

The PetaPixel Podcast
PetaPixel
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 7, 2024 • 1h 20min
Samsung Says Photos Aren't Real! (feat. The Verge's Allison Johnson)
We would once again like to thank our podcast sponsor, OM SYSTEM. Just last week, OM SYSTEM announced their new flagship camera, the OM-1 Mark II, along with two new lenses: the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 150-600 F5.0-6.3 IS and the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 II. You can see the new camera and telephoto lens in action in a recent story on PetaPixel where photographer Andy Rouse put them through their paces in Africa.
Head on over to explore.omsystem.com/petapixel to learn more about the BRAND NEW OM-1 Mark II, the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 150-600 F5.0-6.3 IS and the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 II. Preorders are live right now, with shipments beginning in late February.
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When asked about the expansion of AI in photography, a Samsung executive recently said that there is "no such thing as a real photo." Obviously, there is a lot to unpack there. Chris, Jordan, and Jaron are joined by Allison Johnson from The Verge (and formerly of DPReview) to discuss.
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
07:19 - Italian court orders Getty to remove photos of Michelangelo's David
11:21 - Canon permanently discounts both the R3 and the R5
15:15 - Samsung reports weakest earnings in a decade
21:27 - Samsung argues that there is "no such thing as a real picture"
29:48 - What are the limits of computational photography?
35:25 - Why are full-size camera makers so reluctant to add computational photography?
41:40 - What about Sony Xperia?
43:53 - Are camera companies afraid of what computational photography might mean to authenticity?
47:10 - Companies have to stop thinking they can dictate the terms of a review
51:52 - What have you been up to?
57:20 - Tech support
1:09:11 - PetaPixel's glossary of photo terms
1:10:35 - Never read the comments

Jan 31, 2024 • 1h 27min
The State of Medium Format in 2024
We would once again like to thank our podcast sponsor, OM SYSTEM! Professional wildlife photographer Andy Rouse recently took the OM-1 Mark II and the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 150-600 F5.0-6.3 IS on safari to Kenya’s Masai Mara and Samburu National Parks. Check out his first impressions of both the camera and the lens, and view his photos from the adventure today:
Check out explore.omsystem.com/petapixel to learn more about the new OM-1 Mark II, the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 150-600 F5.0-6.3 IS, and the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 II. Pre-orders are live right now, with shipments beginning in late February.
Every half-decade or so, medium format experiences some kind of "resurgence," and thanks mainly to Fujifilm's excellent GFX 100 II, many photographers might be interested in jumping over to the large sensor cameras. With Hasselblad's update to the 907x system last week, the team discusses where each medium format system resides, who they're for, what are they are good at (and what do manufacturers want them to do), and what the future of medium format might be.
Is it doing just fine on its current trajectory? Would it be a fantastic platform to bring back a TLR-style camera body? Is it the one place a DSLR still makes sense? Chris, Jordan, and Jaron debate.
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
04:57 - RED's new global shutter camera makes some insane promises.
11:09 - OM System has a new OM-1 Mark II
18:23 - Two new Micro Four Thirds lenses
24:37 - Capture One is laying off staff amid "significant" restructure
27:46 - Hasselblad's 907X gets a 100MP upgrade
31:43 - The State of Medium Format in 2024
50:19 - What have you been up to?
53:48 - Tech support
1:18:44 - Never read the comments

Jan 24, 2024 • 1h 19min
What is 'Good Enough' for a New Smartphone Camera?
We would like to thank OM SYSTEM for their continued sponsorship of the PetaPixel podcast. As most of us here in North America recently learned, winter has officially arrived. So with all of this beautiful snowfall, what better time to get outside and learn the incredibly rewarding art of winter wildlife photography?
Today on PetaPixel, read OM SYSTEM Ambassador Art Lefo’s nine tips for photographing wildlife in the winter. In this comprehensive guide, Lefo discusses how he prepares for extreme weather, how he sets up his camera for success, how he captures dynamic compositions, and how he utilizes image stabilization to capture gorgeous photos of winter wildlife.
Big thanks to OM SYSTEM for their continued support, and check out explore.omsystem.com/petapixel to learn more about the OM-1, the OM-5, and their incredible line of M.Zuiko lenses.
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Samsung's new Galaxy S24 Ultra sports a great new display, excellent build quality, and generally a fantastic user experience. But when it comes to the camera system, very little was changed from last year's S24 Ultra. So in 2024, what should someone reasonably expect from a new handheld? Does it need hardware improvements or is software enough?
Apple provided mostly software changes and new enhancements, but it also added a new telephoto lens to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Google redesigned much of its camera array in addition to adding AI capabilities. Compared to the field, was what Samsung did enough? Chris, Jordan, and Jaron discuss.
In This Episode:
00:00 - Intro
07:27 - Edelkrone's $2,600 motorized tripod weighs 9 kilograms
10:18 - Apple takes the top spot from Samsung in the smartphone market for the first time
14:56 - Nikon lens engineer thinks the Noct should be a series of lenses
19:02 - Chris and Jordan's take on YouTubers quitting the game
27:30 - Does a new smartphone need more than software and AI? What is "good enough" for a new release?
40:49 - What have you been up to?
42:20 - Chris wasn't on an island off the coast of Africa
47:43 - Tech Support

Jan 17, 2024 • 31min
Samsung Talks Photo Features in the Galaxy S24 Ultra
We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, OM SYSTEM. Every journey is a story waiting to be told. A thousand little moments hidden between a beginning and an end. And there is no better way to tell your story than with the OM SYSTEM OM-5. Bundle your savings today and save $550 when you buy an OM-5 body with a 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 II lens. Normally $1,849.99, this incredible kit is now only $1,299.98. You need to hurry though, as this offer is only valid through January 28, 2024.
And for all of you Canadians out there, you can get the OM-5 body with a 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 II lens and save $650 CAD; Bundled kit normally $2,549.98 CAD -- Now it is just $1,899.98.
Visit explore.omsystem.com/petapixel today to get this incredible deal!
Curious about how Samsung approached the design of its new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S24 Ultra? The PetaPixel Podcast team sits down with Samsung's Blake Geiser to learn more about what makes this little phone tick.
Samsung's new Galaxy S24 smartphone series, headlined by the flagship S24 Ultra, uses much of the same camera hardware as last year's device (with some exceptions) but sees a major lift under the hood. "Samsung AI" is here, but that doesn't mean you can expect to see "AI" everywhere in this phone. Samsung's Blake Geiser sits down with Chris Niccolls, Jordan Drake, and Jaron Schneider to explain what photographers and videographers can expect to find with the new handheld, what's different, and what is worth getting excited about.
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!
03:39 - Interview with Samsung's Blake Geiser
27:04 - Does Samsung have any NX1 cameras still kicking around?
28:55 - The secret to Chris's incredible hair
29:00 - Closing thoughts

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