Peak Design has set up a so-called Pro Team comprising a number of top-notch professional photographers including some of the most recognizable names in mountaineering, surfing, snow sports, motorsports, wedding and portrait photography. In addition to using Peak Design’s Capture, Leash (pictured) and Cuff products in the field, these professionals will be aiding Peak Design in future product development through their feedback and testing of prototypes. “We want folks from all backgrounds of photography – from beginners and hobbyists all the way up to pros – to know that our products are designed to hold up to any environment and any kind of physical activity,” says Peter Dering, Peak Design founder and head engineer. “We couldn’t be more excited to have this incredible group of photographers on our team, ensuring that we continue to make even better gear.” To mark the “birth” of its Pro Team, Peak Design has launched a giveaway offering members of the public a chance to win high-resolution poster-size prints of original photos taken by the Peak Design Pro Team, as well as the company’s latest products.

InstaScoop is a new digital magazine for the Apple iPad. Giving readers the inside scoop on the best photographers on Instagram, InstaScoop reveals their top tips for better looking images and offers insightful articles, video tutorials, and app reviews to help readers improve their photography skills. “Instascoop Magazine is the magazine to read if you enjoy the art of mobile photography and Instagram,” said Kris Lougoon, Publisher of InstaScoop Magazine. “Each issue features the personal stories of groundbreaking photographers as well as their beautiful images to inspire you.” For a limited time, the magazine is offering specially discounted 1-month subscriptions for $1.99 on iTunes.

Panasonic has released a Full HD sample movie shot with the new Panasonic Lumix GF6 compact system camera. The one-and-a-half-minute Panasonic GF6 sample video is made up of seven sequences shot in a variety of outdoor locations. Click through / scroll down to see the movie.

As part of the company’s Educational Series 2013, Tamron USA announced photography seminars to be conducted throughout the US at 30 select authorised dealers. The how-to seminars cover a wide variety of subject matter including seeing in black & white; close-up and macro; landscape, nature & travel photography; family, friends & kids informal portraiture; kids sports photography and formal portrait photography. Attendees of the event can expect to go behind the lens and learn a multitude of useful photographic tips and insights that will improve their picture-taking abilities with their SLR cameras. The topics discussed during the seminar include understanding light, point of view, composition, and knowing your lens. Attendees can register for the seminars at the website below.

The Society of International Travel and Tourism Photographers (SITTP) has announced the winners of its street photography competition. The successful competition had entries from all corners of the globe from India to Australia, highlighting some of the best street photographers work. The winner is Agnieszka Furtak, with Alveraz Ricardez coming in at second place and Julie Wall being third.

proDAD has announced ProDrenalin, an all-in-one software application for GoPro action/sports camera users to improve their videos by removing fisheye and perspective distortion, stabilising, correcting rolling-shutter distortion, de-noising, colour correction, and adjusting the brightness and contrast of the video. Supporting 2.7K and 4K resolutions, the program is also capable of rotating the video if the camera was accidentally mounted upside-down or at the wrong angle. ProDrenalin will be available in May at £29.85.

Lomography has launched a new 35mm film back for its medium-format Belair X 6-12 camera. With this adapter, users of the Belair X 6-12 camera can make impressive panoramic shots on regular 35mm film. The extensive exposure area of 104x33mm enables them to capture images with a rather extreme aspect ratio of 3.15:1. Available in the Lomography Online Shop, the 35mm back fpr the Belair X 6-12 camera retails for £55.

The Minimalist Photographer by Steve Johnson is a new title from Rocky Nook. In this book, you’ll learn about the equipment and workflow of a minimalist photographer as Johnson discusses the strengths and weaknesses of various types of cameras and explains why the more expensive pieces of equipment are not always the best. He also addresses the importance of lighting and teaches you how to achieve effective lighting without spending a lot of money. The 144-page volume is available for $32.95.

The theme for this month’s Life Framer photo contest, judged by Olivia Bee, is “An instant.” A hugely talented, self-trained photographer, Olivia is a contributor to the New York Times, Zeit, Le Monde and Time Magazine. Open to all amateur and professional photographers aged 18 or older, the Life Framer competition is a platform designed to source creative work and showcase outstanding photography. The monthly winner will receive a cash prize of $400 and the honour of having their winning image printed, framed and displayed in an end-of-year exhibition held in a gallery space in central London. Entrants to the competition retain full copyright of their photographs. For more information and to enter online visit the website below.

