Olympus has released firmware updates for four of its Zuiko Digital ED lenses. These include the Zuiko Digital ED 90-250mm f:2.8, Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f:3.5 Fisheye, Zuiko Digital ED 18-180mm f:3.5-6.3 and Zuiko Digital ED 70-300mm f:4.0-5.6. The latest firmware versions allegedly improve unstable sequential shooting when using C-AF on the E-3 and E-30.

Website: Olympus Firmware Updates

MovieLocker.com is a new website that provides a unique online platform for storing, distributing and selling videos with no initial investment required. This means filmmakers can create their own online video store in less than 5 minutes for free and have guaranteed copyright control with advanced Digital Rights Management software. Users can set the price of their video material, show previews, and utilise MovieLocker’s payment processor to complete transactions.

Website: MovieLocker

Jalbum, a photo sharing service and personal web album creator, connects to bloggers around the world by introducing a brand new tool called Jalbum Blog Badge. Any blogger can now conveniently display their photo album news in the sidebar of their blog. The blog badge is automatically updated and shared when an album is published with Jalbum. The Jalbum Blog Badge was launched as Beta in March 2009. Since then, thousands of bloggers have already added the Blog badge to their sites. In addition to a general code to copy-and-paste into blogs, the Blog Badge also comes as plug-ins for leading blog services Wordpress and Blogger.

Website: Jalbum

The date and location of this year’s Retail Imaging Show have been announced. This trade show, which is targeted at minilab, consumer electronics, computer/software and AV retailers, will take place on 25 September 2009, in the London Marriott on Grosvenor Square. The 2009 show will include the Pixel theatre, an area which will deliver a timetable of presentations from key manufacturers & industry trend analysts throughout the day. The show timetable will include a complimentary lunch service from Gordon Ramsay & Jason Atherton’s Maze Restaurant. Tickets cost £17.50 each but early birds can take advantage of some ‘pre-paid’ tickets (remember though that this show is exclusive to those working in the imaging trade). Click through / read on for the details.

Fantasea has released the new Fantasea Eyes U/W Optics Line for underwater photographers. These include their BigEye wide-angle lenses, whose universal design and adaptor con?gurations provide a wide angle solution for large zoom lens compact digital cameras and most compact digital camera housings in the market, including Canon, Olympus, Fuji, Ikelite, Panasonic, Sea & Sea, Casio and more. Also belonging to the new underwater optics line are the SharpEye macro lenses, RedEye filters used to restore the red colour absorbed by the water, EyeDaptor adaptors and EyeGrabber lens holders.

Website: Fantasea Eyes

Jessops has announced the new exclusive to Jessops camera - the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 available in both black or blue. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 is a 12.1-megapixel digital camera with a metal body and a Carl Zeiss branded 5x zoom lens, featuring face detection, Smile Shutter and anti-blink technologies, Dynamic Range Optimisation and HD movie recording. In the UK, the black and blue versions of the camera are available exclusively at Jessops for £239.

Flying With Fish has announced two travel photography workshops dubbed Travel-Photo BootCamps. The focus of The BootCamps is simple, to force its participants outside of their comfort zone while teaching them how to adapt and succeed. Participants have no idea where they are headed to plan for the workshop - they meet at the airport (JFK and SFO for the East Coast and West Coast BootCamps, respectively), and only learn about the destination when they’ve handed their boarding pass. Upon arrival participants will be briefed on their first assignment and be required to quickly execute it before being handed the next assignment. Deadlines, ground-planning logistics and equipment restrictions are real. The East Coast Boot Camp kicks off on 21 June and costs US$750, whereas the West Coast BootCamp starts on 28 June and costs US$800. Both BootCamps have a maximum capacity of five participants.

Website: Flying With Fish

Pentax Imaging Company has announced a third instant rebate programme effective May 15 – May 24, 2009 on select digital cameras. The savings consist of a $20.00 USD instant rebate on the PENTAX P70 and the PENTAX E70 compact digital cameras and a $50.00 USD savings on the PENTAX K2000 digital SLR double lens kit. There is no need to submit or track claims or wait several weeks for a rebate cheque.  More information about the programme and all of these products is available at: www.pentaximaging.com

Fujifilm U.S.A. today introduced a collection of new accessories to complement their FinePix digital camera line for Spring 2009. For the Fuji FinePix F200EXR (pictured), the company has announced a leather case ($29.99), an underwater housing that is water resistant down to a depth of 130 feet ($179.99), an HD component cable ($49.99) and a replacement O-Ring Kit and silica grease for the F200 EXR Underwater Housing. ($19.99). For the FinePix Z33WP, Fujifilm has released a silicone case ($14.99), a sport case made of neoprene ($18.99), a weatherproof case ($18.99), a float strap that is claimed to be ideal to help keep the Z33WP camera afloat so you can capture favourite pictures in, around and on the water. ($14.99) and an outdoor accessory kit consisting of the aforementioned silicone case, and float strap plus a neoprene fitted case ($24.99). New accessories for A series FinePix cameras include a fitted case ($9.99) and an AV cable that can also be used with J and Z series FinePix digicams ($8.99). These new items will be available May 2009.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR

BenQ has announced the BenQ C1020 and the BenQ C1220 digital compact cameras. The BenQ C1020 is a ten-megapixel model with a 3x zoom lens, a 2.5” screen, Smile Catch mode and 720x400-pixel video recording with optical zoom.The camera weighs 130 grams, has 15MB of internal memory plus an SD card slot, and is PictBridge compliant. The BenQ C1220 is essentially the same thing fitted with a twelve-megapixel sensor and a different exterior design.

