
The PetaPixel Podcast
A photography podcast. Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake join PetaPixel's Editor-in-Chief Jaron Schneider for a weekly discussion on current events in the photo industry, camera equipment, technology, culture, and more.
Latest episodes

Jan 10, 2024 • 1h 23min
Grading Every Camera Maker's 2023 Performance
We want to wish a very happy new year to our podcast sponsor, OM SYSTEM! This morning, we published a story featuring tips from OM SYSTEM Ambassador Emilie Talpin on how to improve your macro photography. Macro photography is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, genres of photography and Talpin helps us improve our own macro photography by sharing the lessons she has learned throughout her career.
Read Emilie’s tips today on PetaPixel and check out the full line of OM SYSTEM cameras and lenses by visiting explore.omsystem.com/petapixel.
As PetaPixel closed the door on 2023 and looked forward into 2024, it published multiple stories that looked back on how the major manufacturers fared in the past 365, grading each on what they were able to produce for enthusiasts on a classic scale of A through F.
Using those as a springboard, Chris Niccolls, Jordan Drake, and Jaron Schneider offer their own input on how these companies did in the last year, highlighting what they did well, what could have been done better, and what each company needs to do in the year ahead to impress.
Make sure you check out PetaPixel's grades on Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, the L-Mount Alliance, Micro Four Thirds, and the best of the rest to follow along with The PetaPixel Podcast team.
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, and welcome back!
06:05 - How did every camera maker fare in 2023?
06:38 - Canon in 2023: grading the RF mount
12:22 - Nikon in 2023: grading the Z mount
20:24 - Sony in 2023: grading the E mount
31:00 - Fujifilm in 2023: grading the X and GF systems
37:21 - The L-mount in 2023: grading the Alliance
44:28 - Grading Micro Four Thirds in 2023
49:17 - The best of the rest
56:49 - What have you been up to?
1:05:19 - Tech Support
1:17:11 - Never read the comments

Dec 13, 2023 • 1h 26min
Our BOLD Camera Predictions for 2024! (feat. Camera Labs' Gordon Laing)
Get ready to embrace winter with incredible deals on OM SYSTEM products. Right now, OM SYSTEM is offering an unbeatable seasonal offer you won’t want to miss. Purchase the E-M10 Mark IV body and receive the M.Zuiko 14-42mm II R Lens at no charge. Originally priced at $999.98, it’s now available for just $699.99 – that’s a fantastic $300 in savings!
But hurry, time is ticking! December 17th is the last day to place orders to ensure delivery in time for Christmas. Don’t let this opportunity slip away. Capture your holiday moments with OM SYSTEM’s incredible gear at the season’s best savings. Visit explore.omsystem.com/petapixel or visit your authorized retailer today and make this festive season picture-perfect with OM SYSTEM.
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Now in its third year, PetaPixel has gathered its team together to guess the things they just know are going to take place over the next calendar year. To help, we've also brought in Gordon Laing, the brains behind the excellent CameraLabs website and YouTube channel.
All of us are, as usual, ready to be very, very wrong.
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.
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In this episode:
00:00 - Intro
09:05 - Sony photographers should be careful what memory cards they buy
14:03 - Why aren't drone makers giving photographers better underwater solutions?
20:10 - Instax makes up more than 50% of Fujifilm's entire Imaging business revenue
25:22 - Our BOLD camera predictions for 2024!
26:22 - Gordon: There will be no other global shutter cameras for a long time
30:27 - Jordan: Panasonic will kill the S1 and S1R line
32:12 - Chris: Canon WILL make a global shutter, full-frame camera
33:49 - Jaron: Canon won't release a "high resolution" camera, perhaps ever
37:35 - Gordon: A Fujfifilm X100V successor is coming
40:19- Jordan: There will be two tiers of Fujifilm fixed lens cameras, one as APS-C and one as full-frame
43:20 - Chris: Nikon will release a surprise, speed-focused camera
45:20 - Jaron: Sigma's full-frame Foveon sensor is coming in 2024, or not at all
49:10 - Gordon: Lumix S will become known as a viable system
51:33 - Jordan: We will see Nikon-branded smartphone cameras
54:52 - Chris: Pentax will release a retro-inspired DSLR.
57:28 - Jaron: Sony's a9 III will get a firmware update to allow CFe 4.0, unlock 240 fps
57:06 - Gordan: Sony and Canon will continue to release vlogging cameras despite DJI clearly having won
61:22 - Jordan: DJI will release a handheld large-sensor camera
1:03:20 - Chris: Gordan will will launch his own brand of coffee beans
1:04:21 - Jaron: Canon and Nikon will add C2PA via firmware before the 2024 Olympics
1:05:44 - What will you be up to?
1:11:23 - Tech support
1:18:02 - Never read the comments

Dec 6, 2023 • 1h 28min
The PetaPixel Awards: The Best of Photography in 2024
The podcast discusses the PetaPixel Awards and the best photography products of the year. They also talk about the compact and versatile OM Five camera by OM System and the acquisition of a camera app. The hosts compare Google and Apple camera interfaces, discuss autofocus technology, and share personal experiences. Canon's advancements in autofocus technology and different lenses are also mentioned.