The iPhone 5 version of the Tiltpod mini-stand is now available for purchase. Billed as “the world’s smallest always-ready camera stand,” the Tiltpod features a quick-connect ball pivot and a nickel-plated magnetic base, which can be easily attached to and detached from the phone. Measuring 2.0"x1.5"x0.4”, the Tiltpod sells for $29.99 via the website below.

ReaSoft Development has released ReaConverter 6.9, a new version of its batch image conversion and editing software tool. Besides 400+ supported image formats, ReaConverter 6.9 now offers improved conversion of PDF/EPS/AI files, support for raw file formats of the newest cameras, increased conversion speed and more. The program is available in three editions: Lite, Standard and Pro. Pricing for a single-user license starts from $24.95 for ReaConverter Lite.

Sony has released two new PlayMemories Camera Apps for its NEX-5R and NEX-6 compact system cameras - Light Shaft and Motion Shot. Light Shaft transforms ordinary landscape, beach and sky shots with an dramatic ray of light, like sunshine bursting through cloudy skies. Position your light source and choose from Ray, Star, Flare or Beam effects then tweak the angle, intensity, length and number of rays to suit your taste. Your original photo is automatically saved as a copy alongside the amended version. Motion Shot identifies your moving subject in a high-speed burst of frames, capturing each moment of the subject’s motion into a single image. Alongside the composited image, your original frames will be recorded in continuous shooting mode and remain untouched. These apps are priced at $4.99 each. In addition, Sony has launched a new Android app that adds fresh features to PlayMemories Online, the company’s photo and video cloud service.

The Nikon D4 FX-format digital SLR camera; the Nikon 1 V2, J3, and S1 compact system cameras and the Nikon Coolpix S01 digital compact camera have been awarded the “red dot award: product design 2013”, sponsored by Germany’s Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen. This year, 4,662 products from 1,865 companies in 54 countries were entered in the competition. Winners will be on display from July 2, 2013 to July 28, 2013 in the “Design on stage – winners red dot award: product design 2013” exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen Germany.

DxO Labs have released DxO Optics Pro 8.1.5 for Mac and Windows, which adds support for the Nikon D7100 (pictured). This update also incorporates 131 new DxO Optics Modules that support additional Nikon, Panasonic, Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina lenses for Nikon cameras. This upgrade is free for all owners of DxO Optics Pro 8, as well as for photographers who purchased a DxO Optics Pro 7 license on or after 1 September 2012.

Tiffen is now shipping the new Lowel SlimLight Rifa Blender and Lowel SlimLight Rifa Pro Kits. Each kit contains a 200W Rifa eX 44 dedicated tungsten-halogen softlight, matched with either compact color mixing Lowel Blender LED(s), or focusable tungsten-halogen 200W Pro-light(s), plus Uni TO Stands. “The new SlimLight Rifa Blender and SlimLight Rifa Pro Kits are perfect for today’s large-sensor DSLRs and compact digital cinema cameras in situations where you are running into the city to do a quick interview, doing doc work, or shooting a video podcast for a client,” says Jem Schofield, producer and educator, theC4. The Lowel SlimLight Kits are available through Lowel dealers worldwide.

Manfrotto has launched a new line of stylish camera bags, called StilePlus. The Manfrotto Diva 15 is a multifunctional tote bag for everyday use, with a protective removable insert for your photo gear. It accommodates a CSC with attached zoom lens and one additional lens, plus a 10-inch tablet. The Manfrotto Diva rage is available in two other sizes – the Diva 25 and Diva 35, with SRPs starting at £39.95. The Manfrotto Bravo 50 backpack (pictured) is a multifunctional backpack for everyday wear, with a protective removable insert, adjustable straps and a padded back panel. It fits a DSLR with attached standard zoom lens and one additional lens, plus a 15-inch tablet. The Manfrotto Bravo range is also available in a smaller size – the Bravo 30, with RRPs starting at £69.95. Last but not least the Manfrotto Amica 10 (£19.95) is a stylish shoulder bag for everyday use, holding a CSC with attached zoom lens and an additional pancake lens, plus a range of small personal items such as a phone and keys.