A UK retailer is now taking pre-orders for the Voigtländer Bessa III medium format folder. The Voigtländer Bessa III 667, which is marketed as the Fujifilm GF670 in Japan, is now listed at Robert White’s website for £1,650 + VAT. The Bessa III 667 / GF670 is a folding bellows camera that uses 120 and 220 format roll film. With a special selector switch, you can specify whether you want it to shoot a 6x6 or a 6x7cm frame (the actual dimensions are 56x56mm and 56x69mm, respectively). The Bessa III features a HELIAR 80mm f/3.5 lens, whose angle of view is 53 degrees for 6x6cm frames, and 57 degrees for 6x7cm ones. The camera is expected to ship next month.

Website: Voigtländer Bessa III at Robert White’s Website

Genius has announced a new pocket-sized high-definition digital video camera that can also capture 11-megapixel still photographs. Videos are recorded in MPEG-4 format using the H-264 codec. The Genius G-Shot HD520 weighs only six ounces and features a fixed 7.1mm lens and a 2.5” LCD that can rotate up to 270 degrees. Furthermore, G-Shot HD520 comes equipped with Face Detection and an Electronic Image Stabiliser. Its internal memory is a meagre 32 megabytes, but it accepts SDHC cards too. The Genius G-Shot HD520 has an MSRP of $149, including an HDMI cable.

Seagate Technology LLC has announced the Seagate Replica PC backup system. The Seagate Replica continuously stores up-to-date copies of everything on your PC, including the operating system, programs and settings – without you doing any of the work. The device connects to the computer via USB, and requires no installation or configuration. In the event of a computer crash, users can restore their PCs quickly and effortlessly, without having to spend countless hours manually installing and copying files. The storage capacity is 250GB. A Multi-PC version is available for homes with two or more PCs. The Multi-PC version has twice the storage space (500GB). Plus, the Multi-PC version includes a convenient dock to hold the Replica backup system vertically, which saves valuable desk space. The 250GB solution costs $129.99 (MSRP), whereas the 500GB Seagate Replica Multi-PC will set you back $179.99.

Cosina has announced the Voigtländer VM adapter, which allows M mount lenses to be attached to Micro FourThirds bodies. It is a simple spacer with no electrical contacts of any kind. The Voigtländer VM, which will cost ¥19,800 according to the Japanese Cosina site, is apparently not the first such adapter, as CameraQuest has, for some time, been selling what seems like a different one to us.

Website: Voigtländer VM Adapter at Cosina’s Japanese Site
Website: CameraQuest M to Micro FourThirds Adapter

Panasonic has announced that it would start developing a professional 3D Full HD production system. The system, which is expected to be the first of its kind in the industry, consists of a twin-lens P2 professional camera recorder and a 3D-compatible High Definition Plasma display. While this system is obviously aimed at Hollywood studios, it will be interesting to watch if any part of this technology trickles down to consumer products, especially given that another company, Fujifilm, already announced the development of its own Finepix Real 3D system back at Photokina.

Easypano has released Panoweaver 6.00 Professional and Panoweaver 6.00 Batch, which offer the ability to stitch both cylindrical and spherical panoramas from single-row/multiple rows of normal digital photos or fisheye photos. The main features include support for both auto- and manual stitching, automatic recognition of lens type, support for the creation of HDR panoramas, batch stitching and batch export (in Panoweaver 6.00 Batch) and support for stitching Camera Raw files. Panoweaver 6.00 Professional costs US$499.95 / 499.95€ (upgrade for Panoweaver 5.00 Professional users is US$200.00 / 200.00€), whilst Panoweaver 6.00 Batch can be yours for US$999.95 / 899.95€.

Notwithstanding the temporary insolvency of Franke & Heidecke, a specialist retailer is now taking orders for the Rolleiflex Gold Edition. This collectors’ edition - which comprises a Rolleiflex 4.0 FW with a Schneider Super Angulon 4,0/50 mm HFT, a Rolleiflex 2.8 FX with a Zeiss Planar 2,8/80 mm HFT and a Rolleiflex 4.0 FT with a Schneider Tele-Xenar 4,0/135 mm HFT, all gilded in 14-carat gold - was originally announced at photokina 2008 and planned for release this year, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera’s debut in 1929. In light of Franke & Heidecke’s recent financial problems, it seemed that this special edition was gone with the wind. But a German retailer called Spürsinn rushed to the rescue. The three gilded TLRs and an exclusive presentation box can be yours for just… 29,500 euros!

For this price, which includes 19% VAT, the cameras will of course be made to order, and every stage of the manufacturing will be documented in an exclusive illustrated book that ships along with your cameras. The presentation box with all three cameras is delivered free of charge and worldwide personally by the management of Spürsinn.

Website: Rolleiflex Gold Edition at Spürsinn

Via photoscala.de

Pentax have launched a teaser campaign for a new K series DSLR, which is to be unveiled on 21 May 2009. The official product name has not been disclosed, and the company remains tight-lipped about the feature set as well (though as usual, rumours abound). What seems - at this point - unlikely to break new records is the pixel count, at least if the words of Gabriele Remmers, Marketing Communication Manager of the Division of Imaging Systems of Pentax Europe, are anything to go by.

