Billed as the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable-lens camera with an APS-C sized sensor, the new Sony NEX-C3 is a tiny compact system camera offering a resolution of 16.2 megapixels. Weighing in at 225 grams, the Sony NEX-C3 is approximately 6% lighter than last year’s NEX-3. In addition to capturing high-resolution photographs, the NEX-C3 can also record 720p HD video. A new in-camera ‘Picture Effect’ setting lets users add extra impact to stills or HD video during shooting. Options include Partial Colour, Retro Photo, Pop Colour, High Contrast Monochrome, Posterisation, High-key and Toy Camera. There’s also a ‘Soft Skin’ effect that removes wrinkles and blemishes from portrait subjects. Improved energy efficiency boosts battery stamina to 400 still shots per charge – over 20% more than the NEX-5/NEX-3. The new NEX-C3 will be available this August in silver, black and pink with an 18-55mm kit zoom and will cost about $650.  It will also be offered in black only with a 16mm lens for about $600.

Sony has announced a new 1:1 macro lens for the NEX system. The Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro is a native E-mount optic that is claimed to be the world’s lightest life-size macro lens for interchangeable-lens cameras. Despite its extremely compact size and low weight of only 138 grams, the Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro employs one ED glass and three aspherical lens elements and offers smooth, quiet autofocus operation during photo and video shooting. The lens is supplied with a matching hood. In the US, the Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro lens will be available this October for about $250. UK pricing to be confirmed.

The Sony HVL-F20S is a new external flash unit for the NEX system that clips onto the Smart Accessory Terminal of NEX-C3 and other E-mount cameras. This flash unit has a guide number of 20 (in metres at ISO 100/21°) and is powered directly by the camera, requiring no additional batteries. The flash head can be tilted upward for bounce flash effects. The Sony HVL-F20S will be available this August for about $150.

Available from June 20th, a firmware upgrade for the Sony NEX-3 and NEX-5 cameras adds the new ‘Picture Effect’ function as introduced on the new NEX?C3. It also adds a Peaking function to assist with more precise manual focusing. Available free to registered users, the latest Version 04 firmware update will be available from these websites:

NEX-3 Windows | NEX-3 MAC OS
NEX-5 Windows | NEX-5 MAC OS

The Sony A35 is a new, lightweight 16.2-megapixel system camera featuring a semi-transparent mirror and full-time continuous auto-focus. The SLT-A35 also boasts two continuous shooting modes - 5.5 frames per second at full resolution and 7 frames per second at a 1.4x crop for sports shooting. In addition to stills photography, the Sony Alpha A35 allows you to record HD videos in AVCHD format. A range of new ‘Picture Effects’ is available for both stills and video, including Retro Photo, High-key, Toy Camera and Posterisation. Weighing in at 415 grams, the Sony A35 is compatible with 32 A-mount lenses and comes with an integrated Xtra Fine EVF with 1.15 million dots and 100% frame coverage. The Sony ?35 will be available this August with an 18-55mm kit zoom for about $700. The body (without kit lens) will sell for about $600.

Available beginning 20th June, a firmware update for the Sony ?33 and ?55 cameras adds several creative and operational enhancements. Support for the ‘Picture Effect’ function featured on the new ?35 model has been added. High-speed synchronisation is now supported during wireless operation with a compatible external flash (Sony ?55 only). The firmware upgrades also bring revised menus and a new mode that lets users switch shooting parameters overlaid on-screen for clear, uncluttered composition. The Sony A33 and A55 cameras’ Digital Level Gauge can also be displayed when shooting via the optional CLM-V55 external LCD monitor. Frequently used features can now be custom-assigned to the D-RANGE button.

The upgrades can be downloaded beginning 20th June from www.esupport.sony.com

Digisky is the new compact high-precision exposure meter in the Gossen range of products for flash light and ambient light. It is the world’s first exposure meter equipped with a colour graphic display, which allows all values to be read clearly and easily. Another integral part of the Digisky’s design is a ring controller, which lets users select various functions in a simple and straightforward manner. Moreover, the Gossen Digisky has a built-in remote radio trigger compatible with Elinchrom’s SkyPort technology. A rotating, retractable diffuser allows easy switch-over between flat & spherical 180° measurements. The suggested retail price is £399.99.

