News / Other Product News

Accessory maker Satechi has announced the BT Smart Trigger, an iOS-controlled Bluetooth 4.0 shutter release for Canon DSLRs. It features multiple shooting modes including timelapse and long exposures, via the free Smart Trigger app. The trigger has a claimed battery life of up to 10 years and range of 50 feet. It is currently available for an introductory price of $44.99. An Android-compatible version will be available from March 2013.

Adobe has announced 'release candidate' versions of Lightroom 4.4 and Adobe Camera Raw 7.4. As usual, the latest near-complete versions add support for recent cameras. What makes this release especially significant, however, is improved support for Fujifilm's X-Trans sensor models, including the X-Pro1 and X-E1. The Lightroom update also corrects a series of bugs present in the current version of the software. As usual, release candidates are considered well tested but not final.

Phase One has announced Capture One Express 7, the latest version of its enthusiast Raw image processing tool. A stripped-down version of Capture One Pro, Capture One Express 7 gains features including HDR processing, lens correction and digital asset management tools. Express doesn't support tethered shooting, but images can be viewed remotely and wirelessly using either the Capture Pilot iOS app or a web browser on other devices. Capture One Express 7 will cost $99/€69 with discounted upgrades. Click through for the press release and more details.

Alongside the D7100, Nikon announced the WR-1 Transceiver, a unique radio-frequency wireless remote control. Able to remotely control multiple cameras capturing stills and videos, and even time-lapse sequences, the Nikon WR-1 Transceiver mounts on the camera's hot shoe, but communicates via a cable attached to the master camera. Expected to retail for £649.99 in the UK, the WR-1 will ship in March 2013 (US pricing has yet to be announced).

UK camera bag manufacturer Billingham is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and its new 2013 catalogue highlights the development of its products released from 1973 to the present. Billingham was founded in 1973 in the West Midlands, in England. As well as an interesting overview of the company's history, Billingham's 2013 brochure also includes information about and specifications of all current models of bags and optional accessories along with details about the materials and construction methods used in the creation of its premium products. Click through for a link to the catalogue. 

The source code of the original version of Adobe Photoshop has been made available by The Computer History Museum, based in California. Photoshop started off in the 1980s as a program called 'Display' written by Thomas Knoll, before being renamed 'Photoshop' in 1990 - the year that the first version of the software shipped to customers. The download, which is available for non-commercial use with the permission of Adobe, consists of around 128,000 lines of code. Click through for more details (and some nostalgia-inducing screenshots of Photoshop 1).

US underwater housing maker Nauticam has announced the NA-NEX6 for Sony's NEX-6 mirrorless camera. Providing protection up to 100 meters depth, its body is made from aluminum with a scratch-resistant acrylic rear cover. It features a single-lock housing and a patented lens attachment mechanism that allows you to change lenses without removing the camera from the housing. The NA-NEX6 is available at a retail price of $1650.

Dell has announced its 27" U2713H and 24" U2413 LED monitors designed for color critical applications like photo editing. These latest flagship models promise 99% coverage of the AdobeRGB color space, feature a 12-bit internal processor and 14-bit LUT (lookup table) for software calibration. The U2713H and U2413 are currently available at prices starting at US $999/£802/€829  and US $599/£490/€519 respectively.

DxO Labs has released version 8.1.3 of its DxO Optics Pro software. The Elite edition extends support to the Leica M-E, M9, and M9-P rangefinders. Both the Elite and Standard versions gain Nikon D5200, Panasonic DMC-FZ200, and Canon SX50 HS support. The update also adds 260 lens and cameras combinations for Canon, Leica, Panasonic, Sigma, Sony, Tamron, Tokina, and Zeiss users. These modules join the existing list of over 10,000 combinations.

Visual Supply Company has released the VSCO Film 03 camera profiles and film emulation preset pack for Adobe Lightroom 4 and Camera Raw 7. The software comes with customized camera profiles for Fujifilm, Canon and Nikon image files and allows native non-destructive editing of desired film effects within Lightroom and ACR. The latest version includes a toolkit to achieve an 'authentic instant film' look. Version 03 is currently available for immediate download at a retail price of $119 (~ £75/ €90) from the company's website.