Photozig has introduced Pepcast, a new way of sharing and enjoying online digital photo albums and slideshows in a community. The Pepcast technology offers easy upload, browse, organise, personalise, and email features. The Pepcast website www.pepcast.com is now open to the public, after initially hosting pictures related to NASA Research Park. Pepcast was designed to work with Photozig Albums, a free slideshow software and digital photo organiser that transfers photos and clips from digital cameras, creates and organises albums, produces slideshows with photos, movies, and music, generates screensavers and emails photos.

Website: Pepcast

The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today a new endowment fund and promised gift of artwork in memory of the great American street photographer Helen Levitt, who died on March 29, 2009, at the age of 95. The Helen Levitt Memorial Fund has been established through a generous planned gift of the artist’s sister-in-law, Mrs. Robert O. Levitt, and will support the Museum’s acquisition of photographs by Helen Levitt and other mid-20th-century American photographers working in her tradition. Mrs. Robert O. Levitt has also made a promised gift to the Metropolitan Museum of 12 of the artist’s photographs. To celebrate Levitt’s life and work, a selection of a dozen of her photos from the Metropolitan’s collection will be on view in the Museum’s Robert Wood Johnson, Jr. Gallery from May 11 through August 30, 2009.

Photodex ProShow: Visual QuickStart Guide is a new book by Jon Canfield. This is the first book that covers both versions of ProShow 4, ProShow Gold and ProShow Producer, in detail. The book leads readers through the process of creating stunning slide shows that can be viewed on computers, televisions and other devices, and over the Internet. The full-colour Photodex ProShow: Visual QuickStart Guide has a list price of $29.99, but is available now for $21.59 from Amazon.

Website: Photodex ProShow: Visual QuickStart Guide at Amazon

Redrock Microsystems have announced the Redrock Micro DSLR 2.0 line of cinema accessories for video-enabled DSLRs and the Panasonic Lumix GH1. Redrock Micro DSLR 2.0 delivers cinema support & accessories for hybrid still and cinema shooting with DSLRs, which, on their own, are not stable enough nor provide the features for cinema-style production. Redrock’s previous Cinema Bundles were already aimed at resolving these problems, but the DSLR 2.0 accessories provide a more portable, lightweight solution and are more affordable too, as the individual components can be purchased separately, starting at $195. The Redrock Micro DSLR 2.0 products are available now.

Website: Redrock Micro

A recent InfoTrends survey revealed that mothers in Western Europe are more likely than total photo merchandise buyers to purchase their photo merchandise items from online sources. While only 49% of total photo merchandise buyers reported purchasing photo cards online via a retailer’s Web site in the past 12 months, over 62% of mothers stated they had done so. Mothers are also more likely to use self-serve kiosks at retail locations.

An Italian company called TVBLOB has announced the BLOBbox, a product that lets people share their digital photos and videos via standard or high-definition television. Additionally, the BLOBbox brings multimedia content and social networking to people who are averse to using computers and mobile devices for accessing the Internet. In short, the BLOBbox blends the traditional characteristics of broadcast TV with new Web TV possibilities.

Website: BLOBbox

PixMatter is an application for iPhone & iPod Touch that provides a convenient way to upload your pictures to the online photo service Shutterfly.com. With PixMatter, you can take a photo shot with your iPhone’s built-in camera, name your photo before upload so you can find them quickly in your Shutterfly account, create a new photo album before uploading your photo or choose a destination album. Also, you can choose photos from your Photo Library, queue multiple photos and upload them in a single batch. PixMatter is sold for $0.99.

Website: PixMatter

Panasonic has announced the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 digital camera. Like the FS12, the FS42 features a Lumix branded 4x zoom lens, but unusually, the lens on the FS42 comes without image stabilisation. Another point of difference is the pixel count: while the FS12 is a 12-megapixel model, the FS42 has “only” 10 million photosites on its sensor. The LCD is somewhat more modest too, measuring just 2.5” diagonally, although its resolution is the same at 230,000 dots. Finally, the choice of camera colours is limited to silver, black and pink.

Panasonic has announced the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 digital camera. The DMC-FS12 is a compact, 12-megapixel model featuring a Lumix branded 4x zoom lens with optical image stabilisation, plus features like Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Face Detection. The new Panasonic camera will be available in a choice of silver, black, blue, pink, and green colours, depending on market.

Canon have released firmware updates for three of its DSLRs, the EOS 50D, 450D (XSi, pictured) and 1000D (XS). In all three cases the new firmware update supports the AF assist beam feature of the new Speedlite 270EX  flash, which was introduced alongside the Canon EOS 500D digital SLR a month ago. In addition, the 50D firmware update also changes the error indications that are displayed on the camera and addresses the vertical banding noise phenomenon.

Website: Canon EOS 50D Firmware Update Version 1.0.6
Website: Canon EOS 450D Firmware Update Version 1.1.0
Website: Canon EOS 1000D Firmware Update Version 1.0.5

The website memolio.com is now offering a range of compact, crumple, tear and water resistant photo albums. Memolio team member Doris Tamminga explains, “Memolio allows you effortlessly create a personalised, sweet little photo album in a matter of minutes. What makes these albums special is that they are compact and crumple & tear resistant. They are designed to be handled and are easy to carry and share. The idea is to get your favourite photos off your computer and back into your hands. An additional bonus is that you get an online replica of your album that you can access and share anytime. Memolio marries the print & digital world.” A memolio album measures 103mm x 62mm x 5mm, is made of durable, bright white polyester and costs €14.99 including taxes and shipping..

Website: Memolio