The Metz mecablitz 58 AF-2 Digital is a replacement for the mecablitz 58 AF-1, upgraded with a new stable metal base, an optimised lock system, a revised motor zoom mode and an improved high-performance flash tube. Additionally, the Metz mecablitz 58 AF-2 digital offers servo flash release functionality via the integrated camera flash which is also compatible with cameras without master function. The slave/servo sensor has been integrated into the front of the flash unit to increase the transmission quality of wireless flashes. The wide-angle diffuser has also been adapted for illumination of wide-angle focal widths from 12mm (in 135 format). The flash has an integrated flip-out reflector card and a USB interface for installing firmware upgrades. The suggested retail price of the Metz 58 AF-2 Digital is €399.00 / £369.99.

Successor to the Metz mecablitz 48 AF-1, the mecablitz 50 AF-1 Digital flash incorporates numerous enhancements. The guide number has been increased to 50 (in metres) at ISO 100/21° and 105mm focal length. Performance and reliability have been further optimised through improvements to the flash tube. Moreover, the Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 Digital has been equipped with a servo flash release via the camera’s internal flash which also works independently of the camera’s master function. Finally, the wide-angle diffuser has been adapted and is now even suitable for illumination of wide-angle focal lengths from 12mm (in 135 format). There are different versions of the Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 flash available for Canon, FourThirds, Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras. The suggested retail price is €249.00 / £229.99.

Ricoh has posted five official sample photos taken with the newly announced Ricoh CX4 digital compact camera. The pictures - which were all taken at a sensitivity of ISO 100/21° - include a landscape, a macro, a portrait, a still life and a night landscape. You can download the photographs from the website below.

Website: Ricoh CX4 Samples

Want to see exactly what the new Nikon D3100 DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Here are 20 hands-on product shots of the entry-level Nikon D3100, including the HD video mode in action - click through to view the gallery.

Want to see exactly what the new 85mm f/1.4, 24-120mm f/4, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 and 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Nikon lenses look like in the flesh?

Here are 16 hands-on product shots, including a side-by-side comparison of the 24-120mm f/4 with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 - click through to view the gallery.

Want to see exactly what the new Nikon Coolpix S1100pj and S5100 cameras look like in the flesh?

Here are some hands-on product shots of the Nikon Coolpix S1100pj and S5100 - click through to view the gallery.

The Nikon D3100 is a new, 14.2-megapixel digital SLR camera with 11 AF sensors, Full HD video and full-time AF in Live View and D-movie modes. Using contrast based AF, the D3100 automatically focuses on subjects when Live View is activated to aid shooting when using the LCD. Live View is activated at a single flick of a dedicated switch, and HD video recording is achieved by a simple press of a button. In comparison to the Nikon D3000, the new Nikon D3100 also gains a Quiet Shutter Release mode, which substantially reduces the sound of the mirror return, and an enhanced Guide Mode that now features sample assist images that change with camera settings to inspire consumers to achieve a desired look and feel to their images. Unusually for an entry-level camera, the Nikon D3100’s shutter is rated for 100,000 actuations. The Nikon D3100 DSLR camera will be available from mid-September, at an estimated selling price of £579.99/€687.00/$699.95 including a kit zoom. The body-only prices are £499.99/€593.00.

Timed to coincide with the announcement of the Nikon D3100 digital SLR camera, Nikon also unveiled today a new DX format telezoom called the AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR. This lens has a 35mm-equivalent focal range of 82.5-450mm, and features a Silent Wave Motor for quiet auto-focus operation, 9 rounded diaphragm blades for pleasing bokeh, 2 extra-low dispersion lens elements for minimising chromatic aberrations, Super Integrated Coating for enhanced light transmission efficiency and superior colour consistency, plus Nikon’s VR II image stabilisation system with a Tripod Detection Mode. The Nikon AF-S Nikkor DX 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens is scheduled to hit the shelves in mid-September at the recommended/estimated selling prices of £369.99/€438.00/$399.95.