Nov 29, 2023 • 1h 31min
Chris and Jordan Dig Through a Mountain of Your Questions!
You asked, we answered! We got buried behind weeks of your outstanding questions and now we're digging ourselves out. Get ready for a heavy dose of camera education!
Attention photography enthusiasts! Get ready to capture those priceless moments with unbeatable deals from OM SYSTEM.
Savings of up to $400 on OM SYSTEM cameras, lenses, and more! Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting your photography journey, these seasonal savings are too good to miss. Expand your creativity, unlock new perspectives, and capture life's beautiful moments with premium quality equipment from OM SYSTEM.
Hurry, these savings won't last long. Visit your nearest camera retailer or visit explore.omsystem.com/petapixel for more details. Upgrade your gear and capture your world with OM SYSTEM today!
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
02:28 - Popular Photography is dead... again
08:05 - Kodak's new Super 8 is a $5,495 limited edition mashup of film and digital
11:58 - Sony will let you add custom gridlines to your a7 IV... for $150
15:45 - Redditor buys a Nikon, gets bullied
21:10 - What have you been up to?
28:06 - Chris and Jordan do battle against the Tech Support question pile
28:43 - How do you properly expose LOG footage?
32:30 - Will you review cameras made for those with disabilities?
35:20 - Why is mechanical rolling shutter or image quality better compared to completely electronic shutters?
36:56 - Why is the EM-1X so cheap?
40:16 - What is the best camera for wedding ceremony video?
44:58 - What is the best environmental portrait lens for Fujifilm cameras?
48:10 - What happened to the curved sensor?
51:15 - What does the "knee" setting do in Panasonic cameras?
52:57 - Is a global shutter better for red-carpet events? What about concerts?
56:35 - Will high heat settings in cameras damage them over time?
1:01:21 - Which are better, "cinema" lenses or standard lenses for mirrorless?
1:05:36 - Why can't I make custom buttons on my Canon do anything I want?
1:09:50 - Helping out with a bad case of GAS.
1:14:28 - Is there any advantage to dedicating a single chip to each component in the RGB spectrum anymore?
1:19:49 - Why isn't open gate recording a more common option?
1:21:48 - How much RAM should I put in a new Apple M3 computer?
1:25:30 - Never read the comments

Nov 22, 2023 • 1h 23min
The Most Impactful Tech of 2023 (feat. Tyler Stalman)
Thanks again to our podcast sponsor, OM SYSTEM. You don’t have to wait until Black Friday to get huge savings on OM SYSTEM cameras, lenses, and more! This includes the compact, durable and feature-packed OM-5 camera for just $999.
Make sure to visit explore.omsystem.com/petapixel for the complete list of incredible savings available for OM SYSTEM cameras, lenses, and more!
And don't miss our recent film following OM SYSTEM Ambassador Matt Suess as he explored Idaho’s stunning Sawtooth Mountains with his OM-5. The OM-5’s compact size and class-leading IP53 weather sealing was a critical piece of Matt’s gear as he hiked, biked, and flew in a small plane through the gorgeous landscape. You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/hMCrahmxYNs
Check out PetaPixel Travel Editor Michael Bonocore’s story about the adventure and see the stunning photos.
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This week, Chris Niccolls, Jordan Drake, and Jaron Schneider are joined by commercial filmmaker, fellow YouTuber, and podcaster Tyler Stalman to talk about the most impactful tech we've seen this year. While Chris, Jordan, and Jaron all have their opinions on the most impactful technology of 2023, Stalman has his own top list that's worth calling out. He explains why Apple's M-series chips are worth the hype, what he hopes to see from Canon in the next year after its very quiet 2023, and why he is finding himself using the iPhone for video more than ever before.
Check out Tyler's latest video and don't miss his podcast either (it's great).
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
05:33 - Apple wants to take its sensor design in-house
10:55 - Photo Mechanic caves to industry trends, switches to a subscription model
17:10 - The new Chronos 4K 12 and Q12 are "affordable" ways to get 30,000 FPS
22:17 - Apple's laptops continue to be really impressive
33:59 - Canon's quiet 2023
35:41 - What does Canon need to do in 2024?
38:37 - Is it worth shooting video on the iPhone 15 Pro more?
41:03 - Oops, Jaron broke Tyler's feed
41:50 - The merits of a Leica
49:17 - What have you been up to?
56:40 - Tech support
1:11:17 - Never read the comments

