Released as a free app on Apple's iTunes store, Strobox offers a variety of lighting diagrams for amateur and professional photographers.  Using the tools within the app, you can build diagrams for photo shoot as well as share the diagrams with your photography brethren.  The app creates PNG files from your diagrams which you can send via email with the iPhone. 
There is plenty of equipment to be found within the app for setting up the proper scenario.  Types of equipment includes strobes, backdrops, hairlights, diffusion panels, umbrellas and softboxes. The app can be downloaded for free here.

56 new DxO Optics Modules and user interface improvements.

The new version 6.1 of DxO Optics Pro for Windows adds support for 3 new cameras:
- Canon EOS 7D (Standard or Elite Editions);
- Canon PowerShot G11 (Standard or Elite Editions);
- Nikon D3000 (Standard or Elite Editions).

For this new release, DxO Labs fixed several bugs and also made some improvements to the user interface, based on customer feedback and suggestions, including:
- full screen display mode for increased visual comfort - additional shortcuts for improved productivity
- additional presets for increased flexibility

Check the full list of supported cameras & lenses inside

Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the release of two new lens products, compatible with the FX format. The fast telephoto AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens is equipped with vibration reduction (VR II) that reduces the effects of camera shake equivalent to a shutter speed increase of approximately four stops. The AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III, is the world’s first teleconverter* to utilize an aspherical lens element.

Nikon’s development of the FX-format D3-series and D700 digital-SLR cameras has received tremendous support from professional and advanced amateur photographers. Nikon is expanding NIKKOR lens and accessory lineups by releasing new, high-performance products compatible with the FX format, allowing us to cater to the more advanced demands of users. Read the whole article inside.

 Author Loe Beerens, a veteran photographer on the international concert scene, relates his experience in and knowledge of all the important aspects of planning and photographing concerts of all kinds in this new book from Rocky Nook, Three Songs, No Flash! ($24.95 USD). From punk to classical and everything in between, Loe covers how the music industry is organized, how to get access, the right people to befriend, and the proper etiquette of concert photography.
From preparation to equipment selection, the reader will learn how to make the most of those three songs from this richly illustrated book. Shooting techniques for each of the major musical instruments are covered, as well as capturing the peak action, post-production techniques, shooting in low light, and marketing your images.

Whether you are a photography enthusiast, a working professional, or just a lover of music, you will benefit from this informative guide. You can get the book here.

When Pentax announced the K10D back in 2006, it was a revolutionary camera for serious amateurs and professionals on a budget. The K10D was more rugged and feature-packed than any Pentax digital SLR before it. In 2008, the company decided to update their line with the Pentax K20D, but that camera was more evolutionary than revolutionary... so much so that many Pentax K10D owners never felt the need to upgrade.

The Pentax K-7 answers those complaints by including many features that have never been seen on a Pentax camera before. In-camera lens correction for distortion control, lateral chromatic aberration adjustment, expanded dynamic range with highlight correction and adjustable shadow correction - these are new features that help the K-7 stand apart from previous Pentax cameras. Read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here.

Yesterday we found a new Panasonic patent (from December 10) which shows a new FourThirds camera (not MicroFourThirds!).

It is very difficoult to read patents that’s why we made a small summary of the most interesting parts:

Live-View, Optical Viewfinder, mirror and prism, of course interchangeable FourThirds lens mount, CMOS sensor, supersonic vibration generator, No Video recording, No in body stabilzation.

And Photographybay just published their CES 2010 predictions and they say Panasonic will drop another FourThirds DSLR!!! Read the whole article here

The Powershot G series has represented a fairly formidable presence at the top of the compact camera tree. From a keen photographer point-of-view, there's little on the market that can match its mixture of zoom range, lens flexibility, build quality and level of manual control. Somehow Ricoh's GX and Nikon's P series have never quite had the same impact but Panasonic's LX3 has been enough to tempt some potential customers away, with its bright lens and convincing (for a compact) low-light performance.

