The Annenberg Space for Photography presents its next exhibit, Pictures of THE YEAR International (POYi), with images from one of the most prestigious photojournalism competitions in the world. With approximately 60 images, the print exhibit will cover 2009 with views of youth culture, soldiers’ stories, the continued economic crisis, environmental disasters, pop culture, and more. A separate digital exhibit will feature hundreds of additional winning images and will follow winning photojournalists ‘behind the lens’ in the field, such as- Barbara Davidson and Brian L. Frank. The exhibit will kick off June 24-25, 2010 with the POYi Education & Awards programme, a two-day event that includes presentations by the exhibited award-winning photojournalists. The Annenberg Space for Photography is located at 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, California and is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am-6pm.

Sony has launched its first mirrorless interchangeable-lens system cameras, the Sony NEX-5 and the Sony NEX-3. Both cameras feature 14.2-megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensors, 25-point contrast-detect autofocus systems, 49-segment exposure meters and 3-inch tilting LCD panels with 921,000-dot resolution. Both the NEX-3 and the NEX-5 can capture fast-moving action with a high-speed burst of full-resolution images at up to 7fps. The new Sony NEX cameras feature the new E mount, but can also take regular Sony ? lenses via the optional LA-EA1 adapter. The NEX-5 has a magnesium alloy body and shoots Full HD (1920 x1080i) video as high-quality AVCHD files. The NEX-3 captures 720p HD video as compact MPEG4 files that are claimed to be “ideal” for PC storage and web sharing. Although the cameras have no built-in flash, they both come supplied with a super-compact clip-on flash that attaches via an accessory terminal (there’s no hot shoe though). The NEX-5 and NEX-3 cameras from Sony will be available in the UK from June 2010.

Sony is developing an interchangeable-lens AVCHD camcorder that will be compatible with the new E-mount lenses developed for the Sony NEX-3 and NEX-5 cameras. Using the same Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor that is at the heart of those models, the new camcorder is planned to hit the shelves in autumn 2010.

The Canon IXUS 300 HS (called the SD4000 IS Digital ELPH in North America) is a premium compact featuring a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 28-106mm equivalent f/2.0-5.3 lens with image stabilisation, semi-manual exposure modes and 720p HD movie recording. The new Canon IXUS 300 HS is capable of taking full-resolution stills at up to 3.7 frames per second (fps), and 2.5-megapixel photos at up to 8.4fps. The number of pictures that can be taken in a burst is limited by the memory card’s capacity only. The Canon IXUS 300 HS features a 3in PureColor II G LCD screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, which incorporates a strong tempered glass outer layer, providing high contrast and wide-angle viewing. For moments that lend themselves to video, the Canon IXUS 300 HS offers 720p high-definition movie recording with stereo sound. The lens’ quiet drive system allows users to zoom during recording with minimum audio interference, while the optical image stabiliser can also be engaged to reduce the effects of camera shake in video footage. Extreme, fast-paced action can also be recorded using Super Slow Motion Movie mode, which captures at 240fps and plays back at a much slower 30fps, although at a meagre 320x240 pixels only. The Canon IXUS 300 HSwill be available across the UK and Ireland from the end of May 2010, priced at £379 / €419. In the USA, the camera is marketed under the name Canon Powershot SD4000 IS Digital ELPH, and retails for an estimated price of $349.99.

Hasselblad’s Phocus 2.5 for Apple computers allows users to import raw files from more than 150 DSLR cameras, and features support for most standard image file formats. The supported camera models include products from Canon, Nikon, Leica, Sony, Fuji, Olympus, and more. Photographers who use Leaf digital backs also benefit from this upgrade, with the inclusion of raw support for Leaf digital backs. Phocus 2.5 for Mac will be available for download from the Hasselblad website starting 19 May.