Nikon today announced the much-anticipated AF-S version of its 85mm f/1.4 lens. Covering the full 24x36mm frame on 35mm film, the AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G ED is compatible with FX and DX digital SLR bodies as well as most modern Nikon film SLRs such as the Nikon F6 (though being a G series lens, it lacks an aperture ring, and is therefore not suitable for use on older Nikon film cameras). Being an AF-S lens means two things: ultra-quiet auto-focus and full-time manual focus override. Additional features include Internal Focus (IF) that allows the lens to focus without changing the barrel length, Nano Crystal Coat to reduce instances of ghosting and flare, and a rugged construction build to endure aggressive field use. The ultra-fast AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G has an estimated selling price of $1699.95 in the US. The recommended UK/EU prices are £1499.99/€1776.00.

The AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 G ED VR is a versatile 5x zoom lens designed for use on both FX and DX digital SLR bodies. Featuring two ED and three aspherical lens elements, Nano Crystal Coat and a fixed maximum aperture throughout its zoom range, the AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 G ED VR promises to be an improvement over the existing AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED (at nearly twice the price). Constructed of 17 lens elements arranged in 13 groups, the new 24-120mm f/4 G ED VR from Nikon also features an iris diaphragm with 9 blades for improved bokeh, and the manufacturer’s VR II image stabilisation system for shake-free hand-held shooting. Through extensive use of magnesium and Super Engineering Plastic components the lens is built to handle the knocks of everyday use, and rubber sealing around switches and lens mount mean moist or dusty conditions are not a problem. The AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 G ED VR will be available from mid-September at an estimated selling price of $1049.95 in the US. The recommended UK/EU prices are £1049.99/€1243.00.

The new AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR is Nikon’s first FX lens with a 10.7X zoom range. Its optical formula includes two ED glass elements that effectively minimise chromatic aberration, even at the widest aperture settings, and three Aspherical Lens Elements that virtually eliminate coma and other aberrations at wide aperture settings as well. Being an AF-S lens, the Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR provides fast and quiet autofocus, and also incorporates an M/A Focus Mode Switch that enables quick changes between manual and autofocus operation. A Zoom Lock Switch secures the lens barrel at its minimum focal length preventing the lens from extending during transport. Nikon’s Super Integrated Coating (SIC) enhances light transmission efficiency and offers superior colour consistency and reduced flare, while the 9 rounded diaphragm blades promise a nice natural look to the out-of-focus highlights. The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR ultrazoom lens will become available in mid-September, at an estimated selling price of $1299.95 in the US. In the UK and the euro zone, the recommended retail prices are £869.99/€1030.00 respectively.

Canon marks 10 years of its IXUS digital camera series with the launch of the Canon IXUS 1000 HS, a 10-megapixel, 10x zoom model that has the distinction of being the first superzoom in the IXUS range. Its compact but powerful 10x optical zoom lens makes it the slimmest super zoom camera of its kind anywhere in the world, Canon claims. It’s also the second IXUS to feature the HS System, combining a high-sensitivity, 10.0 Megapixel CMOS sensor with Canon’s DIGIC 4 image processing engine. Other highlights include Full HD video capture with stereo sound, optical image stabilisation and a Handheld Night Scene that combines several images taken in rapid succession into one sharp and optimally-exposed picture. Additionally, the Canon IXUS 1000 HS can capture up to 3.7 frames per second at full resolution, or up to 8.8 frames per second at a reduced resolution of 2.5 megapixels. The Canon IXUS 1000 HS (also called the Canon SD4500 IS) is available from September priced at £349/€419/$350.

The Canon Powershot S95 is a newcamera sporting a 10-megapixel CCD, a stabilised, 28-105mm equivalent f/2.0-4.9 zoom lens and 720p/24fps HD video capture with stereo sound. Succeeding last year’s Powershot S90 (read review), the new model offers improved handling and greater levels of manual control. The popular lens Control Ring, introduced with the PowerShot S90, has been improved with greater levels of flexibility, while the image stabilisation system has been upgraded to incorporate Hybrid IS technology, providing improved image stabilisation for macro photography. An in-camera HDR mode has been included to help capture high-contrast scenes as you saw them. Raw file support has been carried over from the previous model. The Canon Powershot S95 is available priced at £399.00/€479.00/$399.99.