The G11 seems determined to wrestle back its position as undisputed champion of the market, though, incorporating what Canon describes as a 'high sensitivity' CCD. In what might be a first, the company has reduced the pixel count in comparison to the preceding model. In principle, there is no disadvantage to having more pixels when you consider the whole image (other than the larger file sizes that might slow down the camera and fill your memory card faster and the added complication of having to apply noise reduction before demosaicing, which is not something many people are willing or able to do). However, the often larger photosites of a less pixel-dense sensor will tend to receive more light, in the same exposure, making it easier to produce an image that looks cleaner at the pixel level. Almost as if Canon wants its flagship compact to be a handy all-rounder. Read rge excellent review here. You can buy the camera here.

The Sony Alpha DSLR A500 is Sony's latest released DSLR this year, along with the Alpha A550. The Alpha A500 and A550 are so close in specifications (a common strategy with Sony DSLRS within the DSLR lineup) that there won't be too much new information to report here in terms of 'paper performance' when compared to the A550 review I prepared, yet I will report on various areas of difference in details that I think are truly worth reading and hit areas that I didn't cover for the A550 review. Together both reviews should give the reader a combined and informative article in total between both cameras, and clarify some key differences that you would experience had you bought both cameras and compared them yourself. Read the review here. You can buy the camera here.

Canon releases a new firmware update for the EOS-1Ds Mark III (Version 1.2.0) and the EOS-1D Mark III (Version 1.3.0). The update incorporates the support for the WFT-E2 II wireless file transmitter that was released in December 2009. At the same time, firmware update Version 2.0.0 has been released for the WFT-E2 / E2A wireless file transmitter to support the EOS-1D Mark IV digital SLR camera. If you are using the WFT-E2 / E2A with the EOS-1D Mark III or EOS-1Ds Mark III, you do not need to update the firmware... Firmware update after the link

The City of London Police has repeated its call for photographers to carry identification in spite of insistence by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) that photographers do not need to identify themselves.

Last week City of London Police told us: 'Photographers should carry identification where possible and be prepared to answer questions about why they are taking photographs, if they are asked.'

However, a few days later ACPO, which co-ordinates police policy in England and Wales, told the BBC that photographers can refuse to give their name and address.

ACPO spokesman Andy Trotter told the BBC's Jeremy Vine radio show on Monday: 'The photographer is not required to give their details.' rada more here

Nikon's plan to cut 1,000 jobs worldwide will have no direct impact on the firm's imaging division, a company spokeswoman has said.
Earlier this week Nikon Japan announced the cutbacks as part of a plan to restructure its Precision Equipment business, which makes semiconductors.
Asked to clarify the position regarding its imaging division, a UK spokeswoman told Amateur Photographer: 'As the cuts have been made within a separate arm of the business, we are not really in a position to comment as there is no direct impact on imaging at this time.' via amateurphotographer.co.uk

PMA 2009 saw the announcement of this lens for the micro-four-thirds system. The lens is very small and uses a complex design of 16 elements in 12 groups, with 2 aspherical elements. As the four-thirds system mount produces a 2x ''crop factor,'' the lens produces an effective field of view of 14-28mm when mounted on a Panasonic G-1 or GH-1.
The lens features a constant ƒ/4 aperture and a fixed lens hood; the large protruding front element precludes the use of screw-mounted filters. Read the whole review here

Launched back in spring 2007 the EF 16-35mm f/2.8 USM L II is the latest ultra-wide zoom lens made by Canon. Regarding its rather steep pricing of around 1400€/US$ it's primarily targeting the professional market segment. Compared to its predecessor Canon claims to have "improved the peripheral image quality at the wide-angle end". Certainly an interesting aspect regarding the rather mediocre full format performance of its little cousin (EF 17-40mm f/4L) here. Well, we'll see whether this statement survives our test procedure.
The build quality of this lens is basically identical to the EF 17-40mm f/4L - it's exceptionally high just as you would expect it from a Canon L lens. No wobbling whatsoever and smooth controls - almost perfect. The lens is also designed to survive in harsh conditions with a sealing against dust and moisture. The outer length of the lens remains constant although the inner lens tube moves a little according to the zoom setting. Needless to say - the front element does not rotate during focusing or zooming operations. Read the whole review here. You can buy the lens here.