Olympus has announced the development of the OM-D E-M1 Mark II compact system camera, which promises to "set new benchmarks in speed and mobility." The new flagship comes equipped with a 20.4-megapixel sensor and reaches sequential speeds of 18fps with continuous auto focus enabled, and 60fps in S-AF mode. A completely new on-chip, phase-detection AF system offers 121 all cross-type AF points and a high-speed algorithm powered by the new TruePic VIII AF processor. With an EVF that offers a response rate of barely 6ms and a smooth frame rate of 120 fps, it’s easy to keep up with fast-moving subjects. Additionally, the innovative Pro Capture shooting mode on the OM-D E-M1 Mark II exploits the virtual elimination of shutter lag by recording up to 14 sequential frames before the shutter release is fully pressed. The redesigned 5-axis image stabiliser now offers a frankly incredible 6.5-stop advantage when paired with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm1:4.0 IS PRO lens. In addition to capturing 20-megapixel stills, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II can record 4K movies at 24fps and 30fps and a bit rate of 102Mbps/237Mbps. The new battery lasts nearly 40% longer than that of the original OM-D E-M1, whilst the charging time of 2 hours is roughly twice as quick as on the previous model.

The new Olympus PEN E-PL8 is a WiFi-enabled compact system camera aimed at fashion-conscious women. Described as a product that "blends distinctly feminine curves with the seamless social skills of bloggers, fashionistas and other switched on millenials," the E-PL8 boasts a new shape and leather look finish, and comes with a flip-down LCD that's ideal for selfies. Like the existing PEN E-PL7, the new E-PL8 comes equipped with a 16-megapixel FourThirds sensor, a Micro FourThirds lens mount and a sensor-shift image stabilisation system. The E-PL8 will be available in pure white, black with silver details, and in vintage brown. The body weighs just 326 grams and costs £399.99/€449.00; or £499.99/€599.00 with an M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm 1-3.5-5.6 EZ Pancake lens.

Olympus has announced a new professional-grade flash for the Micro FourThirds system. The new Olympus FL-900 R features protection against dust, splashes and sub-zero temperatures, and can be used both on- and off-camera thanks to its wireless TTL metering/triggering capabilities. The flash has a zoomable tilt-swivel head that covers the angle of view for a focal length of 12mm-100mm lenses and 7mm-10mm lenses when using the built-in wide panel. The guide number is 58 (in metres at ISO 100/21°, in the 100mm position). The Olympus FL-900 R flash will become available in December 2016 at a recommended retail price of £549.99/€599.00.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm 1:1.2 PRO is a new ultra-bright auto-focus standard prime for the Micro Four Thirds system. "Throughout the design process, special attention was given to ensuring this 1:1.2 aperture M.ZUIKO Pro series lens renders the most stunning bokeh to greatly enhance the aesthetic quality of backgrounds – or for using the bokeh effect as the subject itself," Olympus said in a statement. "The beautiful shapes this lens delivers right up to the edges of the image and the natural defocusing effect result from the combination of the unique optical design of the lens system and its 9-bladed aperture." Additionally, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm 1:1.2 PRO lens boasts a "very fast" AF and Olympus' advanced Z Coating Nano, which effectively reduces flaring and ghosts for even sharper, clearer images. The robust, metal-build lens features a maximum magnification of 0.11x (35mm equivalent: 0.22x) and weighs in at 410g. The lens will become available in October, priced at £1099.99/€1,299.00.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm 1:4.0 IS PRO is a 24-200mm equivalent Micro FourThirds lens with a constant maximum aperture. Dust-, splash- and freezeproof, this professional-grade travel zoom features a built-in image stabiliser that can work synergistically with Olympus' camera-based sensor-shift stabilisation systems to achieve an incredible 6.5-stop advantage over non-stabilised camera-lens combinations. Weighing in at 561 grams, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm 1:4.0 IS PRO offers outstanding close-up photography capabilities thanks to its minimum working distance of 1.5cm. The lens will become available in November 2016 and will retail at a recommended price of £1099.99/€1,299.00.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 30mm 1:3.5 Macro is a new macro lens with a maximum reproduction ratio of 1.25:1 and a close-focus point of 9.5cm. Another crucial feature for would-be nature specialists is the lens’ near-silent focus mechanism and lightweight design, which in tests improved AF response by 20-30% compared to conventional macro lenses. Available immediately, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 30mm 1:3.5 Macro is priced at £249.99/€299.00.

Sigma have unveiled its new 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art and 500mm F4 DG OS HSM Sport lenses. The Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art lens is engineered to support the highest resolution sensors on the market with an exceptional degree of sharpness. The Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art lens will be available in late October and retails for a recommended street price of $1199.00 USD / £1199.99.

The Sigma 12-24mm F4 features the largest aspherical glass mold in the industry, offering photographers an ultra-wide angle zoom with virtually no distortion, flare or ghosting. The Sigma 12-24mm F4 Art lens will be available in late October and retails for a recommended street price of $1599.00 USD / £1649.99.

