Canon today announced the launch of the PIXMA iP4700 A4 printer.  Finished in smart gloss black with gunmetal highlights, the PIXMA iP4700 delivers several new or improved features for 2009. These include intelligent, easy image correction with Auto Photo Fix II, smart and simple webpage clipping with Easy-WebPrint EX, faster, better photo lab quality prints and advanced media handling and connectivity. The iP4700 is available from late September 2009 priced at £109.00 / €129.00 RRP inc. VAT.

The team at Annabel Williams’ Contemporary Photographic Training has announced a new course called Flawless Digital Enhancement. Trainer and photographer Stewart Randall will show you how to work within the digital darkroom to retouch an image without overdoing things.With the approach that ‘less can be more’ you will learn the tricks of the trade – enabling you to remove the odd wrinkle or eye bag easily and quickly, whether it’s for the perfect wedding portrait, or for those clients who want high fashion, super-model style. The seminar takes place at the brand new Annabel Williams studio at Staveley in the glorious Lake District on 13th November 2009. For full details visit www.annabelwilliams.com or contact the studio on 01539 821791.

Fodor’s Travel and Tourism Ireland have announced the co-sponsorship of a travel photography contest, “Show Us Your Ireland.” From August 17 through September 21, North American visitors to Fodors.com will have the opportunity to upload and share their favourite photos and experiences of the Emerald Isle with other travellers. One grand prize winner will have his or her photograph featured in the next edition of Fodor’s Ireland and will receive a suite of Fodor’s latest full-colour guides. Ten runners up will win two Fodor’s guides of their choice and all winning photos will be featured in an online gallery at Fodors.com. Photo submissions will be accepted at Fodors.com through September 21, 2009. The contest is open to legal Canadian (excluding Quabec) and US residents aged 18 or older only. As always, you are advised to read the rules before entering your work.

In the UK, the blue version of the recently announced Fujifilm Finepix A170 will be sold exclusively by Jessops. Priced at £79, the Fuji Finepix A170 in blue is a 10.2 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom and 2.7”LCD screen. Encased in a stylish bright blue body and powered by two standard AA batteries, the A170 comes fully equipped with automatic scene recognition, face detection, picture stabilisation and panorama mode which allows up to three consecutive images to be seamlessly stitched together to create a single photo.The Fuji Finepix A170 in blue is available now at your local Jessops store or online at www.jessops.com .

Internet Archive has announced that high resolution files are available for download directly its the NASAimages.org website. The improved download features offer a choice of high or low resolution files for still images, allowing users to select the version best suited for their needs. NASA signed a Space Act Agreement with Internet Archive to create NASAimages.org so that NASA’s vast imagery collection would be more accessible to the public. Internet Archive’s NASAimages.org allegedly offers the first comprehensive collection of NASA imagery in a single, searchable on-line location, providing enthusiasts, researchers, news media and the general public easy, no-cost access to NASA’s vast collection of still and video imagery.

Website: NASA Images

Datacolor is offering all users of its Spyder3 colorimeter system a discount on its Spyder3TV software to properly calibrate their colour TVs. Whether your TV is a flat screen LCD, plasma, RPTV, DLP, conventional (colour tubes) or projection, users can now get the same colour accuracy in image reproduction from their television using the special SpyderTV software application. The Spyder3TV software kit includes a software CD, test pattern DVDs (for PAL and NTSC) and a Quick Start Guide at retail outlets for $79.00 or as a download option direct from Datacolor for $59.00.  Users who purchase the download version can burn the software and test images directly to a DVD. Note that the Spyder3TV software kit (retail kit or download) can only be used by customers who already own a Spyder3Pro, Spyder3Elite, or have access to either.

Direct Source Marketing, the sole U.S. distributor of Horseman photo products, has announced the Horseman VCC Pro, a device that offers full bellows function, a variety of technical movements, and gives a DSLR large format view camera functions. The VCC Pro is described as a breakthrough because it does the only thing DSLR’s can’t do—technical movements. Compact and lightweight, the new Horseman camera converter comes in models for Nikon and Canon Digital SLR’s. Both VCC models give the end user control of both the front and rear standard, and allows them to use tilt, swing, shift, fall, rise or any combination of these. The VCC also provides four-frame stitching with a full-frame / FX imager. This makes for extremely high resolution images equivalent to those produced by professional high end digital backs. Inaccuracies between successive pictures are held to an absolute minimum, making post-editing an easy task. The Horseman VCC Pro is manufactured in Japan and will be available at professional photo dealers.

Prestigio has announced the return of its International Photographic Award. The contest is open to amateur and professional photographs from all backgrounds, ages and levels of experience, and will be held from September 15th until November 30th 2009. To be eligible, all pictures must illustrate one of Prestigio’s brand values: Elegance, Performance or Inspiration. All pictures will be evaluated by a panel of professionals, and the most creative work will receive the Prestigio Grand Prix, $1000 cash prize. The Prestigio Corporate team will also decide upon the best picture in each category, and each winner will be awarded with $300 cash prize and a selected Prestigio product.

