JP Distribution has announced that the TriPad is now available in the UK. Made from recycled glass and plastics, the Tripad turns any tripod into a sturdy, portable workspace for photographers and videographers by safely connecting a laptop to a camera. Weighing in at 1.59kg and able to hold up to 3.6kg depending on the tripod you mount it on. The TriPad is available now for £69.99.

FilterCalc is a free Android app for photographers who use filters on cameras with no TTL metering (e.g. vintage rangefinders, TLRs etc.). “While there are many apps out there that help you compute exposure compensation in terms of aperture / shutter speed, there are none that allow you to calculate the offset in terms of ISO,” says developer Tatyana Skymyrka. “A traditional technique in using filters is to deduct the number of stops/filter factor off actual ISO/ASA you’re using and use the newly ‘computed’ base ISO in your light meter. Readings then result in proper exposure. While computing 1-2 stops is not a big deal, attempting to calculate offset say of 6 3/4 stops in a field can be a challenge.  This is precisely what the app addresses.” Compatible with devices running Android 2.3.3 and higher, filterCalc can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.

The Sinarback eXact is a new professional digital back offering a resolution of 192 megapixels. Equipped with a 48x36mm Dalsa FTF 6080C sensor with a native resolution of 48 megapixels, the Sinarback eXact achieves its 192-megapixel output via its multi-shot mode. Available from October, the eXact can also be used at resolutions of 12, 21 or 48 megapixels, depending on the photographer’s needs. The Sinarback eXact can be attached to Hasselblad H and V as well as Mamiya 645 cameras via appropriate adapters. The recommended retail price is CHF 29,800 / €23,840 + VAT.

JP Distribution has announced the UK launch of its new Eco-Flo ink bottle system the Epson R3000 printer. The PermaJet Eco-Flo has been specially designed with moulded cartridges that simply slot into your printer in the usual way and stay in situ permanently. Refilling is then carried out simply by topping up the external reservoir bottles therefore avoiding unnecessary wear and tear on the cartridges and microchips. The company claims that using the PermaJet Eco-Flo ink system enables users to save up to 80% off their ink costs on the Epson R3000 printer.

Sigma has posted firmware updates for the Sigma SD1 and SD1 Merrill digital SLR cameras. According to the company, version 1.08 for the original SD1 and version 1.03 for the Merrill improve the accuracy of the evaluative exposure metering. You can download the firmware upgrades from the websites below.

Website: Sigma SD1 Firmware Update
Website: Sigma SD1 Merrill Firmware Update

Children With Cancer, a UK-based children’s charity, has recently launched its first photography competition. The theme is simply ‘Childhood’ and there are two categories for entrants: children (aged 16 years or under) and adults (aged 17 years or over). Each entry must be accompanied by a minimum donation of £5 for children and £10 for adults. The submission deadline is 3 August 2012. As always, we suggest that you read the terms and conditions before entering your work.

‘London from the Rooftops’ is a new exhibition of photographs by James Burns, who for nearly 10 years has been documenting London’s skyline from the top of the capital’s tallest tower blocks. Running from Wednesday 1st August until Wednesday 22nd August, ‘London from the Rooftops’ is hosted by theprintspace gallery, 74 Kingsland Road, E2 8DL. Admission is free.

Fujifilm has announced the discontinuance of a number of its films. The affected products include Fujichrome Velvia 100F in 35mm, 120 and 4”x5” formats and Velvia 50 in 4”x5” and 8”x10”. Gabriel Da Costa, product manager for professional film, said: “Fujifilm will continue to manufacture a wide range of film and the increasing support for our Choose Film group illustrates there is still a passion for film photography across the world.”

Ales Veluscek, Graeme Murray, Radoslaw Wesolowski, David Taylor and Monika Walczak are the lucky winner of a set of 100 Classic MOO Business Cards!

We’re pleased to announce an exclusive giveaway from MOO.com!

If you’ve never heard of them before, MOO love to print business cards online - but also check out their range of Postcards, unique MiniCards, StickerBooks, Greeting-cards, and much more!

MOO is Who?
MOO was born from a passion for beautiful, high-quality print and design. Upload your own images or artwork to create truly creative cards with our Printfinity technology, or you can choose a MOO card design template to personalize with your own details.

Dianne Annett, Eduardo de Francisco, Siu Hay Yip, Jacquie Bennett and Edwin Rosenbloom are the five lucky winners of a bundle of Kodak film.

