In today's episode, Nikon DSLRs are headed to space, a roll of 1920s film is developed after 100 years, Polar Pro gets dunked on for a Portra 400 filter and more.
Show Notes
Welcome back to the show Liam here and this is Episode 495 of the Liam Photography Podcast for the week of February 26th, 2026. In today’s episode Nikon headed to the Moon, 1920s film developed after 100 years, Polar Pro being Dunked on over a filter and more.
The four Artemis II astronauts set to make history by traveling further away from Earth than any human in history will be taking 10-year-old DSLR cameras with them — rather than modern mirrorless.
Two Nikon D5s will be onboard the Orion spacecraft with astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen as they sail into the Moon’s vicinity. A recent video posted to the NASA Artemis Facebook page features Wiseman and Koch after a “photo-TV” session in which Wiseman shows off the crew’s “old-school” D5 that will be used on the mission.
Some may be surprised to learn that the Artemis II is bringing the full-frame, 20.8-megapixel D5 that was released back in 2016. It’s not exactly clear why the crew isn’t bringing the Nikon Z9s that are available on the International Space Station but NASA tells PetaPixel that “future Artemis missions will incorporate next-generation camera systems currently undergoing spaceflight qualifications.”
“Astronauts on Artemis II will use flight-qualified Nikon D5 camera systems with wide-angle and telephoto lenses to capture imagery inside and outside the Orion spacecraft,” NASA adds.
“The choice of the Nikon D5 was not accidental. The camera is known for its low-noise performance and high dynamic range, qualities that allow it to handle the stark contrast between sunlit spacecraft surfaces and deep shadow in space,” writes Charles Boyer of Florida Media Now.
“Just as critical for a deep-space mission, the D5 has shown strong resistance to radiation effects, helping ensure reliable operation beyond low Earth orbit where exposure levels are significantly higher. Still, it is an old camera by today’s standards.”
The Nikon D5 caused a stir when it was released because of its ISO range that extends up to 3,280,000. For comparison, the Nikon Z9 only goes up to 102,400, and even after downsizing Z9 files to match the resolution of the D5, Nikon’s old DSLR still delivers cleaner images at very high ISO than the Z9. The Artemis II crew will likely need a lot of that ISO as they travel through the darkness of space — and a whole lot of denoising software to boot.
The D5 won’t be the only camera onboard: PetaPixel previously reported that Artemis II astronauts will be allowed to take their personal smartphones with them and there’ll also be handheld GoPros provided by Disney for a National Geographic documentary.
PetaPixel previously reported that out of the four-person crew that will fly beyond the Moon, it’s Koch (pronounced Cook) who appears most likely to excel at taking pictures. During her 328 days in space between 2019 and 2020, the longest continuous time a woman has ever spent there, she took a number of spectacular photos, some of which she has shared on her Instagram page.
But just as excitement was building to the launch, the rocket that will blast Artemis II out of orbit is about to be wheeled off the launchpad due to a helium system issue. After eyeing a March 6 launch, the rollback will delay the mission until at least April.
After a film lab technician developed a 70-year-old roll of film showing a group of skiers in post-war Switzerland, he was contacted by a man who had an even older roll of undeveloped film.
Ian Scott of Salisbury Photo Centre in England was contacted by a Mr. Bennett from Manchester who had a 3a Folding Pocket Kodak that still had film in it — and had been in it for 100 years.
“It was a Kodak Verichrome black and white V118 film, which was made from 1900 to 1955,” Scott explains. “I knew it was an early version because it wasn’t panchromatic film; it would be orthochromatic. The film was much larger than the 120 or 620 films — it is 3.5 inches wide.”
The folding camera was taken from a “waste bin” at a Christian Aid charity store in Manchester 40 years ago. The bin was made up of items the store couldn’t sell.
“Mr. Bennett had known there was a film inside, but never got it processed until now,” adds Scott.
Before Scott could even develop the ancient roll, he had to break one of his film spindles to accommodate its unusual size.
“When we processed the film it was very dark and I thought it was blank but with close inspection against a bright strip light there were two images,” Scott says.
“So we got the film dry and scanned the two images. There was lots of base fog and age damage.”