Jerusalem Always is a new book by renowned photographer Marcelo Bendahan. Written in English and Spanish, the book touches on all aspects of life in today’s Jerusalem including festivals, visits to the Western Wall, the co-existence of Ethiopians, Armenians, Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and more. Bendahan’s photos “capture the unique light of Jerusalem and convey not only a city full of history but also one brimming with life”. Jerusalem Always is available on www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.maestrobooks.nl/order.html and in bookstores throughout the United States and Canada.

The Natural World - Portraits of Earth’s Great Ecosystems is a new coffee-table book that explores, in panoramic format, six continents and ten ecosystems celebrating Earth’s diversity of life. With a foreword written by renowned primatologist and U.N. Messenger for Peace Dr. Jane Goodall, this book is a record of Earth’s last great places. Featuring Thomas D. Mangelsen’s panoramic photographs and excerpts from his journals detailing his experience in the field, is also a quiet call to action to conserve the land and the creatures that inhabit it. The 256-page hardback is scheduled to hit the shelves in September, priced at $75.00 USD / $88.00 CDN / £47.50.

Sony Electronics will be enhancing its lineup of Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX memory cards to increase transfer speeds. These new Memory Stick cards have a 30-megabytes-per-second transfer rate, making them Sony s fastest memory cards on the market. They are Sony s highest performance memory cards and are designed to support and enhance features of Sony hardware devices. Sold in capacities ranging from 8GB to 32GB, the HX series starts at $59.99. As a value-added benefit, all Memory Stick models include x-Pict Story software for easy on-line photo sharing, as well as data recovery software to enable file rescue.

Website: Sony Memory Media Portal

Fantasea Line has announced a range of new Fantasea Eyes products designed to be compatible with almost any housing in the market, including Fantasea, Canon, Fujifilm, Sony, Olympus, Sea&Sea and more. These include the BigEye FXF80/100/200 lenses and the EyeDaptor FXF80/100/200 adaptors for Fujifilm housings, BigEye and EyeDaptor MPK series for Sony housings and a number of products for the Canon S90 and G series cameras.

Website: Fantasea Eyes

The new Benro Travel Angel tripods are now available in the UK. Travel Angels feature a folded design that makes them easy to carry and up to 20% smaller than conventional tripod designs. Each Travel Angel tripod features a reversible centre column that gives added flexibility and provides additional shooting angles. The adjustable legs can be independently locked, and the rubber feet of the tripods can be removed to enable optional stainless steel spiked feet to be attached. The Benro Travel Angel tripods are sold by Kenro in the UK.

Website: Kenro

Canon UK has announced a new student cashback on the Canon EOs 7D and EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR cameras. UK and Irish photography students, lecturers and technicians purchasing either of these two models through the EOS Professional Network before 31 August 2010 can claum £75 / €85 cashback on the 7D and £150 / €180 on the 5D Mark II. Claims must be received by 1 October.

DxO Labs have launched DxO Optics Pro 6.2 for Windows and Mac, which supports Canon 550D and Sony Alpha DSLR-A450 in both its Standard and Elite editions, and the Canon 1D Mark IV and Nikon D3s in its Elite edition. In addition, 85 new DxO optical modules are now available to DxO Optics Pro users, supporting the following cameras: Canon 350D, 400D, 450D, 500D, 550D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 7D,1D Mark III, 1D Mark IV; Fuji S5 Pro; Nikon D3000, D40X, D50, D60, D90, D700, D3, D3s; Pentax K200D, K-7; and Sony A450. This brings the number of lens-camera combinations supported by DxO Optics Pro to 2000. The DxO Optics Pro 6.2 Standard edition costs £85, while the Elite edition is £179. These discounted prices are valid until 15 June 2010. All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro 5 or 6 after 1 June 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 6.2.

