The RPS has added 6 new photography workshops to its 2008 line-up. Open to non-members and members of The Society, courses range from camera and darkroom skills through to digital and wedding photography. New workshops include Introduction to Wedding Photography and Digital Printing Workshop. The Royal Photographic Society’s workshops are held at The Society headquarters in Bath, as well as other venues across the UK.

Dripbook enables artists to easily display, promote and distribute their portfolios online. You can create an online portfolio, assemble digital books and distribute them electronically to promote your work. A key feature is the ability for members to export their books as dynamic Flash-based widgets that may be embedded on social networking sites, blogs and other Web sites. Premium account holders at Dripbook may also export their portfolios as a fully customizable, professionally designed, dynamic, Flash-based Web site. With the full release of Dripbook, new members will have three levels of paid service to choose from: Standard ($90.00 per year), Pro ($162.00 per year) and Premium ($225.00 per year).

Color Efex Pro 3.1 adds support for Aperture 2.1 and Capture NX 2 and compatibility with Photoshop Smart Filters. “With Color Efex Pro 3.1 we are extending compatibility with leading photo editing solutions, including Photoshop, Aperture and Capture NX 2,” said Michael J. Slater, president and CEO of Nik Software. “This update gives our customers the benefit of being able to use their favorite Color Efex Pro filters in their application of choice.” Color Efex Pro 3.1 is available in two editions, Color Efex Pro 3.1 Complete Edition (52 filters total) for $299.95, and Color Efex Pro 3.1 Select Edition (35 filters total) for $159.95.

Photographers are now invited to submit their work for the 2009 International Garden Photographer of the Year competition. Prizes include £20,000 cash and equipment as well as international exposure in an exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The International Garden Photographer of the Year competition is open to everyone and entries are welcome from across the world. For a nominal fee, participants can enter up to four single images in any one category or a themed portfolio of six images into the Portfolio category.

We’ve published 25 JPEG and 6 RAW photos taken with the Olympus E-520 ahead of our full review. The E520 is a new DSLR camera with built-in image stabilisation and full contrast AF performance in Live View. The lenses used were the new Zuiko Digital ED 14-35mm f2 SWD and ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD.

Website: Olympus E-520 Photos

Canon EOS 40D: The Rocky Nook Manual is a must for anyone who wants to get the most out of their Canon EOS 40D. It teaches the basics of exposure and metering to focus modes, live view, bracketing, continuous shooting, and flash photography. Artur Landt is one of Germany’s most prolific authors of camera books with over 30 titles to his credit. Canon EOS 40D from Rocky Nook is available now for $29.95 USD.

Leica USA is starting its Leica M8 Upgrade Service on October 1, 2008. Options range in price from $330 for a Vulcanite leatherette body, to $1,450 for a silent shutter and sapphire LCD cover glass. All upgrades to the silent shutter will receive a free $150 Leica voucher that can be used toward the purchase of any new serialized Leica product. Leica M8 owners are encouraged to schedule their upgrade in advance, beginning on August 1, 2008.

A new range of ball heads for series 1,2 and 3 Gitzo tripods has just been launched. The new Gitzo ball heads use a completely new concept and design, including a ‘Bubble Sphere’, a hollow sphere with an ultra thin wall that uses exclusive cutting-edge technology to reduce weight. In addition, the new heads feature a complete and unique levelling system and an exceptional maximum load capacity. Prices start at £129.99 for the Series 1 - GH1780, up to £269.95 for the Series 3 GH3780QR.

The new Gitzo Systematic Head is a low profile tripod head aimed at wildlife, landscape, sport and fast action photographers. The Gitzo Systematic head features a hydraulic locking system, which allows faster control, great locking speed and exceptional smoothness. It can support payloads up to 25Kg and is provided with a bag hook as well as an attachment for standard tripods. The new Gitzo Systematic heads are available now in two versions, the GH5380S for £239.95, and the GH5380SQR for £289.95.

See a demonstration of the HP MediaSmart Server and find out from Windows Home Server experts how it’s the perfect solution for digital photography enthusiasts. HP and Microsoft are holding two free live webinars on July 17th and July 22nd 2008. The HP MediaSmart Server webinars cover the following topics:

- Conveniently centralize files and access them from any Internet-connected computer
- Share photos and video clips with HP Photo Webshare
- Automatically backup and protect the digital memories on home PCs running Windows XP and later operating systems
- 500GB and 1TB capacities available with room for massive expansion
- Powered by Microsoft Windows Home Server
- AMD Live! 64-bit Sempron Processor for fast file access and timely backups

PhotoReview have reviewed the Kodak ESP 5, a small and sleek all-in-one printer featuring a large 3 inch colour LCD display.

“Unlike the EasyShare 5300, which we reviewed in October last year, Kodak’s latest ‘All-in-One’ (AiO) printer, the ESP-5, doesn’t have messages proclaiming you can ‘Save up to 50%’ on ink costs plastered on its top panel. This is probably because the price of consumables has risen since last year. Nevertheless, the ESP-5 is clearly targeted at price-driven snapshooters who want a multi-function printer that is cheap, easy to use and reasonably versatile.”