Marketing Fine Art Photography by Alain Briot is a new title from Rocky Nook. The author is a leading contemporary landscape photographer and teacher, who offers practical, up-to-date, tried and tested marketing techniques to fine art photographers eager to learn how to sell their work to make a profit. “Briot’s approach is based on offering quality not quantity; and offering something unique, rather than something that is mass-produced,” the publisher says. “Though directed toward selling fine art, this method can be applied to other products.” The 320-page book sells for $44.95.

The new Sidekick from Lenspen is a screen cleaner for the Apple iPad. It cleans fingerprints easily using the patented Lenspen carbon cleaning compound. The cleaning pad is re-charged each time it is put back in its case and offers 150 cleanings per pad. The suggested retail price of the Lenspen Sidekick is £14.99, with replacement pads available separately at £9.99 for a pack of two.

Apple iCloud is a set of free new cloud services that work seamlessly with applications on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content. When anything changes on one of your devices, all of your devices are wirelessly updated almost instantly. iCloud’s Photo Stream service automatically uploads the photos you take or import on any of your devices and wirelessly pushes them to all your devices and computers. iCloud will be available this Autumn concurrent with iOS 5.

The iOS 5 beta release includes over 200 new features that will be available to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users this Autumn. For photographers, new features in the Camera and Photos apps give you instant access to the camera right from the lock screen, and you can use the volume-up button to quickly snap a photo. Optional grid lines help line up your shot and a simple tap locks focus and exposure on one subject. The new Photos app lets you crop, rotate, enhance and remove red-eye, and organise your photos into albums right on your device to share them on the go.

The Mac OS X Lion operating system will be available to customers in July. With more than 250 new features and 3,000 new developer APIs, Mac OS X Lion features Multi-Touch gestures, system-wide support for full screen apps, and Mission Control for instantly accessing everything running on your Mac. Mac OS X Lion will be available in July as an upgrade to Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard from the Mac App Store for £20.99.

TouchUp Pro is a new photo editor for the iPhone and iPad. TouchUp Pro offers a quick, clean interface that lets you edit photos in a matter of seconds. TouchUp Pro 2.2.11 is available from the iTunes App Store and BlackBerry App World for $1.99 (USD).

X-Rite have released a video interview featuring world-renowned professional nature photographer and artist John Paul Caponigro. Mark Rezzonico, vice president X-Rite Photo Marketing, commented “To get the chance to share this exclusive video interview where John Paul shares his insights on photography and the importance of color management with the imaging community is such an honor.”

Acme Made Compact Mega Zoom (CMZ) pouches are a new range of colourful and compact protective cases. Available in high gloss purple, red, yellow and a black chevron design, Acme Made CMZ cases are perfect to house compact mega zoom cameras. They are available from major photo retailers, www.acmemade.co.uk, and selected electrical retailers. Price is around £20.

Snapseed is an entirely new photo application designed specifically for the iPad. Snapseed enables anyone to create amazing photos with a wide variety of innovative filters and tools, including Grunge, Vintage and Drama and Nik’s revolutionary U Point technology. With Snapseed, users can enhance, edit, and share their photos via social networks, email and even print via Apple’s AirPrint Wi-Fi printing standard. Snapseed for iPad is available now for €3.99 / $4.99 on the Apple App Store.

The Master Photographers Association has launched the new style 2011 Master Photography Awards. This year sees a change in submission method, plus 8 new, or updated, categories, and the brand new title of ‘International Master Photographer of the Year’. The Master Photography Awards are the most prestigious awards for photography in the UK, and are open to all qualified members of the Association.

The Camera Lens Cap Holder makes sure that you won’t lose a lens cap again. Mark Stevenson’s lens cap holder allows you to securely attach a camera’s lens cap to your neck strap or camera bag. Initially there will be ten lens cap sizes. 52mm, 55mm, 72mm & 77mm for Nikon, Pentax, Fujifilm, Sony, Pro-series and vintage lenses, 46mm, 58mm & 67mm for M4/3, Cannon and Nikon lenses, and 40.5mm, 49mm & 62mm for M4/3, Olympus and vintage lenses.