SF Digital has released version 4 of its Foto SF software. This update has a host of new features, improved and faster navigation, new modules including “Quotes,” and eye-catching graphical reports. Pricing starts at $95 (£58 approx) for an upgrade and $145 (£90 approx) for Foto SF Lite.

Developed in partnership with Samsung, the Google Nexus 10 is an Android 4.2 powered 10” tablet with a 2560x1600-pixel display boasting a resolution of 300ppi. The panel’s aspect ratio is 8:5 (or, as display manufacturers like to put it, 16:10), which falls between the classic 3:2 proportion of photos taken by most 35mm film cameras and digital SLRs, and the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio of HD movies. The 300ppi resolution bests the 264ppi Retina display of the Apple iPad 4 and matches that of standard photographic prints, making it especially attractive to photographers in need of a device to showcase their portfolio. Equipped with two camera modules (a 5-megapixel main camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing unit), microUSB and microHDMI ports, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity (but no memory card slot or 3G/4G support), the Nexus 10 will hit the shelves on 13th November in the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Canada and Japan in two versions, with the 16GB model costing £319/$399 and the 32GB variant selling for £389/$499.

White Knight Press has released its newest camera guidebook, the Photographer’s Guide to the Sony DSC-RX100: Getting the Most from Sony’s Pocketable Digital Camera. “Using a patient, tutorial-like approach, the book provides guidance to beginning and intermediate photographers not only about how to accomplish things with the RX100, but when and why to use the camera’s many features,” the publisher says. “The book does not assume any specialized knowledge by the reader as it explains topics such as autofocus, manual focus, depth of field, aperture priority, shutter priority, exposure compensation, white balance, and ISO sensitivity. The book also provides full details of the camera’s numerous menu options for playback, setup, and customizing the operation of the various buttons and other controls.” The 378-page paperback sells for $24.95. A PDF version is also available for $9.95.

The ASMP Guide to New Markets in Photography (Allworth Press) is a pragmatic guide that teaches photographers how to find a business approach that works for them. “An overview of developments in the industry covers the new visual needs created by the economy; the changing definition of what it means to be a photographer; shifting distribution of clients; the role of technology; and the role of copyright, licensing, compensation, and contacts,” the publisher says. Edited by Susan Carr, the 307-page paperback is available now, priced at $24.95.

PocketWizard has released the G-Wiz Squared case (£19.99), which provides protection for four of the new PLUS lll radios. With its movable padded dividers you can customise the interior to fit any combination of MiniTT1, FlexTT5, Plus ll OR MultiMAX plus accessories. The company also announced new cables for triggering Minolta and Sony cameras. The cables range from £24.99 to £54.99.

Think Tank Photo has announced that in November it will add two new laptop-carrying sizes to its “Retrospective” shoulder bag line. The Retrospective 40 ($210.75) is suited for pro-size DSLRs with a pocket for most 13” laptops and the Retrospective 50 ($239.75) holds pro-size DSLRs with a pocket for 15.4” laptops.  Both bags accommodate a 70-200 2.8 attached to a pro-size body.  The large front pocket provides an optional divider for an additional two pro-size bodies or for documents. “With broad appeal, the Retrospective series has quickly become one of the leading bag collections in the industry,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo CEO and Lead Designer. “Working pros to vacationers all will find the Retrospective 40 and 50 to be the most useful and functional bags for a day’s outing.”

In November, Think Tank Photo will release the Glass Limo, the photo industry’s slimmest profile backpack for carrying “Big Glass,” such as a 600mm f/4 without body attached or a pro-size body attached to a 500mm f/4. “The Glass Limo solves a major functional problem experienced by sports and other Big Glass shooters, which is how to keep their large lenses safe while in transit and easy to carry into the field,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo CEO and Lead Designer.  “This new backpack features Think Tank’s famous contoured harness with air channel.  Big lenses may be heavy, but they don’t need be a physical burden.” Additionally, the Glass Limo backpack complies with most airline carry-on requirements, thus allowing photographers to stay near equipment that is among their most expensive. Think Tank Photo’s Glass Limo backpack is priced at $195.75.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced the winners of the annual RHS Photographic Competition. Josie Elias has won the first prize of £1000 and the title of RHS Photographer of the Year 2012 for the above image of an olive tree surrounded by tulips. Elias said: “We stumbled on the Iris Garden at Plantas Distintas in Marnes, Spain quite by chance. I was particularly intrigued by the contrast of the gnarled old olive tree and colourful spring flowers. I felt I had to capture the scene and was encouraged by the nursery owners to enter the photograph into the RHS competition. I am very excited and honoured to have won.”

