Just Posted: Our review of the Sony DSLR A380. This is our first review of one of Sony's latest trio of entry-level DSLRs. Although the specification hasn't changed significantly compared to its predecessor, the A350, its intent has - it's a DSLR clearly designed to reach out to compact camera users thinking of making the leap to the world of large sensors. So how comfortable did we feel in its embrace?

Sony has issued a service notice for its Cyber-shot DSC-W170 camera. In some cameras, small particles of metal plating peel off from the casing surrounding the lens, resulting in splinters. Sony will offer a free service to replace the front panel, including the bezel, on units that fall within the affected serial number range.

Pre-IFA 2009: Ricoh has unveiled the CX2 compact super-zoom. Featuring the same 9 MP CMOS sensor inherited from its predecessor CX1, it offers a larger 10.7x zoom range at 28-300mm equivalent, a faster continuous shooting range of 5 fps, Pre- and Continuous-AF modes and additional scene modes. The rest of the features mirror the CX1 including the 3.0 LCD with 920k dot resolution and the faster Smooth Imaging Engine IV processor.

Nikon has released a statement explaining why some D5000 owners have been asked to return their cameras for a second time. The company says it developed an enhanced preventative maintenance procedure after it had started servicing cameras so 'a small number' of customers will need to send their cameras back again. It has also updated its list of affected serial numbers under the original service notice.

Pre-IFA 2009: Lastly, Canon has announced seven Pixma All-In-One printers, an A4 photo printer and an A3 office printer. The Pixma iP4700 photo printer offers 1pl (picolitre) drops, 9600dpi printing and supports direct printing from compatible cameras. The entry level Pixma MP250, MP270 and MP490; mid-range Pixma MP550 and MP560; and the higher end Pixma MP640 and MP990 All-In-Ones incorporate the Auto Photo Fix II image correction function and an Auto Scan Mode that recognises different kinds of documents and processes them accordingly. Last comes the Pixma iX7000 Business printer with PgR (Pigment Reaction) Technology resulting in water- and smudge-resistant, longer lasting prints.

The Canon's PowerShot S90 appears to represent exactly the sort of compact we like - a bright lens, good screen and easy access to a selection of manual controls. Then we discovered the control ring around the lens and thought it worth publishing our first impressions. Click here to have a read of our brief hands-on with Canon's latest photographers' compact.

Pre-IFA 2009: In addition to its camera announcements, Canon has introduced the Selphy ES40 compact dye-sublimation photo printer with built-in voice guidance. Offering an option of seven different languages, the voice guidance helps users through the printing process and also informs them of common printing issues. It features a similar design of its predecessor, the ES30, including the Easy Scroll Wheel and large buttons, but with a larger 3.5 inch LCD.

Pre-IFA 2009: Canon has also launched the super-zoom PowerShot SX120 IS. Featuring the same 10x zoom lens (36-300mm equiv.) and 3 inch LCD of its predecessor (SX110 IS), but has seen the resolution increase to 10MP. The rest of the features are similar to the the SX110 IS including P/A/S/M shooting modes but with faster Face Detection that can detect up to 35 faces.

Pre-IFA 2009: Canon has announced the PowerShot SX20 IS super-zoom digital compact, successor to the the SX10 IS. Featuring the same wide angle 20x (28-560mm equiv.) zoom lens and 2.5 inch vari-angle LCD of its predecessor, the latest model features a 12.1MP sensor and offers 720p HD video recording.

Pre-IFA 2009: Then come Canon's first touch-screen camera, the SD980 IS (Digital IXUS 200 IS), and its slimmest wide-angle compact, the SD 940 IS (Digital IXUS 120 IS). The SD 980 IS features a 3 inch touch-screen LCD and an optically stabilized 5x zoom lens starting at a wide 24mm equivalent. The SD 940 IS is bundled with a wide-angle 28-112mm equivalent lens with optical stabilization and 2.7 inch LCD in a slim body design. Both cameras feature 12.1 MP sensors and offer HD video recording.

Pre-IFA 2009: Next comes the PowerShot S90 digital compact, resurrecting Canon's S-series of compact 'photographers' cameras. It features a 28-105mm F2.0-4.9 stabilized lens with a control ring built around it that enables control of camera settings such as exposure compensation. It also offers a 3 inch LCD with 461k dot resolution in a slim, compact body. Like the G11, it includes the high sensitivity 10MP sensor and Digic 4 noise reduction to make up a 'Dual Anti-Noise System.' In keeping with the photographers' camera brief, the S90 includes manual control and RAW shooting.

Pre-IFA 2009: Canon has announced a handful of compact cameras including models aimed squarely at keen photographers. Top of the line is the PowerShot G11, successor to its flagship PowerShot G10 compact released last year. The G11 replaces the G10's 14.7MP sensor with what it describes as a high sensitivity 10 MP CCD though it still uses the same 28-140mm equivalent stabilized lens. The camera also gains a tilt and swivel LCD, though the size drops to 2.8 inches. Flash sync speed increases to 1/2000th of a second and HDMI output is also added. Other features include Dual Anti-Noise System (more sensitive sensor and Digic 4 offering a claimed 2-stop improvement over the G10), RAW shooting and P/A/S/M shooting modes.

Pre-IFA 2009: Casio has announced a pair of Exilim Zoom series digital compacts. The EX-Z450 and EX-Z90 feature an Intelligent AF function that attempts to identify photographic subjects beyond just looking for humans as faces. The Z450, which has a 4x zoom lens starting at 28mm equivalent, also incorporates an enhanced version of the company's Dynamic Photo mode that now allows a moving subject to be cropped from a single shot, as long as the background flat and of a single color. Both feature 12.1MP sensors and offer HD recording.

Leica has revealed specifications and a release date for its medium-format 'S system'. The S2 as a 37.5 megapixel Kodak CCD sensor which measures 45 x 30 mm, sensitivity is pegged from ISO 80 to 1250 and the camera can shoot 1.5 fps for up to 8 RAW DNG files. Around the back you'll find a three inch LCD with 460,000 dots (surprisingly not the higher resolution 920,000 dot screens found on other DSLRs). Everything else is pretty much to be expected; three metering modes, four exposure modes, integral metal shutter provides 32 to 1/4000 sec and a flash sync of 1/125 sec, optional lens leaf shutter delivers flash sync up to 1/500 sec. A basic 'kit' (S2 and one lens) will set you back around $30,000 and the first units should ship in October.

Our Challenges system has become increasingly popular since its launch eight months ago but we've always said we would continue to develop it to make it more useful and fun to use. In response to the brand- or technique-specific challenges that are now being created, we've developed a system to link those challenges with their relevant forums. Associated challenges will be given greater prominence within the communities that use those forums.