The new Sirui P-324X and P-424X photo/video monopods have three fold-down support feet for combining the stability of a tripod with the convenience of a monopod. When not needed, the support feet fold flush and lock in place against the monopod leg, allowing it to be used as a conventional monopod. The large, slip-free rubber foot lets you work on any surface, the company says. The Sirui P-324X monopod ($274.95) weighs 2.6lbs and offers a load capacity of 22lbs. The Sirui P-424X ($299.95) weighs a bit more - 2.9lbs - but holds up to 33lbs. Sirui products are distributed in the USexclusively by Argraph, and are available from photo retailers nationwide.

Sigma has posted forty-two full-resolution sample photos taken with the Sigma DP3 Merrill large-sensor compact camera. Evidently aimed at demonstrating resolution, accutance and colour, all of these official Sigma DP3 Merrill samples were taken at low sensitivity settings (ISO 100/21° and ISO 200/24°). You can download the sample images from the website below.

Website: Sigma DP3 Merrill Sample Images

Sony has posted firmware updates for the Sony NEX-F3, NEX-5R, NEX-5N, NEX-6 and NEX-7 (pictured) compact system cameras and a couple of E-mount lenses. Fast Hybrid AF lens support for Sony’s NEX-5R/6 cameras has expanded to include six new lenses. The NEX-5N firmware upgrade also expands its Exposure Bracketing range and updates its raw format version. The upgrades for the NEX-F3/5N/7 cameras add auto compensation for use with the 16-50mm power zoom lens. New E-mount lens firmware for the E 30mm f/3.5 Macro and the E 50mm f/1.8 OSS lenses enable Fast Hybrid AF with the Sony NEX-5R and Sony NEX-6 cameras. You can download these firmware updates - along with those released for the Sony A37, A57, A65 and A99 - through the website below.

Website: Official Sony Blog

The new Strobo Starter Kits from Lastolite are designed to introduce photographers to the Lastolite Strobo system of light modifying products. These starter kits are stripped-down versions of the original Strobo Ezybox Hotshoe and Strobo Direct to Flash bundles. In addition to these kits, the company has now made the components which make up the Strobo system available to purchase individually, allowing the photographer to customise their own kits and modify their own existing equipment for use with Strobo. Click through / scroll down for the recommended retail prices.

VinylPlus has announced that a new photo contest has been launched on its Sustainable Thinking Platform. Running until 30 April 2013, the competition is open to young adults around the world, aged 18-30. All entries must address the question, “Smart, sustainable and inclusive growth for Europe and beyond. How do we make it happen?” Each participant may submit up to 3 pictures. The winner will be awarded with an Apple iPad mini tablet. You can enter the contest through the website below.

Website: Sustainable Thinking

British photographer David Bailey will be returning to his birthplace to exhibit intimate photographs of the East End at Walthamstow’s William Morris Gallery (pictured). East End Faces will run from 23 February to 26 May 2013 and complements Bailey’s recent East End exhibition that ran as part of the Create Festival in August last year. East End Faces will include previously unseen pictures from the 1960s, featuring streetscapes, characters and scenes of east London life. Visitors can also listen to David Bailey in conversation with Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, on Wednesday 13 March at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £12, with booking essential as places are limited (entry to the exhibition itself is free). The recently refurbished William Morris Gallery is located in Forest Road, London, E17 4PP.

LockCircle has announced the new Prime Circle XT-F prime lens series in Nikon fit. Built around the world-class optics of the Carl Zeiss ZF.2 lenses, the Prime Circle XT-F lineup spans focal lengths ranging from 15mm to 135mm. Prime Circle XT-F lenses are custom mounted ZF.2 lenses offering “in-house” assembling by professional and passionate technicians. Each Prime Circle XT-F lens boasts an ultra-lightweight Ergo-Focus gear for follow-focus, a Front Mount 95mm standard ring-mount for matte-boxes and cine-style accessories plus an aluminium cap with clear graphics displaying the lens’s focal length and maximum aperture. The X-Circle F-Mount stainless steel heavy-duty bayonet features “Side Index View” for focus and aperture scales on the side for comfortable focus-puller work. The lenses can be ordered now, with worldwide delivery within 3 to 4 weeks.

Intro 2020 has been appointed the sole UK importer and distributor of Samyang lenses. The Korean optics company currently manufactures a range of 25 lenses covering focal lengths from a 7.5mm fisheye to a 650-1300mm super zoom telephoto lens. Their newest product was announced just before Photokina 2012: the Samyang T-S 24mm 1:3.5 ED AS UMC is a wide-angle, full-frame lens fitted with perspective control and tilt-shift functions, making it an ideal tool for architecture and landscape photography with high-resolution full-frame digital SLR cameras. Like all other Samyang lenses, the Samyang T-S 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC is covered by a 3 year guarantee.

