In today's episode the 20th anniversary of the EOS 5D series of cameras, finally an official Instagram app for iPad's, the Sasquatch 617 film camera, Canon teases a new Cinema camera and ON1 RAW 2026.
You can find the show notes here.
You can find the show notes here.
Show Notes
Welcome back to the show everyone Liam here with the Liam Photography Podcast and this is Episode 470 for the week of September 4th, 2025. In today’s show, 5D to R5II Canon’s 5 series turns 20, Meta has finally released an native Instagram app for the iPad and Canon teases a new Cinema camera coming soon.
The Canon EOS 5 Series celebrates its 20th birthday this year. The series, which launched with the original EOS 5D DSLR in 2005, continues to this day, with the most recent member being the excellent EOS R5 Mark II full-frame mirrorless camera. The 20th anniversary provides a great time to reflect and take a fresh look at all the Canon EOS 5 Series cameras released to date.
When Canon released the first EOS 5D camera in September 2005, the camera’s 12.8-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor was a revolutionary breakthrough. Its primary DSLR competitor, Nikon, was still about a year and a half from launching its first full-frame DSLR, the professional flagship D3, and nearly three years away from its first affordable full-frame camera, the Nikon D700. Canon got a massive head start in the space, and the EOS 5D played a significant role in ushering in full-frame photography for the masses.
PetaPixel was still about four years away from launching, so as expected, we don’t have any hands-on coverage for the original Canon EOS 5D. However, to borrow from Imaging Resource, Shawn Barnett remarked that the 5D’s full-frame sensor plopped inside a Canon EOS 20D body represented “what could be called the holy grail of digital SLRs.”
Although the image sensor proved imperfect and Canon’s EF lens lineup had not quite caught up to full-frame sensors yet in 2005, the Canon EOS 5D was a smash hit and an instant classic. It also lived up to its promise and demonstrated that full-frame photography was here to stay. The Canon 5D is arguably the most historically significant digital camera ever released, even if its features and performance are archaic by modern standards.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II not only leaped to a high-resolution 21.1-megapixel sensor, which would still not be out of place even today, but it was a groundbreaking camera thanks to its ability to record Full HD video with manual controls and undoubtably played a significant role in making video capture more accessible. The original 5D was the first full-frame camera that felt within reach for the vast majority of photographers; its successor was the first full-frame camera to put FHD video recording into the hands of photographers.
The 5D Mark II was more than a resolution bump and hybrid camera, though. The camera smoothed out many of the original 5D’s bumps, which were increasingly challenging to overlook as other cameras entered the “affordable” full-frame space. Not only did the 5D Mark II’s new features point toward photography’s hybrid future, its relatively strong performance compared to its Nikon and Sony DSLR competitors cemented the 5D Mark II’s lofty position within the pantheon of great Canon digital cameras.
When the 5D Mark III released, which a fresh-faced PetaPixel could actually cover at launch, photographers noted its lack of “oomph.” The original 5D was obviously noteworthy by virtue of its groundbreaking nature and the 5D Mark II’s 21-megapixel sensor and video recording capabilities were a huge deal in 2008. In contrast, the 5D Mark III didn’t really have that one huge new feature.
However, the devil is in the details, and Canon’s engineers knew that as much as anyone else in the industry in 2012. Nearly every single aspect of the 5D Mark III, while not necessarily hugely better than before, had been improved. No stone was left unturned. The camera sported a completely redesigned camera body, borrowed from the excellent EOS 7D APS-C DSLR. The 5D Mark III’s new autofocus system and processor were derived from the camera’s flagship 1DX DSLR, a first for the 5 Series and a sign of things to come in the mirrorless era, more than a decade later. The 5D Mark III’s revised menu system also came from the 1DX, as did its then-novel silent shooting mode.
All these refinements made the Canon EOS 5D III equally adept in either an enthusiast’s or a professional’s bag. The 5D Mark III was a remarkably powerful full-frame camera that solidified the Canon EOS 5 Series’ place as a legitimate professional camera, a billing that the latest 5 Series model, the R5 Mark II, continues to uphold today.
In early 2015, about half a year before Sony would launch the incredible high-resolution Sony a7R II mirrorless camera and while Nikon was riding high with the D800 and D810, Canon threw down the megapixel gauntlet. Canon launched a pair of 50.6-megapixel DSLRs, the Canon EOS 5DS and the EOS 5DS R. These two cameras, differentiated by whether or not they had an optical low-pass filter (think Nikon D800 versus Nikon D800E), remain to this day the highest-resolution full-frame cameras Canon has ever released.