Scott says that while there wasn’t much to work with, he enjoys the challenge and proceeded to scan them into positive images anyway. He adjusted the photos best he could in Photoshop.
After conducting research, he believes the photos were taken in the 1920s — 100 years ago. For reference, the oldest film ever developed by Film Rescue International was 134 years old.
“This might be the oldest processed film in the U.K.,” adds Scott.
The hotel in the photo is Kviknes Hotel in Sognefjord, Norway, built in 1877. The woman in the other photo is unknown, but is apparently dressed in fashionable garb from the 1920s.
Scott decided to enhance the photos using ChatGPT. But the results have to be taken with a pinch of salt because AI doesn’t restore an image the same way a photo restorer would; instead it takes the original photo as a reference and creates a novel image that closely resembles the original.
While they are much clearer than the actual scans, there are some clear mistakes such as the woman’s left hand pointing in a different direction than the original and it added a random shrub.
Earlier this month, Polar Pro announced a new lens filter that it says makes photos look like they were shot on Portra film. Photographers on Threads have taken umbrage with that opinion and have spent the last few days dunking on the product.
It’s not exactly common for PetaPixel to comment on social media reactions, but in this case, because the staff’s opinion on the Polar Pro Portra filter was not included in initial coverage, it might be possible to think that PetaPixel was endorsing the filter. So, we offer balance.
The recent social media response seems to be driven by Leica Rumors sharing news of the filter on Threads, which sparked a series of dunks.
As a point of reference, Polar Pro is claiming the Portra look by saying its filter promises to deliver the “soft, organic” look of the film using glass. To achieve this specific look, the glass filter has a warm tone, white mist diffusion, and a chroma polarizer, all of which combine to create what the company characterizes as warm highlights and natural-looking skin tones.
PolarPro claims that achieving this classic look through a filter makes it more consistent and repeatable, and that it would be much easier than trying to apply a similar appearance during post-processing. As the company says, photos and videos are “finished at capture.”
As a direct point of comparison, below are some Portra 400 film scans from photographer Mike Chudley, who shoots with Portra all the time and describes it as his favorite film stock.
What should be immediately noticeable is how Polar Pro’s examples and Chudley’s photos don’t look anything alike. Where Polar Pro’s filter makes images look washed out and desaturated, Portra 400 has significantly more contrast and saturation. You could argue that Polar Pro only succeeded in showcasing what Portra 400 doesn’t look like.
It was a bizarre idea from the jump that it would be possible to create a glass filter that could emulate what a light-sensitive strip of celluloid captures, so it should not be surprising that it fails in that regard.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured plenty of incredible, jaw-dropping photos since its first five images were published in July 2022. But few have been quite as spectacular and otherworldly as Webb’s latest shots of Nebula PMR 1, a rarely-studied nebula nicknamed the “Exposed Cranium.”
This nebula was first captured in infrared light by one of Webb’s predecessors, NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope, over a decade ago. Armed with billions of dollars of sophisticated technology, JWST has unveiled the Exposed Cranium nebula in exquisite detail using two of its imaging instruments, NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument).
The two photos show the nebula in dramatically different ways. NIRCam’s shot shows the nebula in a way not unlike the Palantíri that Sauron used in “The Lord of the Rings.” Meanwhile, MIRI’s portrait of the Exposed Cranium nebula is much brighter, revealing different details inside the nebula. In both cases, the photos showcase incredible resolution.
“The nebula appears to have distinct regions that capture different phases of its evolution — an outer shell of gas that was blown off first and consists mostly of hydrogen, and an inner cloud with more structure that contains a mix of different gases,” NASA explains. “Both Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) show a distinctive dark lane running vertically through the middle of the nebula that defines its brain-like look of left and right hemispheres.”
Thanks to Webb’s resolution, scientists have determined that PMR 1 is “being created by a star near the end of its fuel-burning ‘life.'”
When stars are nearing the end of their lives, they expel their outer layers. This dynamic, often beautiful process, is relatively short-lived on the cosmic timescale. The James Webb Space Telescope has captured two equally interesting, albeit different portraits of this star’s march toward death.
