Magnetic quick release mount for compact cameras

While filters used to be a mainstay of photography, they are used less and less in digital photography. But the MagFilter System hopes to change that by bringing easy filters to your compact camera.

The MagFilter System comes in a variety of sizes to suit cameras including the Sony RX100 or Canon S100 and consists of a magnetic ring which attaches to the end of your lens and then magnetic filters which pop on or off.

Current filters on offer include polarizing filters and neutral density filters. A spokesperson said: "The revolutionary Carry Speed MagFilters provide the most innovative and unobtrusive filter solution to high end compact cameras.

Lensbaby launches affordable selective focus with the Spark



Lensbaby has been offering selective focus lenses for a few years now, but now they hope to take it to the masses with the launch of the more affordable Lensbaby Spark.

Geared more towards young photo enthusiasts the Spark is available for Canon and Nikon DSLRs and lets users create images which a sweet spot of focus surrounded by blur.

The $80 manual focus lens is activated by photographers squeezing to focus and then tilting to move the "sweet spot" around the image.

Pimp your cam turns your black camera bright



While some cameras come in a variety of colours, others are only available in black. But the guys at PimpYourCam.com think you should have more choice.

That's why Jens Brüggemann and Torsten Rachu teamed up and are now offering to create bespoke pant jobs which turn your camera from a photographic tool to a work of art.

They have already worked their colourful airbrush magic on cameras including a Nikon D4, a Nikon1 J1 and a Canon 70-200mm lens.

Photography bag doubles as beer cooler bag



We've seen some interesting camera bags in the past, but this has to be the most bizarre. The Camera Cooler is a DSLR camera bag which also doubles as a cooler bag for your beers.

While the US$50 bag features a padded insert that can hold a DSLR, a lens and other small accessories, when you've finished your shoot this can be removed to leave you with a cooler bag plenty big enough for a six-pick of beer.

A spokesperson for online retailer PolarStuff.com said: "When you feel like partying, take the padded insert out and it's a perfect soft sided cooler sized to hold a six pack or your lunch along with some blue icy packs you can get at any grocery store."

Seagate Backup Plus Drives Automatically Upload Photos to Flickr


We all know that backups are important. But how many of us can honestly say we have our photos securely stored in multiple locations?

Well Seagate hope their latest hard drives will help you sort out your personal photo storage issues -- because they automatically upload and download photos from Facebook and Flickr.

The Backup Plus external drives - which are available in sizes from 500-gigabtyes to 4-terabytes - claim to protect and share your entire digital life with minimal fuss.

Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 a pancake lens for stills or movies


Sometimes less is more … and that's certainly what Canon are thinking with the release of the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8. The pancake lens is considerably smaller than your average lens.

The f/2.8 aperture is said to be ideal for photographers who want a versatile, compact and lightweight lens for portrait, reportage, travel or landscape situations.

Precision control over the circular, seven-blade aperture is enabled by the Electro Magnetic Diaphragm allowing you to produce a creamy bokeh effect.

Lensbaby Pro Effects Kit: Professional but still fun


Lensbaby have some pretty cool products, in the past we've raved about their Sweet 35 and various selective focus tool -- but we've always seen them as fun rather than work.

That could be changing soon though, after they released Pro Effects Kit, a bundle of  their product which combine to make a unique tool to aid your creative photogrpahy.

A spokesperson for Lensbaby said: "This versatile kit provides a selective focus system solution for whatever type of photography you're shooting.  From portraits and weddings to landscape and commercial photography - this kit is the top choice.

LensBling: Lens caps which make finding the right one easier


We all know what it's like, you're under pressure and need to reach for the 85mm, but looking into your camera bag all you see is a collection of black lens caps. How do you know which is the right one?

Well the guys over at BlackRapid have come up with a solution, LensBling rear lens caps which have the focal length of lens printed on the back in bright and bold numbers - it's so simple we wonder how it hasn't been done before.

A spokesperson for BlackRapid said: "The caps’ bright, bold and raised labeling that allows easier visibility. The numbers on the lenses represent the focal length of the camera lens, thus putting an end to the struggle to find the right lens, while increasing speed, efficiency, and the promise of capturing every shot."

Add colour to your photos with a universal flash filter kit


Playing around with lighting and colour is a sure way to add an interesting dynamic to your photos -- which is why the peeps over at Photojojo have started selling a 'Rainbow' flash filter kit.

Promising to make quirky lighting easy and fun, the universal flash filter kit consists of 20 flash filters which can attach to any external flash via an included band.

While 15 of the colour filters for "adding creative pops of color to your photos" there are others for colour-correcting and canceling out weird ambient light and one which is specially made for diffusion.