However, while winning the megapixel race in 2015 was an understandable goal, the temporary victory came at a cost. The 50.6-megapixel sensor’s dynamic range was inferior to that of the 36-megapixel Sony and Nikon cameras, as was its noise performance. Autofocus proved sluggish, and overall usability suffered from Canon’s drive for more pixels. The cameras were highly successful in narrow ways but struggled when forced to deviate from their lane.
Nonetheless, while the 5DS and 5DS R may have lost some of what makes the EOS 5 Series special, including its overall versatility, they are worth celebrating for their boldness. The camera landscape is too often full of boring choices and aversion to risk, but the EOS 5DS and 5DS R cameras were anything but boring.
After the detour that was the 5DS series, the Canon 5D Mark IV arrived the following year, finally delivering the 5D Mark III successor that Canon owners had been waiting for.
However, what the EOS 5 Series is, or at least what people wanted it to be, changed significantly over the years. The 5D Mark IV arrived at a time of great tension. In 2016, Canon had already been dipping its toes in the mirrorless space with the EOS M series, and Sony was just about a month away from releasing its final DSLR ever, the a99 II. In hindsight, and arguably even at the time, the writing was on the wall: DSLR dominance was coming to an end. Even as DSLRs were still selling in relatively high numbers, their technological limitations were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Nonetheless, and to its fault, Canon itself would stay committed to full-frame DSLR cameras for a couple more years.
The 5D Mark IV was a better camera than the 5D Mark III in nearly every way, but it was no longer near the top of its class. Arguably, it had already begun falling behind as soon as it was released. The four years Canon took to make the 5D Mark IV may have been well spent — the 5D IV really is a great DSLR — but its advancements did not keep pace with expectations over that period. It was an evolution at a time when people yearned for revolution.
Canon stuck to the four-year cycle for its next EOS 5 Series camera and its first mirrorless one, the Canon EOS R5 launched alongside the EOS R6 in 2020. The EOS R5 encapsulated some of the spirit that made the EOS 5D Mark II such a special camera 12 years prior, but also suffered from some of the same shortcomings.
With an all-new 45-megapixel sensor, the closest Canon has gotten to the 5DS and 5DS R’s 50-megapixel watermark, and 8K recording, the Canon EOS R5 promised to be a super-versatile camera for a wide range of photographers and videographers. The EOS R5 C, released in 2022, upped the video features while mostly solving the R5’s infamous overheating problem.
Although not as relatively awesome in 2020 as the 5D II was in 2008, the Canon EOS R5 demonstrated that Canon could innovate and compete against the best in the mirrorless space. While the R5 still came up a little bit short against some of its peers and Canon continued to play catch-up in the mirrorless space in 2020, the R5 showed that Canon could deliver a high-resolution camera with excellent autofocus, solid performance, and impressive video. The R5 echoed the spirit of the early 5D DSLRs, even if it failed to have quite the same impact.
Last year, Canon launched the EOS R5 Mark II, its most recent EOS 5 Series model and by far the closest Canon has come to matching the “wow” factor of the legendary 5D Mark III in the mirrorless age. Much like the 5D III addressed nearly all the 5D II’s shortcomings in 2012, the R5 II did the same thing for 2020’s R5.
With its faster and better stacked 45-megapixel image sensor and autofocus borrowed from Canon’s flagship EOS R1 (remember, the 5D Mark III cribbed its autofocus system from the 1DX), the R5 II is Canon’s best overall EOS R series camera and the most versatile camera it has released in a very long time.
Much like the 5D III earned its place in a professional’s kit, so too does the R5 II. In fact, despite being announced alongside the EOS R1, the R5 II proved to be by far the more exciting release despite the R1’s off-the-charts hype factor. It’s not often a “mid-range” camera overshadows a flagship model, but that speaks to the legacy and broad appeal of the EOS 5 Series.
But the R5 II is more than its impressive specs. It is also genuinely considerable fun and enjoyable to use, which is an essential ingredient for a camera to ultimately go down as a “classic.” While it is far too early to know if the EOS R5 II will become one of the Canon cameras that photographers look upon fondly a decade after its release, it has all the essential ingredients.
“The R5 Mark II is easy to love,” Chris Niccolls wrote in PetaPixel‘s R5 Mark II Review. Arguably, the R5 II is the first EOS R Series camera to achieve this ever-so-important feat.
20 years and eight (nine if you count the EOS R5 C) cameras later, the Canon EOS 5 Series has left an indelible mark on the photography industry.
