The Syngenta Photography Award Exhibition includes the works of the six finalists of the first-ever Syngenta International Photography Awards. In its inaugural year, the theme of the award is “Rural-Urban”, which aims to raise awareness and stimulate dialogue about the relationship and tensions between urban and rural environments, and to further explore the impact these issues have on global resources. Taking place at Somerset House, London from 17 - 21 May 2013, the exhibition features a selection of entries by finalists Jan Brykczyński (Poland), Pablo Lopez Luz (Mexico), Mimi Mollica (Italy), André François (Brazil), Holly Lynton (U.S.) and Vitaliy Popkov as well as over fifty other artists.

The Life of Stuff is a recently opened exhibition of images by East Yorkshire based photographer Chris Harland. On display until Sunday 9th June, the exhibition is hosted by the Ropewalk Artspace Gallery, Maltkiln Road, Barton upon Humber, North Lincolnshire, DN18 5JT. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday, from 10am to 5pm.

The Carl Zeiss Touit 1.8/32 is a 48mm equivalent "standard prime" for Sony NEX and Fujifilm X-series compact system cameras. Offering a diagonal angle of view of 48°, which is roughly the same as that of the human eye (excluding periperal vision), the Carl Zeiss Touit 1.8/32 features an optical formula comprising 8 elements in 5 groups and a filter thread with a diameter of 52mm. Capable of focusing down to 37cm, the smallest area the Carl Zeiss Touit 1.8/32 can capture is 214x142mm. The main difference between the Sony and Fuji versions is that the latter features a traditional aperture ring. Availability and pricing details have yet to be communicated.

First showcased at Photokina 2012, the Carl ZeissTouit 2.8/12 is an 18mm equivalent ultra-wide angle lens for Sony NEX and Fujifilm X-series compact system cameras. Offering a 99°angle of view, the Carl Zeiss Touit 2.8/12 has an optical formula comprising 11 elements in 8 groups and a filter thread with a diameter of 67mm. Capable of focusing down to 18cm, the smallest area the Carl Zeiss Touit 2.8/12 can capture is 220x144mm. The main difference between the Sony and Fuji versions is that the latter features a traditional aperture ring. Availability and pricing details have yet to be communicated.

Following last week's launch of the OM-D Photography Playground in Berlin, Olympus UK has decided to give one lucky Twitter / Facebook follower (plus a friend) the chance to visit this interactive exhibition. The OM-D: Photography Playground is an extraordinary group exhibition with site-specific interactive installations, which approaches the topic “Space and Art” from different angles and transforms this unique location in Berlin-Mitte into a giant playground. The tool to experience the exhibition on every level is the OM-D, which can be rented free of charge on site. Open to UK and Ireland residents, the promotion mechanics are simple - all you have to do is send a tweet to @OlympusUK using the hashtag #omdphotographyplayground by Thursday 9th May. The winner will then be picked at random n May 10 who will be treated to flights and a hotel courtesy of Olympus UK and the Photography Playground.

Manfrotto has just launched its newest product, the new Manfrotto 500 vdeo head. This lightweight fluid head, designed for users of the latest HDSLRs and video cameras, replaces the Manfrotto 701HDV and becomes the smallest head to be built around Manfrotto’s so-called Bridging Technology. The “hollowed out” structure of Bridging Technology heads gives the Manfrotto 500 Video Head a great advantage. Without sacrificing its light weight, it has a top plate that is broader, providing better support of the wider shape of DSLRs. The top plate is also longer, so its sliding plate has a greater range of adjustment to balance the shifting centre of gravity of a DLSR or camcorder used with interchangeable lenses. The Manfrotto 500 video head is available as a stand-alone head, in either flat-based or 60mm half-ball versions, in a kit with twin aluminum leg tripod or single carbon fibre tubes tripod. Prices range from £129.95 for the Manfrotto MVH500AH Fluid Video Head to £659.95 for the Manfrotto MVK500C Carbon Fibre 60mm Video System.

DxO Labs have released DxO ViewPoint 1.2, the newest version of its software dedicated to correcting keystoning and volume anamorphosis. Version 1.2 provides a new feature that allows photographers to save the correction settings for any given image and to reapply them later, and includes more examples that show photographers how to choose and use the most appropriate tools for correcting their photos. This upgrade is free for all owners of DxO ViewPoint 1.0.

More than 18 months after British Journal of Photography (BJP) first introduced its quarterly iPad edition, the magazine has today released a new universal iOS app. Dubbed British Journal of Photography+, the new universal app offers a dedicated experience depending on the device used. On the iPad, BJP now offers a monthly edition that contains the same articles as those published in print, complemented by extra images, text and videos. On the iPhone, weekly editions are now available, bringing readers the best of the print and iPad magazine in smaller, more regular chunks. The monthly iPad edition offers iPad users three times more content than before, and no matter where they are in the world the magazine will be available at the same time as in the UK, for the same price.

