In today's episode, Insta360 enters the pocket gimbal camera market, a camera trap finds a wildlife highway and Leica teams up with Gpixel.
Show Notes
Welcome back to the show, Liam here and this is Episode 503 of the Liam Photography Podcast for the week of April 23, 2026. In today’s episode Insta360 unveils its new Luna gimbal camera, Camera Trap captures wildlife highway, Leica partners with Gpixel and more.
Insta360 is teasing an all-new camera series co-engineered with Leica. The Insta360 Luna Pro and Luna Ultra cameras, hidden behind partially-frosted glass at Insta360’s large booth at NAB in Las Vegas, promise high-end single- and dual-lens imaging and familiar form and function.
Insta360, best known for its 360-degree cameras like the X5 and its Leica-engineered Ace Pro action cameras, looks like it is targeting DJI’s brand new Osmo Pocket 4 and rumored dual-camera Osmo Pocket 4P. While Insta360’s NAB booth offers only a broad-strokes look at the single-lens Luna Pro and dual-lens Luna Ultra, the Osmo-like shape is immediately obvious.
The Insta360 Luna Pro and Luna Ultra cameras both feature Type 1 image sensors, bright f/1.8 lenses with variable focal lengths, and 10-bit color “for smoother, more natural transitions in light and shadow.” At least one key difference between the Luna Pro and Ultra will be that the Ultra has dual lenses, which Insta360 says will deliver “enhanced telephoto performance.”
Although that’s all Insta360 itself has said, content creator and photographer David Manning has the Insta360 Luna in hand so that people can get a slightly better look at the Luna Ultra device itself.
Manning otherwise essentially parrots the high-level features Insta360 announced, but it’s good to get a better look at the device itself, rather than be relegated to obfuscated glances through frosted glass.
Friend of PetaPixel Becca Farsace also got her hands on the Insta360 Luna, sharing a hands-on look at Insta360’s upcoming camera.
There is still a lot that remains unknown, including when the Insta360 Luna Pro and Luna Ultra will ship, how much they will cost, and, of course, their precise specifications and features. It’s also unclear how well they will perform, though the sample footage at least offers some insight.
There’s no question that the Insta360 Luna cameras will play nice with much of Insta360’s ecosystem, including the upcoming wireless Mic Pro, which the company also showed off at NAB 2026. Other aspects of the user experience remain mysterious for now, though.
What is clearly known, even with so few real details, is that Insta360 and DJI’s rivalry will continue to heat up. Like it did with drones, Insta360 has eyed one of DJI’s biggest product segments and thought, “We can do that.”
The companies have traded many punches in recent years, including DJI launching its first 360° camera last summer. The two Chinese tech giants are also battling it out in the courts right now over alleged patent violations. With Insta360 coming after the Osmo Pocket, an undeniable smash hit for DJI, the battle is only going to get more bitter. It’s great news for consumers, though, as fresh competition will force each company to step up its game.
A photographer captured a series of spectacular wildlife photos over the course of one year after he left a camera trap fixed on a remote river crossing in Kenya’s Maasai Mara.
The Maasai Mara brings to mind wide open plains and great migrations; it was the inspiration for The Lion King after all, but photographer Will Burrard-Lucas found a “primordial” location in part of the reserve that is closed to the public: a small river flanked by a dense forest that local wildlife use as a highway.
Burrard-Lucas explains on his blog that the project was in collaboration with rangers monitoring the Maasai Mara’s endangered black rhino population.
“For me, the opportunity was irresistible,” the British photographer says. “The Maasai Mara is one of the most famous wildlife destinations on Earth, yet even here there are corners that very few people ever see. Placing cameras in areas closed to tourism offered a rare chance to document a hidden side of the Mara.”
The Maasai Mara rangers took Burrard-Lucas to a location they knew black rhinos used regularly, but one that was difficult to monitor because of the thick vegetation.
“Entering the forest felt like stepping into another world,” he says. “The air was hot and heavy, filled with the smell of rhino, buffalo, hippo, and elephant dung… It felt primordial, like a fragment of an older landscape hidden within the Savanna.”
