The LEICA DG NOCTICRON 42.5mm F1.2 from Panasonic is the fastest ever Micro Four Thirds lens. Details of the product specifications, the date of release and the price are yet to be advised - according to Panasonic's lens roadmap, the LEICA DG NOCTICRON 42.5mm F1.2 is schduled for release in 2013 or later, along with a 150mm f2.8 lens.

Sigma today announced a new, fee-based service that will enable the company’s Global Vision lens owners to change their lens mounts for use on different camera systems. Starting on 2nd September, Global Vision lens owners can request the Mount Conversion Service to convert their current Sport, Contemporary or Art SLR lenses to their choice of a Sigma, Sony, Pentax, Nikon or Canon mount. Current, applicable full-frame lenses include the 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS Sport and 35mm F1.4 DG Art; APS-C crop sensor lenses include the 30mm F1.4 DC HSM Art, 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC OS Macro Contemporary and 18-35mm F1.8 DC Art. Global Vision category lenses for CSCs (including the 19mm F2.8 DN Art, 30mm F2.8 DN Art and 60mm F2.8 DN Art) can be updated to either a Micro Four Thirds MFT or Sony E- mount. All lenses that undergo the Mount Conversion Service will be covered under warranty for six months following the update.

The Sony Alpha NEX-6: The Unofficial Quintessential Guide by Brian Matsumoto and Carol F. Roullard is a new title from Rocky Nook. This book guides the reader through the camera features with step-by-step instructions for setting menu commands, and explains how, when, and why these adjustments are needed. The informative text is illustrated with screenshots and example images throughout, making it easy to follow along. The 328-page volume is available for $34.95

Adobe today announced a new version of its Creative Cloud (CC) service that enables creative teams to purchase membership of a single desktop application, such as Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, InDesign CC or any of the entire collection of CC desktop applications. With this new move, Adobe now offers two team plans for Creative Cloud: the complete option that delivers 14 Adobe desktop applications and sophisticated, cross-device collaboration and publishing capabilities; or the new single app plan that includes access to one desktop application along with 20GB of storage. The latter is available for a suggested retail price of £22.23 per user per month. Existing customers with CS3 or later are eligible for single app membership at a suggested retail price of £14.29 per user per month. Customers can pre-order beginning today, with product availability expected 15th August.

Adobe has posted version 8.2 of Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) for Adobe Photoshop CC and CS6 and version 5.2 of Lightroom as Release Candidates. These updates add support for the Casio Exilim EX-ZR800, Fujifilm X-M1 (pictured), Finepix HS22EXR, Finepix HS35EXR, Finepix S205EXR, Finepix F805EXR and Sony DSC-RX1R cameras, and preliminary support for the Canon EOS 70D dSLR and Phase One IQ260 digital back. Both programs additionally benefit from a range of new Sony and GoPro lens profiles that enable software-based lens aberration and distortion correction. The new Release Candidates also incorporate a number of feature enhancements and bug fixes.

Source: Adobe Lightroom Journal

ColorRight has just announced the LightRight, a dual-purpose lighting solution for pro photographers and videographers. Billed as "the first Pro video light & flash diffuser combo," LightRight is the thinnest and lightest pro LED light currently available to order. “Until now, photographers and videographers had to choose whether to shoot with their external flash, or with an LED light panel. Carrying and using two separate units in the field was cumbersome at best,” said Drew Strickland, President of ColorRight. “LightRight LED products give people the ability to use their flash and a video light simultaneously." The ColorRight LightRight video light and flash diffuser also features a one-touch dimmer and on / off switch, 1800mah rechargeable li-ion battery, protective battery case, and AC power cord. The LightRight will sell for $99, along with a PRO Kit that includes an optional tripod mounting plate and mini tripod plus a more robust 2800mah battery for $149. ColorRight has launched an Indiegogo campaign to help raise funds for commercialisation. If you would like to make a contribution, visit the website below.

AOC has introduced a new generation of AH-IPS and IPS 3D monitors. Ranging from 21.5″ to 23″ and 27″, there are six models in the line-up, boasting an ultra-slim borderless design, outstanding colour reproduction and wide viewing angles. All of them are Full HD monitors that utilise mercury-free WLED backlights. Depending on the individual model, users can connect multiple signal sources simultaneously via D-Sub,DVI-D, HDCP-compatible HDMI, an integrated DisplayPort or even MHL. The new AOC monitors are available now at RRPs ranging from £ 129 to £ 249.

Billed as the first external flash for mobile devices that is fully synched to smartphones and tablets, iblazr is a tiny device that uses four powerful CREE LED lights to provide much more light than any smartphone’s built-in flash. Additional features include a continuous light mode, adjustable brightness, and a built-in rechargeable battery. This 200mAh battery lasts up to 1,000 flashes or up to 40 minutes in full power constant light mode. iblazr is scheduled to launch in December at at $39 for the black and white models. A premium anodised aluminium iblazr, which is more powerful than the regular model in constant light mode, will be available starting at $59. The commercialisation of the device is funded via a Kickstarter project. Those who pledge $300 or more will receive a personalised aluminium model.

Tiffen has introduced two brand new tripods from the Davis & Sanford brand. “As their names suggest, the Davis & Sanford CrossWise and Traverse are adventure-engineered tripods designed to give DSLR, mirrorless and compact camera shooters the flexibility as well as the freedom to achieve that perfect shot,” states Steve Tiffen, President and CEO, The Tiffen Company. In addition to the new CrossWise and Traverse tripods, Tiffen has released a brand new Davis & Sanford PowerBall product for cameras weighing up to 18 pounds. Prices for the new products are as follows: CrossWise Tripod at $124.99, Traverse Tripod at $109.99, and PowerBall Dual Control ball head at $59.99.

