Sekonic and X-Rite have launched the Litemaster Pro L-478D and L-478DR light meters bundled with the new special edition X-Rite-Sekonic ColorChecker Passport with Sekonic Grey balance Card. Using free software from Sekonic and X-Rite, this new bundle enables photographers and cinematographers to quickly and easily create an exposure profile of their cameras, calibrate their meters and create colour profiles. Incident-only calibration of Sekonic’s Data Transfer System enables creating exposure profiles for precise metering without the need for additional accessories. Incident and Reflected-light calibration requires the L-478 series View Finder 5°, available as a separate purchase, to read the Passport’s Sekonic grey card for calibrated reflected-light readings. Retail pricing is $512 for the Sekonic L-478DR and $438 for the Sekonic L-478D. Current Sekonic L-478D/DR owners can purchase this special edition of the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport with Sekonic Gray Balance Card at the special introductory price of $49.

X-Rite has announced its schedule of March 2013 webinars. The first online seminar, “Simply Amazing Colour: Take Control of your Monitor, Printer and Camera,” will take place from 12pm EDT on 18th March. This webinar will review the company’s ColorMunki solutions including software demonstrations and discussions of how each solution is used. The second webinar, “Professional Monitor Calibration for Still & Video,” will be held from 12pm EDT on 25th March, and will review how to access and utilise the video presets in i1Profiler software and briefly look at use of ColorCheckers in the video footage as a visual reference. Finally the third webinar, “Fine Art Travel Photography with Andy Katz” will take place from 11am and 1pm EDT on 27th March. Andy will talk about how he communicates with people, listens to their stories, and creates the relationships that allow him to capture beautiful and revealing portraits.

Starting today photographers living in the UK and Ireland can claim cashback on a range of Canon products including DSLRs, lenses and accessories, compacts, camcorders and printers. The amount of cashback ranges from £20/€25 on the PowerShot S110 camera (pictured) to £235/€300 on the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lenses. To take part in the offer and check the terms and conditions, visit the website below.

Corel has launched VideoStudio Pro X6, the latest version of the company’s easy-to-use video editing software. This release adds support for Ultra HD and AVCHD 2.0 as well as motion tracking, a new Subtitle Editor, swappable tracks and much more. Also announced today is Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X6, a premium version which offers a multitude of high-end plug-ins from proDAD, Boris Graffiti and NewBlue. Suggested retail pricing for VideoStudio Pro X6 is £59.99 including VAT. Users of VideoStudio Pro X4 or higher are eligible for upgrade pricing of £44.99. VideoStudio Ultimate X6 is £79.99, or £59.99 for an upgrade.

Phase One today updated its Capture One software with the release of version 6.4.5. This edition includes support for Canon tethering on Mac OSX 10.8 and better support for Samsung EX2F files. The update is free to existing owners of all versions of Capture One 6.

McAfee Social Protection safeguards your Facebook photos by letting you control exactly who can view them. Available in desktop and Android editions, McAfee Social Protection enables you to authorise who can see your Facebook photos without allowing them to save, print, download, or screen capture the images. “In short, your photos stay your photos,” the company says. You can get the free app via the website below.

Panasonic has announced the upcoming release of firmware updates for the Lumix GH3 compact system camera and three Micro Four Thirds lenses. Scheduled to be available later this month, the Panasonic GH3 firmware upgrade will enable users to connect their camera to a PC over Wi-Fi by inputting the computer’s name, and add a 60p, 28Mbps Full HD video recording mode for MP4 movies. The firmware updates will also enhance AF speed and continuous shooting performance when using the camera in AF-C mode in conjunction with the 14-42mm, 40-150mm and 45-175mm lenses.

Panasonic has signed a partnership agreement with the Rankin Film Productions (RFP) to produce three 3-minute films using three Lumix GH3 cameras.  Aptly named ‘GH3-Minute Movies’, this campaign will showcase the GH3’s videography capabilities. Panasonic Lumix G product manager Barnaby Sykes commented: “We are excited about the prospect of what our latest Lumix GH3 can offer to creative filmmakers and wanted to find the right partner to help explore those possibilities. As soon as we met RFP’s roster of young director talent we knew we’d found the right team to put it to the test.” The ‘GH3-Minute Films’ will be released at the end of March and will be showcased across Panasonic’s digital and social platforms.

Fotodiox today introduced the RhinoCam, a camera/lens adapter system designed to put “the power of a full-size 645 medium format back into the hands of virtually any photographer.” Via an interchangeable lens mount, the RhinoCam couples either a Pentax 645, Mamiya 645, or Hasselblad V medium-format lens with a Sony NEX series camera. The lens remains firmly in place while the RhinoCam’s moving platform positions the NEX sensor for multiple precisely-positioned exposures. The built-in Composition Screen enables photographers to preview the composed shot. After the capture process, it takes seconds to merge the multiple exposures into one larger image using automated stitching functionality built into recent versions of Adobe Photoshop and other software offerings. RhinoCam also mounts directly onto a 4x5 board to open up additional possibilities with wider angle lenses, tilts, shifts, bellows systems and more. The RhinoCam precision system is priced at $499.95 (excluding camera and lens) and available for order today from the website below.

