Nikon has expanded its Coolpix S line-up with three new cameras. The new models include the 18.1-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S9500 (£299.99 / €359.00 / $349.95, pictured) with Wi-Fi, 22x optical zoom, 3.0-inch OLED display and built-in GPS; the similarly Wi-Fi enabled, 16-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S5200 (£179.99 / €215.00 / $179.95) with 6x optical zoom and a 3-inch LCD screen; and the 18.1-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S9400 (£249.99 / €299) with 18x optical zoom and a 3-inch OLED panel (but no built-in wireless connectivity). All models feature back-illuminated CMOS image sensors, lens-shift vibration reduction and Full HD movie recording. All three cameras will become available on 21st February.

The Nikon Coolpix AW110 (£329.99 / €395.00, pictured) is a robust 16-megapixel camera with integrated GPS and Wi-Fi. Waterproof to 18m, shockproof from heights of up to 2m, dustproof and freezeproof down to -10 °C; the Nikon Coolpix AW110 features a 3-inch, 614k-dot OLED monitor, 5x optical zoomand Full HD movie capture. An altimeter records the exact altitude at which you take a shotand a hydro-barometer measures underwater depth. The 10-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S31 (£99.99 / €120.00) is waterproof to 5m, shockproof from up to 1.2m height, and dustproof. Other highlights include a symmetric body design with centred flash unit, 3x optical zoom, a range of fun digital filters and 720p HD video recording capabilities. The Nikon Coolpix L28 (£89.99 / €109.00) is an easy-to-use, AA battery powered 20-megapixel compact with 5x optical zoom, 3-inch LCD screen and 720p video. Its little brother, the Nikon Coolpix L27 (£69.99 / €84.00), is a 16-megapixel camera with a 2.7-inch rear display, exclusive to Argos in the United Kingdom.

Canon has expanded its compact camera range with three high-zoom Ixus models and a new PowerShot A series shooter. The 12.1-megapixel Canon Ixus 255 (pictured) features built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, 10x optical zoom, Intelligent Image Stabilisation, high-speed shooting, Full HD video recording capabilities and a 3-inch rear screen. The 16-megapixel Canon Ixus 135 also comes with Wi-Fi and Intelligent IS, and offers 8x optical zoom, 720p movies and a 2.7-inch display. The Canon Ixus 132 is a similar model sans Wi-Fi, while the Canon PowerShot A2500 is an entry-level digital compact camera with a 16-megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, 720p video and a 2.7-inch monitor (but no optical image stabiliser).

Hama has introduced a new line-up of bags designed for compact system cameras. The ‘Seattle’ series is available in six different sizes, including two Colt models. Prices range from €19.99 to €39.99.

This year, Nikon is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Nikkor brand. The brand’s history began in 1933 with the first shipment of Nippon Kogaku’s Aero-Nikkor aerial photographic lenses. Twenty-six years later, the company released its first SLR camera, the Nikon F as well as its first lens for Nikon SLR cameras, the Nikkor-S Auto 5cm f/2. Since then, Nikon has been at the forefront of lens development. The OP Fisheye-Nikkor 10mm f/5.6 fisheye lens for SLR cameras, released in 1968, was the world’s first lens to incorporate aspherical lens elements. The Ultra Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8, released in 1962, served as the template for projection lenses employed in Nikon IC steppers and scanners. Total production of Nikkor lenses for cameras with interchangeable lenses reached 75 million in November 2012.  Nikon’s lineup of lenses for cameras with interchangeable lenses currently consists of more than 80 types of lenses, including fisheye lenses, ultra wide-angle lenses, super-telephoto lenses, zoom lenses, micro lenses, PC-E lenses, and 1 NIKKOR lenses.

In February, 2013, sixty years after its founding, Aperture Foundation will relaunch its flagship publication Aperture. “The award-winning London designers A2/SW/HK have re-envisioned the magazine as a luxurious print object defined by its tactile presence, dynamic typography unique to Aperture, and high-quality reproductions,” the publisher says. “Each quarterly issue will feature at least 50% more pages and will be reformatted to a larger trim size.” The Aperture Spring 2013 issue hits newsstands February 26, 2013.

With support from the European Commission, the Dutch FotoMuseum Provincie Antwerpen (FoMu) has embarked on a new photographic heritage project called Daguerreobase. The project’s goal is to collect copies and descriptions of over 25.000 historical daguerrotypes from all over Eurotype in a single database / knowledge bank. “European-style daguerreotypes are scarce and collections are scattered around in several European institutional and private collections,” the museum explained in a statement. “The renewed Daguerreobase aims not only to aggregate and to centralise the [available] information about these collections, it will also make this information open to researchers and professionals [as well as] the general public.” For more information, visit the website below.

