The digital spirit level from Kaiser Fototechnik is now available in an audio-visual version. In addition to five coloured LEDs indicating the level of the camera, there are different beep sounds that can be connected to the LED signalling system thus providing an audio-visual control of the Kaiser Action Level. There are now three display modes to choose from: visual-only with five coloured LED lights in a traffic light style arrangement, or with beep sounds either indicating exact level or minor and greater deviations from exact level using different tone pitches. Sensitivity and brightness can be adjusted as well as calibration of the zero level point in case that viewfinder level and mounting level of the spirit level are nonparallel. The Action Level “Sound” fits onto any standard hot shoe and can be used with most of today’s SLRs (except Sony/Minolta).The unit is powered by two CR 1220 batteries and is supplied with four spare batteries. It weighs only 5 grams.

This year, sales of digital cameras and HD camcorders are expected to remain strong, as these products proliferate in the market and more manufacturers continue to introduce special-purpose and uniquely featured camcorder models, HDCameraGuide.com says. They have also found that a) many customers have a good idea of which camcorder they want to buy after researching it on the Internet, b) there is a trend toward consumers purchasing either entry-level or sophisticated products, as opposed to mid-priced models and c) Macintosh computer users tend to stick with Canon, JVC, and Panasonic. Read on / click through for their other findings.

International Garden Photographer of the Year is supporting the Muckin4Life Photo competition, which is now open. Take a photo of you, your friends, family, organisation or colleagues taking part in conservation volunteering and enter it in the contest. There are regional national, adult and young people winners and runners up. You could win up to £500 of high street vouchers and have your photo displayed at a prestigious photo exhibition at world famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. You can enter more than once - check all the details on the International Garden Photographer of the Year website – www.igpoty.com.

AsukaBook USA, a division of Kubota Photo Design Inc., has announced a new album choice, a new book size available in all lines and faster turnaround time on orders for professional photographers and designers. AsukaBook USA now has a total of six different book lines available from which to choose. The new Book Bound EXD line allows the photographer or designer to custom design the slide in box for the book with images, text and more. AsukaBook also introduces today a new size of book, featuring a landscape/horizontal layout, available in all book lines. This new horizontal book format measures 8 x 5.5”. In addition to new product offerings, AsukaBook now guarantees that a photographer’s order will be shipped within 3 weeks of their final approval date.

Western Digital (WD) is launching the WD Creative Masters Programme, an educational programme that will share the knowledge and experience of three world-class artists and emphasise the critical importance of safely storing priceless files and backing up. WD’s Creative Masters Programme will offer a colourful, educational and inspirational look at artistry and the creative workflow as presented through the eyes and minds of three of the world’s most respected photographers—Bruce Dorn, Colin Finlay and Peter Read Miller. The Creative Masters Web site will provide visitors with helpful tutorials and tips for taking better photographs, organising their digital files and protecting them using the right storage tools.

Website: Western Digital Creative Masters Programme

Take two photographers, one camera and a weekend in Barcelona - and the result is a collection of a thousand portraits! This was the recipe cooked up by photographers Sergi López Graells and Gerard Franquesa Capdevila, owners of the website 1000 Portraits Barcelona, itself modelled after thousandportraits.com, a project started by Eamon Lane and Carlo Nicora. You can take a look at all the photographs at the website below.

Website: 1000 Portraits Barcelona

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i/500D Companion is a new book written by Ben Long and published by O’Reilly. Although the Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i/500D comes with a manual, Long explains why you might need this book to get the most out of your camera. “Knowing what each button on your camera does won’t necessarily mean you can shoot great pictures. Personally, I know the basic concept of a paintbrush, but I can’t paint a decent painting to save my life. To use a creative tool well, you must understand both the technique and the craft of the tool, as well as have some sense of artistry when you use it.” The book sells for $24.99 USD, £18.99 GBP, but it is also available as an ebook for just $19.99 USD.

Fujifilm Professional has announced the re-introduction of E6 slide film processing vouchers in the UK. The vouchers allow photographers to send to the new Fujifilm laboratory in Leeds any professional reversal 35mm film for process only, or process and mount, as well as 120 for process only. In addition to the E6 vouchers, the company is also simultaneously launching a new ‘Image To CD’ scanning voucher. Each E6 processing voucher carries a unique code that can be used to track the status of the relevant order via the lab’s website. The E6 vouchers, costing £6.33 (including VAT), are available now, direct from Fujifilm, via www.fujilab.co.uk and all good Fujifilm Professional stockists. Image to CD vouchers are available from www.fujilab.co.uk only.

