Ricoh has announced the imminent release of the 4th function-enhancing firmware upgrade for its GXR system. Available tomorrow, 31 August 2011, this major update has been “developed in response to opinions and requests received from a large number of customers via surveys submitted at customer registration time and other channels”, the company says. The 4th function-enhancing firmware update brings greater focusing precision, new aspect ratio choices for the “auto resize zoom” function, custom white balance setting for flash photography, new intermediate ISO speeds, enhanced customisability for the ISO AUTO-HI setting, the ability to display the electronic level gauge when shooting with the self-timer and new vignetting options for the cross-process and the toy camera filters. The GR LENS A12 28mm and GR LENS A12 50mm camera units additionally benefit from two new shutter speed options (bulb and time) in manual exposure mode.

Corel has released VideoStudo Pro X4 Ultimate, offeromg HD-DSLR shooters and video editing enthusiasts an expanded set of high-end tools and quality plug-ins. Available for £79.99 (or £59.99 if you are a registered user of VideoStudio X2 or higher), the package contains Corel’s VideoStudio Pro X4 movie editor plus proDAD Mercalli SE, an application offering post-capture video stabilisation and rolling shutter correction, and Boris Graffiti 5.3, a solution that allows users to create quality titles and graphics directly within VideoStudio. As an added bonus, users also get to download WinZip Pro free of charge. A fully functional trial version of VideoStudio Pro X4 is available from the website below.

The British Isles edition of National Geographic Kids magazine has launched the National Geographic Kids International Photography Competition 2011. With four categories to enter – People, Scenery, Animals and Humour – children aged 14 and under are invited to submit their photographs for judging by a panel which includes National Geographic explorers-in-residence, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, and children’s TV presenter, Andy Akinwolere. The overall British Isles winner will scoop an 11-day family adventure holiday to India, where they’ll visit the Taj Mahal, camp out in the desert, explore Delhi by rickshaw and go on a tiger safari, courtesy of adventure travel experts Explore. They will also win a Nikon D3100 digital SLR camera, while the other category winners will each receive a Nikon Coolpix S3100. The competition closing date is 31 October 2011.

A start-up called ICVT says it has developed new compression algorithms that promise much smaller JPEG file sizes without any visible loss of quality. As reported by Megapixel magazine, the new JPEGmini is compatible with existing JPEG specifications but allows you to preserve most of your pictures’ original image quality while achieving a considerably higher compression ratio,.resulting in approximately 80% smaller file sizes. (Of course you could achieve a similar compression ratio with existing technologies too, but IQ would suffer.) You can try the JPEGmini technology yourself, using your own photos, at the website below.

Website: JPEGmini

DayMen Group has announced the acquisition of Joby, a San Francisco-based manufacturer of photo, mobile and lighting accessories, including the award-winning GorillaPod (pictured). Since it was founded over six years ago, Joby has grown from a start-up to a company with distribution in over 65 countries. DayMen has been distributing Joby in Canada since 2007 and Australia since 2008. “DayMen will bring its extensive distribution network and our history of building great brands to the Joby line of products,” said Gil Roberts, DayMen CEO. “Together, we can accelerate the growth of our business and build the global presence of our Lowepro, Acme Made and Joby brands, as well as the many outstanding third-party brands we distribute around the world.”

X-Rite has announced a $150 cash back promotion for X-Rite customers who want to upgrade their i1Match, ProfileMaker or MonacoPROFILER software to i1Publish. Fully supporting the new Mac OS X 10.7 Lion operating system, the latest version of i1Publish is an ICC profiling solution that includes i1Profiler software, ColorChecker Camera Calibration software, PANTONE Color Manager software and two ColorChecker targets – ColorChecker Classic and ColorChecker Proof. For more information about the i1Publish upgrade and rebate, visit the website below.

Adobe has posted Release Candidates (RCs) for Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) 6.5 and Photoshop Lightroom 3.5, adding support for a dozen new digital cameras and backs as well as 26 new lens profiles. Newly supported cameras and backs include the Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR, Olympus E-P3, Olympus E-PL3, Olympus E-PM1, Panasonic DMC-G3 (pictured), Panasonic DMC-GF3, Phase One IQ140, Phase One IQ160, Phase One P40+, Phase One P65+, Sony NEX-C3 and Sony Alpha SLT-A35. A “Rrelease Candidate” label indicates that this update is well tested but would benefit from additional community testing before it is distributed automatically to all Adobe customers.

Website: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.5 Release Candidate
Website: Adobe Camera Raw 6.5 Release Candidate

Delkin has announced the launch of a new range of ruggedised CompactFlash (CF) memory cards, which are claimed to offer the fastest read and write speeds in the world. Available in capacities ranging from 8GB up to 64GB, the Delkin Compact Flash 685x memory cards are capable of transferring photos, movies and other files at speeds up to 103 megabytes per second. “Unlike a traditional CF memory card, the CombatFlash PCB is protected with a Tekta infusion process that enables the card to achieve phenomenal reliability and performance in environments where a normal CF card would typically fail,” explains Delkin’s Marketing Manager, Anna Lopez.  “The card is protected from underwater submersion, solid impact, corrosion, rust and more.” Pricing for the new Delkin CF cards ranges from $149.99 to $899.99, depending on capacity.