Epson has announced the VS320 and VS220 budget projectors offering SVGA and XGA resolutions respectively. Both the lightweight models deliver 2700 lumens of color and white brightness and include features such as USB Plug ‘n Play, 3 inch LCDs and HDMI connectivity. The projectors are available at retail prices of $429 and $359 respectively.

Apple has added Raw support to its OS-X operating system for nine additional cameras, including Nikon's D5200, Pentax K-5 II/IIs and Sony's DSC-RX1. Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update v4.04 also brings Leica X2, D-Lux 6 and V-Lux 4 support to Aperture and iPhoto. The update requires Aperture v3.4 or later and iPhoto version 9.4 or later. Click through for the complete list of cameras and download link.

CP+ 2013: Pentax has shown two prototype products at the CP+ 2013 trade show in Japan: a bounce flash and a body cap lens for the Q-system. The flash is tentatively named the AF360FGZ II and has a guide number of 36, vertical and horizontal bounce capability, and is expected to ship this Summer. The 'Mount Cap Lens' is limited to the Q-mount camera line, and includes what appears to be a small hyper-focal lens which Pentax says will produce a 'toy-camera-like visual effect,' and is also expected this Summer 2013.

Chinese software company LZeal has announced ezShare - a Wi-Fi SDHC card with an on/off switch to reduce power consumption in cameras without menu options to control such cards. When the wireless function is turned on, images can be accessed via a web browser, suggesting it offers an HTTP server, like Toshiba's FlashAir cards. There are also dedicated apps for smartphones and tablets. The Class 10 SD cards are available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities. Prices and availability information to be confirmed.

Think Tank Photo has announced the Sub Urban Disguise series of camera shoulder bags, to be available in February. These bags feature flip-top lids that open away from your body, front organizer pockets, stretchable side pockets and will be available in four sizes. The company has also announced an updated version of its Change-Up multi-function camera bag scheduled to be available around the same time. Prices and availability information to be confirmed.

X-Rite has released i1Profiler v1.4, an update of its color management software for Mac and Windows, to include scanner profiling. The update also extends support to Mac 10.8x and Windows 8 and includes other improvements as well. Version 1.4 is available for immediate download from the company's website.

Giottos has announced a range of tripods that use a unique 'Y'-shaped centre column profile to offer a more compact folded package. The 'Silk Road YTL series' replaces the existing MTL range in its entirety, and according to Giottos offers a 30% space saving without any sacifice in stability or weight capacity. The range includes 12 models offering 3- or 4-section legs, conventional 2-way or tilting centre columns, and weight capacities from 5 to 10 kg. They'll be on sale from mid-January, with at prices starting from £100 for aluminium, or £220 for carbon fibre models. 

DxO Labs has released the latest version of its DxO Optics Pro software, with more than 10,000 camera and lens correction combinations now supported. The latest version, v8.1.2 or the more expensive Elite edition adds support for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 full-frame, fixed-lens camera as well as Canon's EOS 6D. Meanwhile both the Elite and Standard versions gain support for the Nikon 1 V2. With this release DxO has achieved its stated target of offering 10,000 optics modules. Both editions are available with a 33% discount until the end of January 2013.

Specialist accessory manufacturer Metabones and optics company Caldwell Photographics have jointly announced the 'Speed Booster', a lens adapter for mounting SLR lenses on APS-C and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras that reduces the focal length by a factor of 0.71x and increases the maximum aperture by 1 stop. The Speed Booster also promises sharper images compared to using the lens with a simple adapter. The first version will allow use of Canon EF lenses on Sony NEX bodies, and will be available this month from Metabones' web site for US$599. Support for additional lens mounts (including Nikon F) and camera systems (including Fujifilm X and Micro Four Thirds) is also planned.

CES 2013: Nikon US has announced a radio-frequency camera triggering system compatible with all its current DSLRs. The WR-10 system works over a 60m range and, unlike the current infrared system, does not require a line-of-sight between the trigger and the camera. Users of mass-market Nikons (D600 and below) can use the WR-T10 transmitter to focus or fire cameras with WR-R10 receivers attached to them. Owners of pro-grade DSLRs with 10-pin connectors can use the WR-A10 adapter to connect the R10 to their camera. This combination allows the camera to act as a host that can remotely trigger up to 64 other cameras.