Hama has unveiled a wallet that has both an insert for an external 1.8” hard drive and a USB stick compartment. Since you always have your wallet with you anyway, you can now keep your USB stick, memory cards and hard drive (not included) handy and access personal data anytime and anywhere. The insert for the storage media can be removed from the wallet for easy handling. Price and availability to be announced.

Hama has revealed a range of HDMI accessories. The 83012 Swivel Adapter (pictured) can be hinged up or down in multiple increments; the 90° Adapter, available in the 82990 Twin Set, leads the cable downwards at a right angle. The 83006 Adapter makes it possible to connect a type A HDMI cable to an end device that has a type C socket. The 3in1 HDMI Centre easily converts VGA, component and S-video signals into HDMI signals. The Matrix Switcher 4x2 offers greater possibilities for end devices that have only one HDMI output. Click through / read on for more HDMI accessories from hama.

Hama has introduced a mid-sized digital photo album. A smart leather binding encloses a high-resolution 7” TFT LCD with an integrated card reader for SD, SDHC and MM cards. Digital image files in 800 x 480-pixel resolution can be transferred directly to the high-quality display either via the card reader or via the USB port with USB OTG. They can also be stored in the photo album’s 4 GB memory. The hama digital photo album has an integrated lithium polymer rechargeable batter that provides power for up to 2.5 hours of continuous viewing. The new album will be displayed at the upcoming IFA show in Berlin, in Hall 7.2c.

In the run-up to the IFA show that will kick off on 4 September 2009, hama has announced a huge, 15” digital photo frame. It has an aspect ratio of 4:3 and a resolution of 1024x768 pixels. The contrast ratio of the screen has not been published yet. You can take a look at the new premium digital photo frame yourself in Hall 7.2c at the IFA show in Berlin.

To get everyone in the mood for the opening of Rankin Live, 31st July, Rankin has commissioned five tongue-in-cheek videos of his friends, each following the top snapper’s step-by-step guide to how he creates his distinctive portraits. Go online to http://www.rankinlive.com/#/shoot_like_rankin/ and watch Jarvis Cocker, David Bailey, Jamie Winstone, Max Beasley, and Marc Warren give light-hearted guidance on how to create Rankin-inspired portraits. The Rankin Live exhibition itself, held in the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane E1, London from 31 July through to 18 September, is in two parts: Rankin Retrospective includes over 600 images, some previously unseen, from Rankin’s illustrious 22 year career as a photographer. Shoot Me Rankin is a live and interactive photo-shoot experience in which previously selected members of the public will be photographed by Rankin and their images immediately added to the exhibition.

Fujifilm have changed their minds about discontinuing Fujicolor Pro 800Z, and are now saying they will “continue production for the time being”. As we wrote earlier, Fujfilm’s original decision was to remove all formats of Pro 800Z from their range due to low sales volume. Apparently this provoked such outrage, with “many people… genuinaly upset about the withdrawal”, that Fujifilm were forced to backtrack on their decision, at least for now.

Livestream has launched Twitcam.com, which enables users to add live video streaming to their Twitter feed with just one click. Twitter users need only to log in to twitcam.com using an existing Twitter user name and password and press the ‘go live’ button. Twitcam automatically detects the camera, creates a page and live video player for the broadcast, and posts the link in the user’s Twitter feed so followers can join in live. Twitter-centric services for sharing photos and videos have been exploding and are in high demand by Twitter users. Twitcam fills the application void for those wanting to stream live and chat with their followers with a single click. Twitcam is free and available today at http://www.twitcam.com/.

Time Factory Publishing has launched a new online photo Web site, Pikcal.com, offering consumers a chance to store and share photos and create fully customisable photo products. Adults and children alike can create photo books, calendars and other school and office supplies suited to their tastes. Pikcal.com allows consumers to combine personal images with galleries of professional photography to create these products.

Canon’s new Hybrid Image Stabilizer is the world’s first optical Image Stabilizer to compensate for both angular camera shake and shift camera shake. Making it’s debut in a new SLR lens due for release before the end of 2009, the Hybrid Image Stabilizer optimally compensates for angular camera shake (rotational) and shift camera shake (linear), using a new acceleration sensor that determines the amount of shift-based camera shake.

Fujifilm have unveiled further details about the FinePix Real 3D System, the World’s first three dimensional (3D) digital imaging system. The Fujifilm Real 3D system incorporates a 3D digital camera “FinePix Real 3D W1”, a 3D picture viewer “FinePix Real 3D V1”, and 3D prints. The Fujifilm Real 3D W1 camera can capture both 3D stills and movies. The 8.0-inch 3D Picture Viewer “FinePix Real 3D V1” features Fujifilm’s newly developed 3D/2D display LCD panel. The Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1 and FinePix Real 3D V1 will be available from September 2009 with pricing to be announced nearer to the date of the launch.