The Fujifilm X-S1 is a new bridge camera with a 2/3”-type 12-megapixel EXR CMOS sensor and a 24-624mm equivalent Fujinon zoom lens. Optically, the lens comprises 17 glass elements, including four aspherical elements and two ED lenses, a nine-bladed diaphragm and a maximum aperture of f/2.8 at the wide end of the zoom range. In standard mode, the lens focuses down to 30cm, but by selecting Super Macro Mode, users can focus down to 1cm. Additionally, the Fujifilm X-S1 features the same 2/3-inch 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor as the X10 (read review), Coupled to the EXR CMOS sensor is the high speed EXR processor, which offers a minimal shutter lag of just 0.01sec and a high speed continuous shooting capability of 7fps at full resolution or 10fps at six-megapixel resolution. The 0.47-inch EVF features 1.44 million pixels for clarity and has a wide viewing area of 26 degrees to reduce eye strain. The camera also features a tiltable rear monitor, manual exposure controls and raw image capture. Launched in February 2012, in the UK, the X-S1 will have an estimated selling price of £699.

The World Photo, London and Sony World Photography Awards exhibitions will be held at Somerset House in London in April – May 2012. The opening weekend of World Photo, London will be held at Somerset House from 27 - 30 April with selected festival events and the Sony World Photography Awards winners exhibitions, continuing through to 20 May 2012.  The annual Sony World Photography Awards ceremony and gala dinner will take place on 26 April at the Hilton Hotel inLondon’s Park Lane. The Festival will include a wide-ranging programme of events, talks, seminars, workshops and exhibitions. Click through / scroll down for a detailed list of festival programme highlights.

In the U.S.A., Pentax K-r digital SLR camera will soon be available in limited edition colours including pink, purple, blue, green, yellow, navy, metallic brown, gold and silver. Exclusive to walmart.com, each new colour kit will ship with an 18-55mm lens.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Pentax K-r

Tamron U.S.A. has announced a series of complimentary photo seminars entitled, “Simple Secrets to Better Pictures”.  Any customer that purchases a DSLR kit of any brand from one of 26 select retailers between tomorrow and the end of the year is invited to attend at no charge a Tamron “Secrets to Better Pictures” Seminar during the first half of 2012. The topics discussed during the seminar include understanding light, point of view, composition, and knowing your lens. Instructors include Jeff Allen, Jillian Bell, Andre Constantini, Ken Hubbard, Rob Moody and John van Steenberg..Click through / read on for a list of participating camera dealers.

Athentech Imaging has announced that its Perfectly Clear software for one-touch colour correction has just turned 10. Starting with an idea and a single correction, Perfectly Clear has grown to include over 12 automatic corrections and numerous patents in 17 different countries. “Perfectly Clear is flexible, robust, and accurate,” said Brad Malcolm, President of Athentech Imaging. “It has been a pleasure working with all of our customers and partners for the last 10 years and we look forward to another 10 years of continued growth and innovation. On that note, I’m very excited to celebrate our 10th year anniversary with the public launch of our Android library, now available for licence.”

A new website called LightingDiagram.com provides a web-based software tool to allow customers to create photographic lighting diagrams and upload photographs to display alongside thier lighting diagram. Developed by ChimpWorks, the LightingDiagram app may be of interest to any photographer who would like to show off what lighting setup they used to create a particular photograph. As with any other web-based service, it is recommended that you read the terms and conditions before using the app.

Website: LightingDiagram

Online graphics service provider Mister Clipping has launched in the UK for the first time, providing a photo-clipping service for professional-looking images starting at less than £1. Designed for graphic arts professionals, marketers, brand managers, advertising agencies, mail order services, and photographic studios, it allows users to choose the options they need for individual work paths, masks, resizing or scaling, re-colouring or retouching, or isolating images according to their needs. Through the Misterclipping.com website, users are able to upload and download images quickly, using its automated wizard. Mister Clipping provides a guarantee to isolate and return images via the application within 24 hours, regardless of the number of images to be processed.

iExplore Travel UK has announced a travel photography contest. Photographers are encouraged to check out the iExplore Facebook page, and then upload an image or short video to the competition page which best captures the essence of a “thrillaxing” holiday. “Thrillaxing holidays are those where you experience something amazing and where relaxation meets exhilaration,” the company says, “essentially the most memorable experience you can imagine.” The top prize is a trip of a lifetime worth £5,000.

