The Sinar eShutter is an electronically controlled precision shutter for view cameras. The Sinar eShutter is completely integrated into the Sinar System and in addition, thanks to its open architecture, it can also be used with any other system. Integrated microprocessor controls guarantee the highest precision when working with a view camera and they provide fast shutter speeds of up to 1/250 second. Sinar says its eShutter has a compact and light construction and can be attached to different camera platforms. The Sinar eShutter will become available at the beginning of next year. The price will be announced at Photokina.

Want to see exactly what the new Pentax K-r DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Here are 10 hands-on product shots of the mid-range Pentax K-r, giving you a good idea of just how small it is - click through to view the gallery.

Want to see exactly what the new Pentax Optio RZ10 compact camera looks like in the flesh?

Here are 7 hands-on product shots of the Pentax Optio RZ10, which is covered in a curiously tactile rubberised material - click through to view the gallery.

The Pentax K-r is a mid-range DSLR camera targeted at digital SLR novices and family users. Featuring a 12.4 megapixel sensor and 6fps continuous shooting, the Pentax Kr has a compact, lightweight body with a stainless-steel chassis, 11-point AF system, ISO 25600, 720p movies, high-resolution 3.0-inch LCD monitor, Shake Reduction mechanism and support for the supplied lithium-ion battery and AA-size batteries. The PENTAX K-r will be available from October 2010 in two kits - the K-r and the 18-55mm DAL lens for £599.99, and the K-r and the 18-55mm DAL and 50-200mm DAL lenses for £699.99.

The SMC PENTAX-DA 35mm F2.4 AL is a new standard prime lens. Offering a natural perspective similar to that of the naked eye, the Pentax 35mm f/2.4 lens can be used with all Pentax digital SLR cameras, offering an angle of view equivalent to a 53.5mm lens in the 35mm format. The SMC PENTAX-DA 35mm F2.4 AL will be available from mid October 2010 for £179.99.

The Pentax Optio RZ10 is a digital compact camera with a 10x zoom lens and 14 megapixel sensor. Offering a focal range of 28-280mm, the Pentax RZ10 also features a 1cm macro mode, 720p video, 2.7-inch colour LCD monitor, Auto Picture Mode, and Dual Shake Reduction system. Available in a range of five colours, the Pentax Optio RZ10 will be available in October 2010 for £179.99.

The Pentax Optio RS1000 is a unique customisable compact camera. The RS1000 can be personalised with photographs or illustrations, printed on a template that lies between the body and a transparent front panel. There will also be a RS1000 website to visit where visitors can choose, download and print ready-made templates, create their own ‘skins’ and play fun games. In addition the Pentax RS1000 offers 14 megapixels, 3 inch LCD screen, Auto Picture Mode, 720p video, and a range of digital filters. Available in a black or white base colour, the Pentax Optio RS1000 will be available in October 2010 for £119.99.

Carl Zeiss has expanded its Compact Prime CP.2 lens series with two new focal lengths: the 50mm with macro and 100mm with close focus function. The CP.2 100 mm/T2.1 CF is based on the Planar design and is the longest focal length in the Compact Prime CP.2 lens series so far. It extends the series by adding a very fast telephoto lens with a close-up focusing range of 0.7 metres. The CP.2 50mm/T2.1 Makro is based on the Makro-Planar design and allows close-up shots to be taken with the object at a distance of just 24 centimetres. These lenses have been specially developed for filming with DSLR cameras and will be presented for the first time at the IBC in Amsterdam. Product delivery is scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2010. Retail price starts at €3,700 excluding VAT.

The Sling-O-Matic is a new sling bag from Think Tank Photo. Similarly to the recently announced Hama Katoomba 170RL and 190RL bags, the Sling-O-Matic has one adjustable shoulder strap that can be easily switched back and forth to either shoulder. The Sling-O-Matic series offers three unique bags to choose from, depending on the amount of photo gear a photographer needs to carry. The Sling-O-Matic 10 can carry a pro-size DSLR and three to four lenses, including a 70-200 f2.8. The Sling-O-Matic 20 and Sling-O-Matic 30 can each carry a pro-size DSLR and four to six lenses. The Sling-O-Matic 30 also features a separate laptop compartment for carrying a 15.4” laptop. All of these bags will be released in October, with pricing to be determined.

Getty Images has just launched a new online Artist Digital Toolbox for its contributors. The toolbox was created exclusively for Getty Images’ contributors following their requests for tools, apps, logos and web banners they could use to help steer traffic to their images from their websites, Flickr accounts, blogs and social media channels. Getty Images is also launching the Contributor Affiliate Programme, offering contributors the opportunity to earn commission as a result of directing traffic from their personal websites and social media channels to GettyImages.com which then results in purchases. Contributors can sign up to the programme quickly online and can then earn 15% commission for new users or 7% for existing Getty Images customers on all sales.

FotoWeek DC, the premier photography festival in Washington, DC, is reminding interested photographers that the submission deadline of the FotoWeek DC 2010 International Awards Competition is 20 September. Images are judged in 12 different categories, with cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for each category. There is also the Spirit of Washington Award, which honours the photograph that best captures the essence of the US capital and includes a top prize of $5,000. The competition is open to all photographers, both amateurs and professionals. Entry fees apply.