The spot he chose had elevated riverbanks, which allowed him to place the remote camera system high above the crossing. This meant he could capture environmental portraits — showing the animals surrounded by their natural habitat. “The palms arching over the water gave the scene a wonderfully prehistoric feel,” he adds.
Burrard-Lucas used his own Camtraptions system for the job, placing several flashes around the scene. The system is triggered by a PIR motion sensor that is placed close to the path.
“Lighting nocturnal scenes like this is always a balancing act: too much light and you lose the atmosphere; too little and important elements disappear into darkness,” he says.
After the camera trap was rigged, Burrard-Lucas left it running constantly. The rangers came to check on it every couple of weeks, swapping in new memory cards and batteries.
Burrard-Lucas was working with the Maasai Mara Reserve Rhino Unit, and it didn’t take long for the project to start capturing images of the critically endangered black rhinoceros.
“The camera revealed this to be a well-used corridor for multiple rhinos moving between feeding areas,” the photographer notes.
“Several of these individuals had not been documented by the rangers for many months, and one had not been seen since 2023. As a result, the photographs helped confirm the continued presence of rhinos whose status in the population figures had previously remained uncertain, giving the team greater confidence in their estimates.”
But rhinos were far from the only animals the team captured on camera.
“Elephants passed through in breeding herds. A leopard appeared briefly before melting back into the forest. Hippos emerged from the river. Bushbuck and giraffe moved cautiously down to the water,” Burrard-Lucas says excitedly. “The crossing had become a window into the hidden life of the Mara.”
One day, Burrard-Lucas’ phone blew up with WhatsApp messages: there was some excitement in the group. “At first, I didn’t understand the commotion,” he writes. It became clear that the buzz was because the cameras had captured a great kudu passing through the crossing.
Kudus are spectacular-looking creatures, with curly horns and a mohawk-like ridge of fur on their back, but the sighting went far beyond aesthetics: this was the first recorded sighting of a kudu in the area for many years.
News of the kudu sighting quickly spread through the Narok County tourism and wildlife management team. “The possibility of reintroducing kudu had previously been considered, so the discovery that they were still present naturally was very exciting,” Burrard-Lucas says.
Of course, wild animals in the Maasai Mara couldn’t give two hoots about a camera trap, and some of the systems didn’t survive.
“Elephants dismantled one setup, and another was knocked over by hippos,” Burrard-Lucas says. “After a spectacular deluge, a flash flood submerged one of the sensors.”
“The photograph is striking,” Burrard-Lucas says of the photo above. “But it also hints at a wider issue in the Mara. Flash flooding has become more frequent in recent years, partly due to deforestation in upstream catchments. With less vegetation to absorb rainfall, water now runs off the hillsides faster, and rivers rise more rapidly — contributing to repeated flooding along the Mara River.”
Burrard-Lucas previously made a similar project deep in the Congo rainforest, and he notes on his blog that this is exactly the kind of scenario where remote cameras shine.
“Camera traps provide a rare glimpse into that unseen world, showing how animals move through the landscape at night and how they use quiet, sheltered corridors where they can pass undisturbed,” he says.
“They are not only powerful storytelling tools but valuable instruments for conservation too, helping teams monitor elusive species and better understand how animals use the habitats they are trying to protect.”
Burrard-Lucas thanks the Safari Collection’s Sala’s Camp and Footprint Trust for hosting and helping to facilitate the project. “I am also deeply grateful to the Narok County Government, the Maasai Mara Reserve Rhino Unit, and all the rangers involved – especially those who helped identify locations, set up and maintain the cameras, and look after them in my absence,” he says.
Leica Camera AG and Gpixel, a leading global provider of CMOS image sensors, have announced a new strategic partnership. The two companies are working together to co-develop a new high-performance image sensor for next-generation Leica cameras.
