The A.I. Chatbot Dilemma
A.I. chatbots are inundating the world, and few people are talking about it.
A.I. chatbots are inundating the world, and few people are talking about it.
70mm IMAX films are having a moment right now thanks to Christopher Nolan's epic blockbuster, The Odyssey, which is the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX cameras. If Disney has its way, the good times will keep on rolling in 2027 with a pair of Star Wars films screening in IMAX 70mm film.
It has been lean times for fisheye fans invested in the Sony E-Mount. While we’ve seen some affordable third-party options, the last full-frame fisheye with a Sony badge on it was a 16mm for the A-Mount (that was 20 years ago!). Now, Sony is doing its best to rectify the situation with its $1,600 FE 8-14mm f/3.5 G, a fisheye zoom lens which features many of its latest technologies.
Sony has announced the FE 8-14mm f/3.5 Fisheye G, the first Sony fisheye lens for E-mount and the first full-frame Sony fisheye in 20 years.
Owners of large Instagram accounts are receiving false copyright claims and then paying ransoms to extorters, according to a report by the BBC.
After a teaser last week, Xiaomi has fully unveiled its first wide foldable phone, the Xiaomi 18 Fold. The new handheld features a wide 5.38-inch cover display and an expansive 7.58-inch 120Hz inner AMOLED display.
A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) over drones photographing people’s homes without warrants has forced a California county to overhaul how it conducts aerial surveillance.
The Camp Snap 2 announced in June has a cool new colorway: Arctic Frost. The translucent clear colorway joins five other translucent color choices, including Cosmic Grape, Strawberry Splash, Blue Rush, Twisted Lime, and Tangerine Drift. Like all the other color choices, the Arctic Frost Camp Snap 2 is available for $69.99. It should be available through B&H soon as well.
Blackmagic Design has released DaVinci Resolve 21.1, and there are a lot of changes. A full breakdown is available on Blackmagic's support website, but some highlights include improved sharpening for RAW images; DNG file support for lens distortion, aberration, and shading; new support for DJI D-Gamut2 and D-Log2; support for GoPro Log; and a ton of tweaks, bug fixes, and workflow improvements. DaVinci Resolve 21.1 is free, while the more powerful Studio version is $295 for a lifetime license.
This week, Jakob Owens, photographer and owner of multiple studios in Los Angeles and Arizona, got into a bit of an argument with the photography community surrounding image rights and reciprocal sharing. What do you think, is he in the right?
I put DxO PhotoLab 10 to work on a set of my RAW files from Morocco. The new feature I liked most was the Depth Mask tool. On one of my favorite photos from the Sahara, I used it to build a mask based on distance from the camera. That let me adjust the exposure, color, and detail of the distant dunes without painting around them by hand.
If you want to try it, new customers can get 20% off all DxO software through September 7, 2026, with code PetaPixelLD2026.
Blackmagic Design has announced lower prices for its Pyxis 6K models and the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K. The Cinema Camera 6K, which just recently got phase-detect autofocus via firmware, is down from $2,715 to $1,595. The Blackmagic Pyxis 6K L has dropped from $3,080 to $1,995. The EF version is down to $1,995 as well, from $3,070. The PL one is $2,195, a $1,070 discount. The revised prices are available now through authorized retailers.
"We have been working hard to secure improved pricing on some parts, so we can now pass that on to our customers through a lower price," says Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. "This price reduction allows even more customers to buy a professional full-frame cinema camera giving them a whole new way to tell their stories. This will be exciting!"
Flickr's MODE Photography Festival is taking place September 18-20 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the full lineup of speakers and entertainment has been announced. Matthew Rolston, Jonathan Mannion, Steve Sweatpants, and YK join previously announced photographers Sandro Miller, Chris Burkard, Brooke Shaden, Penny De Los Santos, and more, leading dynamic experiences across the festival's seven thematic pillars, Change, Next, Money, Motion, Culture, IRL, and Earth. It sounds like a packed schedule, but it doesn't come cheap. Passes are available now starting at $500 for Flick Pro Interactive, $410 for general admission, and $900 for VIP passes.