Scientists aren’t yet sure of the star’s mass, so they can’t predict exactly how the star will ultimately die. If it has sufficient mass, it will explode in a supernova. But if it’s less massive, more like the Sun, it will continually shed layers until only its core remains — a dense white dwarf that cools off “over eons.”
Lomography has introduced the Fisheye No. 2 Rodeo Denim, a 35mm film camera that embraces distortion, spontaneity, and bold styling in equal measure. Wrapped in a denim exterior with orange accents, the camera pairs playful design with an unmistakable 170° circular fisheye perspective, turning everyday scenes into curved, immersive compositions.
Designed for photographers who prefer instinct over precision controls, the Rodeo Denim edition builds on Lomography’s long-running Fisheye line with a compact, ultra-portable body and simple operation.
At the heart of the camera is a 10mm fisheye lens delivering a full 170° field of view. The result is a circular image with dramatic barrel distortion that bends horizons, exaggerates facial features, and pulls expansive scenes into a single frame.
Lomography writes that fisheye photography traces its origins to American physicist Robert W. Wood, who in 1906 designed the first fisheye lens. What began as a scientific experiment evolved into one of photography’s most recognizable aesthetics. Lomography has since developed an entire range of portable fisheye cameras built around that same exaggerated perspective.
“Curious to see the world from a fish’s point of view, physicist Robert W. Wood originally conceived the fisheye lens in 1906. Who knew that his humble contraption would craft one of photography’s most loved and long-standing aesthetics? We have taken this concept and developed a range of fun, portable Fisheye cameras and accessories to accompany you on your most exciting analogue adventures!” Lomography says.
With a closest focusing distance of just 3.9 inches (10 centimeters), the Fisheye No. 2 encourages photographers to move in close while still capturing sweeping backgrounds within the same frame.
The Fisheye No. 2 Rodeo Denim uses standard 35mm film, making it easy to experiment with a wide range of emulsions. The camera features a fixed aperture of f8 and two shutter options: 1/100 second (normal mode) and Bulb mode for long exposures.
A built-in flash enables shooting in low-light environments, while a hot shoe provides additional flexibility for external flash use. Multiple exposure functionality lets users layer scenes in camera, producing surreal composites without digital editing.
There is no ISO adjustment on the body itself, so exposure is determined by the film loaded. The camera runs on a single AA battery to power the flash and does not include a tripod mount or a cable release connection.
Weighing very little and designed with a sleek, durable form factor, the Rodeo Denim edition is intended for spontaneous use. Lomography positions it as an everyday carry camera for parties, road trips, album artwork, portraits, and landscapes alike.
The 170° lens captures what Lomography calls a “wide eyed perspective,” producing bold circular frames that emphasize motion, curvature, and energy. From shooting at hip level to experimenting with unusual angles, the camera is built around playful unpredictability rather than technical precision.
With its denim styling, 170° field of view, and in-camera creative tools, the Rodeo Denim edition continues Lomography’s commitment to experimental analogue photography that prioritizes expression over perfection.
The Lomography Fisheye No. 2 Rodeo Denim is currently available for preorder for $59 in the United States and $89 in Canada.
7Artisans has announced the AF 40mm f/2.5 FE, a compact full-frame prime lens. As part of the company’s Lite Series, the new lens emphasizes portability, autofocus performance, and affordability, arriving with a retail price of $159.
Weighing approximately 3.17 ounces (90 grams) for the E-mount version, the 7Artisans 40mm f/2.5 FE lens is designed to be nearly unnoticeable on camera, while aiming to deliver what 7Artisans describes as a “golden balance” focal length suited to everyday photography. Measuring about 2.48 inches in diameter by 1.57 inches in length (63 by 40 millimeters), the compact form factor aligns with the Lite Series’ focus on portability.
The lens features a plastic exterior construction and uses a 46mm filter thread. Its optical design consists of six groups with seven elements, and it incorporates nine aperture blades for rendering out-of-focus areas.
With a 40mm focal length and a field of view of 56.1°, the lens sits between traditional 35mm and 50mm primes. This middle-ground perspective is often favored for street, documentary, and everyday photography, offering a natural look that balances environmental context with subject emphasis.
