Sony Europe has leaked a picture of a new zoom lens. The Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 SAM lens has been designed for digital SLR and SLT cameras with APS-C sized sensors, and features a metal-looking Sony Alpha bayonet mount, a Smooth Auto-focus Motor and a zoom lock switch. The other specifications, recommended retail price and release date have yet to be communicated.

Via Digicame-Info via PR

From 19 May 2012 The Photographers’ Gallery will present Burtynsky: Oil, a major solo exhibition of works by renowned Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky. Showcasing over thirty images the exhibition will be divided into three sections: Extraction and Refinement describes the process of distillation via aerial views of oil fields, drills and rigs spread across miles of land, networks of pipelines travelling through the countryside and factories constructed as mazes of metal tubes. Transportation and Motor Culture, as made possible through petrol, is depicted in complex images of highway interchanges and connections, panoramas of endless rows of vehicles lined-up in vast parking lots and of car enthusiasts gathered in masses to take part in related events and sporting competitions. The End of Oil displays the consequences of its use as considered by the artist. The Photographers’ Gallery is located at 16 – 18 Ramillies Street, London W1F 7LW.

German software developer Jürgen Habenstein has devised two new operating systems for digital cameras. Both AppCam OS-I and AppCam OS-II are aimed at making cameras more intuitive and easy to use, without the need to delve into complicated and long-winded menu systems. How viable the idea will prove in the marketplace remains to be seen. The implementation of AppCam OS-I would require manufacturers to adopt a new control layout comprising a large Home button, a capacitive touch-screen with gesture support and no less than six rear-mounted control wheels. This would allow advanced compact camera owners to get to their most often used settings quickly, and customise their cameras to their tastes. AppCam OS-II, on the other hand, has been developed for dSLRs, and is ready to be integrated into existing hardware configurations relying on established control layouts. Click through / scroll down for a video demonstrating the AppCam OS-I concept.

Zeiss has announced a brand new ultra-wideangle lens for Canon and Nikon SLR cameras. The Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2,8/15 boasts an optical formula comprising 15 lens elements in 12 groups, a 0.25m close-focus point, an integrated hood and a huge 95mm filter thread. The company claims the lens features “extraordinary chromatic aberration correction” and nearly complete insensitivity to reflections and stray light. Zeiss also emphasises the “extremely well controlled” distortion that enables the lens to capture “naturally proportioned photographs which are not typical of many other super wide angle lenses”. When attached to a camera with an FX sized sensor, the Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2,8/15 offers a diagonal angle of view of 110°. The lens will begin shipping in May 2012 at a recommended retail price of €2,148 or US$2,948 (excluding VAT).

The instruction manual for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III is now available to download. Canon USA have made the user guide for the 5D Mark III available as a 28Mb PDF file, giving you the chance to read all about this exciting new DSLR before it launches at the end of March.

Download the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Instruction Manual

Leica are now supplying Lightroom 4 with the Leica S2/S2-P, Leica M9/M9-P, Leica X1 and Leica D-Lux 5 cameras. Leica cameras are fully integrated into the Lightroom 4 workflow, for example with colour and lens profiles. In addition, the speed and stability of tethered shooting with the Leica S2 medium-format digital camera has been further improved.

The Sun-Sniper Strap-Surfer suspends your camera from the strap of a regular shoulder bag. The camera can then be carried right on the bag - the photographer no longer has to decide whether to take the bag or the camera strap. The Strap-Surfer has a magnetic fastener that secures the device to the bag’s shoulder strap, so the camera is easy to reach and protected from theft. The Sun-Sniper strap surfer is available from March 15 for 59.00 EUR.

The winners of the ‘The Shot’ short film competition have been unveiled. David Schofield was the outright winner, wining £5,000 worth of Nikon photographic equipment and an all expenses trip to spend the day with Film Director Paul WS Anderson on the set of his latest movie. Budding filmmakers in the UK were asked to produce a 10 minute film entitled ‘The Shot’ using a Digital SLR camera.

Western Digital is now shipping its first external hard drive with Thunderbolt technology. The new My Book Thunderbolt Duo is suitable for multitasking activities such as editing video/music, 3D rendering, and completing other high definition graphics-intensive projects. The My Book Thunderbolt Duo is available now in the US for $599.99 (4 TB) and $699.99 (6 TB).

Trip Photos allows iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users for easily organizing, tagging and searching your photos. Trip Photos 1.1 is available for download in the iTunes App Store for $0.99 USD.

