X-Rite launches a Show Us Your Munki contest, featuring its ColorMunki product, designed to deliver color perfection in digital imaging. The Show Us Your Munki contest, which runs October 1, 2009–March 31, 2010, is simple. Make a side-splitting video with ColorMunki as a prominent “character”, and submit it on the X-Rite YouTube channel. Every month, prizes will be awarded to videos with the most views: 50USD (to buy your Munki a drink or two,) 150USD (to take your favorite Munki to dinner;) and 500USD (to take your Munki away for the weekend.) All monthly winners are eligible for the grand prize of 2,500USD, awarded at the end of the contest in March.

Website: Show Us Your Munki Competition

Pentax Imaging Company has announced plans organised by worldwide Pentaxians for a global photo shoot scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2009. Forum members at www.pentaxforums.com plan to shoot locally on that day and submit images to a central website. The global shoot “Pentax World Day” is not intended as a competition, but it is designed for the satisfaction of shooting and sharing images with other forum members. Photos may be submitted to the PENTAXForums.com User Photo Gallery. Access the gallery directly by clicking: User Photo Gallery - October 10, 2009. Directions:  Click the “Upload” link located in the navigation bar to add your photo (you need to be a registered user). You may submit up to three photos taken with a Pentax camera (film or digital, SLR or compact). Each photo’s largest dimension should be between 800 and 900 pixels.

Website: Pentax Forums User Photo Gallery - October 10, 2009

Joby, the designer of the Gorillapod line of unique camera tripods, has announced the Gorillamobile for 3G/3GS. Its flexible, wrappable legs enable the user to secure the Gorillamobile to virtually any surface. With four interchangeable quick-release adapters, including the addition of a custom engineered, slim line iPhone case, the Gorillamobile for 3G/3GS supports one’s entire collection of mobile devices., the company says. The Gorillamobile weighs 4.5 ounces, is 8-inches tall, has a US MSRP of $39.95 - $44.95, and features a one year limited warranty. The product is available in the US now, and will be available globally by the end of October.

The winners of the September 2009 Photography Blog Competition have been selected by a panel of judges. The theme for September was “Orange” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
I am french, and you !? by skweeky

Prize: i1Display 2
Kindly donated by X-Rite
http://www.xrite.com/

On 21 October 2009, professional photographer Will Cheung will host a workshop designed to introduce attendees to mains flash photography. Mr Cheung will demonstrate how to use mains flash, talk about lighting control basics, light positioning, how to use backgrounds, brollies, softboxes and a beauty dish. Attendees will practice using reflectors, metering and using one and two heads, and be given posing and composition tips. The workshop begins at 10am and lasts till 5.30pm; the location is Studio Anglesey Arms, Menai Bridge, Anglesey; and the price is £55 for Welshot Imaging Photographic Academy members, £70 for non-members. Booking is essential.

Website: Welshot Imaging Photographic Academy Mains Flash Workshop with Will Cheung

Today has been declared “International Film Buying Day”. The initiative, which originates on Facebook and Flickr, aims to “send a message to the photographic industry, the manufacturers and retailers, demonstrating that there remains a market segment still worth the investment”. Film aficionados are asked to buy as many rolls of their favourite film type as they can today, and join the movement’s Flickr group.

Website: International Film Buying Day on Facebook
Website: International Film Buying Day on Flickr

During the opening keynote at the Photoshop World Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, Scott Kelby unveiled the newest NAPP member benefit, H.E.L.P. (How-to Educational Library for Photoshop). If you’ve ever wondered what a particular checkbox, tool, filter, or option was in Adobe Photoshop, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) set out to show you just that in short <60-second videos. NAPP also launched a new project for people who are brand new to Photoshop, to help them get up to speed fast, with 2009 NAPP Photoshop Hall of Fame inductee Dave Cross as their personal guide and trainer. H.E.L.P. is free for NAPP members and is available on the NAPP member website.