Bicycle Portraits - everyday South Africans and their bicycles is a photography book project initiated by Stan Engelbrecht and Nic Grobler. Described as “an investigation into South African bicycle culture”, the project involves photographs of, and interviews with, cyclists from all over South Africa. Engelbrecht and Grobler try to find out who the bikers are, why they ride bicycles, if and why they love their machines, and why so few South Africans choose these vehicles as a transport option. The two have set up a Kickstarter pledge page as an alternative way of raising funds by essentially taking pre-orders from an online community who want to see the project succeed. To find out more, check out the website below.

Website: Bicycle Portraits

This year, DCP Systems will be supporting the Manchester and Coventry events of the Photovision Roadshows. Now in their sixth year, the Photovision Roadshows aim to promote innovation and excellence in the photographic industry. The Manchester event will be held on 11 May, whereas the Coventry event takes place on 15 June. Both start at 11 a.m., but there will be free seminars for photographers starting at 10 a.m. DCP will be bringing with them a range of large-format printers for the photographic arena – including the Epson Stylus Pro 3880/4880 and the Epson Stylus Pro 7800/7900.

Website: Photovision Roadshows

Olympus Europe is releasing a silver version of the E-P2, which has until now only been available in black. This variant looks almost exactly like the E-P1, except that it has an accessory port for optional extras such as a detachable electronic viewfinder and microphones, just like the black version. Available from mid-May, the silver Olympus E-P2 comes bundled with a 14-42mm kit zoom.

According to Apple, the iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK on Friday, 28 May. Customers can pre-order all iPad models from Apple’s online store in all nine countries beginning on Monday, 10 May. The UK prices are £429 for 16GB, £499 for 32GB, £599 for 64GB (Wi-Fi models) and £529 for 16GB, £599 for 32GB and £699 for 64GB (Wi-Fi + 3G models).

WD today announced that the WD TV Live HD media player, featuring network capability and Full-HD 1080p resolution, is the first network media player compatible with Windows 7. Using the Windows 7 Play To feature, users can initiate and control the streaming of video, music or photos to the WD TV Live HD media player from any Windows 7-based PC on their network. Any compatible media file accessible from the PC – located either on the PC or the network – can be played to the WD TV Live by right clicking on the file name in the folder or directly from within Windows Media Player 12 and choosing the WD TV Live HD media player as the playback device. Current users will need to update their WD TV Live HD media player to the latest firmware in order to use the Windows 7 Play To feature. Instructions for updating the WD TV Live HD media player can be found at the website below.

Website: WD TV Live HD Firmware Update

Robert Doisneau might be best known for his black-and-white street photographs - but a new book, containing 100 archival, never-before-seen pictures proves that he was very much at home in colour photography too. In 1960, Doisneau was invited by Fortune magazine to cover Palm Springs, the hottest travel destination of the day. There, Doisneau took hundreds of photographs, twenty-three of which were published in the magazine. The rest have been rediscovered in his archives, and one hundred are featured in the book, Robert Doisneau: Palm Springs 1960, for the first time. The 156-page hardback will go on sale in September, priced at $34.95 USD / $39.95 CDN.

Impossible GmbH, the company behind The Impossible Project, has stated its stance on the recent announcement of the Polaroid 300 camera. In October 2009, The Impossible Project and the new licensee of the Polaroid brand – The Summit Global Group – announced the relaunch of some of the most famous Polaroid instant cameras; for which Impossible was supposed to develop and produce a limited edition of Polaroid branded instant films. In January 2010, Polaroid unveiled their plans of producing a new, classic instant camera, the PIC 1000. Then, at the end of April, they launched a completely different model, the Polaroid 300, essentially a rebranded Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S, which uses Fujifilm’s Instax Mini instant film and its Polaroid branded version. Marlene Kelnreiter, Communications and PR manager of Impossible, has told PhotographyBLOG that the “management of The Impossible Project finds this confusing and clearly wants to state that the Polaroid 300 is not the camera that has been announced in Polaroid’s Press Release from January 7, 2010, which would be compatible with Instant Film produced by Impossible.” Click through / read on to read the full statement.