BosStrap has recently expanded it line of Sliding Sling Straps with the introduction of two new Light Weight versions and a unique Ultra light Hand Band. The new LT line is aimed at digital and video cameras weighing up to about 3 pounds. The BosStrap LT One Piece strap remains attached to your camera, just like the strap supplied with your camera. The Patent Pending Generation 3 style can be detached from your camera. Both new LT BosStraps use a 1” wide smooth nylon strap with a custom 1” nickel plated slider. The LT line differs from the standard BosStrap line only in a narrower width of the strap. The Ultra Light BosStrap Hand Band attaches to the right side strap lug on your camera and does not interfere with the operation BosStrap Sling Strap. BosStrap LT products and the Ultra Light Hand Band are now available via the BosStrap website. They will also be available in stores in July.

G-Technology today announced that its Driven Creativity 2012 awards competition is now open for entries. Contest categories include both amateur and professional short film, photography, music, animation, and a short video category with content captured using a GoPro wearable or gear-mountable camera. Entrants must also explain what ‘drove’ them to create the piece being submitted and how they would use the prize fund to develop their next creative project. Entry is free and open to residents in United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden and Russia. The entry period closes at midnight on 24th September 2012. Winners and runners-up will be awarded stylish G-Technology hard drives and the overall winner will receive €5,000.

ACD Systems has released ACDSee Pro 2 (Mac). According to the company, ACDSee Pro 2 (Mac) includes a combination of features unavailable through any other Mac photography software product. New features include the ability to import files from a connected device or access files from their original locations, apply rules to batches of photos as they are being imported, edit photos faster with non-destructive editing tools that operate in real time, gain complete control over shadows, mid-tones and highlights, quickly identify groups within a large number of photos for further processing using customizable Colour Labels, easily find duplicates and more. ACDSee Pro 2 (Mac) is available now at a suggested retail price of $139.99. Existing ACDSee Pro (Mac) users can upgrade for $79.99.

The Rollei Fotopro EP2 is a small tripod for camera phones without a tripod socket. Weighing in at a mere 80g, the Rollei Fotopro EP2 has a maximum load capacity of 700g and comes with a rotating head as well as a special cell phone holder which ensures that any mobile phone model can be used with the tripod. Available from July 2012 at a recommended retail price of €19.99, the Rollei Fotopro EP2 is offered in red, titanium and blue colours.

Samsung Germany has announced a new AA battery powered, 16-megapixel camera with 26x optical zoom, called the Samsung WB100. The new camera offers a 22.3-579.8mm equivalent lens, dual image stabilisation and 720p HD video recording capabilities. (The model name is slightly confusing as the company has already had a camera that, in some markets, also carried the name WB100.) Available from July, the new Samsung WB100 will be priced at €219.

Source: Samsung Germany

Iconify is a new way for photographers to turn their portfolio into a responsive website and a mobile app. Smart enough to work in any browser, on practically any device, Iconify portfolios can be easily viewed, downloaded and shared. The minimalist yet highly functional design also makes it easy for potential buyers to get in touch with the photographer via e-mail, phone, Facebook, Twitter or personal website. Those signing up for the service before 30th June at the website below will automatically receive 30 days of Pro Membership for free when the service launches.

As part of this year’s London Festival of Architecture (LFA), two creative companies - Space Syntax and Hype! - have teamed up to deliver a novel photo competition with a playful theme. PLOY: Public Life in the Olympic Year invites members of the public to look at the city with fresh eyes and, in doing so, to discover ways in which people are playfully engaging with places - and with each other. Participants are being invited to submit their photos via mobile phones & Instagram to the PLOY website, where they can also rate and judge other entries in a crowd-sourced voting process. The submission period runs from 23rd June to 1st July. Space Syntax and Hype! are planning to celebrate the project in association with the LFA on 5th July at 21 Brownlow Mews. This will include a screening of entries and announcements of winners.

The Summer edition (Issue 4) of tne British Journal of Photography’s bespoke iPad app is out now. Optimised for the Retina display of the latest iPad, it features the work of Thomas Ruff, Peter Fraser, Simon Roberts, Olivia Arthur, Maria Gruzdeva, and Julían Barón among many others. It also profiles four photographers, Owen Silverwood, Josh Cole, Seamus Murphy and Timothy Saccenti, who have made the move from still imagery to the world of music video. Issue 4 of the BJP app is available on the App Store for £6.99/€7.99/$9.99.  A 50-page preview is also available as a free download. A six-month subscription is available at the special price of £9.99/€10.99/$13.99.

