The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR is a new DX-format lens with an ultra-high 16.7x zoom ratio and a 27-450mm equivalent focal range. Complementing the versatile focal range is Nikon’s second-generation Vibration Reduction system, which is claimed to allow “substantially sharper handheld images across the zoom range.” The optical formula comprises 19 elements in 14 groups, including 3 aspherical and 3 ED lens elements. Offering a 45cm close-focus point at the 300mm setting, the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR provides a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:3.2. An iris diaphragm with 9 rounded blades allows for a smooth rendering of the out-of-focus areas. Weighing in at 830 grams, the new Nikon 18-300mm lens comes with a CL-1120 soft pouch and a petal-shaped HB-58 hood. With availability slated for the end of June, the DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR is expected to retail at around £850/$1000.

Nikon has announced a new FX-format zoom lens with a 24-85mm focal range, compact build and Vibration Reduction. Weighing in at 465 grams, the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR features an inner focusing mechanism, with autofocus controlled by a Silent Wave Motor (SWM). The optical formula comprises 16 elements in 11 groups, including 1 ED and 3 aspherical lens elements. The minimum focus distance is 38cm from the focal plane at all focal lengths. Also featuring an iris diaphragm with 7 rounded blades for a pleasing bokeh, the AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR takes 72mm filters and comes with an HB-63 lens hood and a CL-1118 soft pouch as standard. Available from the end of this month, the new Nikon 24-85mm VR lens can be yours for £519.99/$599.95.

Nikon today announced that total production of Nikkor lenses for interchangeable lens cameras has reached seventy million. As the 60 millionth Nikkor was manufactured in April 2011, this means that Nikon produced no less than 10 million interchangeable lenses in a matter if just 14 months. Additionally, the company has reached another milestone by producing the 30 millionth lens equipped with a Silent Wave Motor (SWM).

The eighth issue of Adore Noir Magazine is now available for purchase. Now in its second year, Adore Noir is a fine art photography magazine available exclusively in digital format. Featuring beautifully haunting portraits of children by Deborah Parkin, city- and landscapes by Bill Schwab, captivating modern-day ambrotypes by Jody Ake, mystical portraits by Mukti Echwantono, world-class photojournalism by Olof Jarlbro an illustrated interview with Troy Colby, an in-depth look into the world of Helen K. Garber and a round-table discussion on the topic of influence versus inspiration; this issue reinforces the magazine’s commitment to high-quality black-and-white imagery. The latest issue of Adore Noir is available for $2.95 from the website below.

Website: Adore Noir

JP Distribution has announced the UK availability of the PermaAIR aerosol, which has been designed primarily to help maintain and keep inkjet printers dust free. “Fine art printers in particular will find this product extremely useful in removing loose fibres by air blowing directly over the surface of the material prior to use as there is a tendency to leave fibres within the printer or on the rollers - with PermaAIR the problem goes away,” the company says. Suitable for all desktop and wide-format printers, PermaAIR retails at £7.95.,

A copy of one of the largest books of photographs ever published was sold at Bonhams Book, Maps, Manuscripts and Historical Photographs sale. The book is made up of 20 photographic views of Egypt, Sinai and Jerusalem by Francis Frith each print measuring an enormous 30 inches x 21 (77cms x 55). The photographer and photo historian Helmut Gernsheim wrote. “This is the largest book with the biggest, un-enlarged prints ever published”. Originally estimated at £50,000-70,000, the giant book was sold at over £330,000.

Thom Bleasdale has been selected by Centrespace Gallery to show his first ever exhibition. The work entitled ‘A Rare Photograph of the Soul Leaving the Body,’ shows 29 pieces from July 27 until 1 August. “The pieces are mainly about my view on life and my attempt to convince myself that death isn’t terrifying,” Thom said. “Some of the pieces exemplify living to its fullest extent and other pieces demonstrate aspects of life that are often unnoticed, but are much more significant than they first appear.” Centrespace Gallery is located at Leonard Lane, Bristol BS1 1EA.

Beyond Point-and-Shoot by Darrell Young is now available in the UK. Assuming little to no knowledge of photographic terms, techniques, or technology, this book is intended to help smooth the transition from photographic newbie to “real” photographer who is experienced, in-control, and passionate about their craft. Additionally, the author takes an in-depth look at camera types, lenses, aperture, shutter speed, sensitivity, metering and shooting controls, colour spaces, interpreting histograms and more. The 140-page volume is available for £19.50.

Arca Swiss has announced the RotaMount, a brand new rotating back designed for use with the Arca Swiss R-Series as well as with F and M Line view cameras. Allowing users to switch seamlessly from landscape to portrait format in just a couple of seconds, this safe and secure system guarantees total flexibility, the company says. The RotaMount is available for €390.

Single malt whisky brand The Macallan has announced a photography competition ‘The Last Word.’ Starting today, photography aficionados around the world will be able to upload a portrait they have taken with one word - ‘The Last Word’ - capturing the mood of their photograph. Each week one portrait will be chosen as ‘The Last Word of the week’ which will become Macallan’s Facebook profile picture for the following week.  Prizes will be awarded monthly leading up to a final selection of winners as chosen by esteemed judges from the Royal Photographic Society. To enter the competition, visit the website below.

