Manfrotto has just launched a new family of carbon fibre camera supports called 290 Carbon. Designed for enthusiasts, the Manfrotto 290 Carbon range aims to fill the gap between cheap and non-upgradeable “first tripods” and expensive fully-featured professional mounting equipment. Highly portable yet durable and built for heavy-duty use, the 290 Carbon Fibre Series comprises three tripod&head kits, a monopod and a standalone 3-section tripod sold without a head. For more information, visit the website below.

Nikon UK has announced a new promotion. Customers purchasing any product from the Nikon EDG range, including fieldscopes and binoculars, from today until 31 January 2013 (inclusive) can claim a free Nikon Coolpix AW100 (pictured) or P310 camera worth £279.99 each. Note that the promotion only applies to products which have been supplied and distributed by Nikon UK within the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. For more details, including terms & conditions, visit the website below.

The Consumer Electronics Association’s Board of Industry Leaders unanimously voted to rename ‘4K’ video to ‘Ultra High-Definition’ or ‘Ultra HD,’ and also defined the core characteristics of Ultra HDTVs, monitors and projectors. Minimum performance attributes include display resolution of at least eight million active pixels, with at least 3,840 horizontally and at least 2,160 vertically. Displays will have an aspect ratio with width to height of “at least 16x9.” To use the Ultra HD label, display products will require at least one digital input capable of carrying and presenting native 4K format video from this input at full 3,840 X 2,160 resolution without relying solely on up-converting.

Pictured above is the EOS C500, Canon’s high-end professional 4K cinema camera.

Switronix has just introduced its brand new JetPack power distribution accessory for videographers. The all-aluminium, compact design houses a power regulation board connecting to three LEMO outputs (5v, 7v, 12v), a USB power connection, and 2 unregulated power taps on either V or 3-Stud mount plates. The JetPack is currently available for RED Epic and Scarlet, as well as the Black Magic Camera and F3 configurations, in either V-Mount and 3-Stud.

Michael Freeman will be launching his latest book, The Photographer’s Story, via a live online broadcast on Tuesday 30th October. The event is free to attend, and anyone can submit a question in advance by signing up now via the website below. Before the broadcast, anyone who has signed up will receive an e-mail reminder.

On 5th November at Kings Place, London, conceptual fine art photographer Tim Flach will talk about his latest book More Than Human. In this book, he takes this into new points of inquiry with surprising portraiture of creatures ranging from exquisite pupae, to the world’s largest cat, to intimate scenes of bonobos and other primates. The lecture starts at 7pm, tickets are available online for £9.50.

The event is part of the PhotoVoice Lecture series and the ‘Words on Monday’ series.

Photographs from the UK’s first ever iPhoneography course, run at Kensington and Chelsea College, are being showcased to the public for the first time in an exhibition. A hundred of the best images from the course,‘iPhoneography: An Introduction to Photography with the iPhone,’ are now set to make their debut in the forthcoming exhibition ‘Apped to the Max’, running from November 5-11 at the college’s Chelsea Centre Gallery in Hortensia Road, SW10 0QS. The gallery is open to the public from 9am-7pm Monday to Thursday and 9am-4pm on Friday.

This year, Alvaro Deprit has been named as the winner of the BJP’s annual International Photography Award. Alvaro beat off competition from 168 other entries to win the series category, submitting a story called Suspension which looks at unaccompanied minors who have fled war, poverty and political uncertainty for new lives in Italy. Judges Harry Hardie, founder and director of Here; Jess Crombie, head of film and photography at Save the Children; and Karen McQuaid, curator at The Photographers’ Gallery, were impressed with the strength of the story Deprit had depicted, and the sensitivity he brought to it and his young subjects.

DxO Labs have just released version 5 of DxO Analyzer. Billed as an extensive measurement solution that provides in-depth raw and RGB image quality analysis for any image capture device, whether still- or video-capable, DxO Analyzer v5 offers new video image quality testing features such as motion artefact and image stabilisation system measurements that enable DxO Labs to report extensive video quality test results on dxomark.com.

Fotodiox today announced the immediate availability of its WonderPana 145 and WonderPana 66 Filter Systems. Claimed to be ideal for panorama, nature, architectural, fashion and event photographers as well as analogue and digital filmmakers, Fotodiox’s WonderPana lens hood systems are designed for Super Wide Angle (SWA) and Ultra Wide Angle (UWA) lenses. “By introducing the WonderPana Systems, we are offering photographers and cinematographers the ability to capture images with the right lighting balance and skip the HDR software post production process,” said Drew Strickland, vice president of Fotodiox. “With the new Wonder line, we are bringing more innovative, quality products to the market and giving photographers the tools they need to capture amazing shots.” The WonderPana Systems are available for order now on the Fotodiox website. The WonderPana 66 System starts at $350 and the WonderPana 145 System starts at $200.