The Canon Powershot SX130 IS is the replacement for the SX120 IS, featuring a 12.1-megapixel sensor, 12x optical zoom with optical image stabilisation, and 720p HD video with stereo sound. Spanning a 35mm equivalent focal range of 28-336mm, the new zoom lens has Canon’s integrated optical Image Stabiliser on board for a claimed 3-stop advantage when shooting had held. You can even use the zoom in video mode thanks to a quiet zoom motor. For confident photographers who want more input into how they capture their images, full manual control allows them to individually control shutter speed and aperture to shoot with their chosen settings and create their own effects. Compatible with the new SDXC memory cards, the Canon Powershot SX130 IS is available from late August 2010, priced at £199.00/€229.00/$249.99.

The Canon Selphy CP800 is an ultra-compact photo printer that replaces the existing Canon Selphy CP780. The new Selphy CP800 features a simple user interface alongside a large-button layout and a tilting 6.2cm (2.5”) colour LCD screen. Photos can be selected quickly and easily and lab-quality 4x6” prints are produced in approximately 47 seconds. Prints are dry and ready for handling the second they leave the printer, and a special over-coating provides protection from spills and splashes, so they will remain rich and vivid for up to 100 years when stored in an album. The Canon Selphy CP800 is available from September 2010, priced at £99.00/€119.00/$99.99

Ricoh Japan has announced the Ricoh CX4, a digital compact camera with a 28-300mm equivalent superzoom lens, a 10-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, new creative filters and a newly developed subject-tracking AF system. The image stabilisation system has been enhanced to provide an approximately 3.7-stop advantage when shooting hand held and a “night landscape multi-shot mode” - whereby four frames are taken in rapid succession and then combined into one sharp, well-exposed, low-noise image - has been added. The new creative filters include Soft Focus, Cross Process and Toy Camera. The body design has also been altered and now features moulded curves that make it easier to slip the camera into your pocket. Ricoh plans to manufacture 50,000 CX4 cameras each month, with sales starting on 3rd September 2010 in Japan.

Life, Panoramic is a user-submitted photography blog, a city by city view of the world in which locals share their pictures and stories of home… wherever that may be. Photographers upload 12-15 photos of their hometowns along with brief, poetic descriptions of each shot. Rather than sifting through a collection of tourist horror stories or a travel brochure’s propaganda, the public is allowed an intimate view of each city thanks to a subjective, insider’s look. If a city has already been submitted, that’s not an issue. “Part of the fun is actually seeing how two different people view the same place. One thousand New Yorkers would show you New York one thousand different ways,” says Mark Wilson, editor of Life, Panoramic. “And indeed, we’ve already published two vastly different takes on the city.”

Website: Life, Panoramic

Published by Rocky Nook and distributed by O’Reilly, The Wild Side of Photography by Cyrill Harnischmacher is a book geared toward the adventurous photographer. From this book, you will learn build a shift/tilt lens for your DSLR from an old junkyard 120 film camera, try the camera toss, shoot images from a kite, use a peephole door viewer as a fisheye lens, or build your own pinhole camera. Each project is presented with easy to understand instructional text, background information about the author and the project, and beautiful colour images to illustrate what can be accomplished and how you can do it too. The 176-page book is available for $29.95.

PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo has announced its 2010 seminar, keynote and special events schedule at the Jacob Javits Center in New York from 28-30th October. This year’s seminars, special events, and keynote presentations will be conducted by many of the world’s most respected and successful imaging professionals including Chase Jarvis, Mark Power, Jasmine Starr, Joyce Tenneson, Lauren Greenfield, Liz Von Hoene, Mark Seliger, Jim Garner, and Albert Watson. Click through / read on for a list of keynote presentations and special events.

Burrard-Lucas Photography has launched a new Wildlife Photography contest. They are looking for images of wild animals that stand out from the crowd… maybe it will be a striking portrait that catches our eye or perhaps the image will reveal an interesting aspect of an animal’s behaviour. Photographs of animals in captivity are eligible for entry but photos of domestic animals such as pets and livestock are not. The deadline for entry of the Wildlife Photography Contest is 31st October 2010. Entry is free, and prizes to be won include a Canon EOS 7D digital SLR camera, a Lensbaby Composer and a SmugMug Pro account.