Nov 15, 2023 • 1h 20min
Is the Sony a9 III the Start of the Global Shutter Future?
We would like to thank the PetaPixel podcast sponsor, OM SYSTEM! Get ready to celebrate the holidays with huge seasonal savings on OM SYSTEM cameras, lenses and more! Holiday promotions begin this Thursday, November 16th. Visit explore.omsystem.com/petapixel for the complete list of savings!
It's been a busy week in the photography world, highlighted by the launch of the Sony a9 III. As the first full-frame CMOS sensor camera with a global shutter made for photography, we had to ask: is this the start of widespread adoption of the tech?
Beyond the wider implications of global shutters, Chris Niccolls, Jordan Drake, and Jaron Schneider answer some of your biggest questions about Sony's new sensor technology including how it performs at high ISOs (and low ISOs), what problems beyond rolling shutter are actually solved by a global shutter sensor, who the camera will be best for, what some of the downsides of the camera are, and more.
It's also been a very eventful week outside of Sony, including an update from the CEWE Photo Awards, another dramatic turn in the SanDisk Portable SSD saga, and the classic episodes of DigitalRev featuring Kai Wong have been taken offline. All this and more in this very packed episode of The PetaPixel Podcast!
Note and clarification from last week's episode: Reuters and AP are both members of the Content Authenticity Initiative, our apologies for saying they were not.
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
06:59 - Clarification on last week's episode
08:02 - CEWE Photo Awards has suspended the overall winner for "untrue and misleading information" but not for staging the photo
10:33 - Sony will finally add new features to some old cameras
15:06 - A photographer was handcuffed for loitering in Quebec City
23:41 - Data recovery expert says SanDisk Portable SSDs failures are due to hardware, SanDisk denies that.
27:59 - Alternatives to SanDisk to consider
28:12 - DigtitalRev's entire video library with Kai Wong is gone
32:47 - Is the a9 III the start of the global shutter future?
1:01:13 - What have you been up to?
1:06:19 - Tech support
1:10:27 - Never read the comments

Nov 8, 2023 • 1h 22min
What Does Content Authenticity in Photos Actually Mean?
We’d like to take a moment to give a shoutout to our incredible sponsor, OM SYSTEM. You probably know them as Olympus, but they've undergone an amazing transformation into OM SYSTEM. And to celebrate OM SYSTEM week, the second anniversary of the OM SYSTEM brand, they've prepared something truly extraordinary for you.
OM SYSTEM is giving away an unforgettable Lindblad Expedition for two to the breathtaking landscapes of Iceland aboard the National Geographic Explorer. And the best part? They are also including an OM-5 camera and lens to ensure you bring back the absolute best images of your voyage.
This is a giveaway you won't want to miss! So, make sure to head over to their website and enter for a chance to win. All you need to do is share what nature means to you. But remember, the clock is ticking. Visit explore.omsystem.com/petapixel and enter before November 13th!
When the M11-P launched as the first camera to support the Content Authenticity Initiative's (CAI) CP2A technology, a lot of questions immediately flooded in: what does it do? How does it work? Does it protect copyrights? Is it like cryptocurrency?
The answer is actually surprisingly simple, but the CAI and the companies that have partnered with it have not done the best job of explaining how the technology will actually work for the average photographer and general photography consumer.
In this week's podcast, the trio discusses how this system works, how it can be put into cameras, how people are intended to interact with it once the photos are out in the world, and the remaining roadblocks the CAI has to navigate to make the CP2A a standard the average person understands.
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
07:56 - Canon makes the world's first 24-105mm f/2.8
13:30 - On the flipside, who are long, slow lenses for?
16:10 - Make sure to watch the Chris vs Ted Forbes camera showdown
16:12 - The new M3 Max is more powerful than the original M1 Ultra
22:41 - A new neural network promises to majorly improve smartphone photos
28:29 - What does content authenticity in photos actually mean?
48:21 - What have you been up to?
50:52 - Tech support
1:09:54 - Never read the comments

