Episode 444: RealMe’s Ultra Phone, White Orca, Better Instant Photos?

Show Notes

Welcome back everyone, you’re listening to the Liam Photography Podcast, I’m your host Liam Douglas and this is Episode 444 for Thursday March 6th, 2025. In today’s episode, a Rare White Orca, RealMe’s Phone Concept, Better Instant Photos and more.

RealMe

Realme unveiled a surprise concept phone dubbed “Ultra” at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona as part of a broader interchangeable lens system that would come bundled with two lenses influenced by Leica’s M-mount.

To be clear, Leica has no involvement in this conceptual product. Realme confirmed to PetaPixel that it chose to adopt the M-mount for its size and focal versatility. Beyond that, no collaboration or licensing is involved since the two lenses in this Ultra concept were apparently developed in-house at Realme.

This idea differs from the Xiaomi Modular Optical System prototype also unveiled at MWC, which uses a magnet, pins, and proprietary technology to mount the phone onto a concept Xiaomi 15 phone.

Realme’s approach is more aligned with traditional camera mounts, though this package comes with a sort of dual-mount setup. The Ultra phone has a circular camera module (similar to Xiaomi and Vivo, ironically) with an exposed Type 1 sensor. It’s covered by tough glass, so it isn’t necessarily in danger, though Realme reps didn’t address what replacing that glass might cost should it sustain cracks or scrapes that would impede the sensor. The glass is also designed to keep dust away, as it won’t have a lens cap.

This is a customized Type 1 Sony CMOS sensor, and next to it are Type 1 sensors for the main (Sony IMX989) and ultra-wide (IMX890). That’s a rarity for any phone: not one, but three one-inch sensors on a single phone. Those two cameras shoot on their own and don’t work with the interchangeable lenses in any way, which Realme is essentially treating as a broader telephoto.

Along the edges of the phone’s camera module is where the adapter connects, and once locked in, is able to mount an actual lens. This prototype comes with two, a 73mm and 234mm. Both have manual focus and aperture rings with lens caps. The 73mm, in particular, pays homage to Leica based on the square lens hood, though you could argue the 234mm is just as much a reference piece as well.

The Realme demo in its MWC booth held this setup on a tripod using a mount Realme 3D printed, so it doesn’t come with the whole bundle. While it is too soon to cast judgment since it’s not mass-produced yet, the mere fact a 234mm lens is included suggests a tripod mount should be part of the mix here. Technically, it might be possible to use a standard clamp phone mount to set this up, but I’m not sure it’s wise, given the weight distribution.

When removed from the tripod, it becomes clear how unwieldy the system can be even with two hands, let alone one. The lack of a grip is glaring, forcing the user to cradle the device from the lens with one hand (not unlike any other camera) while holding the phone with the other, similar to how you would otherwise do so without a lens attached. You can still move your thumb to focus and snap a photo, but without a grip or mechanical way to capture an image with a physical shutter, it feels like you’re spending half the time figuring out the best way to hold it. Moreover, the weight transfers even more from the shutter hand to the lens hand, making for a somewhat unstable situation. On the other hand, you won’t find a bigger preview screen on any DSLR or mirrorless.

The only problem is the screen doesn’t articulate. Trying to capture photos from higher, lower, or angled perspectives becomes more of a blind crapshoot. In most cases, the volume buttons are too far away to act as physical shutters, so you’re left with trial and error to get the image you want.

Arrayed next to an iPhone 16 Pro Max, Realme is trying to demonstrate the proverbial cliff where built-in phone optics tumble over, especially when capturing portraits in low light. With a Realme staffer posing as a model in a high chair, reps took several photos at 3x (73mm) and 10x (234mm) to show the differences in comparison.

The caveat is that the iPhone’s telephoto lens is 120mm equivalent at f/2.8, whereas the Ultra’s 73mm lens is noticeably wider at f/2.8. While the lens can stop up to as wide as f/1.4, the testers in the booth stuck to f/2.8 for a more precise comparison. The focal disparity in the optical focal distance makes this duel feel odd since it’s not entirely apples-to-apples from that perspective.

Not surprisingly, the Ultra smashes Apple’s flagship, but we’ll never know how the latter might’ve fared if equipped with a similar setup. Granted, the iPhone’s telephoto uses a considerably smaller 12-megapixel sensor compared to the Ultra’s Type 1 CMOS at 50 megapixels. Still, metadata from photos I saw on the phone show pixel binning at 12.5-megapixels, so they are on par as far as resolution goes.

