FujiFilm has released the WP-FXF30 underwater housing unit for the FinePix F30 Zoom, allowing F30 owners to take their precious cameras into the water without fear of FUing-up-their-their gear-BAR.

With the WP-FXF30, you need never fear being shoved into the water while taking pictures of girls by the pool or at the beach. Having a fight with your significant other in the rain and you want to take photographic evidence for the ensuing court proceedings? With the WP-FXF30, that's no problem!

Whew. Seems someone's been watching waaaay too many infomercials.

Made from tough, transparent polycarbonate, the WP-FXF30 is good for dives of up to 40 meters deep while retaining the camera's full functionality. That means that the F30 will retain its 6-megapixel glory as well as the 3x camera zoom while it's all snug and safe in the underwater housing. Plus, the WP-FXF30's ISO 100–3200 sensitivity allows for excellent results in the low light of the ocean.

FujiFilm hasn't forgotten about the owners of older FinePix cameras, too. The WP-FXA500 works with both the FinePix A400 and A500 Zoom cameras, providing waterproof protection up to depths of three meters.

The price range for these babies is $144.99 - $179.99. Considering that new F30 cameras can go for prices of over $400 in some stores, it's a pretty good idea to invest in your camera's protection with the WP-FXF30.

So you think that stylish cases and covers are only fit for cellular phones? Well, cast that kind of thinking aside, because your trusty digicam could also be housed in a stylish case and if you're seriously considering to get a new 'home' for your ever reliable digicam, then maybe you oughta give the Pic Pocket Camera Case a second look. Judging from the looks of it, this case would get lots of looks from people everywhere - whether they are photography aficionados or not.

The Pic Pocket Camera Case is a fully padded contraption designed to protect your camera and still fit discreetly into a pocket, purse or portfolio. Well, for you to be able to do that, you'd have to have a micro-sized camera because the Pic Pocket is a camera case, not a miracle worker. If you're the type who wants to flaunt your assets, you could use the included carabiner to hook it to a belt loop or strap.

The inside of the case will assure you that your camera is safe from unwanted scratches because the case is blessed with plush neoprene which is the major protector of your cutesy digicam. Plus, the possibility of your cam dropping from the case is almost non-existent as it has self-locking zippers. This one will be available on August 1 in eight sizes and six colors that you can choose from. It will sport a $29-$33 price tag.

About a month ago I mentioned that I had found some pretty cool new camera bags from a company called Kata.  Well since then I purchased the T-212 torso bag and have had a chance to use it a bit. 

I grabbed the bag from Amazon for around $65 before shipping.  When I got it, it was larger than I expected, though that's a good thing considering I plan to use it for my dSLR and a couple lenses.  The bag's harness fits comfortably, and connects at your left shoulder, left waistline, and right waistline.  The adjustments are easy and make for a customized fit.  I prefer it a bit loose, so it hangs down a little lower in front of me.

The padding on the front is very robust, yet based on the design, it expands very effectively to accommodate your gear.  Inside, there's a zipper-style divider that allows you to turn the compartment into 1 instead of 2 spaces.  With the divider up, I found it a bit snug to fit my camera body with a 50mm lens on one side, with an extra lens and hood on the right.  Your kit may vary.  There are also 2 smaller sleeve style pockets for holding you keys, money, media cards, pens, paper, etc. 

All in all, I like the pack.  I wore it during a 4 hour shoot recently and it remained comfortable and accessible the entire time.  I'd say it is a bit on the small side, but Kata has just released a larger model - the T-214 - that costs around double.  Or, if you need a lot more space, the T-212 is part of a 'system' that Kata offers with many of their bags.  This 'system' allows you to interconnect various models of their bags, so you can piece them together - effectively creating a body armour sort of look with your photography equipment strapped all over you.

If you're looking for a new - and functional - camera bag, I'd recommend giving Kata's products a look.  They'll most definitely have some bag to fit exactly what you're looking for.  And so far, the quality is definitely there in my experience.

Olympus has announced that they will be releasing a waterproof protector "PT-E02" for its DSLR E-330 on April 14. The price will be 157,500 JPY ($1334.7 USD).

This protector can keep your camera safe at 60m underwater. You'll need to buy an optional waterproof lens port if you want an add-on lens. The live view function of the E-330 will still be accessible when underwater.