The original Canon EOS 5D in 2005 introduced full-frame photography to an all-new segment of photographers and broke down barriers; the 5D Mark II had nearly the same impact when it came to bringing video to the photography space.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III, perhaps the most beloved 5D camera of all, demonstrated that the EOS 5 Series was not just for enthusiasts but could be a relatively compact professional-grade camera. This versatility would inform all future EOS 5 Series models, including the most recent one, the EOS R5 II.
Even though the 5D IV arrived too late, and the EOS R5 may have left the oven before it was fully cooked, last year’s R5 II shows that Canon has not lost sight of what makes the EOS 5 Series special. Quite the contrary, in fact.
Although the R5 II will never have quite the same success as the 5D III did when it launched at the height of the camera industry, the Canon EOS R5 II demonstrates that even though the photography landscape has changed, the core promise of the EOS 5 Series hasn’t. That’s fantastic news for photographers, amateur and professional alike.
Instagram is finally available natively on Apple iPad, answering the calls from iPad users who have requested an iPad Instagram for many years.
Instagram announced the news today, acknowledging that people have been asking for this release “for a while.” The company promises the wait was worth it, describing a native iPad app that has been optimized for the iPad’s relatively larger screen. In particular, Reels has been revamped for the bigger screen.
“Instagram has always been the place where people connect over creativity, and Reels has become a primary way people discover and share entertaining content,” Instagram says. “With Instagram for iPad, we’ve redesigned the experience to reflect how people use bigger screens today — for lean back entertainment.”
Much like YouTube does on iPhone with Shorts, Instagram for iPad places a strong emphasis on short-form video content. When iPad owners open Instagram, the app jumps straight to Reels, which Instagram says delivers “the entertaining content you love on a bigger screen.” On this opening screen, Stories are located at the top, and Instagram’s other areas are accessible via a vertical panel on the left side of the display.
A big complaint against Instagram in recent years is how much more difficult it has been for users to find content from the accounts they follow and interact with the most. Instagram on iPad features a new “Following” tab that provides users with multiple ways to view the latest content from the accounts they follow, including filtering for all followed accounts, friends, and a chronological feed.
“When designing Instagram for iPad, we wanted to take advantage of the bigger screen to give people more features with fewer taps, while keeping it simple,” Instagram explains. “We’ve made it easier to catch up on your messages and notifications with layouts that display both tabs. When you watch reels, you can expand the comments while the reel stays at full size, making it easy to catch up on the best reactions without missing a moment. It’s the Instagram you love, now with more space to play.”
Instagram for iPad is rolling out globally now and works on all iPad models that support iPadOS 15.1 and later. The app is free to download.
Instagram also says that the new tablet design it built for iPad will make its way to Android tablets soon
Canon is teasing a new camera announcement on September 9. Initial indications point toward a video-centric camera model.
Canon USA and Canon USA Pro Video jointly posted a short teaser on Instagram, seen below.
Canon promises that its upcoming camera delivers “A new way to capture the world.”
The teaser features a mostly obscured view of an angled camera, with an illuminated front tally light as the most obvious design element. The tally light alone indicates that this is a video-centric model, echoing something like the Canon EOS R5 C released back in 2022.
Taking a closer look at the new camera, there are some other interesting details visible in the shadowy photo, including a red shutter release button, the red “C” logo Canon puts on its Cinema cameras, and what appears to be an EVF-less design. The red button is similar to the R5 C, as is the red “C” logo on the front below the white “EOS” text, something the recent EOS R50 V lacked despite incorporating some Cinema EOS features. There are also what look like 1/4-20″ mounting ports on the camera’s top deck, meaning the camera should fit into reasonably high-end video workflows and rigs.
As for the lack of a typical EOS R-style central viewfinder, it is possible there is one tucked away somewhere on the back, but it’s also possible that a video-centric model eschews an EVF altogether, as the R50 V demonstrates. Time will tell on that front.
Time will tell across numerous fronts in this case, as Canon is leaving much to the imagination with its new teaser.
It is worthwhile to consider where the Canon EOS R system is overall now compared to when the EOS R5 C launched a few years ago, as much has changed.
In the time since the EOS R5 C arrived, Canon has focused heavily on video, especially when it comes to lenses. The company released the hybrid-optimized RF 24-105mm f/2.8L Z and RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Z zoom lenses last year, both of which work alongside Canon’s optional power zoom attachment.
Then on the prime lens side of things, there are the series of f/1.4L VCM lenses that started in June 2024 with the 35mm f/1.4L VCM, which Canon described at the time as the first in a new series of hybrid primes.
That promise has been realized with the subsequent RF 24mm f/1.4L VCM, RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, and RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM lenses. It stands to reason that Canon may not be done with this lens series yet, either. However, it is impossible to say whether the prime lens attached to the new camera in its teaser image is an existing lens or not, as the VCM primes all feature identical body designs.