Apple also has no real way to compete at 234mm, no matter how highly it touts its hybrid zoom. Results are predictably terrible under the straightforward conditions in the Realme booth, with the Ultra getting exposure, contrast, depth of field, and color far more accurately than the yellowed haze produced by the Pro Max.

The other part of the equation here is action photography. Apple has yet to take it seriously, whereas Realme’s sensor and lenses offer a much better chance of freezing a moving subject. There was no objective test for this at the show, but brief snaps from attendees capturing minimal movement in the booth show some promise.

Realme isn’t laying out when it might launch this Ultra interchangeable lens concept or even at what price. The phone’s specs don’t necessarily indicate flagship status, considering the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset inside, which was the standard in 2023. Internal specs are always subject to change with any prototype, so I don’t expect what’s there now to be there if or when this system sees the light of day.

It’s also not clear what, if any, plans Realme has for producing other lenses. True, the other two cameras on the phone have Type 1 sensors, but different lenses at varying focal lengths could make sense if there’s traction with this concept. The Leica M-mount lineup offers another avenue, albeit one that may be a hard sell for those who aren’t already Leica owners.

Regardless of the unknown path for this thing, it’s still good to see some brands take chances with what’s possible on smartphones, the most prolific camera of all.

White Orca

A nature photographer in Japan has captured photos and video of a rare white orca, despite some people calling his work fake.

Tokuyuki Hayakawa specializes in photographing killer whales in the waters off Rausu on the northern tip of Japan. He spends 40 to 50 days per year in the remote region, according to Studio Persol.

But last summer, Hayakawa captured something extraordinary: a white orca. “This is the first time I’ve encountered a white orca after 15 years of photographing orcas in Rausu,” the photographer wrote on X.

Hayakawa says he was stunned to see two cream-colored orcas swimming with 20-30 usual-colored killer whales as the boat he was in struggled to keep up with the pod.

“My legs were shaking as I photographed the white orcas I met for the first time,” Hayakawa wrote on Instagram. “[It] looks like a golden-ish cream-colored orca synthesized into a blue sea. I still think it was a dream.”

However, despite the incredible captures, some online commenters have called out Hayakawa implying that his photos aren’t real.

“We have received comments such as ‘Fake?’, ‘Composite?’, ‘Did they make them white with Photoshop?’, but we have done absolutely nothing of the sort,” Hayakawa wrote on Instagram.

One of the photos does make the whale look so ghostly that it looks unreal but Hayakawa’s video footage backs up the photo, proving that he really did see a white killer whale. Hayakawa also says he went back in the following days and continued to see the white orcas.

It’s uncertain why the whale has creamy skin but The Dodo reports that it may be because of leucism rather than being fully albino because of the whale’s eye color.

“While albinism refers to the complete lack of melanin — the natural pigment that gives skin, feathers, hair, and eyes their color — leucism involves a partial loss of pigmentation,” according to Treehugger.

“Animals with albinism are white or pale in color over their entire bodies but also have eyes that are pale, pink, or red in color, while animals with leucism often have partially white or patchy features with darker eyes.”

In 2023, a white-colored calf named “Frosty” was filmed off the coast of southern California. And last year, PetaPixel spoke with Machi Yoshida who lives her dream capturing orcas all over the world.

More of Hayakawa’s can be found on his Instagram and X/Twitter.

Polaroid Gen 3

Polaroid’s new Now Generation 3 and Now+ Generation 3 Instant Cameras promise sharper instant photos across varied lighting conditions.

Starting with the standard Polaroid Now Generation 3, it is Polaroid’s classic analog instant camera offering. Compared to its predecessor, the aptly named Now Generation 2, and PetaPixel‘s pick for the “Best Classic Instant Camera,” the new model features a better light meter position, improved ranging sensor, and an upgraded two-lens autofocus system. The camera features a built-in tripod mount, works alongside filters, and features self-timer and double-exposure modes. “All in a classic Polaroid look made with 40% recycled materials,” the company explains.

The Polaroid Now Generation 3 offers six usable apertures ranging from f/11 to f/64, and the lens has optical grade PC and acrylic materials. Autofocus is provided via two fixed zones (0.4 to 1.3 meters and one meter to infinity). The camera weighs about 450 grams (15.8 ounces) and works with Polaroid i-Type and 600 film. The camera features a custom-designed shutter system with a precision step motor for accurate exposures.