The Canon Legria mini is a new digital creative camcorder with an ultra-wide angle Canon lens, multifunctional vari-angle LCD and built-in stand. Available in black, silver and white, the portable and lightweight form breaks from traditional camcorder design, and thanks to its built-in stand, gives enhanced flexibility in hands-free recording. The vari-angle 2.7” LCD touchscreen can be flipped out to either the rear side or subject side, giving users an array of different shooting options and styles to play with. For example, the screen can be flipped into a front-facing position to enable accurate self-shooting, or kept closed to capture creative low angles. Other highlights include Full HD video recording, 12.8-megapixel stills capture and Wi-Fi connectivity. The Canon mini will be available in the UK and Ireland from mid-September 2013 with an SRP of £269 and €329 respectively. In the USA, the camcorder is called the Vixia mini and sells for $299.99.

VSCO is seeking beta testers for the Android version of its VSCO Cam app. "We are looking for dedicated, passionate people who can test the app, find bugs and provide constructive feedback," the company says. The existing iPhone version has earned critical acclaim for supporting Focus and Exposure Rings plus White Balance Lock for increased creative control. VSCO Cam for Android will initially support the Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy S3 and the HTC One smartphones, with support for other Android 4.0+ devices coming "in the near future." You can register to be a beta tester at the website below.

Website: VSCO

Issue 4 of GIMP Magazine, a free publication featuring works created by the worldwide community of GIMP users, is now available to download. This edition includes an interview with professional photographer and digital artist Christopher Mark Perez, Episode Two of The Hunt for Wilber, a portfolio of images by Rolf Steinort, a tutorial on creating a proper vignette using GIMP, and much more. You will be able to download Issue 4 from the website below, starting 4th September.

Website: GIMP Magazine

Kenro has been appointed the UK and Ireland distributor for Braun Photo Technik. Paul Kench, managing director of Kenro, said: "Braun Photo Technik is renowned for their rich history in creating products that meet the needs of their customers so we are delighted to be working with them. With Braun Photo Technik products, retailers will be able to tap into a new range of customers who are looking to purchase products which have multiple uses, and we are looking forward to bringing these products to the UK and Irish public."

Pentax Ricoh UK has announced the pricing of the Pentax Q7 compact system camera. The Pentax Q7 body will be available for £369.99, and the camera will also be sold in two kits. The single-lens kit - consisting of the Q7 body and Pentax-02 Standard Zoom Lens - will cost £399.99, while the double-zoom kit will retail for £539.99.

Wacom has just announced Bamboo Loop, its second app for the Android platform. Bamboo Loop marries creative photo-sharing with messaging, meaning that photographs taken on a smartphone can be illustrated and personalised with drawings, scribbles, cartoons and words and forwarded to a friend, family member or colleague. Available for free download from Google Play, Bamboo Loop also offers a gallery of photo filters and shapes that can be extended by purchasing additional style packs at the price of £ 0.69. Available style packs include seasonal themes (e.g summer), art paper, candy, pattern, fun, and vintage. The app offers support for the Bamboo Stylus, a pen which can write comfortably on tablet displays.

PhotoFast's i-FlashDrive HD, a two-way storage device between iOS and Mac/PC, is now available in the United Kingdom. The drive’s free corresponding application delivers the ability to upload, organise, edit and manage files across multiple devices, including PC, iPad, iPhone and more. The 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models of the compact and portable i-FlashDrive are offered as a combo kit, which include both the Lightning adapter and 30-pin connector for increased compatibility with Apple mobile devices as well as USB devices. Additionally, i-FlashDrive offers backwards compatibility, working seamlessly when plugged in on the standard USB side with multiple operating systems including iOS 6, Windows XP/7/8, OSX and Linux. PhotoFast's i-FlashDrive HD is available online in 8, 16, 32 or 64 GB capacities, ranging in price from £60 to £210.

Sony and Panasonic have signed an agreement with the objective of jointly developing a next-generation standard for professional-use optical discs. Intended for long-term digital data storage, these archival discs should offer a recording capacity of at least 300GB and be available by the end of 2015. Optical discs have excellent properties to protect them against the environment, such as dust-resistance and water-resistance, and can also withstand changes in temperature and humidity when stored. They also allow inter-generational compatibility between different formats, ensuring that data can continue to be read even as formats evolve.

SmugMug unveiled a completely new version of its service today. What the company envisioned was a site with a fresh, modern look and feel.  A site that offers gorgeous designs, right out of the box, with an easy way for all users to create their own unique style. Every SmugMug site includes responsive design, so it adapts to any viewing screen from smartphones to large monitors. In addition, the all-new site Organizer makes it easy to manage thousands of files by dragging images into galleries, galleries into folders, and folders into folders, up to five levels deep. Membership starts at $5/month, with a a free 14-day trial period available to every new customer.

Canon has released firmware updates for its EOS-1D Mark III, EOS-1D Mark IV (pictured) and EOS-1Ds Mark III digital SLR cameras. Each of these firmware upgrades incorporates the following improvements and fixes:

1. Resolves the following phenomenon: when the camera is not attached to a lens, power consumption may be higher than usual, causing premature battery drain.
2. Resolves a phenomenon in which an error message may be displayed when the shutter is released without a lens attached.

Website: Canon EOS-1D Mark III Firmware Version 1.3.2
Website: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV Firmware Version 1.1.4
Website: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Firmware Version 1.2.3