Pentax has announced the X-5, a 26x superzoom built around a 16MP backlit CMOS sensor. The X-5 is designed to closely resemble the company's K-5 DSLR, despite being based around a 1/2.3"-type sensor. The lens offers a 22.3-580mm equivalent range, backed up with sensor-shift image stabilization. It can capture 1080p30 movies and features a selection of the multi-shot and image processing modes that have become common on CMOS-based cameras. It features a tilting 460k dot rear LCD and 230k dot electronic viewfinder. It is powered by AA batteries, giving around 500 shots per charge when used with NiMh rechargeable cells.

Nikon has announced the Coolpix S800c - the first compact camera from a major manufacturer to openly use the Android mobile operating system. On one side it's a 16MP BSI-CMOS compact camera with a 10x, 25-250mm lens built in, on the other it's a 3.5" OLED touchscreen device running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). We've had an opportunity to use a pre-production camera and have prepared an overview of the first real compact camera/smartphone hybrid.

Nikon has revealed the Coolpix 7700 a CMOS-based enthusiast compact camera with class-leading zoom lens. Its 28-200mm lens has a maximum aperture range of F2.0-4.0, making it a whole stop brighter than its predecessor, the P7100's. The P7700 is built around a 1/1.7"-type 12MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor, enabling 1080p30 video and 8fps shooting. The bigger lens means there's no room for an optical viewfinder but the P7700 gains a flip-out swivel LCD instead. We've had a chance to handle the P7700 and have prepared a preview looking at the changes.

Olympus has released the SP-820UZ and SP720UZ - the latest in its long-running Ultrazoom series of superzoom cameras. Both are 14MP CMOS-based cameras featuring 1080p movie capture and 460k dot 3" LCDs. The SP-820UZ features a 40x, 22.4-896mm equivalent lens and takes AA batteries. The SP-720UZ is built around a shorter, 26x, 26-676mm equivalent zoom lens. Both models feature sensor-shift image stabilization, can control Eye-Fi wireless SD cards and can automatically shoot pictures when a pet looks directly at them. Olympus US has only announced the SP-820UZ.

Nikon has launched the Coolpix S01, a miniature compact camera built around tiny 10MP sensor. The S01 uses a 1/3"-type CCD sensor - a size more commonly found in smartphones to allow it to offer a 29-87mm equivalent zoom in a device just 77 x 51 x 17mm in size (3.1 x 2.1 x 0.7"). It features a 2.5", 230k dot touchscreen and uses a built-in battery (rated at around 190 shots) and 7.3 GB of internal memory. It will cost around $179.99.

Olympus has announced the Stylus VH-515 and VH-410 compact cameras. The VH-515 is a 12MP BSI-CMOS powered compact with an 8x, 25-200mm equivalent zoom. The less expensive VH-410 is a 16MP camera that uses a CCD chip behind its 5x, 26-130mm equivalent lens. Both cameras feature 460k dot 3" LCDs, with the VH-410's one being touch-sensitive. The VH-515 can capture 1080p30 video with H.264 compression, while the VH-410 shoots 720p Motion JPEGs.

There are fundamental rules of composition that visual artists of all disciplines make use of to create more dynamic images. Fashion and fine art photographer Thomas Park demonstrates three of these techniques and explains how you can employ them when creating your own photographs.

Canon has annnounced the PowerShot SX160 IS and SX500 IS - two mid-range superzoom cameras. The SX160 IS has a 16x zoom covering a 28-448mm equivalent range. This is backed with a 16MP CCD sensor and Digic 4 processor. The SX500 IS features the same sensor and processor but adds a 30X, 24-720mm equivalent lens. Both feature faster autofocus and less shutter lag than previous models, while the SX160 IS includes Canon's Intelligent IS system designed to compensate for a greater variety of camera movements. Both models will be available from September at recommended prices of $329 for the SX500 IS and $229 for the SX160 IS.

Just Posted: Our review of the Canon EOS 650D / EOS Rebel T4i. The 650D is the latest in Canon's popular series of mass-market DSLRs and, at first glance, the 18MP camera doesn't look radically different to its predecessor, the 600D/Rebel T3i. However, Canon has added a touchscreen interface and a hybrid autofocus system aimed at improving focus performance in live view and movie shooting. What do these capabilities add to the otherwise familiar camera? Read our review to find out.

Sony has announced smartphone image sensors that use clear pixels to improve low light performance and allow 'HDR videos' with greater dynamic range. The chips, which will be branded 'Exmor RS' also use the company's latest 'stacked CMOS' design to maximize the light capturing area of each pixel. Adding a white (clear) pixel to the conventional red, green and blue (RGB) filters has been proposed before but Sony says its processing allows it to 'heighten sensitivity without compromising its high resolution.' The first chips to use the design will be small, smartphone-targeted 1/3"-type 13MP and 1/4"-type 8MP designs.

Hipstamatic denies that the layoffs of five employees signifies the death knell for the longtime mobile photography favorite. Yesterday the Hipstamatic team was reduced from a team of 11 to a mere six employees through a restructuring effort and questions quickly arose about the future of the app known for its toy camera capabilities. 'We're still moving full force ahead -- the original team that built Hipstamatic is still here, and remains deeply committed to continuing to make great products that inspire our community and the world,' said Molli Sullivan, Hipstamatic's director of communications.

Olympus has issued a press release, confirming that it is working on a camera body for use with its range of 'Top Pro' lenses. According to the press release Akira Watanabe, manager of Olympus's Imaging SLR Planning Department acknowledges that while Olympus has 'pushed the boundaries of performance' with the Micro Four Thirds E-M5, 'it did not deliver with the legacy high end lenses from the E-system'. Although the statement is vague and very brief, it is the most formal confirmation yet of the company's plans to continues its flagship Four Thirds DSLR line. Click through to read the press release in full.

