The Reel

WhiteWall has announced a new suite of tools that it says makes choosing, customizing, and visualizing framed artwork easier.

At the center is FrameFinder, an AI-powered tool within WhiteWall’s configurator that analyzes an uploaded image and recommends three frame options based on its visual characteristics, explaining why each works. WhiteWall has also introduced a new 3D view that allows users to configure and visualize multiple pieces of wall art together, making it possible to see how different frames, formats, and finishes work within a space before ordering, such as a home gallery wall or a public exhibition.

The launch is joined by a new online frame overview that has over 100 frame profiles. WhiteWall does spectacular work and this is going to make visualizing printing even better. As a reminder, PetaPixel Members get 15% off print orders through WhiteWall.

Thypoch has taken to social media to tease not one, not two, but three new lenses. The upstart lens company says it will unveil its new glass at Salon de la Photo et de la Vidéo next week in Paris, France. As for what the company will showcase, one lens will definitely be the company's first autofocus lens for Fujifilm X mount.

This week on The PetaPixel Podcast, Chris, Jordan, and I ranked our top picks for full-frame cameras currently available based not just on specs, but also how well they serve their target market and how well they earn their price. So, what do you think? Where did we go wrong?

There is a surprising amount of math in photography and that's not a subject everyone excels at (I'm looking in the mirror as I type this). Luckily, smart people have made calculating much easier. Enter the the LensMath Speed Booster Effective Aperture Calculator. This handy and free tool gives you the effective aperture (f-number × booster ratio) and full-frame equivalent focal length (focal length × ratio × crop factor) for any lens on a focal reducer. Neat!

Fujifilm just released firmware 2.00 for the X half compact camera, bringing some nice improvements to its unusual, analog-inspired digicam. There's a new "Soft Glow" filter function, a quicker startup time, and faster autofocus in low-light conditions. Arguably the best new feature is the option to set the camera's celebrated "Film Camera" mode to 12- or 24-frame options. Until now, photographers had to capture at least 36 frames in this mode.

Aulumu, which is not exactly a household name, announced a new quick-access sling bag with an exterior metal cage that gives you easy access to your smartphone. I'm not usually a fan of small bags like this, but something about this tactical streetwear, techy design is really grabbing my attention. That metal phone compartment is fully detachable and is designed to allow fast, smooth, one-handed access to your phone while on the go.

Even the largest size is not big enough for more than a compact camera, but that's totally fine (and fits the target demographic) and I could see this being useful while exploring the streets of any of the world's major cities. And for $89 for the smallest size and $145 for the larger one, it's not a huge investment. It is available from Aulumu's website now and will be on Amazon by the end of October.

Yashica launched its cheap, Charmera-inspired Funtastic digital keychain camera back in May. At the time, the camera featured various beloved characters, like Snoopy and Hello Kitty. Now there are even more Hello Kitty-branded Funtastic cameras to buy, as Yashica just launched the "Cherries Hello Kitty" and "Polka Dot Edition" Funtastic cameras. They cost less than $30 and otherwise identical to the Funtastic cameras released in May.

Last month, PetaPixel reported about Toem 2, an adventure video game where the player solves puzzles using photography. The game is available now for Steam, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. It's $19.99.

Light Lens Lab, ever the busy company, has teased a new lens on Instagram. Based on the short video above, which shows a bare metal lens barrel and an internal aperture mechanism, the project seems pretty early in development. It's not clear precisely what lens it is, but it's obviously very compact. Based on Light Lens Lab's prior efforts, we expect something special.

If the entire sky were smeared, what color would it be? According to NASA, the answer is hex code #FFF8E7, or what it calls "cosmic latte." To determine this color, astronomers averaged the light emitted by one of the largest samples of galaxies every surveyed, the 200,000 galaxies in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. The resulting color is "much less blue" than it was 10 billion years ago, which means that stars are getting redder on average.

Bright Tangerine's new FX5 Corner Top Plate for Sony's upcoming FX5 cinema camera expands the camera's mounting options without the need of a special cage. As Newsshooter reports, the mount attaches to the top corner of the FX5 body and adds a cold shoe and M4 thread for rod brackets to the camera without adding much bulk. It doesn't obstruct the FX5's shoe, which means it doesn't prevent using the optional EVF. It also doesn't block the user from having a cage on the FX5, at least in the case of a Bright Tangerine cage. The $25 plate looks like a useful accessory for future FX5 owners who are waiting impatiently for the delayed camera to finally arrive.

Adobe and the National Hockey League (NHL) announced a new partnership on the eve of the 2026-27 NHL season. Adobe will provide AI technology to support to the NHL's ambitions to grow and reach more fans. Adobe says it will provide the NHL and its fans with AI-powered tools to create new fan experiences and personalize how they interact with the NHL.

“The National Hockey League has built an extraordinary connection with its fans, and Adobe is helping them take that relationship to the next level by using AI to deepen personalization and empower everyone to create," says Lara Balazs, CMO and EVP of global marketing, Adobe. "With Adobe's enterprise solutions, the League will be able to scale relevant, engaging content across every channel where fans spend their time, fueling operational efficiencies and unlocking individual creativity."

The NHL sits fourth among North American professional sports leagues in terms of annual revenue and hopes to close the NBA's lead. Expanded engagement with fans and improved brand awareness certainly can't hurt.

Lomography's popular Lomomatic 110 camera, by far the most prevalent 110-format film camera on the market today, is coming in a ladybug-themed design. The Lomomatic 110 Camera and Flash Ladybug sports a black and red design with black dots. Other than its glossy red and black design, it's like Lomography's other Lomomatic 110 cameras, meaning it sports a 23mm f/2.8 Minitar CX lens and captures photos to 110 film. It's $119, although currently out of stock.

In case you really can't go a second without looking at a screen, Hisense has announced the RoamView: a $1,200 32-inch portable touchscreen running Android that you can roll around with you through your house and even into the backyard. It has a camera, so you can even take video calls on it.

If you were ever afraid of a future where content couldn't be delivered to you constantly or where you would be unreachable by a Teams call for a nanosecond, then this is the savior you were looking for.

Seriously though, this feels extremely Wall-E.

Apple's new Watch Series 12 isn't a huge upgrade, but there are nice features. But there are two new features that gave us pause, and Marques Brownlee agrees in a video published today: Siri Recap and Live Rewind both feel icky.

"This generation of Apple Watch is listening to you all the time. This is a privacy nightmare," Brownlee says. We agree.

No one asked for this, and I don't think anyone actually wants it either. Neither feature is out yet, and maybe Apple might reconsider it after feedback. We hope so, because even if someone opts-in to use it, everyone else that it records hasn't necessarily consented. That's not okay.

Evoto already announced the major updates coming to its software earlier today, but the company seems to be making a statement about its commitment to photographers and is putting its AI-generated gaff from January fully behind it. As part of that, its leveraging Peter Hurley, Lindsay Adler, and Mark Wallace with the tagline, "Your standard. Our standard."