In today's episode CCB releasing five new large format film cameras, an Octopus does underwater photography, Yashica releases another City camera and Kodak still struggling.
You can find the show notes here.
You can find the show notes here.
Show Notes
Welcome back the the show everyone, Liam here with the Liam Photography Podcast and this is Episode 467 for the week of August 14th, 2025. In today’s episode New Large Format Cameras coming soon, an Octopus Photographer, the Yashica City 300 camera and more.
Ontario-based Custom Camera Building announced a new line of film cameras on Kickstarter, including panoramic 617/612 and large-format (4×5, 5×7, and 8×10) models.
The new line of cameras, each built using rugged and lightweight composite materials, promises excellent usability and aesthetics and features industrial-grade 3D-printed components. Custom Camera Building, which sells numerous products and accessories for medium- and large-format analog photography, emphasizes that each of its new cameras meets industry standards for tolerances and that the final material specifications were selected after extensive testing of “more than 20 different materials.”
“Years of testing and geometry changes went into the development of these cameras, and to be able to make them to meet the required tight specifications for each format,” Custom Camera Building explains. Hardware that cannot be 3D printed, like metal components, is custom machined.
In total, the new line of cameras includes the new CCB 612C and 617C convertible cameras and the new CCB 45PS, 57PS, and 810PS Large Format Cameras.
The CCB 612C can be used in 6×6, 6×9, and 6×12 formats, while the 617C works in 6×9, 6×12, and 6×17 formats. These convertible cameras feature interchangeable cones, Graflok and ground glass attachments, and snap-in masks to instantly swap between their available formats.
The CCB 45PS, 57PS, and 810PS are all large-format point-and-shoot cameras in 4×5, 5×7, and 8×10 formats. Like the CCB 612C and 617C, these new models feature interchangeable cones and support fast lens swapping.
Custom Camera Building is also launching new accessories and conversion kits as part of its latest launch, including an improved Sinar F series to 4×5 Point and Shoot conversion, plus new support for Sinar P, Cambo, and Toyo Omega View to 4×5 Point and Shoot conversions. All the new cameras also work with CCB’s existing pinhole cones and pinhole inserts, enabling each to become a pinhole camera instantly.
Since Custom Camera Building is based in Ontario, its pricing is set in Canadian dollars, and precise exchange rates on Kickstarter will adjust based on the backer’s region. With that in mind, the Kickstarter early bird prices below are presented in CAD. The exchange rate at the time of writing is $1 CAD = $0.73 USD.
The CCB 612C Master Set with the new 612C camera body and masks, Graflok adapter, ground glass attachment, and 40mm pinhole cone is $575 CAD. The 612C body with 6×6 and 6×9 masks, the Graflok adapter, and the ground glass adapter is $325 CAD.
The CCB 617C Master Set, which adds short and long Graflok adapters and an additional 70mm cone, is $645 CAD, while the base model with 6×9 and 6×12 masks, Graflok adapters, and ground glass is $373 CAD.
The CCB 45PS body, cone, and calibrated/laser-engraved M65 helicoid and round lens board are $195 CAD. The CCB 57PS with the same extras is $275 CAD, as is the CCB 810PS.
There is also a master set of all five new cameras with all the necessary adapters and accessories available for $1,772 CAD, which encompasses an additional 10% discount on top of the Kickstarter early bird pricing.
All the new products are expected to ship in November.
A diver had a “once in a lifetime” encounter with a giant Pacific octopus after the sea creature showed interest in him and his camera — grabbing it from him and then giving him a hug.
John Roney and Chris Mullen are underwater photographers and videographers hailing from Vancouver Island, Canada. On August 5, the pair went diving in Nanoose Bay when they spotted a “particularly large” octopus.
“It sort of approached us directly, hopped, and explored my camera, and then I just let go of my camera and I let it have it for a couple of minutes,” Roney tells CBC.
Roney recalls handing the camera to the octopus after it gave the device a “big hug.” The creature then strolled about with it, inadvertently filming its sucker-lined arms and the pale expanse of its underbelly.
The octopus dropped the camera and then turned to Mullen, reached out its arms, and embraced him. The encounter has been described by experts as “remarkable.”