Website: PhotoReview - Kodak ESP 5 Review

TrustedReviews have reviewed the Sony Cyber-shot H50, a new 15x ultra-zoom digital camera.

“Despite the problematic handling, the Sony H50 churns our reasonable results, once you’ve spent most of the morning setting it up. Colours and exposures are generally pretty good and Dynamic Range Optimiser makes a good job of evening out contrast in more extreme conditions. At times the sharpening algorithms can be a little over enthusiastic though, with some halo effects occasionally appearing. The effects of fringing further compound this, which is slight but noticeable when images are viewed at 100% on screen, especially at the image edges. However central sharpness is good and images look crisp and respectable at normal viewing size.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Sony Cyber-shot H50 Review

Website:  Read our Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50 Review

The Samsung NV100HD is a new 14.7 megapixel, 28mm wide-angle lens digital camera. The NV100 HD (called the TL34HD in the USA) features the updated Smart Touch 2.0 user interface, which uses a touch-screen interface to provide fast access to creative settings as well as intuitive control of images - for example, a simple X on the screen signifies delete. 720p resolution video can be recorded at up to 30 frames per second and viewed on the 3.0-inch, 460K pixel LCD screen. The NV100HD also features a highly sensitive ISO 3200 mode and Samsung’s Perfect Portrait System. The Samsung NV100HD is priced at £229 and will be available from August 2008 in the UK. In the US, the Samsung TL34HD will be available in September 2008 at an MSRP of $329.95.

The Samsung NV9 is a 10.2 megapixel digital compact camera with a 5x optical zoom lens. The NV9 (called the TL9 in the US) features an inbuilt MP3 player and a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), MJPEG Movie recording at 30fps, and retro Mini-Dashboard status gauges which provide information about the camera’s battery and memory status. The NV9 also offers Samsung’s new Perfect Portrait System (incorporating Face Detection, Blink Detection, Smile Detection and Beauty Shot). The Samsung NV9 is priced at £179 and will be available from August 2008. In the US, the Samsung TL9 will be available in September 2008 at an MSRP of $279.95.

The Samsung L310W is a new 13.6 megapixel compact digital camera. The stylish L310W (called the SL310W in the US) features a 28mm 3.6x wide optical zoom lens, intelligent 2.7” LCD screen, and the new Perfect Portrait System (incorporating Face Detection, Blink Detection, Smile Detection and Beauty Shot). The Samsung L310W is priced at £199 and will be available September 2008. In the US, the Samsung SL310W will be available in September 2008 at an MSRP of $229.95.

The Samsung L201 is a new ultra-compact and stylish 10 megapixel digital camera. The L201 (called the SL201 in the US) has a slim, metal body design, 3x zoom lens, 2.7-inch LCD screen, plus Face Detection and Auto Contrast Balance technologies. Available in classic black and silver as well as three eye-catching new colours – pink, turquoise and lime green - the Samsung L201 will be launched in August 2008 for £129. In the US, the Samsung SL201 will be available in September 2008 at an MSRP of $169.95.

The Samsung S1070 is a new 10 megapixel entry-level digital camera. Highlights of the S1070 include a 3x optical zoom lens, Intelligent 2.7-inch LCD screen, Face Detection and Digital Image Stabilisation. The Samsung S1070 is priced at £99 and will be available from September 2008. All Samsung cameras include a two year warranty.

HP has unveiled 2 new compact photo printers, the Photosmart A630 and A530, and the 5-ink Photosmart D5460 printer. The A630 model has more than 300 creative features and the largest touchscreen available on any portable photo printer. The A530 includes an adjustable display and prints photos up to 5 x 7 inches in size. The affordable D5460 features a 1.5-inch color display, memory card slots, an auto-engaging photo tray and the ability to print photos and text directly onto CDs and DVDs. The HP A630 and A530 will be available in August priced at $149 and $99. The HP Photosmart D5460 Printer is available now for $99.

Panasonic has been rated as the most reliable camera manufacturer by Which? members for the second year running. Panasonic’s digital cameras were rated at 97% overall reliability, and 94% for their digital camcorders. “We are delighted with the results of the Which? report – not only to retain the accolade we received last year, but to receive additional recognition demonstrates our commitment to the imaging market.” commented Mark Robinson, Product Manager Lumix, Panasonic Consumer Electronics UK Ltd.

Kingston has increased the capacity of its microSDHC memory card line-up to 8GB. Kingston 8GB microSDHC cards can store more than 1,500 digital songs, more than 4,000 images from a 5MP cameraphone, or up to eight hours of video. “Our 8GB microSDHC cards are so roomy that mobile users can easily move entire digital libraries from a PC to their mobile phones — and beyond.” said Wendy Lecot, Flash card business manager, Kingston. The new Kingston microSDHC 8GB card has a suggested price of $58.