CREATE has announced an upcoming exhibition of David Bailey’s East End photographs, taken over 50 years. Taking place from 6th July - 5 August in the Royal Docks, Newham, this retrospective is one of the highlights of the CREATE summer programme which runs from 21st June to the end of August. The photographs that will be displayed, many of them large-scale prints, document the changing physical and social landscape of east London showing streetscapes, characters and scenes of east London life. Bailey’s photographs also provide a visual record of the different groups of immigrants who have settled in this part of the city. The photographer says, “London’s East End is in my DNA and I’m thrilled to be able to return to my roots in Newham. Now the rest of the world will focus on an area I’ve been looking at all my life.”

Rollei has unveiled a 2-in-1 tripod / bag combination called the Rollei Fotopro TT-1. Comprising a compact X4i travel tripod and a waterproof, padded B1 bag, the Rollei Fotopro TT-1 kit is available for €199.95. Weighing in at 1kg including a ball head, the X4i aluminium tripod has a maximum load capacity of 5kg and a total height of 1.44m, folding down to 32mm for storage. The B1 bag, which can accommodate both the tripod itself and a small dSLR camera with two lenses and other accessories, has a scratch- and dustproof inner lining, and can be carried on your back as a rucksack or to one side as a holster.

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the Lomography Orca BW 100 110 film, the Lomographic Society has unveiled a new 110 format film camera, the Lomography Fisheye Baby 110. Available in two versions, the Fisheye Baby 110 Basic (€35) and the Fisheye Baby 110 Metal (€49), the new camera takes circular fisheye shots on 110 format film. The main difference between the two versions is that the Fisheye Baby 110 Metal comes with a PC flash adapter, whereas the Basic version lacks this feature.

Sigma has posted sixteen sample images captured with the new Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM lens. All of these sample photos are available at full resolution, but be aware that - somewhat surprisingly - they were all shot with the lens mounted to a Sigma SD15 rather than the newer and higher-resolution SD1. The photographs represent a range of genres including landscapes, portraiture, macro, wildlife, architecture and sports. You can download the Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM sample images from the website below.

Website: Sigma

The Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM is a new, compact superzoom lens for dSLR cameras with APS-C sized sensors. Compared to the existing 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM, the new lens offers a lighter and more compact design, better close-up capabilities with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2.9, and incorporates a special Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) material that makes it ideal for use in circumstances where extreme variations in temperature cannot be avoided. The Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM lens is also equipped with Super Multi-Layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting, a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) to ensure fast and quiet auto-focusing, an Optical Stabiliser (OS) for better hand-held results and a rounded, seven-blade diaphragm for a pleasant rendering of the out of focus areas. The lens will be available in Sigma, Sony, Nikon, Canon and Pentax mounts, starting with the Canon version coming in July. Pricing and availability for other mounts have yet to be announced.

Wear Your Face is a new book of photographic portraits of men of varying ages, origin and character brought together in tribute to modern men. The heavy-weight book captures masculinity in the 21st century, showcasing over 200 portraits of men including famous faces such as George Clooney, Robert de Niro, Mickey Rourke, Jose Mourinho, Ryan Gosling and Mick Jagger by 45 iconic international contributors including Rankin, Michel Comte, Lars David Neill, Erwin Wurm, Martin Schoeller and Art Streiber. Rankin, who took part in the project, says: “To me the meaning of Wear your face is best captured by the look in an eye. Whether we are aware of it or not, eyes are what we naturally focus on when we look at faces – they are the real storytellers.” The book is priced at €39.90, with proceeds going to the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Gary Fong has announced the launch of its new Gamma Diffuser. Designed specifically for the Sony HVL-F43AM and HVL-F58AM flashes, both of which feature Sony’s Quick Shift Bounce system, the Gary Fong Gamma Diffuser softens the harsh light emitted by the flash for more pleasing results. Carrying a list price of $32.95, the Gamma Diffuser is currently available from the Gary Fong eStore for $29.95. Click through / scroll down for a video demonstration released by the manufacturer.

Research and Markets have published a new report entitled “Global Digital Camera Market 2011-2015”. Prepared by the analysts of TechNavio, the report forecasts that the global digicam market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10 percent over the period 2011-2015. “One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increasing demand for digital cameras in emerging markets,” the company says. “However, the increasing smartphone penetration could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.” The report is available for purchase through the website below.

Schneider Kreuznach has announced its intention to enter the lucrative market of Compact System Camera lenses. “We are placing a strong focus on the innovative market for mirrorless system cameras with their interchangeable lenses and have appropriate developments in the pipeline,” said Schneider Group’s managing director Dr. Josef Staub. “Schneider Kreuznach will launch the first lens of an all-new range of mirrorless system cameras this fall.” According to Photoscala the first lens in the line-up, called the Schneider Kreuznach Super Angulon 2,0/14mm, will be available with a Micro Four Thirds mount for “less than 1500 euros.” Unusually for a Schneider Kreuznach lens, the Super Angulon 14mm f/2 will offer auto focus capabilities as well as diaphragm control via the camera body.