Per Pronews in Japan, NiSi is showing off upcoming lenses at the BIRTV exhibition in China, including a 26mm f/0.7 lens. Details are very scarce, but based on its focal length and aperture alone, it's unlike any other lens on the market. There's no word yet on when more information might be coming, but this is definitely a lens to keep an eye on. NiSi also showed off a 50mm T1 lens, which could also be a compelling option.
Earlier this year, Apple announced that it would be dropping the price of its famously expensive $19 polishing cloth to a still expensive, but far more reasonable $9. As it turns out, that wasn't a price cut so much as a product revamp.
Snazzy Labs' Quinn Nelson (who makes his own polishing cloth to compete with Apple's) decided to test the old one versus the new one and found that the new price-cut version is significantly different than the old one. Different, and maybe worse in some ways. It should still do a good job, but not quite as good of a job as Apple's original.
Held at Riga Passenger Port, the Fantadroms Riga International Kite Festival brought some of the world’s leading kite artists to the heart of the Latvian capital. Obviously a really neat opportunity for photos, this is a rare scene anywhere in Europe as the skies above the Daugava River were transformed into a temporary aerial art installation. This was the inaugural event and it took place on August 29. Photographers should keep an eye on this event next year, it looks like a gorgeous visual spectacle.
Photos courtesy of the International Kite Festival “Fantadroms”
DZOFilm has announced a pair of new cinema zoom lenses that promise to deliver the performance and character of its cinema primes. The Arles Zoom 25-75mm T2.6 and 65-180mm T2.6 cover a wide focal length range, from wide-angle to telephoto.
Dreame isn’t exactly known for making cameras, so pivoting from robot vacuums and lawnmowers to action cameras may be a little risky. Originally unveiled at CES 2026, the Leaptic Cube is ready for primetime and will hit shelves in October 2026 after a full showing at IFA in Berlin.
A year-long camera trap survey in Tanzania has captured 150,000 images of endangered and elusive animals, including a rare type of African wild cat recorded in the country for the first time.
Robert Capa's The Falling Soldier photograph has been mired in controversy for decades, dogged by claims that it was staged and that Capa falsified the caption information. Despite this, it remains an iconic image in the pantheon of photojournalism.
Although Leica did not achieve record revenue for its fifth consecutive year, the legendary German camera company nonetheless sold a ton of product and made a lot of money.
Sigma has never made an 85mm f/1.2 lens -- until now. Maybe this lens is late to the party, but the company might have saved the best for last. The new 85mm f1.2 will be available in Sony E-mount and Leica L-mount where previously the only lenses available were manual-focus. This gives Sigma a unique opportunity to make a big splash and, in that metaphor, this lens is a cannonball.
Alongside its new 20-60mm f/2.8-4 DG Contemporary and 85mm f/1.2 DG Art lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras, Sigma has announced a new product for every photographer: redesigned lens filters.
Fujifilm has announced the development of the VF-GFXC2, an external electronic viewfinder (EVF) for the Eterna 55 cinema camera. It promises a mix of high resolution, brightness, and an aspect ratio that matches the Eterna's 4:3 open gate.
Sigma has announced the 20-60mm f/2.8-4 DG Contemporary, a new standard zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras.
The promised Sigma 85mm f/1.2 DG Art has finally arrived, ushering in a new era of ultra-fast prime lenses for the Aizu-based company. Sigma promises unparalleled image quality in an impressively compact and lightweight design.
Nikon has announced a firmware update for the Nikon ZR, and while it has some nice, small additions, the real story is that the ZR will get open gate recording and in-camera anamorphic desqueeze by next year.
Strange Inventions Lab has designed a custom instant camera that uses full-color e-paper displays as physical "digital film," and it's awesome.
At IFA 2026 in Berlin, Anker says it’s committed to launching its new EufyMake Fabric Printer in Q1 2027 as a consumer product that would enable owners to print full-color, textured graphics on garments right at home. Photos are among the images the device can handle, possibly opening a door for photographers looking to get creative with their work.