Canon USA is encouraging Americans to visit their national parks and photograph their beauty with its fourth annual Canon Photography In The Parks Photo Contest. The contest is open to any legal US resident that falls into one of two age categories, 13-17 of age (Teen) or 18 or older (Adult) as of 15 May 2009. The organisers invite photography enthusiasts, from May 15th to September 30th, 2009, to enter by submitting their “Inspirational Nature Images,” the theme for this year’s contest. Photos taken at any park or monument in America can be entered through the Canon Digital Learning Center Web site at: www.usa.canon.com/parks. As part of Canon’s Parks Programme, a team of photographers will be touring four National Parks from June through August. At each park, the Canon team will host free photography workshops and provide Canon’s top-of-the-line camera equipment for participants to use at no charge.Winning photographers from the Photography in the Parks Photo Contest will receive a package of Canon photographic equipment. The Grand Prize winner will also receive a trip to a National Park.

To celebrate DxO Optics Pro’s 5th birthday, DxO Labs offers a 25% discount on DxO Optics Pro and DxO FilmPack for the entire month of May. DxO Optics Pro is a piece of software that automatically enhances each photo with respect to the camera, the lens and the shooting conditions. It is also a powerful RAW converter with functionalities like noise reduction, contrast and colour corrections for a wide range of digital cameras. DxO FilmPack is a program that allegedly allows digital photographers to rediscover the styles, colours, and grains of the most famous silver-halide films. The promotional prices are £74.25 for DxO Optics Pro v5.3.3, £149.25 for DxO Optics Pro v5.3.3 Elite and £44.25 for DxO FilmPack.

The Sony Alpha A380, A330, and A230 are three new easy-to-use DSLR cameras. The 14.2 megapixel A380 and 10.2 megapixel A330 feature Quick AF Live View for responsive ‘freestyle’ shooting. The 10.2 megapixel Sony A230 is the world’s lightest DSLR featuring an APS-C sized image sensor and in-body image stabilisation. All three models feature a 2.7-inch LCD screen, which can be tilted up or down on the A380 and A330 models, a HDMI terminal and a graphical user interface with built-in on-screen Help Guide. The Sony Alpha A380 costs $850, the A330 $650, and the A230 $550 with the SAL-1855 standard zoom lens. The twin lens kit with the SAL-1855 standard zoom and SAL-55200 telephoto zoom lenses is $1050, $850 and $750 for the A380, A330 and A230 respectively. In the UK, the A230 is priced at £530, the A330 is £610, and the A380 is £720 (all body only).

Sony have today unveiled 4 new DSLR lenses, a super-slim external flash and colour-coordinated lifestyle accessories. The DT 50mm F1.8 SAM is a light, bright portrait lens offering superb optical performance and inbuilt Smooth Autofocus Motor. The DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM telephoto zoom is an ideal choice for everyday shooting. The DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM telephoto zoom features a maximum focal length equivalent to 300mm. Under development for Autumn 2009, the DT 30mm F2.8 SAM makes 1:1 life-size imaging more accessible. The HVL-F20AM flashgun can be used as an inexpensive trigger for wireless remote flash heads and wireless flash controller for the full-frame A900 camera. In the UK, the 18-55mm will cost £160, the 55-200mm £220, the 50mm F1.8 £160, and the HVL-F20AM is £150. Pricing is still to be confirmed for the DT 30mm F2.8 SAM.

Warehouse Express, the company billed as “the largest independent online photographic specialist retailer in Europe”, has joined Twitter under the username WexTweets. Followers of WexTweets can expect to get real time updates on product deals, new releases and the latest information on stock levels. Additionally, there are Tweets on Warehouse Express events and seminars as well.

The SLIK 515QF is a new video tripod that features the new all-metal Digital Balance PRO head with long slide quick release plate. Allegedly, this long slide quick release is important to properly balance the camera with heavy batteries, lights, or other accessories attached. The SLIK 515QF uses the all-metal 515 legs that feature an adjustable and lockable mid-level spreader to keep all legs at the same angle and a crank centre column for easy height adjustments. Rubber anti-slide feet make the 515QF a more stable platform on smooth or polished floors. The SLIK 515QF is priced at $299.95.

Übermind has released Maperture Pro, a feature-packed professional version of Maperture, a geotagging plug-in for Apple Aperture 2. The Pro version adds several highly requested features, including: importing Tracklog data from a wide-array of GPS devices; altitude (Z-axis) tagging; support for reverse geocoding; options for customizable keywords; as well as the ability to copy and paste geotag data. Maperture Pro is now available for direct download from Übermind’s products page. You can try a fully functional version of the plug-in free for 15 days. Then, at any time, you can easily purchase a software license from within the plug-in for $39.95.

Website: Maperture Pro