PictoColor has released new versions of its iCorrect color correction and photo enhancement plug-ins for Photoshop Elements. The lowest priced and simplest of the new plug-ins is iCorrect OneClick PSE ($19.95), which features 1-click color correction that rivals or surpasses other smart fix or auto correction tools. iCorrect Portrait PSE ($29.95) also features a point-and-click interface with auto color correction tools plus PictoColor Software’s critically acclaimed skin tone technology which perfects every skin tone with a simple click. The company’s flagship and most versatile plug-in, iCorrect EditLab Pro PSE ($29.95), features HueSelect Control Point Technology for precise, global and selective color control.

Boinx Software has launched version 3 of its You Gotta See This! photo collage app. This edition utilises new algorithms to improve image capturing, with updated parameters for all supported devices’ cameras. You Gotta See This! is now available as a free download from the iTunes App Store.

Tamron USA will host an in-the-field photographic workshop series at eight state parks in 2013. “Tamron USA is uniquely positioned to help novice and enthusiast photographers harness the beauty of these natural resources to improve their own landscape and nature photography skills,” says Stacie Errera, Tamron USA’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Plus, because the state parks on this tour, as well as the other parks in the system, are so accessible and conveniently located, workshop attendees have a great venue to go back to season after season to continue honing those skills.” Photographers participating in Tamron’s state park photography workshops will be able to borrow Tamron lenses to take out in the field. Workshop leaders will conduct an instructional seminar during the included lunch; optional sunset sessions may be available at some locations. Click through / read on for the detailed workshop schedule.

SmugMug’s little photo app, Camera Awesome, has just turned one year old. This app enables users to capture images faster, and offers features like a built-in electronic level and the ability to focus on one spot and set exposure on another. Additionally, it allows for a wide range of one-tap adjustments including filters, borders and special effects. Photos can then be shared via email, or uploaded to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, SmugMug, Flickr, Picasa and Photobucket. According to SmugMug, the free app has been downloaded from iTunes by nearly thirteen million people

Issue 14 of David Noton’s Chasing the Light eZine is now available. This edition sees the launch of a new series called Seeing the Light, with David kickástarting his exploration of light by contemplating exactly what it is as he stands surveying the stunning night sky in Utah, USA. Issue 14 also includes the second part of David’s account of his trip to Myanmar (Burma), a video tutorial introducing readers to his editing process, a guest feature on celebrity portraits by Clara Molden, and much more. Do note that the full contents of Chasing the Light eZine is available to f11 subscribers only.

The Fresh Awards have named the Hitcase Pro - a waterproof, mountable case that transforms the iPhone into a POV camera - “one of the most innovative new consumer technology products of 2013.” As part of the premier channel event Distree EMEA, the Fresh Awards provide a first look at new technologies, giving distributor, retailer and e-tailer delegates access to new and innovative products about to hit the market in the European, Middle Eastern and African regions. Award winners are selected by Distree executives and the Sightline Group, a technology consulting group that soecuakuses in emerging companies. Hitcase Pro is a waterproof, shockproof case that includes a built-in wide-angle conversion lens that allows the phone to capture an angle of view of 170°. A patent-pending ShockSeal design protects the phone from the elements while shielding it from shocks and drops. The Hitcase Pro’s Railslide system makes it easy to mount the case to just about anything with its auto-locking functionality and one-button trigger release. The case is available for $129.99.

Manfrotto and Kata have launched two new promotions in the UK. Running between the 3rd and 31st March 2013 and applicable to all products purchased on the Manfrotto UK website - including tripods, LED lights and a host of other accessories -, the Manfrotto promotion allows customers who enter the coupon code focus2013 to receive a 15% discount. The same promo code is also valid on purchases made through the Kata UK website in the same period. These promotions are valid for United Kingdom residents only and apply with a minimum purchase of GBP £20.00 inc. VAT per order.

Nikon has posted five full-resolution sample photos (and an additional four resized ones) plus a video shot with the new Nikon Coolpix A large-sensor compact camera. The Nikon Coolpix A samples were all taken at relatively low sensitivity settings - ranging from ISO 100/21° to ISO 320/26° - so they do not tell us much about the “high-ISO” capabilities of the camera but they do demonstrate what the 18.5mm (28mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens is capable of when used wide open and stopped down a notch (f/3.2) or two (f/5.6). As far as the sample movie is concerned, it has been converted to Flash video format and downsized to a decidedly non-standard 717x403 pixels.