SeaWeb’s Marine Photobank has announced the winners of the fourth annual Ocean in Focus conservation photography contest. The grand prize is awarded to Terry Goss, of San Francisco, for his photograph of a blue shark off the coast of Rhode Island with a rusted hook protruding from its lower jaw (above). This photo has earned Goss a 10-day, two person expedition to the Galapagos Islands with Lindblad Expeditions, the expedition travel company that voyages the world in alliance with the National Geographic Society. The runner-up for the Ocean in Focus contest is Peri Paleracio of Quezon City, the Philippines, for his picture of a boat in the Philippines with plastic and trash pollution suspended in the water. For the runner-up photograph, Paleracio has received a 7-night dive vacation at Matava, Fiji’s Premiere Eco Adventure Resort.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has launched a digital photography contest for US residents. The “Best Shots” competition is now open for entries and photo submissions will be accepted until 23 December. Entrants can submit one photo in each of four categories: people, travel, pets and cell phone shots. A slate of expert judges will select the finalists, and winners will be determined by an online popular vote running from 9-12 January 2012. The grand prize winner, to be announced on 13 January at the 2012 International CES, will receive a Nikon D3100 digital SLR camera kit. As always, we suggest that you read the rules before entering your work.

LockCircle has launched the LockPort Universal accessory, a new product developed to help avoid damaging the miniHDMI port on the Canon EOS 5D and 7D cameras. The LockPort Universal safely secures a 90° front/rear miniHDMI-to-full-size-HDMI adapter, which has gold plated contacts and a full-size female output that allows you to use the stronger standard HDMI cables. Available now, the LockPort Universal sells for $109 and ships in 24 hours.

Drobo and Pogoplug have announced a partnership to deliver a comprehensive personal cloud solution for anytime-anywhere access to your files. According to the agreement, Drobo customers will have access to free cloud storage, remote file access and digital media streaming using Pogoplug Cloud. “Together Drobo and Pogoplug Cloud offer customers with large personal media files remote access to these files under the security of linking a Drobo appliance to a personal cloud,” the companies said in a joint statement. More information on the partnership can be found at the website below.

Leica has announced the expansion of its premises in Bruton Place, Mayfair. The Leica Store Mayfair (opened in September 2009) at 34 Bruton Place will continue to display and offer the entire range of Leica products. Above the store, the current Leica Akademie training facility will be expanded to encompass a second Akademie space, allowing the company to offer a wider range of training workshops, one-to-one product demonstrations, advice sessions and private consultations for its customers. In addition, Leica will open a dedicated Media Centre for members of the press, a complimentary café-style area for Leica owners, a service centre, a gallery of images created using Leica cameras and a fully equipped studio available to hire exclusively to photographers using the Leica S-System.

Fujifilm has announced that the Fujifilm X100 large-sensor compact camera has scooped up an iF Design product design award. Established in 1953, and sponsored throughout by the International Forum Design GmbH of Hanover Germany, the iF product design award is recognized all over the world as a symbol of outstanding design and innovation. As one of the 2012 Product Design Award winners, the Fujifilm X100 will now also be automatically put forward as a nomination for the iF Design’s 100 Gold Award winners, to be announced on 10 February 2012.

The “Photographs of the Year” competition, open to all professional photographers residing in Europe, is now open for entries. There are fifteen categories plus a “Young Talent” competition, open to individuals having less than one year of activity as a professionnal photographer and under the age of 25 on 1 of January 2012. The contest is sponsored by Nikon, who offered a total of €10,000 worth of photo equipment to the winners. The submission deadline is 15 January 2012.