E-330 is a DSLR with 7.5 million pixel LiveMOS sensor and exchangeable lens. It is equipped with the world's first full time live view function.

Leica has released firmware version 1.2 for its DSLR camera back "DIGITAL-MODUL-R" on the official website.

This update tends to improve the image display on the LCD monitor, as well as adding 4GB SD memory card and MacOS X 10.3 support to the camera. It also fixes a bug that ISO sensibility 1600 setting cannot be memorized, and optimizes the internal data processing.

However, a new problem has been found with the v1.2 firmware. The LCD monitor on the unit is found to be affected by a color coverage error after upgraded to v1.2. The company has released earlier patch to fix this error before. The countermeasure now is to download the old v1.1 firmware and install it again.

DIGITAL-MODUL-R is a digital back designed for its own SLR camera "R8" and "R9" by Denmark Imacon A/S. It is equipped with a 10 million effective pixel CCD, SD memory card slot, IEEE1394 and 1.8-inch LCD monitor. The size of the CCD is 26.4*17.6mm. The focus distance is 1.37 times of the lens' specs.

[Download Page]
[V1.2 Error Document]

Epoque World Co. Ltd. has released "mod.EHS-ST9", an underwater housing accessory for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9.

This product can protect your T9 at 45m depth underwater and keeping the camera still fully controllable. The width of the housing is around 52mm, thus making it possible to be put into the pockets of a BC diving jacket. It is also possible to use wide conversion lens and strobes by the same company with ST9. However, the built-in strobe on T9 will not be usable when using ST9.

If you've ever looked into expanding your kit with a new lens, or accessory, you've undoubtedly felt overwhelmed at first.  There are so many choices out there, which are the good ones?  Is a half-stop (aperture) worth $300?  What's with all the 18-80mm IS USM L mumbo-jumbo? 

Well the good folks at SLR Gear are here to make your purchasing easier.  They will explain all the lenses, what they're best for, which cameras they will work on, price, and so forth.  Hopefully after spending some time there, you'll be comfortable researching your next purchase and know your money is being spent well.

I don't quite know who this product is targeting.  The Memory Card Travel Case from Digital Foci is a hardened carrier for memory cards.  The inside provides custom moldings to hold just about any media card format known to man.  The case can be yours for $19.95.

From the image and the description, it seems that it's only one case.  That one case has moldings for ALL memory cards.  Who carries that many different memory cards with them, and needs a protective case for all of them?  I roll with SD and CF memory cards.  Yes, I've got a handful of both.  I could find usefullness in Digital Foci's card case if it had say, interchangeable moldings, so you could special-order specific card moldings.  Or maybe if they sold a specific case for each card format.  But as is, I don't think it's a very useful product.  I'll stick to the padded camera case they stay in anyway...

While other companies are reinventing the camera, Lowepro went another way and built a better camera bag. The Stealth Reporter AW is a new line of bags stitched together with reporters and photojournalists in mind. The Stealth Reporter is designed to withstand the elements yet provides quick access to lenses and digital accessories. It’s a real toughie made of durable ballistic nylons, high density closed cell foams, deluxe shoulder strap, metal hardware and an All Weather Cover.

The Stealth Reporter line ranges from $103-$193 and will be available this month.

I'm always on the look-out for the next best bag for carrying around my gear.  After an extensive search, I found what I consider to be the perfect bag for my laptop and daily use, but now I'm trying to find the best camera bag for my needs.  (If you've got suggestions, please let me know in the comments) 

I came across the bags from Kata and love what I've seen.  I'm especially into their sling-pack designs, such as their Torso Pack 212.  Then I found a great review of the S-312 Sling pack over on Rainy Day Magazine.  The 312 is a smaller form-factor bag, for Point & Shoot size cameras and small camcorders, but the review gives a great idea of the quality and usefulness of the product.  Reading this review has me just about sold on getting a 212 of my own. 

The coolest thing about these Kata bags, is that they are part of a 'system' that you can add onto as your gear collection grows.  So you can get a waist pack, or a backpack that will integrate seamlessly with the sling packs.  Very cool.

If and when I do, I'll be sure to put my own review here for all to read.  Please feel free to share your experiences with Kata bags - or any bag you think is the cat's meow.