Just before last Christmas, Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board and majority shareholder of Leica Camera AG, appeared on the German-language podcast “Leica Enthusiast Podcast” to discuss a wide range of topics. When chatting with podcast host Michel Birnbacher, Kaufmann said that Leica was once again developing its own image sensor.
At the time, PetaPixel speculated about what this news actually meant. It is one thing to design an image sensor, and another thing altogether to fabricate and manufacture one. Leica has used off-the-shelf Sony image sensors for its M11-generation rangefinder cameras, which was a departure from the M10 series, during which Leica worked with AMS OSRAM to develop a 24-megapixel full-frame image sensor. It made the most sense to believe Leica would work with a sensor company to make a new, bespoke next-generation sensor for its next cameras. As it turns out, that’s precisely what Leica is doing.
While AMS OSRAM still exists, Leica opted instead to team up with Gpixel, a Chinese image sensor company with offices globally, including in Europe, Japan, and the Americas. Gpixel makes a wide range of image sensors, including off-the-shelf, semi-customized, and fully-customized chips for medical, scientific, industrial, and professional imaging applications. The company has a pretty impressive catalog of sensors, including high-resolution BSI sensors, stacked sensors, and even full-frame global-shutter chips.
Neither Leica Camera AG nor Gpixel shared any details on specifically what sensor or sensors they are working on together. Still, the companies are clear that the collaboration is focused on making a “new high performance image sensor tailored for next-generation Leica cameras,” not simply putting an existing Gpixel sensor into a new Leica.
“This collaboration brings together Leica’s long-standing expertise in premium imaging and Gpixel’s cutting-edge sensor design capabilities to push the boundaries of what is technically possible in digital photography,” Leica says.
“The partnership focuses on jointly engineering a bespoke image sensor optimized for Leica’s rigorous imaging standards, enabling unprecedented levels of image quality, dynamic range, color fidelity, and low-light performance across future Leica products,” the legendary German photo company continues.
Leica promises that the jointly developed image sensor will be purpose-engineered to meet Leica’s very high performance standards, particularly concerning color reproduction, noise performance, dynamic range, and resolution. The companies will also work together to carefully tune and ultimately mass-produce the required image sensors.
“II am really happy and proud that our long-term cooperation with Gpixel will result in a true Leica sensor, incorporating the best ingredients of engineering between Wetzlar, Antwerp and Changchun,” says Dr. Kaufmann.
“At Gpixel, we have always admired Leica’s uncompromising approach to craftsmanship and image performance,” says Xinyang Wang, CEO of Gpixel. “Collaborating with Leica gives us the opportunity to combine our sensor-engineering strengths with their legendary imaging heritage. This partnership allows us to co-create a new generation of sensors that will empower photographers with extraordinary image-making capabilities.”
In a photography industry dominated by two primary image sensor makers, Sony and Canon, Leica’s new collaboration with Gpixel is very exciting news. While there is a lot more that goes into making a fantastic camera than just the image sensor, it remains a foundational element and directly influences a camera’s imaging performance, from a technical perspective and, perhaps just as importantly, an artistic one.
There is no word yet on when Leica’s new sensor partnership with Gpixel will bear fruit, but when it does, it will be exciting and extremely interesting. It will also mark Gpixel’s big debut on the global photography stage, and perhaps the company will make waves unlike anything the industry has seen in a very, very long time.
The reborn WideluxX camera is inching closer to market, as SilverBridges has now revealed that the first WideluxX production run is in the works and that fully working prototypes are in the hands of photographers right now.
The new WideluxX F10 has been a long time coming. Back in September 2024, Oscar-winning actor and passionate photographer Jeff Bridges unveiled that he and his wife, photographer Susan Bridges (née Geston), had teamed up with SilvergrainClassics’ editor-in-chief Marwan El Mozayen and Charys Schuler to form SilverBridges, a new company dedicated to reviving the beloved Widelux camera.
Jeff Bridges’ love affair with the Widelux is well known. Unfortunately, the original Widelux factory burned down over 20 years ago, essentially ending the camera’s production and its ability to be easily repaired.
