Canon UK has announced a cashback offer on the Canon EOS 450D digital SLR camera for residents of the EU. Those buying the 450D in any configuration from now until 30 April 2010 can claim up to £30 / €35 cashback. Claims must be received by 28 May 2010. This promotion is only available on purchases made in the UK or the Republic of Ireland from participating retailers.

Website: Canon EOS 450D Cashback Claim Form

Israeli photographer Netanel Hadad has won the Carl Zeiss photo contest on ‘digital culture’ for his work entitled “The digital blind date” (see above). “The picture won because it deals with a tough topic beautifully and creatively. There’s great atmosphere in this image,” says photographer Edith Held from Berlin, who assessed the contest entries. “The photographer plays with the details and thus renders the story into the image perfectly. I really like the idea behind it.” Hadad’s image was created with a Hasselblad camera and Planar T * 2/80. The picture was inspired by his personal experience. ”I met my wife through the Internet. Fortunately there are no geographic boundaries on the Web. Now I can finally capture how strongly the digital culture has influenced our lives.”

Wacom has unveiled the newly-redesigned Wacom Cintiq 21UX sporting a 21.3” screen. “The new Cintiq 21UX detects 2048 levels of pressure, giving you even more control over pressure-sensitive pen effects such as line weight, opacity, and exposure. With Wacom’s new Tip Sensor, the pen now features a lower activation force that captures even the most subtle nuances of pressure,” the company claims. Boasting a resolution of 1600x1200 pixels and an aspect ratio of 4:3, the Wacom Cintiq 21UX is available now priced at $1999. The price includes the device itself with a display stand and three pieces of software, Corel Painter Sketch Pad, Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 WE6 and Wacom Brushes 3.0.

Olympus America has announced that the Olympus E-PL1 system camera is now shipping. Sporting a stabilised 12.3-megapixel LiveMOS sensor, the Olympus E-PL1 weighs in at only 296 grams without a lens, battery or memory card. Other highlights include a Supersonic Wave Filter for automated sensor cleaning, a sensitivity range of ISO 100-3200, 3fps continuous shooting for up to 10 raw images, HDMI and USB 2.0 connectivity, and auto gradation adjustment to prevent blown highlights and blocked-in shadows. The suggested retail price is $599.99, and Olympus America has launched a store finder to help you locate a dealer near you.

Website: Olympus E-PL1 US Store Finder

Olympus has issued a firmware update for the Olympus E-P1 system camera. Version 1.3 resolves an issue in firmware version 1.2 where the electronic level gauge did not move when using manual focus. For update instructions, pay a visit to the website below.

Website: Firmware Update Service

FilmMakerAccessories are launching a new line of affordable professional film/video, DSLR, and other camera related accessories. The new line of products features the SD Camera Brace which is for use with video DSLR cameras, including the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EOS Rebel T1i, Nikon D90, Nikon D300s et al. The fully adjustable SD Camera Brace delivers cinema-grade support for $249, including numerous ¼” - 20 threads to mount optional accessories like batteries and wireless devices, all wrapped into one highly stylistic and modern design, the company says. The SD Camera Brace for DSLRs is available for immediate purchase from filmmakeraccessories.com and from selected resellers.

Website: HabbyCam

Epson has launched two large-format printers - the Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 - and announced it had joined forces with Ricoh Americas Corporation to sell these printers exclusively in North America. The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 (24-inch) and Epson Stylus Pro 9700 (44-inch) incorporate the company’s latest achievements in high-performance ink jet printing. The extreme precision, speed and image quality achieved by MicroPiezo TFP print heads and the benefits of Epson UltraChrome Vivid Magenta Inks position these printers to deliver an unprecedented level of printing technology, Epson says. The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 are currently available at a suggested retail price of $2,995 and $4,995, respectively. (These printers have already been launched in Britain; the UK prices are £2,395 and £4,795 sans VAT.)

Zen and the Magic of Photography is a new book geared toward helping photographers develop their visual awareness, sensitivity, and intuition. Topics covered include the relationship between Zen and photography, the two essential elements in every photograph, the art of photographic analysis, experiencing Zen through photography and photography through Zen, experiencing the creative process and photographic examples of the points of intersection and merging between photography and Zen. Priced at $24.95, Zen and the Magic of Photography is a 112-page book written by Wayne Rowe.

Photo Iconic is running two short image workshops at the Intrepid Travel store in Islington, London, this month. Each course will be taught by professional travel photographer and founder of the international Travel Photographer of the Year awards, Chris Coe. The first workshop, Digital Photography Made Easy (starting at 6.30pm on 17 March), aims to cut through the confusion of the endless digital menu options, show participants how to set up their cameras, guide them through the important settings, explain the different file formats and other considerations to help them get the best out of their digital camera. The other one, Shoot like a Pro (6.30pm-8.30pm on 24 March), will look at how to go about earning a living as a travel photographer, starting with the images which sell. Chris Coe will examine potential markets for travel photography, how to prepare images for selling and how to set about finding potential customers. The workshop will cover print sales, published images and the internet, and will look at potential markets from both stock and commissioned images. Each workshop costs £40 and all participants will receive £50 worth of discount vouchers from Intrepid Travel and a £20 discount voucher for other Photo Iconic photography courses in 2010. To book a place a workshop or the Challenge, visit the booking page on the Photo Iconic website.

Website: Photo Iconic

The Lomography Gallery Store LA has announced a range of events revolving about the upcoming Oscar night. First up, they’ve got a competition - fill out an Oscar ballot, and if you pick the most winners, you can take home a free Oktomat. This is Lomography’s version of an analogue mini-movie camera, and the Lomography Store is organising a free workshop on how to turn your multi-lens photos into mini-movies. Also, with every purchase you make on 7 March 2010, you receive a free Lomography Camera Keychain. On the same day, they are organising a live telecast and an Oscar afterparty featuring drinks, a Lomo presentation and the announcement of the competition winners. The Lomography Gallery Store is located at 7998 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood.

Website: Lomography

HP has announced that it will show its latest product portfolio, demonstrated in a live photo shoot environment for production of premium quality photo applications, at Focus On Imaging. An HP Media Scientist will provide demonstrations of how to increase creativity in print, through better understanding of available HP media, and how photographers and photo labs can use HP media and inkjet technology together to produce exciting results, that add value to their work/business offering. HP will hold on-stand seminars featuring industry-leading photographer, Donovan Wylie, and daily live on-stand shoots by Keith Thompson and Robin Preston. These industry experts will demonstrate how professional photographers, amateurs and retail publishers are using HP Designjet Z3200 and HP Designjet Z2100 Photo Printers, to exhibit work, sell prints or even print personal photographic imagery.

Music photographer Dean Chalkley will unveil his latest exhibition, The New Faces, in London on 4 March. The New Faces is the study of eight young ‘Modernists’, young men and women bound together by their shared passion for smart dressing and great dancing and R’n’B. Chalkley has acquired the help of East London-based photographic print studio theprintspace to produce the photographs on high quality Hahnemühle Photorag paper. theprintspace’s Max Munton said, “Chalkley has set milestones in photographing Music, Fashion and Subcultures . The New Faces is no different, perfectly capturing a familiar, but at the same time very hip and evolving ‘scene’ rooted in the past but growing and evolving in this modern age.“ The New Faces opens at The Book Club with a private view on 4 March.

The team of expert landscape photographers at Light & Land has announced a new tour to the Isles of Scilly. A unique island paradise located just a short hop off the Cornish coast, the beautiful archipelago of Scilly lies low in the crystal clear water and provides a feast of photographic opportunities – from tranquil white sandy beaches to exposed granite shores with crashing waves. The tour is based in St Mary’s, the main island of Scilly. For more information on these workshops contact the Light & Land office on 01432 839111.

Website: Light & Land

Those who buy a Mamiya DM40, DM33 or DM56 DSLR kit from an authorised Mamiya Digital Dealer in the USA between now and 30 April 2010 can choose one of two zoom lenses for free. These inclide the Mamiya AF 55-110mm f/4.5 and the AF 105-210mm f/4.5, each of which represents a $2371 value according to Mamiya. Consumers who purchase either a Mamiya DM28 or DM22 DSLR kit can in turn receive a free Mamiya AF 55mm f/2.8 wide-angle prime lens.

Mamiya has announced the price of the new, 40-megapixel Mamiya DM40 medium-format DSLR camera. The Mamiya DM40, which features two user-selectable shutter systems, a peak capture rate of 0.8 seconds per frame and a sustained capture rate of 60 frames per minute, can be yours for $21,990 in a bundle with the 80mm f/2.8D lens and Capture One / Leaf Capture software. While this might seem extremely steep to us mere mortals, the Mamiya DM40’s nearest competitor - the 37.5-megapixel Leica S2 - actually costs more without a lens. The Mamiya DM40 digital SLR camera will be shipped to retailers later this month.

Via 1001 Noisy Cameras

The much-anticipated firmware upgrade for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, which enables 24 and 25fps movie recording with this DSLR camera, has been announced. Additionally, a new histogram display for shooting movies in manual exposure, shutter-priority (Tv) and aperture-priority (Av) has been added, and exposure modes will also be available in movie mode. Improved audio functionality will allow users to set sound record levels manually using a sound-level meter displayed on the LCD screen. The audio sampling frequency has also been increased from 44.1KHz to 48KHz, providing the optimum audio signal typically required for professional or broadcast material. The firmware (v2.0.3) will be available as a free download from mid-March from the Canon website.

PhotographyBB announced today the release of the 25th edition of the PhotographyBB Online Magazine. This two-year anniversary edition examines the role of amateur photographers looking to break into the professional realm, along with the impact on the photography industry. Additionally, portraiture and flash lighting techniques are featured, along with a guide on what to look for when purchasing a new lens. They also continue their detailed look at some of the new features in the Lightroom 3 beta release, including the Watermarking Tools and the new Identity Plate. Finally, in their Photography Around the World feature, they take readers to Canada for a trip through the Canadian Rockies. From the wildlife to the icefields, you’ll get a great look at the spectacular scenery which British Columbia and Alberta have to offer. PhotographyBB Magazine is a free download from the website below.

Website: PhotographyBB Magazine

Kata has unveiled its camera bag collections for 2010. In the course of the year, Kata will be introducing three new innovative collections which pledge to be the lightest and most protective photo/video bags. The three collections include state-of-the-art ultra-light pro bags that “embody the ultimate essences of Lightweight Protection without compromises”, pro-light bags that “cater to the smallest detail of a professional photographer and videographer needs”, and the so-called D-light bags designed for hobbyists.