The lens supports full-frame sensors and has a minimum focusing distance of approximately 1.31 feet (0.4 meters), allowing for moderately close subject framing.
The AF 40mm f/2.5 FE uses an STM stepping motor to support continuous autofocus, including real-time face and eye detection on compatible Sony cameras. 7Artisans says the system is designed to provide smooth and precise focusing for both still photography and video capture.
The lens offers an aperture range of f/2.5 to f/16. While not as bright as an f/1.8 or f/1.4 prime, the f/2.5 maximum aperture balances light-gathering capability with compact size. The company notes that the lens produces a soft bokeh effect with a subtle “bubble” character, aided by its nine-blade diaphragm.
“The f/2.5 aperture of the lens, carefully tuned, brings a soft and elegant bokeh effect full of atmosphere and has a slight bubble focus effect, which is full of fun. Even in low-light conditions, it performs exceptionally well with sufficient light intake,” 7Artisans says.
A clicked aperture ring allows for tactile exposure adjustments, while a one-click switch enables quick transitions between autofocus and manual focus. An additional customizable function button is also built into the barrel for workflow flexibility.
The AF 40mm f/2.5 is available for Sony E-mount, with additional versions for Nikon Z- and Leica L-mounts coming later. The E-mount variant is designed for full-frame Sony mirrorless bodies but can also be used on APS-C cameras with a corresponding crop factor. With its lightweight design, autofocus support, and accessible price point, the lens enters the market as a budget-friendly everyday prime aimed at photographers seeking a compact full-frame option without a premium price tag.
The 7Artisans AF 40mm f/2.5 FE is priced at $159 and is set to become available beginning February 26. Although 7Artisans says the lens will come in Z and L-Mount versions, there is no information concerning availability for those yet.
Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm
Alongside a pair of new VM-mount lenses, Cosina Voigtländer also announced that its manual focus Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 lens is coming to Canon RF-mount and Nikon Z-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras.
The new fast, compact manual focus 35mm f/1.4 was originally released for Sony E-mount cameras back in 2019, and Cosina is finally bringing the popular lens to Canon and Nikon photographers.
Unlike many Voigtländer lenses that prioritize clinical sharpness and excellent image quality, the Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 embraces imperfections. It still has the latest optical technology, but the design intentionally embraces certain aberrations, rather than entirely eliminating them.
“High performance is not everything when it comes to a good lens,” Cosina says, emphasizing that its Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 lens delivers beautiful, character-filled rendering.
The lens features eight elements arranged into six groups, along with a 10-bladed aperture diaphragm. Each lens features electronic contacts, enabling photographers to use various focus-assist functions.
Speaking of focus, the lens can focus as close as 0.27 meters (10.6 inches), enabling a maximum magnification of 1:5.47, which is a bit closer than the Sony E-mount version released in 2019.
The RF-mount and Z-mount versions of the lens are quite similar in size, although they employ slightly different designs. The Z-mount lens looks a lot like the E-mount version, featuring a scalloped focus ring. Meanwhile, the RF-mount version has a more modern, diamond-knurled focus ring. The RF mount lens is 37.6 millimeters (1.5 inches) long and weighs 260 grams (9.2 ounces), while the Z-mount lens is 41.6 millimeters (1.6 inches) long and weighs 250 grams (8.8 ounces). Both lenses accept 58mm front filters.
These new manual focus primes will be interesting additions to both the Canon RF and Nikon Z systems. Canon and Nikon both make autofocus-equipped 35mm f/1.4 primes. For Canon, it’s the big, hybrid-focused RF 35mm f/1.4L VCM, which costs $1,500. Meanwhile, Nikon’s 35mm f/1.4 lens is a budget-friendly $580 lens that costs a bit less than Nikon’s slower 35mm f/1.8 S-Line prime and the company’s flagship Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.2 S.
While there are obvious benefits to autofocus-equipped lenses with very precise optical designs that eliminate aberrations, there is plenty of room for more distinct offerings like the manual Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4.
As of now, Cosina has not announced the release date or price for the Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 lens for Canon RF and Nikon Z. However, the E-mount version typically costs $799, though it is currently on sale for $599 until the end of the month.
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