Leica are set to announce a range of new products on May 10th. In an invitation published online by Steve Huff, “a whole range of product launches” will be unveiled at an event held in Berlin, Germany. With the initials of the date May 10th forming M10, we’d anticipate the announcement of the successor to the 3 year old M9 (pictured), and maybe even the widely rumoured Leica compact system camera.

Apple have released an update for Aperture 3 and iPhoto ‘11. This update adds RAW image compatibility for the following cameras:

- Canon PowerShot G1 X
- Nikon D4
- Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GX1
- Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ35
- Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ38
- Samsung NX200
- Sony Alpha NEX-7
- Sony NEX-VG20

Download the Apple Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.10

Rioch have released a major firmware update for the GXR system. Version 1.50 includes the firmware for the following GXR modules:

- GXR body
- GR LENS A12 28mm F2.5
- GR LENS A12 50mm F2.5 MACRO
- GXR MOUNT A12
- RICOH LENS S10 24-72 mm F2.5-4.4 VC
- RICOH LENS P10 28-300 mm F3.5-5.6 VC

New features include 1 EV or 1/3 EV ISO settings, ISO bracketing, interval shooting, RAW only mode, and Bulb / Time shutter speed settings.

Download the Ricoh GXR 1.50 Firmware

National Geographic Student Expeditions, the student travel programme for the National Geographic Society, has launched a student photography competition. Open to US students in grades 9-12, the National Geographic Student Expeditions Photo Contest runs until 31 March, and winners will be selected by 16 April 2012.  The grand prize for the student photo contest is a spot on the London Photography Workshop this summer.  Second and third place prizes are $250 and $100 gift cards, respectively, to the National Geographic Store. For more information and to enter, visit the website below.

Website: National Geographic Student Expeditions Photo Contest

Tunaverse Media has just launched its new photo sharing social network called Blinq. Using web linking technology combined with proprietary “just enough, just in time” image delivery software, Blinq makes remotely stored media appear to reside on the user’s local device. By adding remote control capability Blinq enables users to do whatever they want with those remotely stored photos from anywhere. Because upload time is eliminated, sharing albums of any size, even remotely stored albums, is instantaneous, the company claims. To download Blinq and start sharing your photos, visit the website below.

Toshiba today announced that it will launch a new line of high-performance SDXC and SDHC memory cards under a new brand name, Exceria. Bringing together “excellence” and “experience”, the Exceria brand offers cards compliant with the SD Memory Card Standard Ver.3.0 UHS-I, and includes versions offering the world-fastest class data transfer speed. Products will be launched in three series, Exceria Type 1, Type 2 and Type HD, each offering three versions with different capacities. The Type 1 series products integrate new controllers that realise a maximum read speed of 95MB/s and a write speed of 90MB/s. Type 2 series products offer a maximum read speed of 95MB/s and a write speed of 60MB/s, while Type HD products have a maximum read speed of 90 MB/s and a write speed of 30 MB/s.

In June 2012, a wide range of London’s most celebrated venues will play host to a world-class, city-wide celebration of photography, as the London Festival of Photography returns for its second year. Encompassing documentary, street and conceptual photography, the festival will comprise 18 exhibitions and 40 events, including workshops, talks and screenings. Exhibitions will vary in style and theme, as the organisers are looking to present a comprehensive programme of photographic disciplines showcasing work from both established and emerging photographers. The festival exhibitions will be focused around the King’s Cross, Bloomsbury & Fitzrovia areas, in venues including the British Library, Guardian Gallery, British Museum, Museum of London, V&A and Tate Modern among others.

DxO Labs have just released DxO FilmPack v3.2.1 for Mac and Windows. This update brings adds compatibility with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, allowing Lightroom 4 users to apply the aesthetic signatures of more than 60 film styles, or any of the 25 creative renderings (in the Expert Edition) to their digital photo libraries. DxO FilmPack v3.2.1 runs in both 32 and 64 bits as standalone software. As a plugin, it is now fully compatible with DxO Optics Pro 6 & 7 (32 bits), Photoshop CS3 (32 bits), CS 4 & CS 5 (32 and 64 bits), Lightoom 3 & 4 (32 and 64 bits), Photoshop Elements 9 & 10 (32 bits) and Apple Aperture (32 and 64 bits).

Photodex has updated ProShow Web, its online tool that lets people easily mix photos, video clips and music together into polished video slideshows. Highlights include new 3D tilt effects and themes, an automatic energy level which ensures that photos and music end at the same time, Flickr and Instagram integration, improved music categorisation and a new way of handling a user’s effects.