The flagship Sigma super telephoto 500mm F4 Sport lens incorporates the very latest in Sigma optical technology and innovation. The Sigma 500mm F4 Sport lens, in Canon and Sigma mounts, will be available in late October. The Nikon mount will be available in late November. The 500mm F4 will retail for a recommended street price of $5999.00 USD / £5999.99.

GoPro has announced the Karma, a foldable quadcopter with a removable 3-axis gimbal stabiliser and a touchscreen-based remote control unit. Easily fitting in a small backpack, the GoPro Karma will become available on 23 October 2016, priced at $799 ($999 with a GoPro HERO5 Session camera, $1099 with a HERO5 Black).

GoPro have announced two new 4K action cameras. The GoPro HERO5 Black ($399.99) has a 12-megapixel imager, simplified controls, a 2-inch touchscreen, raw and WDR photo modes, voice control with support for seven languages, and a GPS module. The HERO5 Session ($299.99) features a 10-megapixel sensor, a single control button and voice control. Both new GoPro cameras can shoot movies at 4K/30fps, both are waterproof to 33ft/10m and both can upload photos and videos to the cloud while charging.

The Fujifilm GFX 50S is a 51.4 megapixel medium-format mirrorless camera. The new G format sensor measures 43.8x32.9mm, 1.7x larger than 35mm.  The GFX 50S is world's first medium-format compact system camera with a focal plane shutter. It has an external viewfinder supplied in the box that can be rotated to a number of different angles. The new GF lens can deal with sensor sizes greater than 100 megapixels, making it futureproof. Priced at "way under $10000" with the GF63mm F2.8 R WR lens.

6 lenses have also been announced:

GF63mm F2.8 R WR, early 2017

32-64mm F4 R LM WR, early 2017

120mm F4 Macro, early 2017

23mm F4 R LM WR, mid 2017

110mm F2 R LM WR, mid 2017

45mm F2.8 R WR, late 2017

Fujifilm has announced the development of a new medium-format digital camera system. The company is planning to release a mirrorless MF camera body called the Fujifilm GFX 50S featuring a 43.8×32.9mm sensor with 51.4 megapixels, along with six new G-mount lenses. Compared to conventional medium-format digital SLR cameras, the Fujifilm GFX 50S is lighter and far more compact. With regards to functionality, the camera follows in the footsteps of the X Series by featuring numerous physical buttons and dials, and is designed with an ergonomic grip plus a detachable electronic viewfinder. The camera also supports tethered shooting, which has become an essential part of the professional photographers’ workflow, and will be compatible with various raw image file converters. The new G-mount lenses include the Fujinon GF63mmF2.8 R WR standard prime, the GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR wide zoom, the GF120mmF4 Macro R LM OIS WR macro lens, the GF110mmF2 R LM WR portrait lens, the GF23mmF4 R LM WR ultra-wide prime and the GF45mmF2.8 R WR moderate wide-angle lens. The lenses feature an aperture ring, and have a new C (Command) Position on the ring to enable aperture adjustments with the Command Dial on the camera body. All the lenses feature a dust- and weather-resistant construction that withstands operation at temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius.

Sekonic today introduced the new Sekonic SpeedMaster L-858D exposure meter. Equipped with a 2.7" touchscreen, the new model offers flash duration measurement and has the capability to measure the brief flash bursts of High Speed Sync (HSS) for precision flash exposure control. Filmmakers and landscape photographers will appreciate the L-858D’s increased sensitivity for both incident and reflected-spot measurements giving them the ability to obtain extreme low light level readings. The L-858D also offers optional wireless triggering modules for Elinchrom, Phottix and PocketWizard radio triggering devices. The Sekonic SpeedMaster L-858D light meter will be on display at the Photokina show in Hall 4.1, Booth E-010.

Nikon today revealed a new line of KeyMission action cameras that encourage users to discover, capture and share their personal missions from an entirely new perspective. Previewed at CES 2016, the rugged KeyMission 360 is the first Nikon camera capable of full 360° video in 4K resolution, providing users a unique way to create engaging content like never before. Introduced today is the new Nikon KeyMission 170 (pictured), an adventure-ready camera capable of capturing both stills and 4K video through its UWA lens, as well as the KeyMission 80, a compact and lightweight camera for capturing the spontaneous moments of everyday life. The KeyMission 170 is waterproof (33 ft.), shockproof (6.6 ft.) and freezeproof (14°F) without a housing, and comes with a 170° lens and 8.3-megapixel imager. The KeyMission 80 has a 12-megapixel main camera with an 80° lens plus a front-facing secondary camera with a 90° lens, and is waterproof to 3.2 ft, shockproof to 6 ft and freezeproof to 14°F. The KeyMission 360, KeyMission 170 and KeyMission 80 will be available for suggested retail prices of £419.99/$499.95, £329.99/$399.95 and £249.99/$279.95, respectively.

