The Reel

KEH's Overstock Sale is now ending on Saturday, August 15, instead of the original end date of August 14. This gives photographers one more day to save an extra five or 10 percent off a wide range of cameras, lenses, lights, and accessories. The complete Overstock Sale is located here and requires that customers use the code "OS80" at checkout. The rest of the year, PetaPixel Members can save five percent off all preowned purchases at KEH, but this is a good chance for everyone else to save a bit more money.

Right now, B&H is selling a 12-month download subscription for Adobe Creative Cloud Pro for $428.99, a $350.89 discount over the typical $779.88 price. While a lot of photographers opt for Adobe's Photography Plan with Lightroom and Photoshop for $20 a month, many other users need access to more of Adobe's Creative Cloud apps and go for the company's all-encompassing Creative Cloud Pro plan, which is regularly $69.99 per month when billed monthly for a year, or $104.99 per month when bought one month at a time. B&H notes that there is a "limited supply" at the current promotional pricing.

Instagram has a new wordmark for the first time in a decade, replacing its iconic curvy script with something more minimal but somehow less legible. "That totally says 'Instagzam,' right?" asks The Verge.

"The wordmark at the top of the app hasn’t changed in 10 years, so it was time for a refresh. Cleaner and more modern, with references to the original and the simplicity and craft that’s always made it Instagram," writes Instagram head Adam Mosseri.

Xtra, which is under investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for allegedly bringing DJI technology into the U.S., still seems confident it can release the Muse 2 Pro (its version of the Osmo Pocket 4P) in North America.

"We are currently in active, close communication with relevant authoritis regarding U.S. regulatory updates," the company says on Threads. Xtra says it intends to launch the Muse 2 and Muse 2 Pro at the same time, although it still can't say for sure when that will be.

SmallRig has announced a new protective cage with a silicone cover for the Insta360 X6. It's core to a whole set of new accessories that are designed to give creators greater flexibility across travel, cycling, vehicle shooting, POV capture, and other creative scenarios. It's not too expensive either, at $35.

Today, a total solar eclipse will sweep across Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain, and a part of Portugal. For those who live elsewhere and cannot see the total solar eclipse with their own eyes, NASA is livestreaming the spectacle today, starting at 1:15 PM EDT. It should be a spectacular sight!

Right on cue, just as Google revealed the full details of the Google Pixel 11 series, Spigen announced a set of cases and MagFit accessories, including those for the Pixel 11 Fold, bands for the new Pixel Watch, and a wallet and O-Ring for the Pixel 11 phones.

Insta360 doesn't officially reveal the new X6 360-degree camera until tomorrow morning, but Best Buy didn't seem to get that memo. It has listed the new camera on its website, including a bunch of the specifications that are still under embargo. We can't publish them here, but we can't stop you from heading over to that listing to see for yourself.

Camp Snap is going even further into its retro vibes with a new translucent purple color for the Camp Snap 2 called Cosmic Grape. If you yearn for the days when all personal tech looked like the optional translucent colors of the Game Boy Color or the special edition Xbox that shipped with Halo CE, then this one is for you. It is priced the same as all the other Camp Snap 2 options: $75.

Insta360 is gearing up to announce the X6 tomorrow morning, August 12, at 9AM ET. The company has shared a series of teasers on its Instagram, including videos shot on X6 of motorsports, diving, and action sports. It has also teased major AI advancements to let users edit and share video without any manual work. An "AI Director" inside the X6 can "cut footage into a finished video at the end of the day while it charges," Insta360 says. "No subscription, no timeline, no skills needed."

The Insta360 X6 will be fully revealed at 9AM ET (6AM PT) on August 12.

YouTube has increased the requirements for new accounts that want to monetize their channels. Presently, it asks for 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 watch hours in a year or 10 million Shorts views. Starting February 1, 2027, channels will need at least 1,000 subscribers and either 8,000 watch hours in a year or 20 million Shorts views.

YouTube says there are some benefits coming in addition to these changes, though, including better opportunities to earn through Premium Lite subscribers. Still, those baseline requirements are pretty high.

Pelican has partnered with Chris Burkard to create the brand’s first major TV campaign called "The Detour."

Shot on location at Great Sand Dunes National Park, The Detour captures what happens when travel plans fall apart. The film follows Burkard through an unexpected backcountry saga as he navigates truck breakdowns, sandstorms, horseback rides across dunes, and ultralight aircraft flights – all with Pelican’s Aegis Series positioned as the ultimate companion when travel plans go awry.

The all-new 35mm f/2 Apochromatic lens Light Lens Lab unveiled last week is now available to preorder, including the limited edition Titanium Gray version. The M-Mount lens is the first in a brand-new series for Light Lens Lab, its High Performance Series. The lens starts at $2,099, a signal of its premium design.

Insta360 just pushed an update for the GO Ultra that adds a Gemini-powered voice assistant, which it says turns the camera into "a more capable companion for travel, exploration, and storytelling." The tiny vlogging camera can now perform real-time translation, answer questions based on what the camera is pointed at, or can just answer standard vocal questions.

The company says it is designed to adapt and learn so that it only respond to the sound of the users' voice, so it won't get distracted by crowds or nearby conversations. The update is available starting today and can be applied to the GO Ultra through the Insta360 app.

Oh, and I'm fairly certain that entire launch video was made with AI, which is a gross way to advertise a feature being positioned as a way to enrich travel and experiences.

Atlas Lens Co., a well respected name in the cinema lens space, has slashed the prices of its Mercury Series anamorphic lenses by up to $3,996. As CineD reports, all nine Mercury 1.5x anamorphic lenses have new, lower prices, and these price reductions are permanent. In a world where basically everything gets more expensive, some really high-quality cinema lenses are surprisingly and pleasantly cheaper now. Prices now start at $4,495 per lens, down from the previous entry point of $7,995.

DJI partnered with French actress Isabelle Huppert to create this short film shot on the Osmo Pocket 4P. Called FAMILIARITÉ, it's... let's just say, unusual. Maybe I just don't understand art?

Jordan Drake and I recently shared our biggest camera regrets during an interview at a Beers and Cameras event in Atlanta, Georgia (watch it here). For me, it was letting go of my original Panasonic GM5 (of course). Luckily, I have rectified that mistake and now own two!

What about you? What are your greatest camera regrets?

Ricoh's profit exploded in the first quarter of FY2026, an absurd 2.78 times increase year-over-year. But what is perhaps most interesting about Ricoh's latest financial results, as reported by Digital Camera Life, is how relatively insignificant Ricoh's camera division is to its bottom line. The camera business, driven mainly by the Ricoh GR Series, had a 300 million yen operating profit in the first quarter, a huge turnaround from the 1.4 billion yen loss during the first quarter in FY2025. However, that 300 million yen, or $1.9 million USD, is just 0.6 percent of Ricoh's total 47.7 billion yen profit. There is a case to be made that a business segment being so small could be a good thing, I suppose.

Folding smartphones have been around for years now, but they have yet to really scratch past the surface of the cultural zeitgeist. That might finally be changing, as Samsung says consumer demand for its new Z8 folding phones saw a 30% increase in pre-order numbers compared to the last generation.

Galaxy Z Fold8 orders make up nearly half of all pre-orders and more than three times as many Flip owners are upgrading to Fold models compared to last year. All this is to say, 2026 might finally be the year you will legitimately see someone using a Samsung Fold in the wild.