“Octopuses, even though they are invertebrates, have very, very well-developed brains and they are highly intelligent creatures,” Anna Hall, a marine mammal zoologist at Seaview Marine Sciences, tells Chek News. “I think this giant Pacific octopus would have taken an interest in the divers and perhaps even their equipment, and wanted to find out more.”
Roney praised the octopus’s camera work, telling CBC that it is “honestly the best footage of inside an octopus’ web I’ve seen an octopus take… better than mine.”
Octopuses are truly amazing creatures. During the filming of BBC wildlife documentary, Spy in the Ocean, a camera disguised as an animatronic octopus also got a tentacled cuddle from a real octopus.
“You really see that people are fascinated by these animals because they’re so intelligent and they’re so curious, and they’re also so otherworldly, right. They’re so different from anything that you’d see on land,” adds Roney. “And it makes me happy to see people seeing our local marine life here.”
At the beginning of this year, Yashica announced the City 100 and City 200 compact cameras. The company has quickly followed up these two cameras with the City 300, which promises better imaging performance than its predecessors while maintaining a more compact, travel-friendly form factor.
When PetaPixel reviewed the Yashica City 100, we had some concerns with the camera’s build and image quality, but lauded it for its value and some of its fun shooting features. Yashica hopes that its new City 300 camera offers many of the same strengths of the prior City cameras, including its compact form factor and fun photography modes, while improving in some key areas, such as imaging performance.
To that end, the City 300 features a native 50-megapixel Type 1/1.56 image sensor and in-body image stabilization (IBIS). While this image sensor is still small in the grand scheme of things, similar to a smartphone image sensor, it is a step up from the small 13-megapixel sensor in the City 100 and City 200 cameras.
Like the City 100, the City 300 features a fixed focal length lens. In this case, it is a 24mm equivalent f/1.8 prime lens, although Yashica is quick to note that, given the higher-resolution image sensor, the City 300 works well alongside built-in digital crop modes. These enable photographers to capture 50-megapixel shots at 24mm (equivalent), 12-megapixel ones at 50mm (equivalent), and 8-megapixel photos at 60mm (equivalent). The built-in lens has a control ring that enables photographers to quickly adjust the digital zoom, like a typical focal length ring on a traditional zoom lens.
The camera has another advantage over the City 100/200 camera: RAW image capture. The prior two City-series models launched earlier this year are limited to just JPEG image capture. In contrast, the City 300 can capture DNG (RAW) photos, which should provide additional flexibility during post-processing. Of course, the relatively small image sensor will be a potential bottleneck when making extreme image adjustments during post-processing.
The Yashica City 300 also records 4Kp30 video. It can also shoot 2.7K video at up to 60p frame rates and FHD video at 120p.
The Yashica City 300 also aims to address another of PetaPixel‘s complaints with a new external flash, the QuickFlash Mini Camera Flash. The City 100/200 has a built-in flash, but it is pretty lackluster in real-world use. The new external flash aims to up the power, and fortunately, it ships alongside the City 300 camera itself.
As for its body design, the City 300 looks familiar, although there are some tweaks. The camera’s grip design is refined, and the camera itself remains very small and lightweight. The compact, pocketable camera weighs only 183 grams (6.5 ounces), which is nearly 40 grams lighter than the City 100.
The Yashica City 300 is available now for HK$3,280, which is just under $420 at current exchange rates.
Peak Design has released four new colors for many of its products, including backpacks, shoulder bags, pouches, camera straps, camera leashes, and more. It is Peak Design’s largest drop of new colors ever.
Peak Design, best known for its carrying solutions for photographers, takes each of its available colors very seriously. New color choices are very carefully considered, and it is typical for Peak Design to offer maybe one new color a year. Suffice it to say, four is a lot, and there’s something for everyone.
The new Ocean color option delivers a “moody and deep yet calmly constant” shade of blue. Peak Design says the color captures “the serenity and power of the sea.” Compared to Peak Design’s other blue option, Midnight, Ocean is lighter and brighter.
Eclipse is a “dark and bold” shade of red. “Eclipse is for the night owls and boundary-pushers,” Peak Design says. For many of Peak Design’s offerings, Eclipse is the first shade of red. However, it is worth noting that Eclipse made its Peak Design debut a little earlier this year for the launch of Peak Design’s Roller Pro Carry-On luggage.