A gallery of images shot with the three-lens Olloclip iPhone accessory gives a taste of what's to come what organisers are saying is the world's largest 'mobile arts' festival. The L.A. Mobile Arts Festival begins this Saturday at the Santa Monica Art Studios in Los Angeles, California. The nine-day event will encompass not just camera phone photography, but also video, sculptural and performance art related to mobile devices. The event will showcase upwards of 600 individual works created by more than 240 artists from over 30 countries around the world, with further work showcased online during the event.

Just posted: Sony NEX-F3 review. In the latest of our collaborations with Jeff Keller of the Digital Camera Resource Page, we look at the Sony NEX-F3 - the company's latest entry-level mirrorless camera. The F3 continues the lineage of the original NEX-3, including many of features of Sony's more expensive models in a less expensive body. In the case of the F3 this means the latest 16MP APS-C sensor capable of up to 6 frames per second, plus Auto Portrait Framing mode, a built-in flash and an LCD that flips all the way up to aid self-portraiture. Do these latest additions offer a significant improvement for the baby NEX? Click through to read the review.

The latest version of Instagram is now available for both Apple and Android devices. Version 3.0 adds several optimization features that should make the popular photo sharing app easier and faster to use and allow users to report abusive comments and spam, but its new photo mapping display will be what fans notice first. In fact, the first time users open the app after updating, they’ll be guided through the new Photo Map feature and asked which previously geotagged images they’d like to add to their map. Users can then track their own and other users’ Photo Maps via their profile. 

Irish photographer David Hunt has found a great way of extending the capabilities of his camera - by attaching a single-board computer to it. Hunt has installed a Raspberry Pi, Linux-based credit-card-sized computer in an old battery grip. He's not got as far as programming the computer yet but has blogged about the possibilities (hard drive backup, control across the Internet or sophisticated interval shooting, for example). Powered by a standard Canon battery, the idea helps open-up the options for camera hacking, without having to get past the firmware encryption (as a resourceful user has done for the Sony SLT A55 recently). (via Petapixel)

What improvements has Canon's Hybrid AF system brought to the EOS 650D's usability in live view, and what might this mean for the forthcoming EOS-M mirrorless camera? As a precursor to our imminent 650D/Rebel T4i review, we've published two videos showing how Hybrid AF works, compared both to conventional phase-detection AF and to a contemporary mirrorless rival (in this case the Panasonic DMC-G5). It's a chance see how the 650D performs but also gives an idea of what we can expect from the EOS-M, which uses the same technologies.

Photo library and licensing giant Getty Images is to be bought by its founders and investment company The Carlyle Group for $3.3bn. They will buy-out existing private equity firm Hellman & Friedman, which purchased Getty for $2.4bn four years ago. Carlyle, one of the world's largest private equity companies, will gain a controlling share of the company, while co-founders Mark Getty and Jonathan Klein, along with the Getty family, will also increase their stakes in the business.

Just Posted: Our Samsung NX210 review. The NX210 is one of the first of Samsung's range of 'smart' Wi-Fi connected models. While plenty of manufacturers are experimenting with cameras that can connect to smartphones, Samsung is the first to offer this capability built-into an interchangeable lens camera. Spec-wise, the NX210 builds on the 20MP NX200, so our review mainly looks at the differences between the two cameras. Does the NX210 succeed in bringing smartphone convenience to large-sensor photography? Read our review to find out.

Canon has announced a wider recall for its EOS Rebel T4i/650D, in response to the discovery that a faulty batch of grips can turn white and produce an allergenic substance. The company has updated its web tool for identifying whether your camera might be affected and asks customers to check their camera's serial number if the sixth digit is a '1.' This applies even if you checked when the problem was first announced, back in July. It your camera is indicated to be affected, you should contact customer support in your territory.

Popular LA-based street photographer Eric Kim has posted an interesting article on his site, entitled '5 things Stephen Shore can teach you about street photography'. According to Kim, Shore - an American photographer best known for his 1970s color studies of American landscapes - has a lot to teach today's street photographers. Lessons include 'shoot color for visual accuracy and realism' and 'go against the grain' as well as more prosiac advice such as 'date your images'. Click through to read Kim's article in its entirity.

Travel photography isn't just about visiting beautiful places and taking pictures, it's a learning opportunity, too. If you travel without a laptop and don't edit your pictures until you get back from a trip, you might be missing a great opportunity to improve your work. In this short article, award-winning travel photographer Steve Davey explains why you should embrace editing on the road.

Looking for something to photograph this weekend? How about the Perseid meteor showers (which should be visible over the next few evenings and nights)? Perseid meteors are debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle, and are particularly visible around August 12th, so it's worth thinking about the shot you want to capture them in. Click here for a couple of links to help you plan the timings and your camera setup, to get the best shots.

Moments after becoming the first man to win back-to-back Olympic 100m and 200m sprints, Jamaican runner Usain Bolt decided he wanted to capture the moment from his own perspective. The ever-ebullient sprinter grabbed a camera from Swedish photographer Jimmy Wixtröm and started snapping away - showing, in wide-angle, what it's like to be center of the press' attention. The BBC has put together a gallery, both of Bolt's images and those of the press corps' shots of one of athletics' great showmen.

Nikon has released the J2, a slightly updated addition to its 1 System of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. The J2 is gently-reworked version of the more basic J1 model, gaining a higher-resolution rear screen. It also inherits a handful of feature modes from Nikon's Coolpix compacts on an additional position on its mode dial, and is now available in orange. Probably the biggest change is the price tag - its suggested selling price of $549 is $100 below the original launch price of the J1. In Europe the J2 will cost around €539 with the 10-30mm VR lens and €519 with the 11-27.5mm zoom.