The Polaroid Now Generation 3 comes in six colors (Graphite, Purple, Arctic Blue, Yellow, Pebble, and Coral) and is $120.

The Polaroid Now+ Generation 3 Instant Camera resembles the standard Now camera. It features the same upgraded sensors and autofocus system as its sibling and the same lens, but it adds Polaroid app connectivity so that users can connect to the camera with their smartphone and remotely control it. The Now+ features a built-in battery that recharges via USB-C to power this wireless connectivity.

The Polaroid Now+ Generation 3 is $140, a $20 premium over its sibling, and comes in four colors.

Polaroid i-Type film comes in color and black and white varieties and starts at $16.99 per pack, which includes eight exposures. Polaroid also offers triple packs, which offer a savings of $1 per pack. Polaroid color and black and white 600 film, which differs from i-Type thanks to its included battery that is not needed for either of the new cameras, is $19.99 per pack.

PeakDesign Roller Pro

Peak Design announced what it calls “its most anticipated product release yet”: the Roller Pro Carry-On. The new carry-on luggage aims to embody “the future of luggage design” by combining soft-sided style and hard-sided durability, clever features, and an entirely custom design.

This last characteristic is especially noteworthy, as most carry-on roller bags, even those that may look different from the outside, are built using identical off-the-shelf parts companies pick out of catalogs. Peak Design spent the past five-plus years custom-designing every component, from the wheels to the handle, to build what it bills as the most innovative and best roller on the market.

At the heart of the Roller Pro is its patented SlimDrive, a low-profile carbon fiber handle built for maximum strength in the smallest possible space. Standard roller handles built using off-the-shelf components feature telescoping aluminum tubes, which take up quite a bit of space and create prominent ridges inside typical roller bags. The Roller Pro’s handles are made from single-stage flat carbon tubes, similar in spirit to the legs in Peak Design’s Travel Tripod, which is celebrated for, among other things, how compactly it packs up. The Roller Pro’s handle is significantly stiffer than the telescoping aluminum competition, occupying just one-third of the space, which means much more room to store luggage without increasing the bag’s footprint.

The Peak Design Roller Pro also features custom-engineered 60mm wheels, larger than typical wheels, to ensure a super-easy, smooth-wheeled experience across various surfaces. Like its other products, the Roller Pro comes with Peak Design’s lifetime warranty. However, it is worth noting that the wheels are easily user-replaceable, as they are technically a consumable part.

Roller Pro’s unique hybrid construction comprises a lightweight polycarbonate shell covered with Peak Design’s VersaShell fabric. The company hopes this delivers a more stylish take on rugged luggage. The Roller Pro has a front pocket with protected storage for passports, chargers, headphones, and a laptop or tablet.

Things stay interesting with the carry-on’s main storage compartment. While most carry-ons zip open and travelers have a large flap to contend with, the Roller Pro uses a “Drawbridge” opening system to keep the footprint compact. Unlike a clamshell roller, the Roller Pro’s front flips up and stays suspended at a 90-degree angle, providing users easy access to the interior without taking up any more space on a desk, table, or their lap.

As for capacity, the Roller Pro, which is 21.8 by 14 by nine inches (55.3 by 35.6 by 22.9 centimeters) and weighs 8.8 pounds (just under four kilograms) when empty, is expandable from 34 to 39 liters. It features an interior organization panel to hold smaller items or store dirty clothes, a hidden AirTag pocket, and a proprietary Cord Hook Internal Retention System.

It also supports a brand-new Peak Design X-Large Camera Cube, which fills the entire Roller Pro interior with no wasted space and sits flush with the bag’s zipper. This new XL Camera Cube fits up to a 400mm prime lens and enables the bag to “become a mobile creative workstation for photographers on location or in the studio.” While the Roller Pro is built to be the ideal carry-on companion for all travelers, it is equally at home as a dedicated roller for photographers.

The Roller Pro features external 360-degree grab handles and Cord Hook Gear Loops, which can be used to externally carry jackets, umbrellas, or even a tripod. Although not officially marketed as such, these can also be used to support many of Peak Design’s various straps, giving users another way to carry the Roller Pro.

The Roller Pro’s fabric shell is 100% recycled, Bluesign-approved, and the entire product is PFAS-free and Climate Label Certified.