Next up is Kelp, an Earthy green tone. “Rooted in regeneration and balance, Kelp brings a sense of harmony and renewal,” per Peak Design. Given Peak Design’s connection to outdoor photography, including through its carrying solutions and tripods, it is admittedly a bit surprising that it took so long for the company to introduce a shade of green.
Rounding out the quartet is the very bright and vibrant Ibis. This is a pinkish-orange color that Peak Design says it made to help its customers “stand out and steal the spotlight.” Given how bright Ibis is, it is likely not too surprising that it is not making its way throughout the entire Peak Design lineup. Customers can buy Ibis packing cubes, totes, leashes, and cuffs, but not full-size camera straps or backpacks.
The other three new colors, Ocean, Eclipse, and Kelp, are available across Peak Design’s comprehensive catalog, including Everyday and Travel backpacks and shoulder bags, all of Peak Design’s camera straps, leashes, and cuffs, and its various packing cubes.
Peak Design’s four new color ways are available to purchase now in compatible products directly from Peak Design.
The future of Eastman Kodak is in doubt today after the historic company said it is struggling to pay a $500 million debt obligation.
CNN reports that the warning came during an earnings report yesterday (Monday), which states there is “substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”
Kodak says it is attempting to raise the cash by stopping payments to its retirement pension plan. It notes that President Trump’s tariffs aren’t a factor since it manufactures the majority of its products in the United States.
“In the second quarter, Kodak continued to make progress against our long-term plan despite the challenges of an uncertain business environment,” says Kodak CEO Jim Continenza in the earnings release.
The news has sent Kodak’s share price tumbling by more than 7% during premarket trading today. The company reported a net loss of $26 million for the second quarter of 2025, a marked contrast to the net profit of $26 million from the same quarter one year ago.
Kodak is putting the blame on weak sales and higher costs. The company ended the quarter with a cash balance of $155 million, a decrease of $46 million from December 31, 2024.
“The decrease was primarily driven by capital expenditures to fund growth initiatives, changes in working capital, impact of higher costs and lower profitability from operations,” reads the report.
A Kodak spokesperson reached out to PetaPixel after publication of this article with the following statement.
“The ‘going concern’ language in Kodak’s 10-Q is essentially required disclosure because Kodak’s debt comes due within 12 months of the filing. Kodak is confident it will be able to pay off a significant portion of its term loan well before it becomes due, and amend, extend or refinance our remaining debt and/or preferred stock obligations,” the spokesperson says.
“To fund the repayment, we plan to draw on the approximately $300 million in cash we expect to receive from the reversion and settlement of our U.S. pension fund (the Kodak Retirement Income Plan, or ‘KRIP’) in December. However, the KRIP reversion is not solely within Kodak’s control and therefore is not deemed ‘probable’ under U.S. GAAP accounting rules, which is what triggered the ‘going concern.’ Once the KRIP reversion is completed Kodak will be virtually net debt free and will have a stronger balance sheet than we have had in years.”
The financial report comes as something of a shock since Kodak battled back from bankruptcy over a decade ago, at which time it had debts of $6.75 billion. The analog revival has helped Kodak, and it began manufacturing more film at its base in Rochester, New York.
Kodak is well over 130 years old, having been incorporated in 1892. The company is credited with bringing photography to the masses after it released the Kodak No.1 in the 19th century, which was capable of shooting over 100 small circular photos. It led to the famous slogan: “You press the button, we do the rest.”
The Kodak Brownie, the company’s most successful camera, was released circa 1900 and was much cheaper than the Kodak No.1. Photographers had to load their own film canister and each cartridge held six exposures. By 1905, the Brownie had sold 1.2 million units.
It continued to produce cameras and film throughout the 20th century. In the 1970s, it was responsible for 90% of film and 85% of camera sales in the United States, according to The Economist.
But despite Kodak inventing the first digital camera in 1975, it failed to capitalize on the digital revolution and was left in the dust by its competitors, leading to it filing for bankruptcy in 2012.
Just last month, PetaPixel reported on how the company has 123 brick-and-mortar stores in South Korea that are dedicated to selling apparel and other Kodak-branded items.
A TV news crew’s camera was stolen while they were filming a segment on the rising street thefts in London.