Issue 16 of David Noton’s Chasing the Light eZine is now available. In this month’s edition, David continues his series Seeing the Light with an exploration of the golden hour and also provides his regular essential Compositional Tutorial; this time measuring the up the various perspective options as he views and shoots the Big Landscape in Canyonlands National Park. For Behind the Lens, David relates the story of the first five days of his latest photo expedition to Utah. Issue 16 also includes two video tutorials, a guest feature on black and white photography framed to a square format by Anita Stokes and a review of the Nikon D800 by professional photographer Ross Hoddinott. Please note that the full contents of Chasing the Light eZine is available to f11 subscribers only.

GigaPan's high-resolution images are now viewable on mobile devices, including iOS and Android. This includes all gigapan.com and embedded external website images, including GigaTag. “As the number of images on our website continues to grow into the hundreds of thousands, and GigaPan membership increases, it is imperative that our collection of amazing images are ubiquitous to access,” said Josh Friedman, CEO of GigaPan. “Our updated viewer presents an opportunity to provide mobile access to these unique images, increasing and enhancing image views for a larger audience.”

Canon has just launched its summer cashback offer in the UK. Eligible customers may claim up to £55 cashback on a range of selected products across digital SLR cameras and lenses, compact cameras, inkjet printers and camcorders. Plus, if you purchase two promotional products within the same transaction, you're eligible to claim one additional £30 bonus payment. Click through for the full list of participating products.

Sigma has announced availability and pricing details for its 60mm f/2.8 DN lens in the US. First revealed at the CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show in Japan earlier this year, the 60mm F2.8 is a new focal length in the Sigma lineup for both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-Mount camera systems. It joins Sigma’s other DN lenses for MILCs: the 19mm F2.8 DN and the 30mm F2.8 DN. Featuring Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass, which helps minimise axial and transverse chromatic aberration, the Sigma 60mm f/2.8 DN offers a minimum focusing distance of 19.7 inches and a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:7.2. The new 60mm F2.8 DN Art lens will hit shelves mid-May at an estimated street price of $239.

Tamron USA is celebrating National Photo  Month this May with its first Tamron Photo Scavenger Hunt. Participants will creatively photograph 14 clues and set-up an exhibit at MyPhotoExhibits.com by 31 May 2013. Tamron will pick the best overall exhibit based on image quality and creative interpretation of the clues. The winner will receive the award-winning Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD zoom lens. This contest is only open to adult residents of the USA. Click through / read on for the rules, including a list of the 14 clues.

The Samsung NX2000 is a new stylish and slim compact system camera. The NX2000 features a large 20.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor, 3.7-inch WVGA Full Touch Screen, 8fps fast continuous shooting, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, and includes Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4. The NX2000 (MSRP: $649.99) will be available in white, black and pink from authorized Samsung retailers and at www.samsung.com

Datacolor has announced its spring 2013 line-up of free colour management webinars. Each webinar includes step-by-step demonstrations using Datacolor’s line of Spyder color calibration devices, and in-depth discussions on how to effectively use the right tools to create images. These sessions, hosted by David Tobie, global product technology manager for Datacolor, and David Saffir, Datacolor expert, noted landscape and fine art photographer, and author of “Master Digital Color,” focus on managing colour using tools in both capture and processing stages. Click through / read on for the detailed schedule.

The Nikon Centre of Excellence was officially opened by Mr Tanaka, Nikon UK president; John Walshe, Nikon UK General Manager and Arthur Edwards, Royal Photographer at the Sun; at a launch party held last night at 63 – 64 Margaret Street, London. A new training course programme has been launched to coincide with the opening of the new Nikon School at the Nikon Centre of Excellence, which includes a range of courses from “Street Photography in London,” to more advanced product-specific courses. Nikon also introduced five Nikon Ambassadors at the event, all professional photographers at the top of their game who will work with Nikon to "inspire photographers and help them achieve stunning images." The new Nikon Ambassadors are wildlife and landscape photographer Ross Hoddinott, sports photographer Dickie Pelham, wedding photographer Mark Seymour, celebrity and fashion photographer John Wright and sports photographer Mark Pain.

Issue 2y of Landscape Photography Magazine is now available for purchase. This month’s edition includes an article on exposing to the right, a guide to tilt-shift lenses, a review of the book “Inspiring Professionals 2” by David Hay, a test of the Fujifilm X-Pro1 camera, and much more. Do note that the full contents of Landscape Photography Magazine are available to subscribers only.

To celebrate National Photo Month, Pentax Ricoh Americas have announced significant savings on numerous products. The promotional offers include several price drops and consumer instant rebates on a variety of compact and interchangeable-lens cameras as well as lenses. Click through / read on for the details.