“Inside almost every roller bag on the market, you’ll find a floppy fabric liner, and under that liner you’ll find two big honkin’ tubes,” says Peak Design Founder & CEO Peter Dering.

A plastic clamshell with big, fat tubes: that’s the easy way to make a roller. We chose the hard way. When we told our factory we wanted to redesign things from the ground up, they told us we were crazy. But we pushed them and found a better way. The result is a product that is wildly more effective and delightful. Roller Pro has real innovation in it, and I suspect many of its features will become future industry standards.”

PetaPixel‘s Chris Niccolls has had the Peak Design Roller Pro for a bit and took it to Norway for Panasonic’s S1R II press event and to Japan for PetaPixel‘s coverage of Sigma’s recent launch event and the CP+ show.

“The first thing I noticed about the Peak Design Roller Pro Carry-On case was just how light it was. I found it very easy to lift into overhead compartments due to the low weight and I think a large part of the credit goes to the carbon fiber main handle. This handle is also incredibly rigid so there is none of that noisy, floppy play in the handle that you usually get with aluminum,” Niccolls explains.

“I very much appreciated the handles on all faces of the roller case so that I could easily load and unload it from any orientation. The roller wheels are spaced out to the extreme corners of the case, which noticeably improved the stability of the Peak Design and prevented it from flopping over while running through airport terminals,” he adds.

“The front pouch has a generous and well-protected laptop sleeve, but I particularly like that there is also a shallow organizer right above the laptop space, which is ideal for quick access to passports or smartphones. There is an expander zipper which runs the circumference of the case and can provide a little extra volume if needed,” Niccolls says.

“For my travels to Norway and Japan, I left the divisible camera module at home and instead loaded up the Peak Design like a classic luggage roller. The spacious interior has a lip at the bottom so that your items don’t automatically tumble out when you open the main compartment. This is further assisted by the two adjustable drawstrings control how far forward the main door flap opens up.

“The main compartment had plenty of space for my clothing and accessories and there is a network of tension straps to keep everything in place during travel. The main door flap is solid feeling, and I like the two-pin hinges that hold it in place so there is no tension on the zippers. Inside the door flap are some built-in pouches for cable storage and an additional space for a laptop or iPad as well,” Niccolls continues.

“Everything about the case feels safe, solid, and prestigious. The Roller Pro Carry-On is certainly expensive, but I haven’t personally ever used a better system. Its ease of use and compartmental storage made a notable positive contribution to the enjoyment of my intercontinental travels.”

The Peak Design Roller Pro and XL Camera Cube will be available for preorder on Kickstarter, providing customers with an exclusive chance to purchase the new products at a discounted price. Each is available in three colorways: Black, Eclipse, and Sage, and it is expected to ship to backers in June, with retail release to follow by August. The XL Camera Cube’s MSRP will be $139.95, while the Roller Pro will sell at retail for $599.95. Backers can save significantly on each, depending on their backer tier. Complete backing details are available on Kickstarter.

Vanguard’s LVL Base

Award-winning accessory and photo equipment company Vanguard announced a nifty new universal tripod leveling system.

Vanguard’s new LVL Universal Tripod Leveling System features five models that can be fitted to almost any tripod. The options range from a small 42mm base with 4.4 pounds (20 kilograms) of max load capacity up to a 75mm base with eight-pound (40-kilogram) capacity for extra large setups. All are CNC-machined from solid aluminum blocks with weights ranging from four ounces (115 grams) to 12.5 ounces (355 grams) for the largest base.

The LVL Universal Tripod Leveling System bases are a solution for some photographers who, whether shooting video, panning, or capturing a panorama, would rather not have to adjust the leg lengths. Each level comes with a built-in 3/8″ thread in the base that is factory fitted with a 1/4″ adapter. The universal bases install sandwiched between your tripod head and legs via three 2.5mm hex locking screws to make leveling fast and easy. Once installed, they allow the leveling base to rotate by 360° and adjust the tilt by ±15° (or ±13° on the smallest LVL-42).

In addition to speed, rather than adjusting all three tripod legs, the universal adapters may also be useful for photographers with limited range of motion or who have hand and wrist pain. With the universal tripod leveling systems, photographers no longer have to perform the repeated twisting motion required to level a tripod on long days in the field. This can be especially helpful throughout photo shoots requiring multiple compositions over uneven ground.