Hama has introduced the new Rexton series of robust, stable and water-resistant camera cases.  Six sizes are available in the following colour combinations: black, black/blue, black/red and black/white. They have zips with extra rubber inlasys on the lid and front compartment, a cleverly thought-out rain cover and padded internal side walls with adjustable inner dividers, and a separate protective insert.  Compartments and pockets are marked with small images, which instantly describe their use and content. The new Rexton camera cases are priced from €54.99 to €99.99 (SRP), depending on size.

Sony today announced the development of a single-lens 3D camera technology capable of recording natural and smooth 3D images of even fast-moving subject matter such as sports, at 240 frames per second. The introduction of a single-lens system resolves any issues that may occur as a result of having different optical characteristics for each eye, the company says. Also, by developing a 240fps frame rate CMOS image sensor with properties close to the human eye, which is capable of capture natural images of even fast moving subject matter, Sony has allegedly succeeded in further enhancing the quality of 3D images. The combination of Sony’s new single lens 3D system and its 240fps high frame rate technology has realised a single-lens 3D camera system, based on universal properties of the human eye, which enables natural and smooth 3D movies. Sony aims to bring 3D to the home in 2010.

NTi has announced the immediate availability of NTi Backup Now 5.5, the newest version of its backup and recovery software for Windows, including Windows 7, office and home networks, desktop and notebook PCs. NTi Backup Now v5.5 offers a host of new support and convenience features as well as backup performance enhancements. The program comes in two editions, Standard and Advanced, with the Advanced edition being able tow backup all available PCs in a network. All editions of Backup Now v5.5 also offer individual file/folder backup to virtually any system-attached drives, including USB flash, mobile storage devices, internal and external hard drives, NAS devices, and more. The Standard and Advanced Editions of NTi Backup Now v5.5 are available from authorized NTi resellers worldwide as well as major online retailers with suggested retail prices of $29.99 (Standard) to $79.99 (Advanced). Version 5.5 is a free upgrade for existing version 5.x users.

Olympus have launched three promotions on select Four Thirds bodies and lenses. Those purchasing an Olympu E-30 digital SLR can choose to receive either a free HLD-4 power battery holder or FL-36R wireless external flash. If you opt to purchase an Olympus E-620 DSLR instead, you can claim a spare BLS-1 battery to go with it. And if you buy a Zuiko Digital lens, you can expect a cashback of €30 - €120, depending on lens. Participating lenses include the 7-14mm f4,  14-35mm f2 SWD (read review), 35-100mm f2, 150mm f2, 8mm f3.5 fisheye, 50-200mm f2.8-3.5, 9-18mm f4-5.6, 70-300mm f4-5.6, 18-180mm f3.5-6.3, EC-20 teleconverter and 35mm f3.5 macro. All three offers are valid from today until 31 January 2010. To learn more about these promotions and see if you are eligible, visit the website below.

Website Olympus Promotional Offers

Fujifilm U.S.A. has announced the immediate availability of the Finepix Real 3D system in the US. The FinePix REAL 3D system consists of the 3D digital camera, FinePix REAL 3D W1, a 3D digital viewer, FinePix REAL 3D V1, and 3D prints. Featuring the newly developed “FinePix REAL 3D Lens System,” the FinePix REAL 3D W1 has dual Fujinon lenses that layer together two images. An aluminium die-cast frame protects the 3X optical zoom lenses from vibration and impact for ultimate accuracy. The “Real Photo Processor 3D” synchronises data passed to it by the two lenses and two CCD sensors, to determine shooting conditions such as focus, brightness and tonality to instantaneously blend this information into a single symmetrical image for both still photos and movies. The FinePix REAL 3D V1 digital 3D viewer features Fujifilm’s newly developed 3D/2D display 8.0-inch LCD panel. This allows users to enjoy and playback 3D images without the need for special 3D glasses. The FinePix REAL 3D W1 Digital Camera and REAL 3D V1 Digital Viewer are available through ShopFujifilm.com.  Prints will also be available, starting mid-October, through SeeHere.com, Fujifilm’s photo printing, gifting and sharing web site, for $6.99.

