Pentax Ricoh Imaging UK has announced a cashback promotion on the Pentax K-30 digital SLR camera. The promotion entitles UK and Ireland residents to claim £50 cashback when buying either the body only or with any Pentax lens. The cashback campaign will run from 1 November 2012 to 15 January 2013. For details visit the website below.

This Christmas, Canon UK is offering photographers an opportunity to complement their new DSLR with a range of accessories for half price. Those who buy an EOS 7D, EOS 60D or EOS 60Da will be able to get 50% off the battery grip, AC adapter, remote switch, additional batteries and remote control from a number of retailers. The promotion covers all purchases from 1 November 2012 until 27 January 2013.

Issue 21 of Landscape Photography Magazine is now available to download.This edition includes a guide to focus stacking, written by Michael Breitung, a review of four ebooks by David Hay, an interview with William Neill, the portfolios of Austin Thomas, Richard Hurst and Tom Shapira, and much more. Do note that the full contents of Landscape Photography Magazine are available to subscribers only.

Nikon UK is launching its biggest Christmas promotion to date, offering cashback on selected entry-level DSLR cameras, DX lenses, speedlights, as well as the Nikon 1 J1 and J2 compact system cameras. The offer runs until 21 January 2013. The cashback amounts range from £15/€20 to £70/€85. All claims must be received by 28th February 2013 in order to qualify.

HDR+ Camera is a new iOS app that helps users easily take ghost-free high dynamic range (HDR) images on their device. The app’s rapid algorithms also ensure “lightning-fast” processing times that rival professional-grade equipment, the developers say. “HDR+ Camera is the elegantly efficient way to overcome the frustrating problem faced by iPhone and iPad users, which is that their device’s native camera cannot vividly capture real-life scenes due to ranging light intensity,” commented Eugene Panich of Almalence. “As a result, bright areas look washed-out, while shadowy areas are darkened and devoid of details. But now, with HDR+ Camera installed on their device, they can apply the same HDR photography approach used by professional photographers, and effortlessly capture real-life images with truly vivid color and amazingly rich detail - and all with just one touch!” HDR+ Camera is available for $1.99 on iTunes.

Alien Skin Software today released Alt Photo, an iPhone app that applies a wide range of analog looks to photos. Alt Photo reproduces effects from throughout the history of photography, offering numerous black and white styles that cover everything from scratched Daguerreotype to grainy modern film. “It’s fun to give iPhone photographers cool results from our work on professional photography tools,” said Tom Welsh, creator of Alt Photo. “We stripped away all the geeky controls and made complex effects easy to apply.”Alt Photo is available through the iPhone App Store for the introductory price of $0.99.

PolicyBee, an online business insurance broker for photographers, is launching a promotion for photographers. In order to enter, all you need to do is submit up to five of your top tips for budding photographers. The organisers will then pick a winner out of a hat at the end of November who could win £100 London Camera Exchange vouchers. The closing date for entries is Friday 30th November. To enter, head to the website below.

Kensington and Chelsea College has announced four free photo lectures for November and December. Each session will be hosted by one of four established photographers: Anders Birger on 7th November,  Grant Smith on 21st November, Nayia Yiakoumaki on 28th November and Adrian Wood on 5th December. Each lecture at 5pm and takes place at the college’s Chelsea Centre in Hortensia Road, SW10 0QS.

onOne Software has released Perfect Photo Suite 7. Announced last month, Perfect Photo Suite 7 offers new easy-to-use, yet powerful tools to develop black-and-white images, enhance, stylise and correct images, retouch portraits and prepare all images, including mobile snapshots, for enlargement and print. Perfect Photo Suite 7 includes the brand new module Perfect B&W, Perfect Effects 4, Perfect Portrait 2, Perfect Layers 3 and Perfect Resize 7.5 Pro­–powered by Genuine Fractals technology, Perfect Mask 5.2 and FocalPoint 2. The new Perfect Photo Suite 7 is available immediately for $299.95. Owners of Perfect Photo Suite 6, Perfect Photo Suite 5.5, and Plug-In Suite 5 or earlier can upgrade to Perfect Photo Suite 7 for $149.95.

