The Panasonic Lumix LF1 is a surprisingly lightweight 12.1-megapixel compact camera with a 28-200mm (eq.) f/2.0-5.9 lens, integrated 0.2" electronic viewfinder, 3" rear display, multi-functional Control Ring and Wi-Fi/NFC connectivity. After a first initial setup, NFC compatibility lets you turn on Wi-Fi with a simple tap of a compatible smartphone or tablet, so no more fiddling with menus or passwords. The Control Ring at the base of the lens barrel makes it easy to manually control aperture, shutter speed and zoom. Other highlights include an ISO range of 80-12800, 10fps burst shooting, Power O.I.S. and level gauge functions, 15 Creative Control effects - of which 13 can also be applied to panorama shots taken in the Panasonic LF1's Creative Panorama mode - and Full HD 1920x1080 50i video recording with a choice of AVCHD Progressive and MP4 outputs. The Panasonic Lumix LF1 camera will be available from mid-June at an RRP of £379.

Want to see exactly what the new Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. Micro Four Thirds lens looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a hands-on gallery for your perusal.

The Panasonic Lumix G VARIO 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. is a new 28-280mm equivalent superzoom lens for Micro Four Thirds system cameras. Significantly lighter and more compact than Panasonic's previous 14-140mm lens, the new Lumix G VARIO 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH./POWER OIS is capable of taking maximum advantage of cameras with high-speed AF such as the Panasonic GH3 and the new Lumix G6. Incorporating the manufacturer's POWER O.I.S. optical image stabiliser, the new lens is also optimised for HD video recording. The new Panasonic Lumix G VARIO 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. lens will be available from the end of June, priced at £599.

This contest has now closed. The lucky winners are:

Mike Gimblett has won a Sony NEX-3N compact system camera and a place at the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Workshops

Olexander Demchenko, chris mockel, Nick Berry, Trygve Lydersen, Ilian Stamenov, Florin Cristea, Tom Bekiaris, GJ de Koning, and Napoleon Stratogiannakis have each won a place at the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Workshops.

With the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards taking place this month we’ve teamed up with headline sponsors Sony to give 10 lucky readers the chance to win a place at a series of workshops taking place at Somerset House, London from 26th April – 28th April 2013.

One winner will also receive a NEX-3N compact system camera to test out their new skills. Featuring the same image sensor that you’d expect from a DSLR camera, the NEX allows you to take professional standard pictures, even if you’re an amateur, providing the best results and picture quality on the market. With a selection of 15 e-mount lenses available you’ll discover the ideal lens to bring your vision to life.

The workshops will cover a variety of topics suitable for camera enthusiasts from beginners to budding professionals and will coincide with the opening of the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition on 26th April. 

There are three separate workshops covering a range of topics. From showing beginners how to improve picture quality, providing an understanding of commercial photography and turning a hobby into a career, or looking at the developments in full-frame photograph over time, there will be something for any photography enthusiast.

Speakers will include Michael Wayne Plant who specialises in work around identities and social landscape and Magdi Fernandes who works across fashion, music and sports. All attendees will be entered into a prize draw each day for one lucky winner to receive an NEX.

With Sony’s ongoing development of its camera portfolio, from point and shoot Cyber-shot cameras to entry-level interchangeable lens NEX and Digital SLT Alpha models, Sony is serious about photography and proud to sponsor the World Photography Awards.

For further information about the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Workshops or to book your place on one of the sessions, visit http://worldphoto.org/worldphotolondon/sony-workshops

This contest has now closed. The lucky winners are:

Beth Leek, ADEINNE TONNER, Eric William Sandiego, Roger Phillips, kerry day, Inga Andersen, Mark Gould, Julie Picton, L Francois regis Harvengt and KRZYSIA BIALESKA have each won a pair of tickets to the Sony World Photography Awards’ exhibition.

With the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards taking place next month we’ve teamed up with headline sponsors Sony to give 10 lucky readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the awards’ exhibition, which will take place at Somerset House, London from 26th April – 12th May 2013.

Curated by Candlestar Director Michael Benson, this year’s exhibition offers a snapshot of the world in 2012 as seen by the winning and shortlisted photographers of the Sony World Photography Awards.  It will reveal the very best international contemporary photography across 25 categories, including fashion, travel, wildlife, landscape, portraiture and current affairs.

With this year’s awards receiving a staggering 122,000 entries from 170 countries, its evident just how popular photography continues to be, around the world.

Sony is committed to providing a camera solution for everyone and every budget, empowering people to take professional quality pictures, whether an amateur or an expert.

With Sony’s ongoing development of its camera portfolio, from point and shoot Cyber-shot cameras to entry-level interchangeable lens NEX and Digital SLT Alpha models, Sony aims to make photography more accessible to all and educate people in the art of taking pictures.

For further information about the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House visit http://www.worldphoto.org/2013exhibition

Carson Optical has released the ML-515 LensMag, a 2-pack of high powered magnet magnifiers for the Apple iPhone 5. Included in each 2-pack is a 10x and 15x magnet magnifier. Simply remove the case from your iPhone 5 and place the desired high powered magnet magnifer over the camera. The LensMag will now act as a macro lens. As the ML-515 LensMag holds onto the iPhone magnetically, there is no need for glue or any additional accessories. The Carson ML-515 LensMag will be available from June for $19.

