The PetaPixel Podcast

Want to support Chris, Jordan, and the entire PetaPixel team directly? Sign up for a PetaPixel Membership and you can do just that as well as remove ads from your browsing experience here on PetaPixel.com. You also get 25% off orders from the PetaPixel Merch Store and a $15 coupon to use at the Moment store. Sign up today for just $3 per month or $30 per year. The Leica L-mount was created in 2014. The L-mount Alliance was formed in 2018. While there has been a steady release of cameras for this mount since then, considering the number of companies involved, it is a bit thin – especially for still photographers. With the recent announcement of the Leica SL3-S -- which feels like it's not the best value for the dollar in ways that go beyond even typical expectations of Leica cameras in the past-- we found ourselves asking: if you were coming in fresh to mirrorless and were thinking of investing in a system, is L-mount worth it over the alternatives? If not, why? What is missing? Chris Niccolls, Jordan Drake, and I dig into it. Check out PetaPixel Merch: store.petapixel.com/ We use Riverside to record The PetaPixel Podcast in our online recording studio. We hope you enjoy the podcast and we look forward to hearing what you think. If you like what you hear, please support us by subscribing, liking, commenting, and reviewing! Every week, the trio go over comments on YouTube and here on PetaPixel, but if you’d like to send a message for them to hear, you can do so through SpeakPipe. In This Episode 00:00 - Intro 12:08 - DJI's new Flip looks like a nice balance between good quality and ease of use 20:08 - Nikon's custom Z9 and thermal blanket are headed to the Moon 21:53 - Canon warns that some SanDisk SD cards will corrupt with the R5 Mark II 26:02 - Canon may follow Nikon, move manufacturing out of Japan 29:41 - Adobe's generative AI in Lightroom and Photoshop is doing some weird stuff 37:40 - Leica announced the SL3-S 43:26 - Is L-Mount worth investing into in 2025? 59:43 - What have you been up to? 1:04:00 - Never read the comments / Tech support 1:32:27 - Feed good story of the week

The hosts dive into the intriguing resurgence of compact cameras, debating the right approach for manufacturers to revamp older models. They discuss the merging landscape of stock photography, the anticipation of innovative gear releases, and Fujifilm's potential return to film cameras. A humorous critique of tech frustrations, especially with Sandisk, amplifies their nostalgic yearning for classic designs. Listeners are treated to insights on camera terminology and practical lighting techniques, making it a delightful exploration of photography's past and future.

From October 24th, 2024, to January 3rd, 2025, you can showcase your best outdoor photography for a shot at winning an incredible trip to Japan with OM SYSTEM Ambassador Lisa Michele Burns. Submit your best nature-inspired photograph for a chance to win a 7-day photo tour of Japan with OM SYSTEM Ambassador, Lisa Michele Burns. This amazing experience, valued at over $12,000 USD, is for you and a guest and will take you through some of Japan’s most incredible landscapes. Not only that, but you’ll also receive OM SYSTEM camera gear worth $2,500 USD to capture every unforgettable moment of your journey. So, what are you waiting for? The world is your canvas—show OM SYSTEM how you’ve turned the ordinary into the extraordinary. Submit your entry now, and you could be on your way to Japan! For more details, visit explore.omsystem.com/petapixel. Do you ever get tired of manually organizing, searching for, tagging, and culling your images? We do, too - and that’s where Excire can help! Excire’s photo-management software harnesses AI to make tedious tasks 10x faster, easier, and more fun. Thanks to Excire, you can easily get your images organized, stay on top of culling, and instantly find any photo in your catalog—so you can spend less time managing your images and more time doing what you love! To purchase an Excire lifetime license or to download a 14-day free trial, visit excire.com/en/shop! PetaPixel viewers can receive 15% off their purchase with the special discount code PETAPIXEL. This week on the PetaPixel Podcast, the team says goodbye to 2024 with the most important of traditions: the airing of grievances. Thanks for joining us for season three of the PetaPixel Podcast! The show will be back in January for the episode 76 and the start of season four. em>Support Chris and Jordan directly with a PetaPixel Membership! Check out PetaPixel Merch: store.petapixel.com/ We use Riverside to record The PetaPixel Podcast in our online recording studio. We hope you enjoy the podcast and we look forward to hearing what you think. If you like what you hear, please support us by subscribing, liking, commenting, and reviewing! Every week, the trio go over comments on YouTube and here on PetaPixel, but if you’d like to send a message for them to hear, you can do so through SpeakPipe. In This Episode 00:00 - Intro, it's the season finale! 07:37 - Blackmagic's Ursa Cine Immersive is coming early next year for $29,999 11:10 - Panasonic has a new point and shoot and G97 16:07 - Nikon added shutter angle and custom zebras to the Z9 21:59 - Kodak and Huf Team have a neat collab 24:07 - Adobe's reflection removal tool looks super neat 25:37 - The Annual Airing of Grievances 48:57 - Are we monsters? 1:13:10 - Never read the comments 1:19:52 - Tech support 1:37:21 - Feel good story of the week