Regardless of precisely which features the upcoming Canon EOS Cinema camera offers, the Canon EOS R system is much friendlier to hybrid and video users now than it was when the feature-packed R5 C launched in 2022. Given the apparent body design of the upcoming camera, a safer bet is probably a mid-range EOS Cinema camera, something Canon has not previously offered. That means it could come equipped with either an APS-C or full-frame sensor.
Canon fans won’t need to wait long to learn much more. The camera is being unveiled one week from today, on September 9, just three days before the video-focused IBC trade show kicks off in Amsterdam. IBC runs from September 12-15, and Canon will be in attendance, no doubt showing off its new EOS Cinema camera.
ON1 Photo RAW 2026 is coming this fall with major upgrades, completely new tools, interface improvements, and filters.
ON1 has officially unveiled Photo RAW 2026, the latest version of its all-in-one RAW photo editor, set to release this October. The update introduces significant improvements across three of the software’s most widely used areas: masking, resizing, and creative effects. It also features new tools designed to enhance workflow efficiency, improve compatibility, and expand creative possibilities for photographers at every level. There are even a few features for analog enthusiasts.
Masking has been one of ON1’s strongest features in recent years, and Photo RAW 2026 marks its most substantial update since the introduction of Super Select AI. The new system enables photographers to create one-click subject and background masks, and then combine or subtract multiple mask layers within a single edit. This layered approach offers more flexibility when targeting specific elements of an image.
ON1 has also refined its AI-driven edge detection, allowing for the isolation of complex subjects, such as hair, foliage, or fine textures, with fewer manual corrections. The improved precision is expected to save users significant time, especially when working with portraits or outdoor images where subtle details make all the difference.
Photo RAW 2026 introduces four brand-new filters: Depth Lighting, Split Field, Double Exposure, and Motion, all designed to expand what photographers can achieve directly within the software. Depth Lighting enables users to add cinematic lighting effects with natural falloff, simulating studio-style setups directly on the RAW file. Split Field offers a modern approach to graduated filters, allowing for more creative exposure balancing across different areas of the frame. Double Exposure opens the door to artistic blends of multiple images, while the Motion filter applies realistic motion blur, giving static scenes a sense of energy and movement.
Beyond the new filters, ON1 has added a favorites system and improved search functionality, making it easier to access commonly used tools within the Effects module. The company has also introduced a set of “starting point” presets, giving users an accessible way to begin their edits with popular looks and workflows already in place.
For many photographers, ON1’s standalone Resize AI software has been a go-to solution for enlargements and upscaling. With Photo RAW 2026, this technology is now fully integrated into the main application. The update features two new AI models tailored for distinct workflows. The Highest Quality Model prioritizes maximum detail and is particularly well-suited for tasks such as restoring old photographs, enlarging AI-generated images, or producing large-format prints. The Standard Model, on the other hand, emphasizes speed and efficiency, making it ideal for batch processing or handling files that are noisy or compressed.
This integration eliminates the need to move between separate applications, streamlining the editing process and ensuring that photographers can complete their entire workflow within Photo RAW itself.
In addition to its headline features, ON1 Photo RAW 2026 delivers a series of workflow improvements. A new Negative Mode automatically inverts film scans while applying color correction, making it easier for analog photographers to digitize and edit their negatives. The update also introduces native grayscale support, allowing for more accurate handling of black-and-white images from legacy digital cameras or scanned film.
User interface improvements aim to make the editing experience more customizable. Flexible panel docking and adjustable workspaces give photographers the ability to design their editing environment around their personal preferences. The Perspective Tool has also been upgraded, now offering independent horizontal and vertical adjustments with automatic scaling to maintain image proportions.
Finally, ON1 has expanded its support for the latest camera models from Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic, and OM System, ensuring that users can take full advantage of the RAW editing capabilities with their most recent gear.
The launch of ON1 Photo RAW 2026 highlights the company’s ongoing effort to position itself as a serious competitor to Adobe Lightroom and Capture One. For photographers seeking alternatives, the integration of Resize AI and its expanded masking capabilities is a clear differentiator, offering features that often require plugins or third-party tools in competing software.
Where Lightroom continues to dominate with its cloud ecosystem and Capture One appeals to tethered studio shooters, ON1’s focus has been on providing a complete, self-contained editing solution. The emphasis on inclusive onboarding, AI-driven tools, and creative effects gives it particular appeal to photographers who want powerful editing without managing multiple subscriptions or juggling between different applications.
