The Reel

The iPhone Duo may not have Apple's flashiest cameras, but it does have the iPhone lineup's biggest screen. It also has a 1.4:1 aspect ratio, which is awful close to the 1.43:1 aspect ratio of IMAX film. Mark Praschan wondered on X if the Duo's screen might advance the adoption of the 1.43:1 aspect ratio for video content. IMAX clapped back: "love this for them... still not watching movies on a phone."

Well, given that the nearest IMAX theater is hours away from me and the closest one that shows IMAX 70mm film is three states away... I am still not watching IMAX, either.

OWC, a leader in high-performance storage, memory cards, and software, has acquired OpenDrives, a storage management software company. OpenDrives is trusted by many media production companies and studios worldwide, including CNN, HBO, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, FOX Sports, NFL Network, NBC Sports, Disney, and more.

"OWC has always been about removing the barriers between people and their creative work. Bringing OpenDrives into OWC allows us to take that mission further by connecting the high-performance storage and workflow solutions our customers rely on with powerful software-defined data management services, giving customers a more seamless way to capture, create, collaborate, and access their content wherever their work takes them," says Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing (OWC).

"I’m also excited to welcome OpenDrives’ employees to OWC, broadening our team to more than 250 people around the world," O'Connor continues.

The OM System PEN is an undeniably pretty camera. Its style has seemingly struck a chord with customers, too. Per Asobinet, OM Digital Solutions announced that the PEN is already backordered in Japan. While companies are required by law to announce potential shipping delays, making announcements like this pretty common for new photo gear, it's still good news for OM. It's less good for photographers who didn't preorder fast enough to secure October delivery, though. Here in the US, B&H still expects preorders for the black and silver PEN cameras to ship on October 14.

PetaPixel is on the ground at Apple Park with Jason Vong and going hands-on with the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max smartphones. They introduce a brand-new 48MP camera with a variable aperture, ranging from f/1.48 to f/4. Apple has added Pro Camera Controls to iPhone, providing direct access to the new variable aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and more. While these types of controls have been available in third-party apps before, Apple is making them easy to use for everyone with the built-in Camera app.

Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, its long-rumored foldable smartphone. It looks incredible.

Sure, its cameras aren't as good as the new Pro Camera system in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and it costs a whopping $2,000 with 256GB of storage. But it's so sleek, and who wouldn't want more screen real estate without a bigger footprint?

I've used folding phones before and always found them to offer a compromised experience in nearly every way. But if any company can make a foldable actually feel good to use, it's probably Apple. Yes, I'm a shill. A stupid, stupid shill from whom Apple is trying very hard to extra a huge sum of money from. And honestly, it might just work. Then again, the iPhone 18 Pro has a variable aperture... and that's cool, too.

We're doing things a little differently this year. For our iPhone coverage, we've got a guest host on the channel: Jason Vong! We'll bring you our hot takes on what Apple announces later this afternoon. Tomorrow, catch a special, extra-long episode of The PetaPixel Podcast.

It is annual iPhone event day, and Apple is gearing up to announce a bunch of new iPhone models. There's a lot of smoke about Apple potentially revealing its first-ever foldable today, plus expected iPhone 18 Pro handhelds. PetaPixel will be sharing all the news as fast as possible, but you can follow along live on Apple's website, Apple TV, and YouTube, too.

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.

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.

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”

Lomography has announced a new, very colorful version of its Fisheye No.2 35mm film camera. The Graffiti edition model is red, blue, and yellow, with graffiti styling all over its front. It is like the other Fisheye No.2 cameras, meaning it uses a 10mm fisheye lens with a 170° field of view to capture photos to 35mm film. It has a built-in flash, no tripod mount, and uses a single AA battery for power. The Lomo Fisheye No.2 Graffiti is $69 and available now.

Foldable smartphones have been a real mixed bag thus far, especially for photographers. While some of them have had great cameras, like 2023's OnePlus Open, many more have made unattractive camera compromises. Xiaomi is teasing its upcoming 18 Fold smartphone, slated for a full reveal on September 7, and it has a triple rear camera setup and a striking design. There's even a lengthy video on Weibo.

Hopefully the new Xiaomi 18 Fold will incorporate many of the camera features of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, a superb smartphone for photographers with excellent image quality.