The Tecno Camon Slim 5G is an ultra-slim phone that heavily emphasizes style.
Vintage lenses are often talked about as if their only value is “character.” That usually means lots of flare, low contrast, possibly swirly bokeh, spherical aberration, or some other charming defect that gives digital images a little analog grit. There is nothing wrong with that, of course. A flawed lens can be a wonderful creative tool. But the more interesting vintage bargains are not always the strange ones. Sometimes the best buys are lenses that are simply much better than their used …
A short while ago I was reading the comments on a restaurant's Facebook group post. The post was a set of dodgy AI-generated food images, and they had that giveaway look. Too glossy, sauce behaving strangely, and bread that somehow looked like a sponge.
A photographer whose fascinating images of everyday life in California -- taken from behind the wheel of his car on his daily drive to work -- are the focus of a new exhibition.
As photography becomes an increasingly competitive and crowded field, adding new skills can give photographers an important edge. In this exclusive PetaPixel interview, photographer and filmmaker Megan Zabel Holmes shares how becoming a commercial drone pilot has helped her stand out, attract new clients, and turn aerial work into a valuable part of her business.
David Bowie’s official photographer has transformed his vast archive of images of the legendary singer into an immersive audio-visual experience.
Photographer Thomas Spicher has founded a lens company, Adapted Optics, and built what he calls the "Everyday Lens." It features a 3D-printed body and a simple camera lens salvaged from a disposable camera. It promises to combine the character of a disposable film camera with the build quality and control that modern photographers expect.
Vimeo users probably believe they are the right people to determine what type of account they need. Vimeo disagrees and has begun switching some users to a new, significantly more expensive subscription tier at its own discretion.
Manfrotto has announced the ONE Video, rounding out its ONE System tripods with a dedicated professional video option.
SmallRig has announced the Nano Power Bank Series, a set of smaller power banks that look more like offerings from UGreen or Anker but with mounting points that make them more tailored to working photographers and videographers.
Adobe Camera Raw 18.6 arrived recently, bringing a rather interesting new Glow feature in its Effects panel that could easily fly under the radar. With this new tool, photographers can easily create an Orton effect or mimic film halation, delivering some pretty cool looks.
Over on Japanese crowdfunding site Makuake, photographers can support what is arguably one of the goofiest toy cameras to date. And that's a high bar to clear. The "DV42" is a 24-gram, teeny-tiny camera that, for some reason, is styled to look like a cassette tape.
To celebrate Labor Day, B&H Photo Video has a ton of fantastic discounts for photographers. You can save big on cameras, lenses, and accessories right now. To make it easier to find the best deals, we've picked out 15 highlights for you.
A director and comedian has remade Christopher Nolan's summer blockbuster The Odyssey. But instead of shooting it entirely on IMAX cameras, the way Nolan did, Will Norman shot his version entirely on iMacs.
The NFL is oh so close to being back, and while the players have been running drills and pumping iron to keep themselves in shape during the offseason, one rising star has also been pursuing a more cultured pastime.
Lexar has announced Muse, the world's thinnest portable SSD.
RugOne unveiled its new modular action camera-slash-phone, the Xsnap 7 Pro, at IFA 2026 in Berlin.
I have to admit that I don't have a ton of faith in Fujifilm when it comes to wildlife and sports photography. I don't feel like the autofocus performance of the cameras is quite up to par with the competition when it comes to more demanding situations. However, I do think that the glass lineup is excellent, and it just got even better.
Fujifilm has announced the Fujinon XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR, a new super-telephoto prime lens with an equivalent full-frame focal length of 609mm along with the promise of some of the highest optical performance in the entire XF lens line.
Google has announced that Gemini Spark now works with Google Photos, allowing Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers to manage, edit, and share photos through prompts.
Photographers often know how they want an image to look before they begin editing, but reaching that result can require both changes across the entire scene and adjustments limited to specific areas. Selecting one person in a group, isolating the midground without affecting the foreground or background, or removing dozens of dust spots can take longer than the exposure or color adjustment that follows. DxO PhotoLab 10 introduces new tools that make this process faster while giving photographers …