For professionals, the refinements in masking and perspective correction may help streamline high-volume workflows, while hobbyists and enthusiasts will likely benefit most from the new creative filters and simplified presets. As AI-driven tools become increasingly standard across the industry, ON1 is betting that automation paired with customization can help it stand out in a crowded field.
Recognizing that many photographers approach ON1 Photo RAW as an alternative to Adobe Lightroom or Capture One, the company has added a new first-run onboarding experience. This feature is designed to help new users become familiar with the software quickly, offering guided introductions and workflow suggestions tailored to those migrating from other editors. The goal is to reduce friction for first-time users while highlighting the unique strengths of ON1’s all-in-one approach.
ON1 Photo RAW 2026 will be released in October. Customers who pre-order will receive immediate access to Photo RAW 2025 and a complimentary upgrade to the new version upon its launch. The software will be offered both as a standalone editor and as the MAX Edition, which includes plugin support for Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Capture One, and other editing platforms. A fully functional 30-day free trial will also be available for those who want to test the software before committing.
The Sasquatch 617 is a large, robust, panoramic film camera that can capture four, 6×17 photos per roll of 120 film. Created by photographer Derek Chiang and industrial designer Ellie Kim, the Sasquatch 617 promises to be a panoramic camera unlike any other on the market.
Designed for cityscapes, landscapes, and environments, the ultra-wide camera captures a field of view that is rare in the film world and only exists as a central crop of a medium format sensor in the digital space (both the Hasselblad X2D II 100C and the Fujifilm GFX100RF, for example, capture a similar “look” but do so via a crop). Chiang and Kim say that cameras that shoot in 6×17 are not common because those that were manufactured for film photographers haven’t been made for decades, turning them into collectors’ items and driving their prices up well above what most people can afford.
“However, this unusual aspect ratio has been slowly gaining interest among those in the analog community looking to explore a new way to shoot cityscapes and landscapes. The Sasquatch 617 is designed to fill this niche with a great build at a great price,” the company says.
When shooting in the 6×17 format, one roll of 120 film provides a photographer with a scant four frames, which means every photo must be shot with intention.
“You spend more time observing and thinking about a composition, and waiting for the right moment before triggering the shutter. This experience is less about taking a dozen snapshots of something but rather slowing down with four shots to capture moments in one expansive image,” Sasquatch Camera says.
Photographers have created similar 3D-printed cameras to the Sasquatch before, but they tend to be fiddly and fragile. Sasquatch Camera says it has addressed this by using a 304 stainless steel frame around the 3D-printed plastic body. For those who want an even more rugged camera, the Summit Edition adds a stainless steel front lens cover and a stainless steel back panel to improve the rear door’s rigidity.
Both are cameras that the company says are unlike any other, even those that capture the same aspect ratio, because they are built to be tough enough to handle treks up mountains and into the wild.
“My passion for photography started on a trip to Yosemite National Park several years ago; it wasn’t my first trip there, but it was the first time I packed a dedicated digital camera in my backpack. The urge to capture vast mountain ranges and towering cliffs inspired me to pursue a new medium of art, separate from my professional work as an industrial designer. Panoramic photos have always intrigued me; to see beyond the traditional frame, and to capture the landscape as a wide uninterrupted image. I initially used a panning tripod head to digitally stitch several photos into one landscape shot, but I always felt that the image was more like a reconstruction of the scene, rather than an actual photograph. Moreover, this technique would not be possible with moving subjects, windy trees, or waves crashing onto a beach,” Derek Chiang says.
“That’s when I teamed up with Ellie Kim, an industrial and graphic designer to refine this side project into a production ready product. The Sasquatch 617 is designed with a 304 stainless steel exterior frame and durable 3D-printed polycarbonate components, weighing in at one kilogram with the lens attached. The camera features a focusing ring, a full access rear door panel, film advance knobs, as well as optional accessories like a magnetically attached viewfinder, a magnetically attached shutter release cable, and a protective lens cover.”
The Sasquatch doesn’t come with a lens and requires large-format optics. The company suggests lenses like the Schneider Kreuznach Super Angulon 90mm f/8 or the Nikon SW 90mm f/8, both of which have an integrated shutter and can cover the giant imaging area.
“Bringing the Sasquatch 617 to Yosemite years later, I can confidently say that capturing panoramic landscape photos on medium format is an experience unlike any other. And now, I hope to share that experience with others who find joy in photographing the vast landscapes of our world,” Chiang says.
The Sasquatch 617 is available to back on Kickstarter for $499 for the base kit and $599 for the Summit Edition; the latter is limited to 25 units. The company intends to begin shipping finished cameras to backers starting in December and will launch the camera broadly starting in January 2026.
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