Photographers looking for a tripod with which to use the Vanguard LVL Universal Tripod System should refer to PetaPixel‘s “Best Tripods in 2025” guide, which features offerings from a wide range of manufacturers. There are no Vanguard offerings on the list. However, that’s not necessarily a knock on the company, as many of its tripods are well-liked by photographers, including affordable aluminum tripods and higher-end carbon fiber ones.

Vanguard expects its new LVL Universal Tripod Leveling System bases to be available in April or May with a price range from $70 to $127. They are not yet listed on Vanguard’s American website. However, photographers in the United Kingdom can sign up to be notified when the new accessories are available for purchase.

Reddit & TikTok

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has joined a bid to buy TikTok — as the popular video app faces a divest-or-ban law because of national security concerns in the United States.

On Monday, billionaire Frank McCourt announced that Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit and a venture capitalist, has joined his bid to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations.

McCourt tells Reuters that Ohanian will help promote the “Project Liberty” bid to buy the U.S. assets of TikTok, which he calls “The People’s Bid,” because of plans to run the app on technology that lets users control how their data will be used and shared.

In January, Project Liberty submitted an official proposal to acquire the social media app, detailing plans to let American users control how their data is used and stored. Ohanian will join the bid to buy TikTok as a strategic adviser specializing in social media.

“He has that broad portfolio of experience… of where social media was and, I think, a keen understanding of where it’s evolving,” McCourt tells Reuters. “Where he can help mostly is validating but also socializing what we’re doing.”

Ohanian co-founded Reddit with his University of Virginia roommate. He sold the platform to Condé Nast in 2006 but returned in 2014 as executive chair to oversee its revival. The internet pioneer says he is excited to work on the bid to buy TikTok and give Americans more control over their data.

American social media users briefly had no access to TikTok after a law banning it on national security grounds came into effect on January 19.

However, TikTok resumed services hours later and restored access to its 170 million users in the U.S. after Trump issued an executive order to delay the app’s ban. The executive order delayed TikTok’s ban for 75 days, giving the app more time to find a U.S. buyer.

Microsoft was reportedly in talks with TikTok to buy the app, according to President Trump. There were also rumors that Chinese officials were weighing up selling the app to Elon Musk, but the X owner denied these claims.

But it is still unclear whether ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based owner, would be willing to sell the platform, even if the deal were facilitated by Trump.

Sunrise from Moon

The Blue Ghost spacecraft which successfully stuck a lunar landing on Sunday has captured an epic sunrise photo from the Moon’s perspective.

“Rise and shine! Firefly’s #BlueGhost lander captured its first sunrise on the Moon, marking the beginning of the lunar day and the start of surface operations in its new home,” writes Firefly Aerospace, the company that operates the spacecraft, on X (formerly Twitter).

“Our Ghost Riders have already begun operating many of the 10 NASA payloads aboard the lander and will continue operations over the next two weeks and into the lunar night.”

A single lunar day equates to two weeks Earth time so Blue Ghost will have plenty of sunlight to conduct its experiments. The Ghost Riders the Tweet refers to are Firefly Aerospace’s 700-strong employees who will now start working on the 10 NASA science payloads onboard.

Space reports that the instruments aboard Blue Ghost will look at lunar composition, geology, and heat flow on the Moon as well as space weather. Its camera won’t just be used for taking pretty pictures: it will capture lunar dust levitating on the surface as it tests drilling technology.

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 made its historic lunar landing this morning, March 2, at 3:34 AM EST. Firefly is only the second private company to achieve a soft lunar landing, and the Blue Ghost lander is carrying a payload of NASA scientific equipment as part of the CLPS and Artemis lunar mission programs.

“Every single thing was clockwork, even when we landed,” Firefly CEO Jason Kim told media. “We got some moon dust on our boots.”

Firefly hopes that Blue Ghost will become the first lander to capture a lunar sunset. Just before nightfall on the Moon, Blue Ghost’s imager will try to capture the “lunar horizon glow,” a remarkable phenomenon during which dust on the Moon briefly levitates above the surface. Astronauts first observed this while in orbit during Apollo 15. Blue Ghost will also perform X-ray imaging, capture high-definition video, and drill into the Moon’s surface.

Closing Thoughts

That wraps up this week’s episode! Which story did you find most interesting for this past week? Let me know on social media or in the podcast comments. Don’t forget to subscribe and tune in next week for more photography news, reviews, and insights!

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