Website: FotoWeek DC

The sixth annual Cowboys & Indians photography contest is now open for entries. There are five categories, including portrait, landscape, wildlife, action and equine. The subject of each photo - irrespective of which category it falls into - has to have something in common with cowboys, indians or the areas lying west of the Mississippi river. Five category winners will be selected, one for each category. The winning entry and runners-up will be published in the Cowboys & Indians 2011 Photo Essay issue. The 2011 Photo Contest winner will receive $1,000. The winners of each of the five categories will receive $500. The submission deadline is 14 October 2010. As always, we suggest that you read the rules before entering your work.

The LaCie Minimus (pictured) and LaCie Rikiki USB 3.0 are new USB 3.0 hard drives for your desktop or pocket that are claimed to be the world’s smallest in their class. The Minimus is a 1TB/2TB desktop hard drive that measures 110.7x29.4x172.8mm and weighs in at 850 grams. The LaCie Rikiki USB 3.0 is a mobile hard drive with a tough aluminium casing and a light weight of just 176 grams, available in 500GB and 1TB capacities. Both new devices are theoretically capable of delivering industry-leading 5Gb/s transfer speeds, and both are backwards compatible with the USB 2.0 standard. Pricing for the LaCie Rikiki USB 3.0 starts at £89 for the 500GB model, while the LaCie Minimus is available in 1TB/2TB capacities starting at £109.

The 39-megapixel Achromatic+ monochromatic digital back is in the focus of Phase One’s latest newsletter. While not exactly a new product, the Phase One Achromatic+ still counts as a rather unique offering: with no colour filter array, its sensor records 39 true megapixels of pure black-and-white data, with no interpolation of any sort. The range of sensitivity with the Achromatic+ back extends beyond the visible spectrum into the infrared wavelengths in a single product. Filters are used to limit the Achromatic+ back to specific bandwidths required for scientific study and process control. Interested readers can sign up for a camera demo via the Phase One website.

At Photokina 2010 in Hall 4.2 / Booth C-028 Sinar will introduce the Sinar eVolution86 H, a new high-resolution multishot digital back with 48.8 megapixels. In the 4-shot mode, the CCD sensor’s pixel matrix is shifted three times laterally or vertically by exactly one pixel width from one exposure to the next, so that every image point is covered by every primary colour (red, green and blue), with no need for Bayer interpolation. Like several other Sinar backs, the eVolution86 H features a unique adapter concept. With only a few flicks of the hand, these adapters easily allow the Sinar eVolution86 HY back to be mounted on almost any desired camera platform. Sinar offers adapters for Sinar p3, Sinar Hy6, Mamiya RZ 67, RB 67, 645 AFD Pro, Fuji GX 680, Contax 645, Hasselblad V and H. Due to ship in October 2010, the new multishot back is priced at CHF 24,800.

Nikon has posted a number of sample images taken with the new Coolpix P7000 premium compact. Two of these - a portrait and a landscape - are full-resolution, 10-megapixel images taken at ISO 200 and ISO 100, respectively. The portrait was shot as a JPEG, while the landscape photo was captured in raw mode and converted from NRW to JPEG for Web display and download.

Website: Official Nikon Coolpix P7000 Sample Images

The 10-megapixel Nikon P7000 is a premium compact with 7.1x optical zoom, Vibration Reduction (VR), manual exposure control and a 3-inch, 920,000-dot LCD screen. The 28-200mm equivalent f/2.8-5.6 zoom lens is constructed of 11 elements arranged in 9 groups, including two ED and four aspherical lens elements plus a built-in neutral density filter. A sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 3200 (expandable to ISO 6400), a variety of bracketing options, D-Lighting and a Virtual Horizon are all on board to expand the possibilities of the camera. Raw support is provided in the form of NRW+ raw files, which are compatible with Nikkon’s bundled ViewNX 2 software as well as the separately sold Nikon Capture NX2 program. Still image capture is complemented by an HD video recording option (720p/24fps) with stereo sound. The Nikon Coolpix P7000 will hit the shops on 23 September, at a price of £489.99 / €580.00 / $499.95.

Update: We have just added a gallery of large product images supplied by Nikon Europe.

The Nikon Coolpix S80 is a 14-megapixel digital compact camera that combines ultra-slim, elegant design with easy-to-use touch-screen functionality and HD movie recording. Its multi-touch, Organic LED (OLED) screen allows you to focus and take a picture or video simply by touching the relevant area on the screen, and makes on-camera retouching simple. The 5x zoom lens has a 35mm equivalent focal range of 35-175mm and features Vibration Reduction (VR). Nikon’s Smart Portrait System, Motion Detection technology, Best Shot Selector, D-lighting and Scene Auto Selector are all on board to help you take better pictures. In addition to shooting stills, the Nikon Coolpix S80 can also capture 720p HD videos with stereo sound at a frame rate of 30 frames per second, and allows you to use the zoom while filming. The recommended retail price of the Nikon Coolpix S80 is £329.99 / €391.00 / $329.95, and availability is slated for 7 October.

Nikon USA has just announced the 12-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S8100, a 10x zoom digital compact camera that can capture photos at up to 10 frames per second. Equipped with a back-illuminated CMOS sensor and a 30-300mm equivalent zoom lens that can be used even while recording 1080p Full HD videos, the Nikon Coolpix S8100 also features in-camera HDR imaging, whereby several different exposures are taken in rapid succession, to be immediately blended in-camera for a single HDR photo rich in tonal gradations. Additionally, the S8100’s advanced Night Landscape mode combines a series of five consecutive shots taken at a fast shutter speed into a single image with reduced noise for when taking handheld shots. In the US, the Nikon Coolpix S8100 will hit the shelves late September 2010 for $299.95 MSRP, but will not be available in Europe.