In Japan, Panasonic has showed mock-ups of two large-aperture pro zooms for the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system, due for release in 2012. There will be a 12-35mm (24-70mm equivalent) lens with a minimum focus distance of 25cm and a 35-100mm (70-200mm equivalent) telezoom with a close-focus point of 85cm, both with Power O.I.S. (optical image stabiliser) on board. The exact maximum apertures are unknown, but it’s already clear that both lenses will feature the manufacturer’s Nano Surface Coating to combat flare and ghosts. Judging by the pictures posted on the DC Watch website, both lenses will have proper focus and zoom rings. Exact availability, pricing and full specifications to be announced later.

Via DC Watch

Kenro has announced the UK launch of a new photo digitising device called the Reflecta Imagebox LCD9. Equipped with a 9-megapixel area-array sensor, the Reflecta Imagebox LCD9 is claimed to deliver a resolution comparable to a 2400ppi scan from 35mm film. In addition to digitising slides and negatives, the Reflecta Imagebox can also scan prints of up to 6x4 inches. The unit can be operated independently from a computer, and comes with a dust and scratch removal system based on infrared technology (available for negatives and transparencies, but not prints). The device comes with a holder for 4 mounted slides, another holder for loose film strips of up to 6 frames, power adaptor, USB cable, TV cable and user manual for a recommended retail price of £280.

Nikon build on the success of the Coolpix P7000 with the release of the P7100, featuring a 10.1 megapixel 1/1.7 inch CCD sensor, EXPEED C2 processor, 7.1x (28-200mm) optical zoom through a NIKKOR ED lens, 3 inch tilting screen, Raw shooting, twin control dials and more buttons than you can shake a stick at. The Nikon Coolpix P7100 has an RRP of £499.99 (580 Euros) and will be available in late September 2011.

The Nikon Coolpix P7100 is designed to span the gap between a compact camera and a DSLR. It provides the features and functionality of a DSLR without the bulk. In profile, it looks a simple camera with the lens and optical viewfinder on the front but with the addition of a control wheel which will operate the aperture in manual mode. Another wheel on the back will operate the shutter speed.

The improvements come from Nikon listening to feedback from users of the P7000 and adding all the bits that they asked for.

The Nikon Coolpix AW100 is the company’s first steps into the world of tough cameras. Built to last and filled with features to dominate the market, the AW100 sports a 16 megapixel CCD sensor, 5x optical zoom, 3 inch LCD and EXPEED C2 processor. On top of that, the camera can be plunged into water down to 10 metres, dropped from a height of 1.5 metres and taken to freezing locations as low as -10 degrees. It also has a built-in GPS system with on-board maps to help tag your pictures on Google Maps when you get home.

The Nikon Coolpix AW100 has an RRP of £329.99 (383 euro) and will be available early September 2011.

The S1200pj is the newest projector camera from Nikon. A slim camera, the S1200pj has a 14 megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom. A 3 inch screen on the back of the camera joins just a few buttons to adjust settings and enter menus but there’s also a dedicated video button for fast recording of candid moments.

One of the higher specification models, the S8200 has an attractive design thanks to the huge lens barrel on the front. Images go through a 14x optical zoom NIKKOR ED lens onto a 16 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor. The 3 inch screen on the back has a 921,000 dot (307,000 pixel) resolution and is extremely clear with no motion blur.

Speed is a big issue for Nikon on the S8200 and because of this the autofocus and start-up time has been improved on. It certainly seems to be faster but the full review on a final sample with prove it.

Slightly just down the ladder from the S8200 is the S6200. It’s a smaller, lighter version and you could also say a lite version. There are noticeable omissions to distinguish between the S6200 and S8200. The resolution is the same on both cameras, the function wheel on the back is present on each camera and they both have an EXPEED C2 processor. But the NIKKOR ED lens on the S6200 has a more moderate 10x optical zoom. The HD video isn’t Full HD and the screen on the back is slightly smaller at 2.7 inches.

The Nikon S100 is a flat, palm sized digital compact camera that’s packed with features for the tech savvy younger generation. A 16 megapixel Back-illuminated CMOS sensor sits inside the smart phone shaped unit which also records FullHD video. The screen on the back is an OLED 3.5 inch touch-screen which is extremely sensitive. But not in a way that it preempts your moves. However, some touch screens we’ve seen have had to be jabbed at to get a command acknowledged but the S100 is more sensitive than an iPhone.

Want to see what the new Panasonic X 14-42mm lens looks like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on photos of the Panasonic X 14-42mm professional lens.

Want to see what the new Panasonic X 45-175mm lens looks like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on photos of the Panasonic X 45-175mm professional lens.

Want to see what the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 looks like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on photos of the Panasonic FZ150 super-zoom compact camera.