UK photography agency Balcony Jump has launched a series of photography workshops. This two?day intensive workshop is designed for photographers of all stages in their career, who are looking to improve their photographic, marketing and business skills. The course will cover many areas of photography from fashion to still life, with something for everyone trying to improve or break into the photographic industry. The workshop will be held on 8-9 December 2012 at a premier photographic studio in London, with all equipment, lunch and refreshments included on both days. Attendance is limited to 15 people.

X-Rite has announced its schedule of free November 2012 webinars. Taking place from 10am and 1pm EST on 6th November, the first webinar is entitled “Professional Monitor Calibration for Still & Video.” This brief session will review how to access and utilize the video presets in i1Profiler software and will briefly look at use of X-Rite’s ColorCheckers in the video footage as a visual reference. The second webinar, “Simply Amazing Color. Take control of your monitor, printer and camera!” starts at 3pm and 7pm EST on 8th November, and gives users the opportunity to ask questions and understand each solution in detail so they can make the right decision on what ColorMunki family solution is for them. During the third online seminar, entitled “Landscape Editing and Enhancements with Photoshop CS6,” professional photographer Joe Brady will talk about how to enhance landscape images using Adobe Photoshop. This webinar is taking place from 11am and 1pm EST on 15th November.

Acme Made has released a brand new collection of bags for cameras, called ‘Montgomery Street’. The collection includes a range of four bags – from pouch to backpack – designed to carry an array of gadgets, cameras and accessories.  Three models within the range Montgomery Street Kit Bag, Courier and Backpack) also incorporate a brand new design feature: The FlexFold System. This unique feature gives total flexibility to change the layout of the bag from a fully protected camera bag, to a stylish work or travel bag for everyday use. Prices range from £25 for the Montgomery Street Case to £85 for the Montgomery Street Backpack. The range of products can be purchased via Harrods, Dixons Travel, John Lewis online and Acme Made themselves.

Lomography has launched a new 6x12 film camera. The Belair X 6-12 enables users to take pictures in 3 different formats: regular 6x9 photos, 6x6 squares or 6x12 panoramas. This versatile camera has an interchangeable lens system, allowing you to attach either a 90mm standard lens or a 58mm wide-angle lens; features an aperture-priority auto-exposure system; and comes complete with a flash hot-shoe. Three versions of the Belair X 6-12, including the Special Belair X 6-12 Globetrotter Edition in snakeskin effect leather are now available for preorder at 30% off launch price. Each one includes a 90mm lens and a 58mm Wide-angle Lens. Prices start at £199.

The Board of Trustees of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund announced that Brooklyn, New York photographer Peter van Agtmael is the recipient of the prestigious 2012 W. Eugene Smith Grant for Humanistic Photography for Disco Night September 11, an American view of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The project earned Mr. van Agtmael a $30,000 grant to continue focussing on these wars, subjects that otherwise would be difficult to finance.

America’s National Parks: An Insider’s Guide to Unforgettable Places and Experiences is a new coffee table book edited by Scott Kirkwood. “We recognize that national parks are among the most photographed places on the planet,” Kirkwood says, “so when we set out to create this book, we made a conscious effort to pick images that show off these places in a new light.  When you page through this book, you’ll know you’re looking at American icons like Arches, Glacier, and Yellowstone; but you’ll see these sites in ways that you haven’t quite seen before.  You’ll also be introduced to a lot of parks that aren’t household names — but should be.” America’s National Parks: An Insider’s Guide to Unforgettable Places and Experiences retails for $24.95.

Pentax will exhibit and demonstrate several of its new products including its new flagship K-5 II digital SLR, point-and-shoot models, and compact system cameras, as well as new lenses and accessories at PhotoPlus Expo 2012, Additionally, Pentax will have its largest booth space at the show to date, measuring 1,200 square feet. And, attendees who visit the Pentax booth can pick up a rebate form for substantial savings on a wide variety of Pentax DSLR cameras as well as register in a daily drawing for a chance to win a K-30 DSLR camera kit with DA L 18-55mm lens. PhotoPlus Expo 2012 is taking place from 24-27 October 2012 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.