We’ll be bringing you a review of the Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W1 camera later today.

Elliott Landy, official photographer for the original Woodstock Music Festival, has just released a new, 224-page, hardcover edition of Woodstock Vision-The Spirit Of A Generation featuring 300 of his classic rock images from the late sixties. This new collection of his work features famous photographs of Bob Dylan (Nashville Skyline), The Band (Music From Big Pink) and Van Morrison (Moondance) as well as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and many other greats. It also includes photo-journalistic images of sixties peace demonstrations and a series of offbeat, humorous celebrity photographs. The new book, as well as signed, Fine Art Prints of Elliott’s classic images, can be ordered online at the website below. His Archival Pigment Prints are made on Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Baryta inkjet paper.

Website: Ladyvision

Following an extensive period of negotiations with HSBC, Jessops plc has agreed a solvent restructuring of Jessops Group Limited, its principal trading company, which will “place that business on a sound financial footing for the future”. The restructuring proposal, achieved with the support of HSBC, will enable Jessops to continue with business as usual. Importantly, the restructuring will protect 2,000 jobs directly, as well as others in the supply chain, the company says. Under the restructuring, Jessops main operating company is being sold to a newly formed company, Snap Equity Limited, which will be 47 per cent owned by HSBC. In exchange, HSBC will forgive £34m of debt owed by Jessops plc.

Ohanaware announced the immediate availability of their new HDR Photography software “HDRtist” for the Macintosh platform.  HDRtist is easy to use HDR software that creates HDR photos and tone maps them in a single step. An intuitive design makes it simple to choose from our 4 different tone mapping techniques.  To celebrate the launch of HDRtist, Ohanaware is offering 20% off its Mac OS X photo editing software “Funtastic Photos”. HDRtist is available today as freeware, requiring only a Power Macintosh G5 or Intel based Macintosh computer, running Mac OS X v 10.4 or later. The Funtastic Photos promotion is available from today, throughout the month of October 2009. 20% off reduces the price of a single user licence from $34.99 down to $27.99.

Acronis released today their first backup and recovery software optimised for netbooks’ screen size and unique hardware configuration. Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition delivers the patented disk-imaging technology and bare metal restore technologies of the Acronis True Image family combined with an option for online backup. From its intuitive graphical interface, users can back up their entire disk locally and to any attached device. One-Click Protection and powerful scheduler allows users to simply create and automate regular backups. Acronis® True Image Home Netbook Edition supports Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Home and XP Professional operating systems and requires a minimum screen resolution of 1024x600. The new software supports netbooks that use Intel’s Atom 230, 330, N270, N280, Z500, Z510, Z520, Z530, and Z540 chips or the VIA C7-M chip. Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition, priced at £23.95, can be downloaded at the website below.

Website: Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition

Topaz Labs have announced the release of Topaz ReMask, a fast and highly efficient Photoshop plug-in for masking and cutting out digital images. Masking and cutting out image elements are very common tasks among photographers and graphic designers, but the process is generally repetitive and slow, especially when it comes to intricate details like hair and fur. Topaz ReMask’s advanced technology operates by using a tri-map, or user-generated mask-map, made up of three tones: white, black and gray. Users are able to quickly define the elements in their image that they want to keep using white; elements they want to get rid of using black; and elements that they want ReMask to figure out using gray. Topaz ReMask is available for a 30-day free trial, with the full version being priced at $69.99.

Website: Topaz ReMask

Samsung Digital Imaging is launching a £2m multi-discipline advertising campaign this week, featuring a heavyweight TV campaign to support Samsung’s new 2View products. The campaign, comprising TV, print and online activity, will focus on the recently launched ST500 and ST550 cameras, which feature the world’s first front and back LCD screens. The dual LCD screens offer photography enthusiasts a unique opportunity to perfect their self-portraits and this feature will be central to the advertising campaign.