Sony has issued firmware updates for its range of “SLT” - Single Lens Translucent - cameras, including the SLT-A37, A57, A65 and A99. The updates add automatic distortion compensation for a number of lenses. Version 1.01 for the SLT-A99 additionally incorporates support for a range of Dual AF function compliant lenses. You can download the firmware updates from the website below (after specifying your camera model and operating system).

Website: Sony Support

Canon has issued a firmware update for the Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR camera. Version 1.2.1 incorporates the following bug fixes and improvements:

1. The function to disable the Image size selection button has been added.
2. Fixes a phenomenon in which Err 70 and Err 80 may occur during certain shooting conditions.

Website: Canon U.S.A.

The 4th annual Photocrati Fund competition is now open for entries. The Photocrati Fund offers a $5,000 grant to one photographer each year to undertake an environmental or humanitarian photography project. At the completion of the project, the grant winner’s images will be displayed as a photo essay on Photocrati.com. Applications for the 2013 Photocrati Fund competition will be accepted through 30th April (11:59pm Mountain Time). To apply, submit a one-page project statement (including a rough budget) and biography, along with a link to an online portfolio of 20-30 themed images to: [email protected].  For complete Photocrati Fund rules and guidelines, visit the website below.

Hahnemühle FineArt has introduced a new line of resin-coated papers for inkjet photo printing. The Hahnemühle Photo Luster offering features a: bright white, smooth, lustre surface with a pearlescent finish, while the Photo Glossy paper boasts a super smooth, high-gloss bright white surface for vivid results. Both papers feature an “extremely large” colour gamut and a weight of 290gsm. Photographers will get a chance to see these new products at the SPE Conference in Chicago, March 7-10 at the WPPI Expo in Las Vegas, March 11-13. Availability is slated for March with pricing to be communicated.

LPA Design today announced the new G-Wiz Vault bag. Designed for use with the PocketWizard MultiMAX, Plus II or FlexTT5 Transceivers and accessories, this padded gear bag is also the perfect size to protect a “full-sized” SLR camera, the company says. The new PocketWizard G-Wiz Vault bag holds up to six MultiMAX or Plus II radios with connector cables, ten FlexTT5’s, or one SLR camera body. Available in three colours, the G-Wiz Vault opens from the top, and features three movable or removable hook-n-loop padded dividers. The PocketWizard G-Wiz Vault bag is priced around $28.

Leica has posted seven full-resolution sample photos captured with the new Leica M full-frame digital rangefinder camera. Shot with various Leica lenses, these Leica M samples demonstrate the camera’s image quality at various sensitivity settings ranging from ISO 200/24° to ISO 6400/39° (pushed). Four out of the seven sample images are available in JPEG format, while the remaining three are raw DNG files. You can download the official Leica M sample photos from the website below.

Website: Leica

Canon has introduced four new all-in-one devices, the Canon Pixma MX395 (£59, pictured),  MX455 (£79),  MX525 (£99) and MX925 (£179). Replacing the existing Pixma MX375, MX435, MX515 and MX715/MX895, respectively,the new printers feature enhanced hardware, optional high yield XL cartridges and Canon’s My Image Garden software. The Canon Pixma MX455, MX525 and MX925 come with a range of connectivity features including support for printing from smartphones and tablets through Canon’s Easy-PhotoPrint app for Android, iOS and Windows RT. Built-in Wi-Fi allows the printers to be easily shared between multiple PCs around the home or small office. The MX525 and MX925 both support Pixma Cloud Link, which includes Google Cloud Print support. Furthermore, the Canon Pixma MX925 comes with new double front paper cassettes that hold up to 250 sheets of plain paper and up to 20 sheets of photo paper, and boasts improved printing speeds. Availability is slated for March.

The twelfth issue of Adore Noir Magazine is now available for purchase. Adore Noir is a fine art photography magazine available exclusively in digital format. Featuring street photography by London-based photographer Anthony Jones, female nudes by Timothy B. Anderson, Holga images by Lucia Fisher, botanical abstracts by Byong-Ho Kim, a portfolio of images by Chris Ruiz and ethereal landscapes by Carmen Spitznagel; this edition reinforces the magazine’s commitment to high-quality black-and-white imagery.. The latest issue of Adore Noir is available for $2.95 from the website below.

Website: Adore Noir

The World Photography Organisation (WPO) today revealed the shortlists for the Professional, Open and Youth categories of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards. Photographers returning to the awards include: Javier Arcenillas (Spain); Robin Hammond (New Zealand) and Paolo Pellegrin (Italy).  Exciting up-and-coming photographers new to the awards include Ed Kashi (USA) and Andrea Gjestvang (Norway). Catherine Chermayeff, Director of Special Projects at Magnum Photos and chairwoman of the Honorary Jury, commented: “What an invigorating three days - which resulted in lively and passionate debates. I think we, the jurors, all began this process and felt overwhelmed. I am delighted to say that by day three, each group proudly presented and argued for our respective shortlists and found surprising strength in the shortlist submissions across all categories.” The work of all the shortlisted photographers will be exhibited at Somerset House, London, from 26 April – 12 May as part of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition.