Leica Camera have made five exciting announcements at Photokina 2018, including a groundbreaking, industry-setting L-mount, a new mobile application, Leica FOTOS, the Leica S3, firmware updates and a new color option for the Leica CL.

• Leica L Mount: A first-of-its-kind pioneered by Leica in strategic alliance with Panasonic and SIGMA, the Leica L-Mount allows for a nearly limitless array of creative options by combining different interchangeable lenses with cameras featuring different sensor formats.
• Leica S3: The brand new Leica S3 medium format camera features a striking increase in resolution and impeccable performance in any lighting situation.
• Leica FOTOS: New mobile application Leica FOTOS enables Leica photographers to instantly transfer photos from a camera to a phone, as well as features an immersive viewing experience that allows photographers to assess and edit every detail of a raw image, including exposure.
• Leica CL Silver: The Leica CL, a versatile, fast and compact system camera, is now available in a sleek silver finish.
• Exciting Firmware updates are now available for Leica SL-System, Leica S (Typ 007), Leica M10 and Leica M10-P.

After 25 minutes, the Sony Photokina press conference has finished, and Sony have announced...animal Eye AF. Nature photographers rejoice, as Eye AF for the bird animal world will be released sometime in the near future (early 2019).

The Vuze XR Camera makes immersive content creation possible in 360° and VR180, both in 5.7K, all from one compact device, for just $439 / £399. Shipping in late November, the Vuze XR Camera enables consumers and prosumers to create and share immersive experiences in 360° (2D) or VR180 (3D) formats, both in 5.7K resolution.

The new Ricoh GR III 24 megapixel high-end digital compact camera is being previewed at Photokina 2018. Currently under development, the Ricoh GRIII inherits the basic GR-series concept, but it incorporates totally new devices in its main components, including a newly designed 28mm f/2.8 lens, a new 24.24 megapixel image sensor, and a new imaging engine.

The new sensor incorporates both a three-axis sensor-shift stabilization system and phase detection AF, neither of which the previous Ricoh GR II model offered, and the GR III will also feature a touchscreen LCD for the first time in the series. On the video side, 1080/60p is now supported (but not 4K) and there's a USB-C port.

The Ricoh GRIII is scheduled to be launched in early 2019.

The new Fujifilm Instax Square SQ20 will replace the SQ10 hybrid instax/digital camera. The Fuji SQ20 adds a selfie screen on the front, has a 33.4 mm F/2.4 lens, can focus as close as 8cms from the subject, and comes in Beige or Black colourways.

The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ20 will be available in Beige or Matt Black for £179.99 from October 20th, 2018.

Nassari360 is a revolutionary new on-line software tool which allows you to produce immersive and exciting stories by embedding your photographs, video and audio into a 360 image, to create an interactive experience.

The Instant Print Camera for iPhone is a printer case that actually attaches to an iPhone and turns it into an instant printing, photo-making marvel. The Lifeprint Instant Print Camera for iPhone will be available for sale beginning Sept. 25, 2018, at $149.99 exclusively at Apple.com and Apple Stores worldwide.

The Phottix Juno TTL Flash has a Guide Number of 60 with TTL, Manual and Stroboscopic modes, and an adjustable flash head that can zoom to 200mm. The Phottix Juno TTL Transceiver Flash for Canon will debut in October, followed by Sony and Nikon models in the coming months.

Phottix have also announced the new Odin Z Operating System which adds cutting-edge options and technologies such as auto-switching to their flashguns. The Odin Z Operating System will be available for download in mid-October for Canon and Nikon compatible Phottix products.

ProGrade Digital has introduced professional grade microSDXC memory cards, plus two additional USB 3.1, Gen. 2 dual-slot workflow readers, at Photokina 2018.

Kodak have today announced that one of its most iconic film stocks - Ektachrome - is now shipping, 18 months after it was first announced. Ektachrome film, available from Kodak Alaris, will immediately begin shipping to distributors and stock house dealers worldwide. The new film will initially be available in 135/36x camera format and is expected to be a favorite among professional and enthusiast photographers alike.

Skylum have posted a short video showcasing Luminar with its upcoming image catalog (DAM), which will be released in December 2018. The video demonstrates how quickly the image browsing works in Luminar, which could become a serious rival to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom with the addition of digital asset management.

"Here’s a quick speed test of the new Luminar with the support of image browsing. Stay tuned for more news. The new update is coming later this year for both Mac and PC, and will be free for all the current owners of Luminar 2018. More updates are coming soon…"

This update is free for all Luminar 2018 users. There will be NO paid upgrade to Luminar 2019.

The Photokina 2018 photographic show takes place this week in Cologne, Germany, and Photography Blog is here to cover all the latest news.

Sony, Leica, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Nikon, Canon and Olympus all have press conferences scheduled for tomorrow, and there are rumors of new products from several other major manufacturers too, so stay tuned and make sure to visit Photography Blog for the latest developments.

You can also find further Photokina coverage on our social media accounts:

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The Irix 150mm f/2.8 MACRO 1:1 lens is designed for full frame cameras with the Nikon F, Canon EF, and Pentax K mount. The Irix 150mm f / 2.8 Macro 1:1 lens is the first model available in the new version with the Dragonfly finish, in which the aluminium frame has been enclosed in an external structure made of aluminium-magnesium alloys and composite elements. Information on availability and prices will be provided at a later date.

DJI has appointed French aerial photographer and film director Yann Arthus-Bertrand as a DJI Master. For the first time ever, the legendary artist decided to deploy DJI drone and cinematic camera technology while shooting the film “Woman.”

To mark the launch of the DJI Pro brand, DJI is launching the series “DJI Masters – The Power of Visual Storytelling,” featuring three of the world’s most accomplished imaging pioneers, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Claudio Miranda, and Rodney Charters.

Venus Optics have unveil 8 new and unique Laowa lenses, including the 25-100 T/2.9 Professional Cine lens, the first professional cinema style zoom lens offered by the company. Together with the 4 new lenses showed earlier in Beijing P&E, a total of 12 new Laowa lenses will make their European debut at Photokina next week.

All 12 new lenses will make their European debut in Venus Optics’ booth (Hall 2.1, D-040) at Photokina, Cologne during 26th-29th Sept. Pricing and ship date are to be confirmed.

IRIX lenses have posted a teaser video on YouTube for a mysterious new product dubbed "Dragonfly", due to be unveiled next week at Photokina 2018.

Could it be a brand new lens family to go with their current Firefly and Blackstone ranges? Or maybe their first ever Sony E-mount lens? We won't have too long to find out now...

Update 1: Second and third IRIX teaser videos have just been posted, although they don't give anything away other than confirming that it will be a new IRIX lens.

Update 2: A fourth video confirms that IRIX are launching a new macro lens - the Irix #mm f/# Macro 1:1 - designed for full frame cameras. The focal length and full specs will be announced on Monday 24th September.

The Samsung Galaxy J6+ and J4+ smartphones offer a stunning design and display, enhanced camera and high-performance credentials, at an ultra-accessible price point.

The Galaxy J6+ features a 13MP and 5MP Dual Camera, allowing consumers to capture a natural Bokeh effect with their shots. Both devices also feature a large F1.9 aperture lens (13MP) that lets more light in.

The new Galaxy J6+ is available in three stylish colours: Black, Grey and Red. The Galaxy J4+ is offered in Black, Gold and Pink.

Something big is planned for ON1 Photo RAW next week, with a live announcement on September 25th. VP of Product Dan Harlacher will be sharing the big news. He will have lots of great information to share about the future of ON1.

The Leica SOFORT Black is a matte black finished instant film camera. This edition has the same popular features and functions of the existing Leica Sofort models, which already come in white and mint. The Leica SOFORT black is a fantastic way to rediscover instant photography, allowing each photographer quick and easy access to taking pictures.

The camera offers a plethora of functional modes, which offer different time exposures and delays, automatic exposure and aperture adaption, ensuring the best results every time. Additionally, users have full control of the flash and focusing functions of the camera, allowing for a custom experience with each use.

Black and white as well as color film are available for the SOFORT, as well as additional accessories including carrying straps and cases. The Leica SOFORT Black is now available for $299.

Fotodiox have annnounced the Canon EF to Fujifilm GFX Fusion Smart AF Adapter. The EF-GFX Fusion Smart AF Lens adapter will allow users to mount Canon EF lenses to Fujifilm GFX bodies (pictured) while retaining autofocus, in-camera aperture control, lens image stabilization and recording lens EXIF data to the camera.