If you’re a wildlife or birding photographer, you know the magic of capturing rare encounters from afar. Get an OM-1 Mark II, a 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS, the MC-20 2x Teleconverter, and the HLD-10 Battery Grip for just $4,499.96 – that's a savings of $1,380! Don’t miss out! This amazing offer expires on January 5, 2025! Discover more at http://explore.omsystem.com/petapixel or at your local OM SYSTEM retailer. -- Do you ever get tired of manually organizing, searching for, tagging, and culling your images? We do, too - and that’s where Excire can help! To purchase an Excire lifetime license or to download a 14-day free trial, visit www.excire.com/en/shop! PetaPixel viewers can receive 15% off their purchase with the special discount code PETAPIXEL. -- We are proud to announce the results of the fourth-annual PetaPixel Awards where we are able to honor the best new photography products released in the last year. 2024 was a heck of a year for photography and the results showed that: it was the closest batch of voting in the awards’ history. Support Chris and Jordan directly with a PetaPixel Membership and check out PetaPixel Merch. We use Riverside to record The PetaPixel Podcast in our online recording studio. We hope you enjoy the podcast and we look forward to hearing what you think. If you like what you hear, please support us by subscribing, liking, commenting, and reviewing! Every week, the trio go over comments on YouTube and here on PetaPixel, but if you’d like to send a message for them to hear, you can do so through SpeakPipe. -- In This Episode: 00:00 - Into (explaining all our upcoming gear shows) 08:24 - Samyang announced a new 35mm f/1.4 P lens (and brought a 12mm f/2 lens to Canon RF mount APS-C) 13:22 - Microsoft discontinues the Surface Studio 2+ 18:48 - Canon USA brought back Rudy Winston 21:07 - The PetaPixel Awards (About, Methodology, Categories) 26:00 - Accessory of the Year 29:27 - Desktop Software of the Year 21:11 - Smartphone App of the Year 33:51 - Computer of the Year 35:18 - Smartphone of the Year 41:13 - Zoom Lens of the Year 47:36 - Prime Lens of the Year 56:48 - Camera of the Year, People's Choice Award 59:47 - Camera of the Year 1:07:36 - Photo Company of the Year 1:09:51 - What have you been up to? 1:12:14 - Tech Support 1:29:56 - Feel good story of the week

If you’re a wildlife or birding photographer, you know the magic of capturing rare encounters from afar. To bring your vision to life, OM SYSTEM has curated the ultimate telephoto kit designed for those who demand precision, durability, and exceptional image quality. Get an OM-1 Mark II, a 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS, the MC-20 2x Teleconverter, and the HLD-10 Battery Grip for just $4,499.96 – that's a savings of $1,380! Don’t miss out! This amazing offer expires on January 5, 2025! Discover more at explore.omsystem.com/petapixel or at your local OM SYSTEM retailer. -- Tamron's holiday savings are live! Don't miss out on huge savings on lenses for Sony E-mount, Nikon Z-mount, and Fujifilm X-mount mirrorless cameras from Tamron's impressive range of stellar optics. Mix the high-quality, fast performance with the company's 6-year warranty which ensures long-lasting reliability. Save up to $200 on a wide selection of lenses at tamron-americas.com/petapixel It's time! Our annual tradition continues with our BOLD PREDICTIONS for 2025! This year, we're joined by Becca Farsace and PetaPixel's Jeremy Gray to make our predictions for what the camera industry will see in the next calendar year. It's time to get bold! Support Chris and Jordan directly with a PetaPixel Membership Check out PetaPixel Merch. We use Riverside to record The PetaPixel Podcast in our online recording studio We hope you enjoy the podcast and we look forward to hearing what you think. If you like what you hear, please support us by subscribing, liking, commenting, and reviewing! Every week, the trio go over comments on YouTube and here on PetaPixel, but if you’d like to send a message for them to hear, you can do so through SpeakPipe