The YI M1 is a new compact system camera with a 20.2-megapixel FourThirds sensor, a Micro FourThirds lens mount, a 3" touchscreen, an 81-point CDAF system, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE connectivity and 4K video recording capabilities. Made in China, the YI M1 offers a mostly touchscreen-based user interface and comes in a single-zoom kit (￥2199, with a 12-40mm f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom) and a double-lens bundle (¥2999 including the camera body, the afore-mentioned standard zoom and a 42.5mm f/1.8 portrait lens). US and European pricing and availability will be announced soon by YI Technology. To view the YI M1 in person at Photokina 2016, visit booth A-032, Hall 09.1.

Sony has just announced the new Sony Alpha A99 II full-frame interchangeable-lens camera. Featuring a Sony A lens mount, a 42.4-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, 4K video recording and a 5-axis in-body image stabilisation mechanism providing a 4.5-step shutter speed advantage; the new Sony A99 II boasts a newly developed "4D Focus" system capable of full-time auto focus. Sony's Hybrid Phase Detection AF System is enabled by combining a precision 79-point dedicated phase-detection AF sensor with 399 focal plane phase detection AF points to produce a 79 hybrid cross AF-point array. These cross points are promising to deliver incredibly precise autofocus performance and advanced subject tracking of any moving objects right across the image. A new front-end LSI works with the image sensor and BIONZ X image processing engine, as well as a newly designed shutter unit, to enable continuous shooting at up to 12fps with AF/AE tracking, all whilst harnessing the sensor’s full resolution. Thanks to a large buffer and sophisticated data processing, these shots can be viewed immediately after shooting even when in high speed continuous shooting mode. In addition to being designed for faster response, the new shutter unit is also more durable and has passed endurance tests in excess of 300,000 shutter actuations. The camera enables internal 4K movie recording featuring full pixel readout, without pixel binning, in its Super 35mm recording mode. Frame rates from 1 fps to 120 fps (100 fps) can be selected in 8 steps for quick-motion and slow-motion recording. The new Sony ɑ99 II will start shipping in November, priced at approximately €3600.

Live from Photokina! The Sony A99 II is a 42.4 megapixel compact system camera that can shoot at 12fps. Aimed at professional sports, action and wildlife photographers, the Sony A99 II also offers 5-axis image stabilisation and 4K video recording. Using the Sony A-mount, the A99 II can shoot up to ISO 102,400 and down to -4EV low light with 4.5 stops of image stabilisation. It offers 4K full pixel readout without any pixel binning with both 35mm full-frame and Super 35mm cropped modes.

The price? 3600 Euros, $3100 US dollars...

Sony is demonstrating its full range of digital imaging offerings at Photokina 2016. Located in Hall 5.2, the Sony booth will be open from 10:00 on Tuesday 20th September until 18:00 on Sunday 25th September. In addition to showcasing the full product line-up including the newly announced A99 II camera, Sony is offering a full programme of live talks and demonstrations. At these free talks, world-renowned photographers and filmmakers will be sharing their insights as well as their own personal and professional experiences of using Sony cameras and lenses. As part of the programme, there will also be a series of live action shows which attendees are invited to photograph including a celebration of Samurai sword artistry, professional break dancers and acrobats.

Panasonic have issued a firmware update for the Panasonic Lumix GX80 compact system camera. Version 1.1 adds an automated focus stackign function, whichenables users to take multiple images of the same frame with different areas in focus, then combine all or selected focus areas into one image. This firmware upgrade also adds other improvements to enhance the operability of the GX80. The Focus Bracket menu now has a Sequence function, which allows users to set the bracket images to be shot farther and closer from the initial focus position, or farther away. Also, Flash Mode can nowbe set to "forced-off" when using the built-in flash. You can download the firmware update from the website below.

Website: Panasonic Support

Want to see exactly what the new Panasonic GH5 compact system camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Panasonic GH5 compact system camera and the three new Leica lenses. Panasonic are also showing early prototypes of an audio accessory and a battery grip for the GH5.

Hasselblad has unveiled a new modular concept camera with a 75-megapixel square-format sensor. Part of the company's 4116 Collection which celebrates Hasselblad's 75th anniversary, the Hasselblad V1D 4116 Concept is described as "a study created to explore the Hasselblad heritage to find new ways of designing innovative cameras for the future." Inspired by the classic Hasselblad V, the new camera can be outfitted with displays, viewfinders, external controls, hangrips and other accessories. With the V1D being completely modular, left-handed photographers can also configure the camera perfectly for their needs, with the rotary dial controls for aperture and shutter speed placed on either the left- or right-hand side. Given that the Hasselblad V1D currently exists as a concept model only, there is no word on availability or pricing.