Nov 1, 2023 • 1h 16min
The STRANGEST Things We've Seen at Trade Shows and Press Events! (feat. Ted Forbes)
Once again, we would like to thank our sponsor, OM SYSTEM, who make The PetaPixel podcast possible. OM SYSTEM is celebrating a significant milestone this Friday—it’s their 2nd anniversary, OM SYSTEM Day. OM SYSTEM wants to involve the community in their celebration, so, from now until November 13th, they're inviting you to share what nature means to you with a chance to win an OM-5 kit, an incredible piece of photography gear, and a once-in-a-lifetime adventure: a five-day Lindblad Expedition for two to Iceland on the National Geographic Explorer.
To participate and get more details, head over to explore.omsystem.com/petapixel. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with nature on a deeper level and potentially win some amazing prizes. Share your thoughts, share your passion, and let OM SYSTEM celebrate nature with you.
This week, Jaron is out so Chris and Jordan are joined by Ted Forbes to reminisce about the worst, weirdest, and downright strangest things they've ever seen at trade shows and press events.
But before they regale you with those stories, the trio discuss Apple's new M3 processors and the computers you can find them in and how they feel about the winning entry of the world's largest photo competition being staged. They also talk about TIME magazine's choice to name two Sony cameras and one Canon camera as three of the best inventions of 2023. All that and more in this week's podcast!
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
04:00 - Apple adds new M3 processor-powered Macs
11:50 - Picture that won the world's largest photo competition was staged
19:04 - Sony and Canon cameras named as some of the best inventions of 2023
21:41 - Giggster bought ePhotozine, after failing to buy Imaging Resource and Outdoor Photographer
28:21 - The strangest things we've ever seen at press events and trade shows
44:55 - What have you been up to?
52:11 - Tech support
1:07:00 - Never read the comments

Oct 25, 2023 • 1h 23min
What is REALLY Going on with the Fuji GFX 100 II? (feat. Jim Kasson)
This week on The PetaPixel Podcast, the team is joined by camera expert Jim Kasson who explains what he found in testing the new medium format Fujifilm GFX 100 II and why it matters.
Once again, we would like to thank our sponsor, OM SYSTEM, who make The PetaPixel Podcast possible. OM SYSTEM is celebrating a significant milestone this Friday—it’s their 2nd anniversary, OM SYSTEM Day. OM SYSTEM wants to involve the community in their celebration, so, from now until November 13th, they're inviting you to share what nature means to you with a chance to win an OM-5 kit, an incredible piece of photography gear, and a once-in-a-lifetime adventure: a five-day Lindblad Expedition for two to Iceland on the National Geographic Explorer.
To participate and get more details, head over to
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
.
In This Episode:
00:00 - Intro
05:42 - Darren Aronofsky says it takes 12 people to use the 18K Big Sky camera
08:44 - Full details of the sensor have also been published
10:21 - CineStill doubles down
13:24 - EOS M is dead
20:54 - Fujifilm left out some important information about the GFX 100 II. Guest Jim Kasson explains.
43:11 - What have you been up to?
48:08 - Tech Support
1:03:30 - Never read the comments

Oct 18, 2023 • 1h 21min
CineStill's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week
This week's podcast is brought to you once again by OM SYSTEM. Right now, OM SYSTEM is offering some great Fall Savings on cameras and lenses. Now through November 15th, you can grab the compact, lightweight OM-5 for just $999.99. That’s $200 off its regular retail price. To make your photography experience even better, OM SYSTEM has a special offer on the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm F2.0 lens. This fantastic lens is currently available at half price. Normally $799.99, you can get it now for just $399.99.
Don’t miss out! These fall savings from OM SYSTEM are only available through November 15th. Visit explore.omsystem.com/petapixel or your nearest OM SYSTEM authorized retailer to get your hands on the OM-5 and 12mm lens today!
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CineStill, once one of the most popular film brands, is facing widespread backlash for defending its trademarks in a manner that is being described as intimidation and bullying.
CineStill has sold motion picture film and analog photography equipment to still photographers for over a decade, including the company’s popular CineStill 800T high-speed color film. The company now finds itself embroiled in a major controversy within the analog community, and the situation has devolved into allegations of intimidation and harassment.
The whole story behind CineStill's current situation is a bit of a long one, but it's worth reading. While we of course recommend reading PetaPixel's coverage, another excellent story worth your time can be read over at 404Media.
Chris, Jordan, and Jaron welcome PetaPixel's News Editor Jeremy Gray onto the pod to discuss the situation and present all the facts so you can make your own decisions on how to think of the once-beloved film brand.
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.
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In This Episode:
00:00 - Intro
04:14 - Sigma should make an APS-C L-mount camera
09:30 - Sony adding haptic feedback to future camera shutter buttons?
13:30 - 7Artisans' new $479 9mm f/5.6 lens for full-frame is insanely wide
17:42 - The story behind CineStill's terrible week
45:38 - Tech support
1:02:35 - Never read the comments
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