As the holiday season draws near, now is the perfect time to purchase gifts that will bring joy to your loved ones. And if you’re ready to spoil yourself or someone special with an incredible camera deal, we’ve got the best winter offer waiting for you. Right now, OM SYSTEM is offering Black Friday pricing, and you don't want to miss it! For a limited time, the OM SYSTEM E-M10 Mark IV camera is available for $299.99 off its regular price of $999.98. Right now, you can grab the camera for just $699.99! Plus, when you buy the camera body, you’ll get the M.Zuiko 14-42mm II R lens for free—that’s an amazing deal! Don’t wait! To take advantage of these incredible deals, visit your local authorized OM SYSTEM retailer or head to explore.omsystem.com/petapixel today! In July, The PetaPixel Podcast team was joined by Camera Labs‘ Gordon Laing to give mid-term grades to every major camera and lens manufacturer. Now that the year has ended, it’s fime for them all to get graded on their finals. Support Chris and Jordan directly with a PetaPixel Membership! Check out PetaPixel Merch: store.petapixel.com/ We use Riverside to record The PetaPixel Podcast in our online recording studio. We hope you enjoy the podcast and we look forward to hearing what you think. If you like what you hear, please support us by subscribing, liking, commenting, and reviewing! Every week, the trio go over comments on YouTube and here on PetaPixel, but if you’d like to send a message for them to hear, you can do so through SpeakPipe. In This Episode 00:00 - Intro, welcome back Gordon Laing! 12:09 - Sony announced the new a1 II and 28-70mm f/2 GM 14:22 - About those onion rings... 17:44 - Great news: Tamron isn't closing the door on prime lenses after all 21:35 - Yongnuo made an "Art" lens. Wonder where the idea for that name came from 26:04 - Leica made more money in 2024 than an other in its entire 100-year history 27:01 - DJI launched the MicMini 30:52 - Grading every camera (and lens) maker's 2024! 31:14 - Canon 45:08 - Fujifilm 55:26 - Leica 1:04:14 - Nikon 1:08:55 - OM System 1:12:28 - Ricoh/Pentax 1:14:42 - Panasonic 1:20:21 - Sigma 1:26:59 - Sony 1:40:24 - Feel good story of the week

This episode is brought to you by OM SYSTEM, and their Black Friday pricing is here! There are incredible savings on OM SYSTEM gear that you won’t want to miss. OM SYSTEM has nearly every lens on sale, right now, with discounts up to $700 off! It’s the ideal opportunity to expand your kit, upgrade to the lenses you’ve had your eye on, or purchase a holiday gift for a loved one.  Whether you’re looking for a new camera or the right lens for your next adventure, check out OM SYSTEM’s Black Friday deals. Head over to explore.omsystem.com/petapixel to see all the savings. Offers end December 8. Tamron’s holday savings are live! Save up to $200 on select lenses including versatile all-in-one zoom lenses for flexibility in various shooting scenarios, fast aperture zoom lenses for excellent low-light performance and beautiful bokeh, ultra-telephoto zoom lenses for far-reaching shots with exceptional clarity, prime lenses offering sharp detail and superior image quality, and fast wide-angle zoom lenses for dynamic landscapes and architecture shots. Tamron's lenses offer high-quality and fast performance that are designed to elevate your photography experience. Shop now and save at tamron-americas.com. This week on The PetaPixel Podcast there is a lot to discuss, with Fujifilm announcing it will make a new cinema camera next year, Final Cut Pro getting its first version change in 13 years, Sony bowing out of making drones, and more! Support Chris and Jordan directly with a PetaPixel Membership! Check out PetaPixel Merch: store.petapixel.com/ We use Riverside to record The PetaPixel Podcast in our online recording studio. Every week, the trio go over comments on YouTube and here on PetaPixel, but if you’d like to send a message for them to hear, you can do so through SpeakPipe. In This Episode 00:00 - Intro (Chris finished his new studio!) 06:11 - Fujifilm is developing a dedicated GFX cinema camera called the GFX Eterna 11:35 - Apple Moves to Final Cut Pro 11, updates iPad app and Final Cut Camera, too 26:26 - Hasselblad announced a new 75mm f/3.4 P lens 28:18 - Sony's Airpeak has been discontinued 29:10 - Why did the Airpeak fail? 33:44 - The FlashBack "non-disposable digital disposable camera" got a $330K investment on Shark Tank 37:29 - Benro's Theta self-leveling tripod Kickstarter is nearly two years delayed 42:11 - What is the state of photobooks in 2024? With Mixbook CEO and Co-Founder Andrew Laffoon 1:20:34 - What have you been up to? 1:22:20 - Never read the comments 1:33:40 - Feel good story of the week

Demis Hassabis, Co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, dives into the exciting world of entry-level cameras. He shares insights on recent models like the Nikon Z50 II and Canon EOS R10, discussing their features and user-friendly designs. The conversation also touches on the advantages of mirrorless systems and nostalgic photography journeys with first cameras. Listeners can learn about current trends and innovations in camera technology, along with tips on selecting the best gear for enthusiastic beginners in photography.

Mark Weir, a retired Sony Imaging executive, reflects on two decades of camera evolution and the shifting role of photographers. He shares insights on Sony's strategic shift away from mirrors and the advantages of open standards like the E-mount. Weir discusses how user feedback shaped product innovation and delves into the transformation of visual storytelling influenced by technology and social media. The conversation also touches on emerging trends in photography equipment and the exciting future of the industry.

Della Huff, a key player in Apple's product marketing team for camera and photos, discusses the future of photography with Billy Sorrentino from the Apple Design team. They dive into the exciting realm of spatial photography and the transformative Vision Pro technology. The duo explores how immersive content enhances memory preservation and personal expression. Innovations in converting 2D images into stunning 3D experiences are also highlighted, alongside the marketing challenges of introducing such groundbreaking technology to the public.