Manfrotto is giving away one of its fantastic new 290 Carbon Fibre tripod and head kits worth £249.95!

The lucky winner is Paul Mitchell - congratulations!

The new Manfrotto 290 Carbon - a new family of carbon fibre camera supports designed to accompany passionate new photographers as they progress and improve their skills.  At that level, no longer a beginner, but not (yet) earning a living from photography, it has always been difficult to find accessories and equipment that offer the right balance of performance, practicality and versatility: cheap “first tripods” are too flimsy and can’t be upgraded, but professional tripods have too many features, too many options and are too much of an investment. The 290 Carbon range steps right in to fill the gap in the middle and support the aspiring photographer along the path from hobby to passion… or from obsession to profession.

Journeys to far-flung locations and spectacular holidays are often the triggers to taking photography more seriously, but it’s notoriously difficult to find a tripod that’s compact and light enough to travel, but stable enough to really help when you get to your destination. Step into your passion for photography!

For more information or to buy Manfrotto products online visit: www.manfrotto.co.uk

Last night the winners of the 2012 AOP Open Awards were announced at the presentation and party at Draw Walk Gallery, Truman Brewery. Photographer Andrew Perkins won Best in Show Award for his image, “Girl’s shadow on beach and three people in deck chairs” (above). Other winners include Simon James, Jon Tonks, Marietta d’Erlanger and Gaynor Perry, all of whom have received Judges’ Choice Awards.

Top Travel Photo Tips From Ten Pro Photographers is a new title from Allworth Press. Author and director of the New York Institute of Photography, Chuck DeLaney has interviewed ten outstanding professional and well travelled photographers and asked them to share their favourite tips and techniques for taking great travel photographs. Illustrated with 80 full-colour travel photos, the 112-page paperback is available for $16.95.

The Outdoor Photographer of the Year (OPOTY) 2012 Competition is now open for entry. Now in its third year, the contest offers six categories across the genres of landscape, wildlife, nature and adventure with the chance of winning a cash prize of £1,000. The category winners will each receive a £250 voucher from Wex Photographic. The awarded images, along with other selected images will be exhibited at The Outdoors Show at ExCel, London (17 – 20 January 2013). The closing date for entries is 9 December 2012.

Tiffen has unveiled its Next Generation Domke gear at the 2012 PDN PhotoPlus Expo (booth 545), held at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City. “[The] Next Generation Domke line keeps the core Domke DNA and personality, adding personalisation capabilities that can be customized to fit every shooter,” the company says. Demonstrated at PhotoPlus Expo, Next Generation Domke includes the Journalist Series, the Adventurer Series, the Metropolitan Series and the Visionary Series, each offering the new Domke GearProtex divider and PocketFlex pocket and pouch personalisation and customization systems.

Founded on 17 October 1987 by CEO John Tu, and COO and David Sun, Kingston is marking its 25th anniversary in the United States, Canada and EMEA by holding a contest with a grand prize of $2,500 and the opportunity to design a USB Flash drive. Other prizes include $250, solid-state drives and Kingston’s 25th anniversary USB drive. Full contest details can be found on Kingston Europe’s Facebook fan page..

AKVIS has released AKVIS Chameleon v.8.0, the latest version of its photo collage creation software for Windows and Macintosh. This update adds a new Guidelines feature helping users precisely position the fragment on the background image. Additionally, the new version is compatible with Mac OS X 10.8. Users of the latest versions (v.5-7) of AKVIS Chameleon can upgrade to version 8.0 free of charge.

CyberLink has released an updated version of PowerDVD 12 to ensure compatibility with Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 OS. “With the removal of native support for DVD playback in Windows Media Player, consumers will require additional media playback software to play DVDs and MPEG-2 files on their Windows 8 PCs.,” the company says. “PowerDVD 12, is certified as compatible with Windows 8, guaranteeing users can still enjoy all their Blu-ray Discs, DVDs and videos on their new systems.” CyberLink also launched a new mobile application designed for Windows 8 tablets.

BeFunky has announced that it delivers support for iOS 6, the iPhone 5 and the new iPad Mini. The new version of the app offers users the ability to stack an unlimited number of effects on mobile devices, new editing capabilities for enhanced artistic control, and a seamless photo editing experience across multiple devices and platforms, the company says.