A television crew for Saudi Arabian news station Al Ekhbariya News was reporting on the rising number of thefts on Oxford Street, one of the busiest shopping destinations in the U.K., on Saturday.
However, the unsuspecting crew later realized they had captured footage of a man walking up to their equipment, taking part of the TV station’s camera, and running away with it, according to UAE newspaper The National News.
“While reporting on the recent surge in thefts on Oxford Street, a street said to have more CCTV cameras than anywhere else in London, something remarkable happened,” Al Ekhbariya News reporter Mohanad Alrawi says in the subsequent news segment aired on TV.
“Our own camera was stolen. That very camera has captured footage of thefts.”
Footage shared by Al Ekhbariya shows a man in a baseball cap picking up the camera from the pavement on Oxford Street before walking away along the busy shopping street, apparently unnoticed by passers-by.
The camera was placed beside an advertising board along with a microphone stand. It is unclear where the crew was during the theft, which happened on August 9 at 6 P.M. The Metropolitan Police have reportedly been contacted about the incident. The crew did not say what type of camera was stolen.
The incident comes after PetaPixel reported on a $26,000 Arri Alexa Mini that was stolen during a music video shoot in London in April as the crew worked. Dramatic CCTV footage showed a car creeping up to the camera as the crew had their back turned, apparently reviewing the footage they had filmed so far.
Meanwhile, last year, a press photographer had all of his gear stolen in London and revealed that British police did nothing despite getting the exact location of the cameras and a picture of the thief.
Theft from a person, such as phone thefts, are reported to be increasing in London. Over 80,000 smartphones were supposedly stolen in the city in 2024 — meaning one device is robbed every six minutes.
Award-winning photographer Lynsey Addario is the subject of a new National Geographic documentary, Love+War, scheduled to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) early next month.
Addario is one of the world’s most acclaimed photojournalists and best known for her daring and powerful documentary photography work that investigates global conflict, humanitarian issues, and women’s rights topics worldwide. Addario has done award-winning work for The New York Times and National Geographic, and most recently has captured remarkable photos during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Addario was a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for her powerful and emotional photo essay that focuses on a very young Ukrainian child whose treatment for a rare eye cancer was devastatingly delayed because Russia invaded Ukraine. Addario was also a finalist in 2023 for her work in Ukraine. Addario won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize as part of a New York Times team’s coverage of the war in Afghanistan.
As reported by Digital Camera World, the new Love+War documentary, created by award-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, follows Addario as she documents the war in Ukraine. Throughout the feature-length documentary, Addario reflects upon her broader career, which dates back over 20 years.
“People have a tendency to move on,” Addario says. “It’s my job to get people to continue paying attention.”
The documentary follows Addario across several trips to Ukraine in the past few years, and relates her current experiences there to her two decades of work photographing war elsewhere, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone, and Libya, where Addario was kidnapped alongside three NYT colleagues in 2011.
The film explores powerful questions, like how Addario has been able to work in war zones for so long without being entirely broken, what it’s like juggling her photojournalistic work against having a family of her own back home, and what motivates her to continue doing vital work even when it’s exceptionally challenging and dangerous.
Love & War turns the lens on Addario, who herself has used her camera to change the global perception of war and shine a light on many grave injustices. The documentary will make its world premiere at TIFF on Sunday, September 7, and will have additional showings on September 8 and 13. Complete showtime and ticketing information is available on TIFF’s website.
CIPA recently published its year-to-date photography industry statistics for January through June, showing not only that for the first half of the year, camera and lens shipments are up compared to 2023 and 2024, but also that the Chinese market is playing an increasingly important role in the camera industry.
Looking first at the global camera market so far this year, total shipments of both interchangeable lens cameras and lenses with built-in lenses are trending above 2023 and 2024 across the board so far this year.
In the case of interchangeable lens cameras, 2025’s shipments are higher than 2023 and 2024 in every month so far this year. April has been the best month of all, driven by increased demand for cameras ahead of tariffs being implemented in the United States. Camera companies releasing recent financial reports have noted demand spikes in April, May, and June across the board, and this bears out in CIPA’s data. However, the Americas only account for about a quarter of camera shipments, so there could be more to it than that.