With the Summer finally upon us what better time to get photographing the beautiful delights of the country, towns and people around you. To help you do this we’re giving away a great film prize courtesy of Kodak.

We’ve got five bundles, consisting of the award winning Portra 160 film for natural skin tones, Ektar, the World’s finest grain colour negative film, and the truly timeless classic and best-selling black & white film.

Whether you are a commercial photographer or an advanced amateur, there’s a film from Kodak for you in this exciting film bundle prize.

Paris Photo and Aperture Foundation have announced The Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards. This year, the Awards will focus on two major categories: First PhotoBook and PhotoBook of the Year. A preselected shortlist of thirty titles will be profiled in The PhotoBook Review; and exhibited at Paris Photo at the Grand Palais and at Aperture Gallery in New York. The deadline for entries is 10th September. Publishers and photographers can enter online at the website below.

The Lomographic Society has announced the La Sardina DIY Edition. “The La Sardina DIY is a canvas to be filled,” says Heidi Mace, Digital Marketing and Online Manager, Lomography UK & Ireland. “Its interchangeable panels and special ink permeable material provide endless design possibilities. Writing, drawing, painting, or gluing something – it’s just so easy to set creativity free on this analogue icon.” As seen in the photo above, the La Sardina DIY Edition (£99) comes with Fritz the Blitz, a flashgun designed specifically for this analogue camera.

Switronix has unveiled the Powerbase PB70-BMCC, a power solution for the Black Magic Cinema Camera. Furnished with two p-tap ports to power additional on-board devices, the Switronix PB70-BMCC will nearly quadruple the runtime of the camera’s internal battery while allowing users to power multiple essential devices such as an on-camera light, monitor and other production accessories.  A 4-LED power gauge allows users to easily monitor their charge with the tap of a button. The Switronix PB70-BMCC is available for $329.

Manfrotto has launched a new blog designed to captivate, engage and interact with photography enthusiasts. The blog focuses on four key themes including Personality, Physicality, Popularity and Practicality. Simona Colombo, Manfrotto’s Communications Director – Imaging, said: “The blog enables us to connect with our audience by inviting them to be part of the conversation. Not only do we want them to keep taking and sharing photos, but we want to provide useful links and tips to get the most out of their photography”.

Magix has released its latest version of its free Android photo app, Camera MX. Featuring 50 realtime effects, looks and frames, Camera MX 2.0 adds HDR, colour splash and a tilt-lens effect. Camera MX is available now in the Google Play Store and is compatible with all Android versions starting with 2.2 Froyo.

Phase One has announced open enrollment for four new special Phase One Digital Artist Series (PODAS) Workshops. These luxury workshops - one scheduled each month from September through December - will be held in Namibia, Scotland, Monument Valley in Arizona, and New Zealand. Throughout the workshops, participants will have access to Phase One IQ160 cameras and lenses. Click through / read on for the details.

The guide Create Your Own Photo Book by Petra Vogt, is now available in the United Kingdom. Guiding readers through the process of creating a printed and bound collection of photos, this volume covers every step of the process, from selecting a book publishing service all the way through designing and proofing their photo book. You’ll get practical advice on how to work with software provided by services such as Blurb and Picaboo, and will learn about relevant concepts of book design, colour management, and digital printing. The book is available now for £30.99.

The Sony SLT-A77: The Unofficial Quintessential Guide by Carol Roullard and Brian Matsumoto is a new title from Rocky Nook. This guide covers everything from the basics of using the camera’s automatic modes, to the more advanced aperture-priority, shutter-priority, program, and manual exposure modes. You’ll also learn how best to take advantage of features such as the built-in dynamic range optimiser, sweep panorama mode, GPS, colorization modes, facial detection and recognition, multiple shot exposures, and HD video. The 272-page volume can be pre-ordered now for $34.95.

Blurb has announced major improvements to its ebook offering today. The enhanced Adobe InDesign plug-in allows designers and photographers to optimise their ebooks for the iPad using an online editing tool. This new functionality allows users to create ebooks in ‘fixed format’, which ensures they will be recreated identically on the iPad. “We’ve been hearing from our Adobe InDesign users that they want a straightforward way to design and create beautiful books for the iPad that respect their design decisions. So, we are truly delighted to respond with such a rich set of capabilities including the new plug-in for fixed format ebook creation, free online editing tools, plus the ability to sell their ebooks for profit in the Blurb bookstore” said Eileen Gittins, CEO of Blurb.