The PetaPixel Photography Podcast

Latest Episodes:

What is 'Good Enough' for a New Smartphone Camera? Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

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. -- 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

Samsung Talks Photo Features in the Galaxy S24 Ultra Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

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

Grading Every Camera Maker's 2023 Performance Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

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

Our BOLD Camera Predictions for 2024! (feat. Camera Labs' Gordon Laing) Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

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. -- 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. -- 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

The PetaPixel Awards: The Best of Photography in 2024 Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Thanks again to our podcast sponsor, OM SYSTEM, makers of the ultimate compact camera for outdoor enthusiasts, the OM-5. Recently, we published an awesome film in which we followed 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 Sawtooth Mountains. Check out PetaPixel Travel Editor Michael Bonocore’s story about the adventure, watch the film, and see behind-the-scenes photos today on PetaPixel. And make sure to visit explore.omsystem.com/petapixel for the complete list of incredible holiday savings available for OM SYSTEM cameras, lenses, and more! -- We are proud to announce the results of the third-annual PetaPixel Awards where we give honors to a small list of the best new photography products released in the last year as voted by the PetaPixel staff. Started in 2021, the PetaPixel Awards are designed to be exclusive. Unlike other awards that create a laundry list of categories that give every company a chance to be a winner, and we only pick seven products: best in camera, prime lens, zoom lens, smartphone, computer, software, and photography accessory. We are also continuing a final category that we started last year called “Photography Trend of the Year.” Methodology: Because PetaPixel’s staff is entirely composed of current and former photographers, all were asked to vote for first, second, and third place across all categories. First-place votes were worth five points, second worth three, and third worth one. In all cases, those who deal directly with sales and marketing were excluded from voting to retain objectivity. No company is even allowed to submit nominations for consideration in the PetaPixel Awards, as all conversation is conducted internally. 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 06:43 - Filmic's entire team of 22 people let go by parent company Bending Spoons 10:08 - Panasonic is adding 12-bit RAW via HDMI out to the G9 II 13:19 - Hasselblad finally releases the XCD 90mm f/2.5 16:36 - Concert photographer makes the case for the Sony a9 III 21:09 - The PetaPixel Awards 22:19 - Software of the Year 25:13 - Computer of the Year 26:40 - Smartphone of the Year 33:20 - Zoom Lens of the Year 36:49 - Prime Lens of the Year 41:47 - Camera of the Year 45:43 - Trend of the Year 48:18 - What have you been up to? 55:00 - Tech Support 1:19:09 - Never Read the Comments

Chris and Jordan Dig Through a Mountain of Your Questions! Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

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

The Most Impactful Tech of 2023 (feat. Tyler Stalman) Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

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. -- 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

Is the Sony a9 III the Start of the Global Shutter Future? Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

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

What Does Content Authenticity in Photos Actually Mean? Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

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

The STRANGEST Things We've Seen at Trade Shows and Press Events! (feat. Ted Forbes) Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

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.