Epson has announced the Epson Expression Home XP-400 “Small-in-One” multi-functional printer, scanner and copier. The sub-$100 wireless Small-in-One offers a 2.5” colour LCD with touch panel, built-in memory card slots for easy PC-free photo printing and instant-dry DURABrite Ultra ink. The Epson Expression Home XP-400 will be available in June through major computer, office and electronic superstores, a variety of retail stores across the USA, and Epson’s retail website.

Epson has announced its support for the “100 FACES OF LONDON” project with photographer Milan Svanderlik. Featuring portraits of one hundred Londoners, reflecting the huge diversity of people who make up this city, the exhibition will be shown in The Crypt Gallery throughout June and July. The images in the exhibition were printed by the photographer on an Epson Stylus Pro 3880.

Apple has unveiled an all new 15-inch MacBook Pro featuring a “Retina” display with a resolution of 220ppi. “[T]he Retina display’s pixel density is so high the human eye cannot distinguish individual pixels from a normal viewing distance,” the company says. OS X Lion, iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes and other Apple apps including Aperture and Final Cut Pro X have been updated to take full advantage of the new display. The updated Aperture 3.3 also includes new image adjustment features and now supports a unified photo library so photographers can move seamlessly between iPhoto and Aperture. Pricing for the new MacBook Pro starts at £1,799.

Apple has announced that OS X Mountain Lion will be available in July as a download from the Mac App Store. New system-wide Sharing allows you to share photos and videos quickly via a Share button, without having to switch to another app, and you just need to sign in once to use third-party services like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Vimeo. With built-in support for Facebook, you can post photos with locations right from your apps. Additionally, the new AirPlay Mirroring lets you wirelessly send an up-to-1080p secure stream of what’s on your Mac to an HDTV using Apple TV. OS X Mountain Lion will be available in July from the Mac App Store for $19.99

Apple has previewed iOS 6, and released a beta version to iOS Developer Program members.  New iOS 6 features include an all-new Maps app, Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center, Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari and Maps; Shared Photo Streams via iCloud; and more. Shared Photo Streams in particular allow users to select the photos they want to share, pick which friends they want to receive the album, and the Shared Photo Stream album is instantly available on their iOS devices, iPhoto and Aperture on their Mac, via the web or even through Apple TV. iOS 6 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, the new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod touch (fourth generation) this fall.

Nintendo UK has announced Another Dimension, a series of special events and an interactive gallery exhibition, to celebrate the Europe-wide 3D photography competition that is currently underway. Taking place in June will be a series of intimate photography field trips hosted by a range of high profile names, including one of Britain’s best-loved nature enthusiasts, Bill Oddie, and members of The Saturdays. Work created during these unique trips will then be exhibited alongside the best 3D photography work from the competition, within a special pop-up installation created by acclaimed artist Graham Hudson. Click through / scroll down for more information including a list of confirmed trips and locations.

CT Distribution is set to launch a new flash head range to its Bowens Hallmark dealer network across the UK. The multi award-winning Gemini range now includes new 200Rx and 400Rx units, and provides built-in radio triggering for the first time in the company’s compact, lightweight models. “Until now the built-in radio triggering option has only been available in the Gemini Classic, Gemini R and Gemini Pro ranges, via an optional plug-in Pulsar radio receiver card,” says Robert Cook, Bowens’ marketing director. “Now we have introduced this option in our compact and lightweight 200Ws and 400Ws models - plus, we’ve gone one step better and integrated the Pulsar radio receiver right in to the circuitry to ensure the most reliable connection. The two units can be triggered via the ‘Gear of the Year’ award-winning Pulsar Tx Transmitter, mounted on the user’s camera.” The new Gemini Rx models are available as individual units or as a bundled lighting kit, which includes a Pulsar Tx radio transmitter, lighting stands, softboxes and a newly designed rolling kit case. Pricing for the kits starts from £799.

Billed as “the most advanced image sharpness calculating tool for photographers, cinematographers and videographers,” OptimumCS-Pro 2 is now available for iPhone and iPod Touch. This version introduces substantial usability enhancements including user-definable focal length presets, a more elegant settings screen, an expanded “links” screen, instructions on using OptimumCS-Pro 2 with tilt-shift lenses, and more. OptimumCS-Pro 2 is available now from the iTunes App Store for $6.99.

Evolve Images today announced that Lewis Blackwell has joined the company as Chief Creative Officer. Blackwell has held high-profile positions in the image licensing field, including being the worldwide creative head of Getty Images. For many years he was the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the magazine Creative Review. He has authored bestselling and critically acclaimed books - ranging from Photowisdom, which featured 50 of the world’s leading photographers, to the Life & Love of Trees, an international bestseller. “We are thrilled to have Lewis join Evolve,” says Mark Ippolito, CEO and co-Founder of Evolve Images. “Not only does Lewis bring a wealth of talent and expertise to our team, but his interest in joining Evolve is a huge endorsement of our business model.”