March 2, 2009 – M-ROCK, a leading manufacturer of high quality camera bags, backpacks and travel cases for professional photographers and enthusiasts, announced today it is introducing a new line of fully-featured rugged camera bags designed specifically for outdoor/adventure photographers and travel enthusiasts who need functional cases. Appropriately named, M-ROCK’s new Adventure series bags offer the perfect balance between style, convenience, color, and protection and provide photographers with the perfect solution for transporting camera and video gear no matter where their personal or professional adventures may take them.

M-ROCK’s new Adventure series bags offer a variety of solutions for even the most discerning photographer including laptop compatible backpacks and gadget bags with detachable roller trolleys; sling bags-turn-backpacks, several DSLR Gadget and top load holster bags; point-and-shoot digital camera bags; and attachable lens pouches for additional carrying capacity. In addition, every bag in the Adventure line is constructed with water resistant materials and includes a weather jacket and water resistant zippers to further protect contents from moisture, dust and dirt. M-ROCK camera bags are constructed with dense closed cell foam and plastic paneling for extra shock absorption and soft non abrasive internal lining to prevent scratches when carried or stored. Read more

Ever since the dawn of 35mm cameras independent lens manufacturers have produced optics that generally carried a lesser price and was of lesser quality than those offered by the original manufacturer. A few independents however, do make lenses that often meet or exceed the major camera manufacturers’ products. These companies include Zeiss, Sigma, and Tamron.

Sigma, in particular, has produced perhaps the best standard 50 mm lens in its all-new 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM. Fixed focal length lenses are called “prime lenses” because they do not have to deal with the inherent compromises that the design of a zoom lens demands. Prime lenses are designed to perform extremely well at one focal length. This is important for photographers who need or demand the sharpest image that they can achieve.

This particular new Sigma lens has received wide acclaim, which it richly deserves-- along with many of the other lenses in Sigma's line-up. As do most independent manufacturers, Sigma makes its lenses available to fit Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony and Pentax camera bodies, while retaining all of the autofocus and auto exposure capabilities of the original manufacturers’ lenses, with only a few rare exceptions in certain Pentax models. Read more

February 18, 2009 – Canon announces an exciting first with its new WP-V1 Waterproof Case for the VIXIA HF20 and VIXIA HF200 Flash Memory Camcorders. Consumers can now dive up to depths of 130 feet and still be able to capture exciting underwater adventures. The ultimate accessory for divers who want to shoot video and photos while underwater, this compact and light-weight housing hugs the camcorder like a wet suit, enabling easy on-camera operation and control.

Whether filming sharks off the Great Barrier Reef, snorkeling in the warm waters of the Caribbean or simply wading in the water at your local beach, the Canon WP-VI Waterproof Case and corresponding VIXIA camcorders are ideal devices for capturing both video and photos. As an added plus, once enabled in the Special Scene mode, the white balance is controlled in a way which is ideally suited to an underwater environment.

“Canon is excited to offer consumers a go-anywhere option in the camcorder market,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. “By broadening our accessory offerings, Canon can now service an expanded audience of those who need water-resistant products for their work or recreational use.” Read more

January 5, 2009 – Eye-Fi Inc., makers of the world's first wireless memory card for digital cameras, today announced it is developing a new iPhone application that will allow Eye-Fi card owners to send photos taken on an iPhone directly to their computer and the Web. The application will be previewed at Macworld in San Francisco, January 6-9, in booth #3315 in the North Hall.

The new application will let users aggregate all of their photos – from both an iPhone and a digital camera - into organized folders on a computer and to one of 25 online photo sharing and social networking Web sites. iPhone users who own an Eye-Fi card can download the free application from Apple's App Store upon release.

"Whether you're snapping pictures on-the-go with an iPhone or capturing life's important moments with a digital camera, Eye-Fi will offer one easy way to manage and share all your photos – without docking a gadget or fussing with software,” said Jef Holove, CEO for Eye-Fi. "We are solving another real-world frustration for anyone who takes photos with both devices.” Read more

Nowadays, Wi-Fi is appearing in a multitude of consumer electronics, from cameras to automobiles...and more! You probably already use Wi-Fi for convenient wireless Internet access at home and at work, but you might be surprised by other new gadgets that take advantage of Wi-Fi. Let's take a peek at some of the Wi-Fi- enabled goodies that you might want to add to your holiday wish list.

Eye-Fi Explore

Photography enthusiasts will love the Eye-Fi Explore ($129), an unusually versatile SD card that slips into your digital camera. Like any other SD card, the Eye-Fi stores photos -- but it also tags every shot with the geographic location (GPS coordinates) of where it was snapped. When you're ready to upload, the Eye-Fi taps Wi-Fi to send photos right to your computer or to an on-line webshare site, accessed from just about anywhere using the included Wi-Fi hotspot account. No need to pack upload cables or extra memory cards on your next vacation! Read more