In the wake of the recent price / availability announcements, Leica now unveiled the full specifications of the Leica S2 and four S-system lenses. The Leica S2 is a new interchangeable-lens DSLR with a sensor that is 56% bigger than a conventional “full-frame” imager. The first prototypes were shown to us at Photokina 2008, and availability is now slated for October 2009. Highlights include a 37.5-megapixel Kodak CCD with a claimed 12 stops of dynamic range, a metal focal-plane shutter with a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 second, fast auto-focus, a large and high-eye-point TTL optical viewfinder with 0.86x magnification, interchangeable focusing screens, CompactFlash and SDHC compatibility, an HDMI port and a 3-inch rear screen with 460,000 pixels and optional sapphire glass. The Leica S2 will be available at an SRP of £15,996 from selected authorised dealers. The Leica S2-P, which includes the sapphire glass display and comes with a Platinum service package, is priced at £19,092.

Casio have revealed the twelve-megapixel Casio EX-Z90 and Casio EX-Z450 digital compact cameras with Intelligent AF and improved Dynamic Photo functionality. In addition to usual face detection, just by pointing the camera at a desired shot, Intelligent AF automatically detects non-human photo subjects in the whole composition and determines the focus and exposure area. So when taking a picture of a pet or even scenery, Intelligent AF can help minimise the number of photos that have an out-of-focus subject, thanks to the high-speed image processing technology and image analysis technology of the EXILIM Engine 4.0, the company claims. Compact enough to fit into the palm of a hand, the Casio Exilim EX-Z90 (see picture above) has a 3x zoom lens; while the Casio Exilim EX-Z450 boasts a 28-112mm zoom lens plus a 3” rear screen, and throws CCD-shift image stabilisation into the mix. The EX-Z450 will have an MSRP of $199.99 and will be offered in champagne. The EX-Z90 will have an MSRP of $149.99 and will be available in pink and black.

Casio Europe have just announced the twelve-megapixel Casio Exilim EX-Z280 digital compact camera with a 26-104 mm equivalent zoom lens and CCD-shift image stabilisation. The Casio EX-Z280 also offers face detection, complemented by a “make-up” function, an AF tracking function that can remember faces and resume tracking them even if the subject leaves the frame and then reappears, and HD movie recording at 1280x720 pixels. The EX-Z280, available this September 2009, will have an MSRP of $179.99 and will be offered in a silver body color.

To offer a greater selection to suit the diverse needs of different customers, Transcend Information, Inc. recently released a brand new Anti-Shock USB Flash Drive—the JetFlash V70. The drive is made out of a durable eco-friendly rubber that makes it highly resistant to survive shock, splashes and dust. Currently available in 16GB (Red), 8GB (Orange) and 4GB (Purple) capacities, the JetFlash V70 carries Transcend’s lifetime warranty.

Verve Gallery of Photography has announced Reverie & Rhapsody, an exhibition exploring “dreams, memory and time, and the rhythm of contemplation and mystery that is held within all three”. The three-person exhibition includes Verve gallery artists Susan Burnstine, Susan kae Grant and Beth Moon. The Opening Reception is held on Friday, August 28, 2009 from 5-7pm. There will be a Gallery Talk with Photographers Beth Moon and Susan Burnstine on Friday, August 28 from 3-5pm, and with Photographer Susan kae Grant and Composer Sarah Alexander on Saturday, August 29 from 2-4pm. The exhibition is on view through Saturday, November 7, 2009.

Shutterfly’s Picture Perfect Summer microsite provides suggestions for vacationers on everything from the best light for the best pictures to how to complete fun, vacation-themed “picture projects.  In addition, site visitors can earn free prints for taking advantage of Shutterfly’s summer deals, including registering for the Shutterfly Dream Vacation Sweepstakes. The grand prize is airfare and seven nights in the Caribbean at Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort, provided by Orbitz.com.

Website: Picture Perfect Summer

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust is calling all budding photographers to get snapping at their local WWT Wetland Centre before the end of August for the chance to win Nikon equipment worth over £,1000 in the WWT Nikon Photography competition 2009. The competition aims to capture the variety of WWT’s nine centres across three categories: ‘WWT Nikon Photo of the Year’, ‘WWT Nikon Junior Photo of the Year’ and ‘WWT Nikon Digiscoping Photo of the Year’. The main rule of the competition is that all photos submitted must have been taken at one of the nine WWT centres in the UK. WWT is hoping that the competition will encourage people to visit a WWT centre and even help support the charity by joining as a member. Closing date for entries is Monday 7 September 2009.

Photographers have until 1st September 2009 to submit their entries to the 2009 Fujifilm Distinctions Awards. This year, the Awards are open to photographers right across the world. As in previous years the Awards has an open brief and is open to any photographer - professional, enthusiast or student. The only stipulation is that submissions must have been originated on film from Fujifilm’s range of professional or consumer films.

Website: 2009 Distinctions Awards

Twicli - a Twitter-based platform created by Sam Street and Sean Miller, London based co-founders of Picli - has been expanded to include a number of additional service elements. These include support for audio uploaded via the web and via email, tagging of your Twitter friends into your photos, Friend Activity monitoring, a Multimedia tweet box with full control over how your tweet will appear, mixed content sets, optional geotagging, larger file sizes and higher quality video.

Calumet Photographic have released a series of dates across the UK with multi-award winning photographer Uzair Kharawala.  ‘Business & Beyond’ is a full-day seminar and will be held at Calumet stores in Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, London, Belfast & Birmingham. Uzair will be presenting on how to run your business through these tough times.  A variety of interesting and exciting subjects & topics will be covered to help you grow your business. The price is £45.00 including refreshments & lunch.