ReaSoft has launched a new free Web-based service for photographers. Currently in Beta, ImVerter (which stands for Image conVerter) recognises 500+ image formats including raw photo formats (CR2, NEF, ARW), vector graphics (CDR, SVG, DXF), postscript formats (PDF, AI, EPS) and also dozens of little-known or unpopular picture formats; and converts them into JPEGs, PNGs, GIFs, TIFFs, PDFs or BMPs depending on user preference. The service is free, with the only limitation being the maximum size of the source file, which is 20MB.

According to InfoTrends’ most recent survey research, nearly 73% of Americans print their photos at least occasionally. The real change is happening in the devices used to take photos, as 45% of survey respondents say they own a smartphone, which is up from 31% in 2011. 30% of smartphone owners also say that they use their phone most often to take photos, which is up from just 17% in 2011. “Smartphones have evolved into legitimate cameras and have the potential to make the print ordering process easier than before since they’re always connected and users can order directly from their phones,” says David Haueter, Associate Director of InfoTrends’ Photo Printing Trends and Photo Merchandise Services. “However, those processes need to be user-friendly and consumers still need to understand the value of print to make them want to order in the first place,” he continues. “Printed photos are one of the safest ways to insure that important photos will be available and easily accessible in the future, and this message still needs to be taken more strongly to the consumer market.”

Corel has announced Painter Lite. “We often hear from today’s aspiring artists that they’re looking for a way to dive into the world of digital art but don’t know which tools they need to get started. With Painter Lite, we’re not only offering a seamless and natural transition from canvas to computer, but we’re also providing a simple and affordable entry point for anyone to experiment with different techniques and mediums,” said Andy Church, Senior Product Manager for Corel Painter. Corel Painter Lite is available for Windows and Mac for £54.99 including VAT.

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) in partnership with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) has put out a call for the world’s best scientific images. Scientists creating images to support their research and photographers – both professional or amateur -  making images to record science in all its aspects showing applications of diverse photographic techniques are encouraged to submit images. 100 of the best – selected by scientists, photographers, and those working in the field – will be included in an exhibition that will open in Newcastle in September 2013 as part of the British Science Festival and will then tour the UK and abroad. Entries can be submitted from 1 November 2012 until 28 February 2013.

Corel today launched CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 Small Business Edition. Available at £699+VAT, this edition of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 includes up to three installations for each business. Each copy includes CorelDRAW X6, Corel Photo-Paint X6, PowerTrace X6, Connect. Capture X6, Website Creator X6, three quick reference cards and thousands of photos, clip-art and other images. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 Small Business Edition is available immediately from corel.com and authorised resellers.

Nokia today announced the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Nokia Lumia 820, the first devices in Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 range, are now on their way to the United Kingdom. The Lumia 920 will be launched exclusively on EE and Phones 4u in the UK, with Phones 4u stocking the full colour range for both the Lumia 820 and 920, with red, black, white and yellow versions available. The Lumia 820 will be available from O2, Carphone Warehouse and Tesco Phone Shop from early November.

The Canon EOS M compact system camera is now on sale at a range of retailers across the United Kingdom. Equipped with an 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, the Canon EOS M features an all-new EOS M lens mount, a Full HD Movie mode with Movie Servo AF for continuous focus tracking of moving subjects, manual exposure control, a sensitivity range of ISO 100-6400 (expandable to ISO 12800) for video recording, ISO 100-12800 (expandable to ISO 25600) for still image shooting, Multi-shot Noise Reduction and a 1,040,000-dot, 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II with smudge-resistant coating, multi-touch operation and Touch AF. With a recommended retail price of £769.99 including the 18-55mm standard lens and the new Speedlite 90EX flash, the Canon EOS M is available in black, white, silver or red.

Liquid Image has launched a new waterproof housing for the company’s EGO WiFi HD action camera. Depth rated to 40m/130ft, the new housing features a compact design,  adjustable flat adhesive mount and two buttons that allow the user to toggle between the camera’s video and still modes. The Liquid Image underwater housing is available for purchase from November 2012 with an RRP of £39.99.

BosStrap has expanded its Sliding Sling Strap line with two BosStraps designed specifically for smaller digital still and video cameras: the BosStrap Generation 3 LT and the BosStrap One Piece LT. Like all BosStrap products, these new straps attach to the left strap lug. The tripod socket remains free. The BosStrap Generation 3 LT retails for $46.95. The BosStrap One Piece LT costs $38.95.