In any event, while January, February, and March were all trending higher this year, camera shipments surged noticeably in the following quarter. In May, for example, camera manufacturers shipped 911,996 total digital cameras, 690,731 of which were interchangeable lens models. This is up from 743,965 cameras in May 2024 and 707,970 cameras during the same month in 2023. That said, the largest percentage increase year-over-year was in April, although only barely.
CIPA also tracks lens shipments for interchangeable lens cameras. While it is true that lens shipments are higher in every month so far in 2025, the difference is significantly less noticeable than with digital camera shipments. May has been the best month for lens shipments so far, though, with tracked companies shipping 936,889 lenses.
As Canon Rumors reports, there is also interesting data to consider when it comes to where these shipments are headed.
In 2022, Europe was the largest market for interchangeable lens cameras, accounting for 31% of global shipments tracked by CIPA. That proportion has decreased since, dropping to 27% in 2023, 23% in 2024, and 24.3% this year — a slight uptick year-over-year.
Asia (not counting China and Japan), the Americas, and Japan have all held relatively steady over that same period, shifting year to year by one to three percentage points each.
However, China is a massively shifting market for ILC shipments. After accounting for just 19% of the global market in 2022, China’s significance has increased every year. China’s share of ILC shipments was 24% in 2023, 27.6% in 2024, and is a whopping 30.5% so far in 2025, making it the largest market for ILCs by over five percentage points (the Americas is in second at 25.2%).
Perhaps as interesting as China’s booming interest in interchangeable lens cameras is its relatively little interest in cameras with built-in lenses, including trendy compact cameras. The Americas and Japan are the hottest markets for these cameras, with the Americas having a 26% share of shipments so far this year and Japan at 23%. China, meanwhile, sits just above Asia with a 16% share.
There are a few interesting things to consider here. One, while there has been a demonstrable increase in demand for cameras and lenses so far this year, driven in part by Americans trying to get ahead of expected tariffs, China’s continually growing demand for interchangeable lens cameras is also playing a significant role.
Earlier this year, Nikkei Asia reported that Generation Z in China is growing increasingly dissatisfied with smartphone cameras and jumping to interchangeable lens camera models. The data over the past few years supports this trend, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
It will be interesting to see not only if this trend continues, but also how each camera company responds to growing photography demand in China. Different regions exhibit varying historical preferences, and camera companies must navigate how to cater to each effectively. One thing is for sure: Chinese camera customers are now an extremely important segment of the global market.
Two tourists have died after they were swept out to sea while taking selfies on a cruise ship in Greece.
The incident happened at Sarakiniko beach on the popular holiday island of Milos in the Cyclades on Friday (August 8). The woman reportedly fell into the water while trying to take selfies. Her husband entered the sea in an attempt to save her but also drowned.
The tourist couple, both about 50 years old and from Vietnam, were visiting Milos with a tour group. They had arrived by cruise ship at Adamas port before heading to Sarakiniko.
Multiple Greek news outlets report that the woman was taking selfies on a cruise ship when strong winds and waves caused her to fall overboard. The man jumped in after her in an effort to rescue her but was also pulled away by the current.
“The man and woman were found unconscious in the sea and were taken to the local health centre,” a coastguard spokesperson tells Agence Press France (AFP).
According to the Greek Reporter, a private boat recovered the woman’s body and a private diver located the man’s. Both were taken to the island’s Health Center, where they later died.
Authorities have not released the victims’ names. The civil protection ministry said wind gusts reached around 54 miles per hour on the day in the area.
The incident comes after two influencers drowned after reportedly refusing to wear life jackets on a boat — fearing it would ruin their selfies. Influencers Aline Tamara Moreira de Amorim, 37, and Beatriz Tavares da Silva Faria, 27, were found dead after their bodies washed up on Itaquitanduva Beach in Brazil earlier this month. Meanwhile, in February, a 53-year-old tourist died after leaning out of a train in to take a selfie and hitting a rock. The tourist had tried to take a photo of herself while hanging out of the train on the famous Podi Menike railway line in Sri Lanka.
Researchers have suggested that taking selfies may pose a “public health problem” amid the near ubiquitous use of smartphones and social media apps. The most common deaths reportedly come from people falling off cliffs and waterfalls while taking a photo.
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