Fisheye-Nikkor 6mm f/2.8: That's not a wide angle, this is a wide angle


An extremely rare (and extreme wide) Nikon lens which is actually capable of seeing behind itself has sold for a massive £100,000 in London.

The lens, said to be world’s most extreme wide-angle lens (it has a whopping 220 degree view), had been up for sale at Grays of Westminster which specializes in Nikon gear.

The Fisheye-Nikkor 6mm f/2.8 -- which dwarfs any camera it is attached to -- was initially revealled at Photokina in 1970 and production began in March 1972 and was only made available to special order.

Think Tank keep SD cards safe with Pixel Pocket Rocket


We've lost more SD cards than we care to think about, sure they sometimes turn up in the bottom of our camera bag, but we're constantly misplacing them.

And those people at Think Tank must have the same problem -- because they have just released the SD Pixel Pocket Rocket, a compact carrier for 9 SD memory cards.

The wallet-like holds your memory cards in clear pockets and the SD storage can also be tethered to your bag for a added security.

Intuos 5 Professional Pen Tablet rolled out at Focus


If you're a fan of using a pen and tablet to work on your photos rather than a mouse or laptop touchpad, you've almost certainly heard of Wacom and their Intuos range.

Well this week Wacom rolled out the Intuos 5 at Focus -- adding the ability to alternate between the use of multi-finger touch to position and navigate your artwork, and the pressure sensitive pen to precisely retouch, and edit.

Available in three sizes (priced at £200, £330 and £430, respectively) the rubberised devices retain the impressive 2048 levels of pen pressure and add the multitouch gestures of OS X and Windows.

Lexar: World's First 256 GB CF Card


While you might think a 8GB memory card would suffice on a day out, with DSLRs increasingly shooting HD video it's surprising how quickly they fill up.

And with that in mind, Lexar have just rolled out a whopping 256 GB CompactFlash card, the Lexar Professional 400X. Ideal if you've pre-ordered a Nikon D4.

“More professional photographers and enthusiasts are embracing the fact that they can capture high-quality images and HD video with their digital SLR." said Manisha Sharma, director of product marketing for cards, Lexar.

Mirror Mirror self-portrait helpers for compact cameras


Self portraits can be some of the most difficult to take, what with not being able to see yourself in the viewfinder when you are in front of it.

But the guys over at Argraph have come up with an obvious, but ingenious, solution… a mirror which sticks to the front of your camera.

Mirror Mirror is a small reflective dot which is designed to be stuck close to your lens, so that if holding the camera out to take a photo of yourself, you can see what the lens sees.

Holga iPhone case has a rotating filter wheel



Sure you could just add Instagram-style filters to your iPhone snaps, but Holga don't want you to do that, they want you to use a retro-style filter wheel.

And because of this they've just released a iPhone 4 (or iPhone 4S) case with a built-in rotating filter wheel.

The case -- which is available in five different colours -- offers 9 different and crazy special effects and filters without the need for an app.

JOBY unveils three new innovative tripods



The makers of the iconic GorillaPod, have just some funky new products -- including an always-on tripod.

JOBY say their new products are designed to meet the needs of enthusiasts who shoot with a point-and-shoot camera and prosumers sporting the latest compact system camera.

The first new items are the GorillaPod Micro 250 and the GorillaPod Micro 800 which are designed to be left on your camera.

SanDisk to partner with Eye-Fi for new memory cards


We have been big fans of Eye-Fi and the wireless talents of their memory cards for quite some time -- and it appears so have SanDisk.

The flash memory storage firm has just announced that they will be partnering with Eye-Fi for an upcoming range of 4 and 8Gb co-branded SD cards.

The SanDisk Eye-Fi Wireless memory cards will allow users to instantly transfer photos and videos from a camera to a nearby smartphone, tablet, or computer as you would expect.

Gerber Steady knife has built-in tripod



Any photographer will tell you that having a pen knife in your camera bag is a smart idea - you never know when it will come in useful.

And after this knife is released by Gerber, it could be useful a whole lot more often… because this one has a built-in tripod.

The Gerber Steady also features a 1/4-20 screw for mounting your camera and  has a number of other (more typical) tools.

Niko camera bag stacks your gear safely


Anyone who has ever owned a DSLR will know how hard it can be to find the right bag to carry your beloved equipment around in, which is why are always pleased to find an impressive new bag.

And the 'Niko' from Chrome bags is certainly that, packing as it does customisable compartments and a quick release buckle into the weatherproof military-grade lined stylish bag.

Makers say the typical haul they would expect to carry in it would be lenses, flash, SLR camera, extra film, battery packs, and a tripod… which isn't bad for a small bag.