Canon U.S.A. has just launched the interactive Cinema EOS C500 4K Digital Cinema Camera Menu Simulator. With this innovative training tool, prospective users of the EOS C500 can navigate the simulated menu system with a mouse, keyboard arrow keys or their fingers (when using a touch screen device). To access this simulator feature, visit the website below.

Photographic Visions: Inspiring Images and How They Were Made is a new title from Rocky Nook. To create this volume, the curators of the online gallery 1x.com selected 95 stunning photographs from the thousands of images found on their website. Each photo is accompanied by information about the photographer, the vision and story behind the image, and details about the techniques and tools used to capture and process the photo. The 240-page volume is available for $39.95.

Adobe has released a video teaser for a new photo editing tool called "Camera Shake Reduction," which shall be integrated in future versions of Photoshop. To be premiered at next month's Adobe MAX conference, this new tool is designed to minimise the effects of motion blur resulting from camera shake. Unlike hardware-based image stabilisation solutions, this is a post-processing tool that you will be able to apply to (blurry) photographs you've already taken. In the video clip which you can see below, Senior Photoshop Product Manager Zorana Gee launches the Camera Shake Reduction tool directly from the Filter menu, suggesting that it will be an integral part of the program rather than a plug-in, as rumoured earlier. Click through / scroll down to watch the teaser.

Apple has posted a new Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update to MacOS X. Version 4.05 adds support for cameras using Fujifilm's X-Trans sensors - to wit, the Fujifilm X20 (pictured), X100S, X-E1 and X-Pro1. Note that Aperture version 3.4 (or later), or iPhoto version 9.4 (or later) is required to install this update.

Website: Apple Support

PNY today introduced its first 64GB MicroSDXC memory card. The PNY 64GB MicroSDXC card is a Class 10 rated, UHS-I compliant memory card with read speeds of up to 30MB/s and write speeds of 20MB/s. Billed as an ideal mediumfor transferring movies, images, music and other large files, the 64GB PNY MicroSDXC card is availableat an RRP of £34.99.

The first Children's Eyes On Earth International Youth Photography Festival & Exhibition will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 12-14 May 2103. This event, which aims to raise awareness of environmental issues through the eyes of young people and their photographs, will be a chance to view the best 100 images from the inaugural Children’s Eyes On Earth International Youth Photography Contest, which took place last summer. With the themes “I Love Nature” and “I Fear Pollution”, the Contest drew thousands of entries from young people in over 90 countries around the world.

Canon today announced that the company’s interchangeable-lens digital cameras (including DSLRs and CSCs) have consistently maintained the No. 1 share worldwide in terms of volume within the interchangeable-lens digital camera market for the past 10 years. In 2003, Canon introduced its breakthrough EOS 300D Digital Rebel, which set the stage for growth in the digital SLR camera market. Since that time, the company has launched a number of models targeting advanced-amateur users - including the EOS 5D series, which paved the way for serious digital SLR video recording, starting with the 5D Mark II. In 2012, Canon celebrated the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the EOS camera system and marked its 10th consecutive year as the market’s world leader. During the year, Canon launched the compact-system EOS M, aimed at expanding the company’s entry-level user base, along with the EOS 6D, the world’s smallest and lightest digital SLR camera equipped with a 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor. This year, Canon introduced the EOS 100D / Rebel SL1 (pictured), which is billed as the world’s smallest and lightest DSLR camera equipped with an APS-C-size sensor.

Panasonic has posted a firmware update for its Lumix TZ40 (a.k.a. ZS30) and TZ41 digital compact cameras. According to the company, version 1.1 improves GPS signal acquisition and geotagging accuracy. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.

Website: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ40/TZ41/ZS30 Firmware Update Service

Panasonic has released a firmware update for the Panasonic Lumix FT5 digital compact camera. According to the company, version 1.1 improves GPS signal acquisition and geotagging accuracy. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.

Website: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT5/TS5 Firmware Update Service

Slovakian company 84.5mm has announced a new series of reversed neutral density filters. These special ND grads have been designed specifically for shooting landscapes during the so-called golden hour, when the sun is very close to the horizon. The filters are darkest in the middle, getting gradually lighter toward the top - as opposed to a standard graduated neutral density filter, which has its darkest part at the top. Available in two densities, medium and strong, these reverse ND grads come in two sizes: 84x100mm and 84x150mm. The standard price is €36.50 but the first 50 customers who purchase a reverse ND grad from 84.5mm's e-shop are entitled to a €4 discount.

As part of its partnership with the World Photography Awards, Sony is running a series of workshops at London’s Somerset House. Speakers will include Michael Wayne Plant who will lead a session on photography for beginners, and fashion, music and sportrs photographer Magdi Fernandes who will talk about making a career out of photography. In addition, there will be guest speakers from industry leading titles to provide insight into their specialist fields. The workshops will take place daily from Friday 26th – Sunday 28th April: Click through / read on for the details.