handycam AX100E camcorder features a new BIONZ X processor, 29-348mm equivalent lens with Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation, and a pro-style control layout with manual ring, dial and built-in ND filters. Dual Video Recording lets you simultaneously record high quality movie clips in AVCHD or XAVC S formats and ready-to-share MP4 files. Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC lets you wirelessly transfer movie clips and photos from the Handycam AX100E to your smartphone or tablet with a single touch. The new FDR-AX100E 4K camcorder by Sony will be available in Europe from May 2014.

Sony's latest Full HD Handycam comes with a back-illuminated 1.0-type CMOS imager, high-bit-rate XAVC S recording and manual functions. The Sony Handycam CX900E boasts improved SteadyShot image stabilisation, high frame rate recording at 120fps, and a Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens that features a 7-bladed aperture. There’s a bright, high-contrast OLED electronic viewfinder for framing shots with a wide angle of view. A comfortably-placed Lens Ring and Manual Dial allow fingertip control of focus, zoom, exposure, gain/ISO and shutter speed. The camcorder can record high-bit rate Full HD footage at 50 Mbps using the XAVC S format, simultaneously with web-friendly MP4 for easy smartphone transfers and web uploads with its built-in NFC/Wi-Fi function.

The splash-proof Sony Action Cam HDR-AS100VR wearable digital video camera is capable of capturing Full HD footage in XAVC S format at 50 Mbps. For the first time, up to five Action Cam HDR-AS100VR units can now be controlled wirelessly with the wearable wristwatch-style RM-LVR1. Footage is crisper and clearer thanks to the camera’s uprated Zeiss Tessar 170-degree wide-angle lens, 13.5 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor and powerful new BIONZ X image processor, the company says. As an added extra, the new Action Cam can shoot high-quality video at high-speed 120 fps or 240 fps with sound. NFC (Near Field Communication) allows fuss-free hook-ups with compatible smartphones and tablets at a single touch, while the new Interval Still Recording mode allows the camera to automatically capture a sequence of still photos at selectable intervals between 1 and 60 seconds. The new Action Cam HDR-AS100VR wearable video camera goes on sale in the UK from April 2014.

The Nikon D3300 is a new 24.2-megapixel digital SLR camera with 5fps continuous shooting, a 921k-dot rear screen, no anti-aliasing filter and a small, retractable kit lens. Other highlights include a native sensitivity range of ISO 100/21° - ISO 12,800/42° (expandable to ISO 25,600/45° equivalent), 11-point AF system, Full HD movie recording, 13 special effects, EXPEED 4 image processing unit, 420-pixel RGB metering sensor, and compatibility with Nikon’s separately sold ME-1 Stereo Microphone and Wu-1a Mobile Adapter. The camera is sold in a kit with the new AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6G VR II retractable zoom, which is much more compact to carry than its predecessor that was shipped with earlier entry-level Nikon dSLRs. The Nikon D3300 will be available from February, priced at around £599.99 / €719.00 / $649.95 for the single-lens kit and £499.99 / €599.99 for the body only.

The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6G VR II is a collapsible-barrel zoom lens for digital SLR cameras with DX sized sensors. Available separately and in a kit with the new Nikon D3300 camera, the AF-S DX Nikkor 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6G VR II weighs in at 195 grams and covers a 35mm equivalent focal range of 27-83mm. The lens is just 76mm long when extended and in use and boasts a retractable lens mechanism that makes it a mere 59.5mm long when retracted. The optical design features 11 elements in eight groups, and an aspherical lens element minimises spherical aberration and other forms of distortion while ensuring high resolution and contrast. Nikon's compact Silent Wave Motor (SWM) technology enables quiet, fast, and accurate autofocus performance. Available next month, the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6G VR II is priced at $250 on its own and $650 with the Nikon D3300.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G is a moderate wide-angle lens for Nikon's FX-format digital and film SLR cameras. Covering the full 24x36mm frame on 35mm film and perfectly matched for Nikon's high-resolution FX-format sensors, the new FX version of the AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G boasts an optical formula comprising 11 elements in 8 groups, including one asperical lens element and one ED glass element. Other highlights include a Silent Wave auto focus motor and a minimum focus distance of 25cm. Going on sale in February, the FX-format AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G carries an SRP of £519.99 / €635.00 / $599.95.

Nikon has refreshed its Coolpix L ("Life") range of digital compact cameras with four new models. Leading the pack is the Nikon Coolpix L830 ($300, above), which features 34x optical zoom, a 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor with Hybrid VR image stabilisation, Full HD video recording and a titlable LCD screen. The considerably smaller Coolpix L29 (£69.99 / €84.00) offers 5x optical zoom, a 16-megapixel CCD and an anti-reflection 2.7” LCD screen. The similarly styled Coolpix L30 (£89.99 / €109.00 / $119.95) comes with a 20-megapixel CCD, 3" monitor and 5x optical zoom. Finally, the classically styled Nikon Coolpix L330 (£179.99 / €219.00) packs a 20-megapixel sensor and a 26x zoom lens with lens-shift Vibration Reduction for blur-free images.

Nikon has expanded its Coolpix S range of slimline digital compact cameras with two Wi-Fi enabled 16-megapixel models. The Nikon Coolpix S6800 (£199.99 / €249.00 / $219.95, above) offers 12x optical zoom courtesy of a 25-300mm equivalent lens, and can take up to seven full-resolution photos in less than a second thanks to its 8.4fps continuous shooting speed. The Nikon Coolpix S5300 (£169.99 /  €209.00 / $179.95) has a 25-200mm equivalent lens and offers 32 filter effects. Both cameras can record Full HD videos and both offer easy image sharing over Wi-Fi.