Datacolor today announced its winter 2013 line-up of free colour management webinars. The bi-monthly webinars, 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 Colour,” focus on managing colour using tools in both capture and processing stages. Webinars include step-by-step demonstrations using Datacolor’s line of Spyder colour calibration devices, and in-depth discussion to provide photographers with new methods to produce high quality results with their own images. Click through / read on for the detailed webinar schedule.

McCullin, a documentary portrait of the acclaimed war photographer, will be released on Blu-Ray and DVD on 25th February. Recognised for his war photography and images of urban strife, photojournalist Don McCullin worked for The Sunday Times from 1966 to 1983, covering wars and humanitarian disasters on virtually every continent: from civil war in Cyprus, the war in Vietnam and the man-made famine in Biafra to the plight of the homeless in 1960s London. Packed with in-depth interviews and rich archive footage, the 89-minute documentary will retail for £15.99. You can watch the film’s trailer below.

TenFarms have released Photopoll for iPhone, billed the first mobile app that allows users to group and share multiple photos in a feed for instant polling.. Available now for free on the App Store, Photopoll for iPhone and iPod touch uses patent-pending technology that enables users to select two to five photos from their device, Amazon.com and Instagram, and post in a central feed for friends and others to vote on their favourites. Compared to other apps that allow users to share just one or two photos, Photopoll allows greater expression through multiple photos, accessing public opinion and telling stories around any given topic, the company claims.

Photo Video West has just announced the World Cup of Photography photo contest. The competition, which runs from until 31 March 2013, is open to professional and amateur photographers from any country worldwide. Participants have the option to compete in the Professional or Amateur division for the Grand Prize, a cash award of $1,000, Tamron 18-270 PZD lens and Adobe Master Collections.  Category winners will also be selected for each category including children, portrait, wedding, wildlife, landscape, still life, artistic, silhouette, and underwater.  First place winners for each category win a copy of Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop. Early Bird (ends 1 March 2013) entry fees are $25 (Professional) or $20 (Amateur) per single photograph. After that date, entry fees will be $35 and $30 per image, respectively.

International stock photography agency Alamy says it will now accept photographs for its Live News service from camera phones and digital compact cameras. Alamy’s head of news, James Hall, said: “When you think that the most popular smartphone cameras are now 8 megapixels it is obvious that good photographers using these devices will be able to capture and record breaking news and events with a quality that is acceptable to both on- and offline news agencies… We want to allow our contributors to upload stunning News, Sport and Entertainment images to us using the camera they have ready at hand – whether it is a DSLR, a compact camera or a smartphone.” News photographers can upload images to Alamy direct from their smartphone via FTP using existing apps. Note that all images uploaded to the news feed will still have to meet Alamy’s News Picture Guidelines.

ArcSoft has released its Whip Social Photo Album app for mobile devices running Android 2.3 and newer. The free app allows users to quickly create and share photo albums, using customised templates. Whip allows users to choose up to 24 photos for each album. Once the photos are selected, the album is automatically generated with just one tap.  After that, users can select one of nine available templates that include background music from “indie” bands, and offer the opportunity to caption and edit each photo. Downloadable from the Google Play Store, Whip allows users to share their albums via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.

PhotoShelter has released a new free guide entitled The 2013 Photo Business Plan Workbook. This PDF e-book offers practical tips, to-do lists, and online resources to help you make smart decisions for your photo business in 2013. You’ll also learn from seasoned photographers like Ben Lowy and Jim Goldstein who offer tips on how to market your photo business with Facebook, attract readers to your blog, improve website traffic through search engine optimisation, get more work from old clients, manage your finances and create a lasting photo brand. You can claim your free e-book by supplying your e-mail address through the website below.

Website: Photoshelter

Transcend has announced that it now offers a comprehensive line-up of memory cards featuring the next-generation Ultra-High Speed Class 1 specification (UHS-I, U1). The company’s ‘Premium’ series microSDHC UHS-I memory cards are mainly aimed at smartphone and tablet users, while Transcend’s ‘Ultimate’ series SDHC/SDXC UHS-I cards are designed for professional photographers, reporters and enthusiasts. When paired with UHS-I enabled devices, these cards offer transfer speeds of up to 90MB/s (600X) and feature storage capacities ranging from 8GB to 64GB. Each Transcend UHS-I memory card includes a free download of Transcend’s own RecoveRx software. For more information, visit the website below.

Madison Square Park Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art programme has announced a new installation to inaugurate the spring 2013 season:  Topsy-Turvy: A Camera Obscura Installation by New York-based artists Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder. “On view daily from March 1 – April 5, 2013, 10am-5pm, Topsy-Turvy will reimagine one of the world’s oldest moving image devices into a life-sized 10-foot by 10-foot structure,” the organisers say. “Park visitors will be able to enter the interactive, large-scale installation, which will utilize the physical properties of light to capture images of the surrounding Flatiron District in real time.  This centuries-old artistic medium will alter how visitors experience the park and engage with the various elements of New York City’s urban landscape through a new and exciting lens.”