Determined to bring it back, the two Bridges, El Mozayen, and Schuler have been working tirelessly on a new WideluxX F10 camera that retains the charm of the original while adding modern improvements. This meant reverse-engineering a classic Widelux, determining what needed to be tweaked, which parts needed to be newly machined, and more. It is an extensive, complex process.
This revival reached a crescendo last October when SilverBridges reached prototyping stage, showing off a beautiful, fresh take on the classic panoramic film camera.
“I think we see ourselves as the missing link between the history of analog photography and the future of analog photography. It’s not only about the Widelux, which is an amazing camera and a wonderful tool for artists, but it’s about the future of analog photography. Giving a new generation of photographers the tools to work on. It’s about the art and the craft of camera manufacturing and analog photography,” Jeff Bridges said last year of the WideluxX F10.
Jeff and Susan Bridges got to unbox the WideluxX F10 prototype early last month, and their excitement was palpable.
Now that other photographers have taken the WideluxX F10 out into the world, fans can see what sort of performance and charm await them.
“These images go beyond the early tests you’ve seen before,” SilverBridges says of the new shots, which are featured throughout this story. “This is the kind of creative use that made the original Widelux so distinctive — now coming from a WideluxX.”
As for when other photographers will be able to purchase their own WideluxX F10, SilverBridges says more details will arrive “very soon.”
John Lyke found his niche as a cameraman when he was just eight years old. Like many other kids, he strapped on a pair of rollerblades and began skating around. The difference is he’s never taken them off.
Lyke tells PetaPixel that when he started shooting short films and skit videos, he just saw his rollerblades as the obvious way to get the shots he wanted.
“My rollerblade shots seemed like a cheap DIY version of a steadicam or a dolly,” he says. But as he grew older, he realized that a camera operator on skates might just be something unique he could exploit. And he was right.
Lyke is regularly hired by Hollywood productions and corporate clients who want the mobility, speed, and handheld intensity that he can offer while filming on his blades. His skill was particularly useful for the HBO basketball series, Swagger.
“They basically gave me a six-figure camera and built me a skatepark and said ‘play around in it.'” he says.
But despite carrying 20 pounds of camera in his hand, and a further 40 pounds in his backpack, Lyke says he’s never worried about dropping the gear or falling over. And that is in no small part because of his background as a highly-accomplished aggressive inline skater; jumping stairsets and grinding down handrails.
“In no way would I be able to do what I do without my aggressive inline background. I skate almost daily, constantly throwing myself off balance, and having to catch myself,” he explains. “My skates feel more comfortable on me than some people feel in shoes.”
Aggressive inline requires skaters to be hyper-aware of their surroundings — especially while in a busy skatepark — and that skill helps Lyke when filming on busy sets.
“I also film skate videos, and you often have to get used to just knowing what’s in the frame without looking at a monitor, because if you look at a screen, you can’t react fast enough to the action,” he says.
“When filming high-speed action on set, I never look at the monitor and trust myself to frame up the shots by feel. If I looked at the monitor during those moments, I would collide with the actors because I wouldn’t be reacting to the action.”
Why would someone specifically want a cameraman on wheels? Lyke says there are certain advantages that are unique to him.
“I can move fast while keeping the handheld intensity dialed back, I can skate backwards way faster than someone running backwards, and I can get the camera way lower to the ground while moving fast,” he explains.
“I emphasize handheld, because I feel like that’s where bladecam really separates itself from other tools. I can also move through tighter spaces and reset much faster than other gear.”
Lyke cites one commercial where a skateboarder was riding down a hill. “We could have followed the skateboarder with a car, but that’s way more dangerous, time-consuming, and expensive; not to mention limiting the potential list of shots,” he says.
“I was able to easily follow behind and lead in front, switching between the two, while sometimes keeping the camera just a few inches from the skateboard.”
Lyke says that not every job needs a rollerblade camera, and he says he regularly talks people out of hiring him.
“That just makes it all the sweeter when the right gig does come up, and the best option to tell your story is me having fun on blades,” he adds.
Lyke says being a rollerblade cameraman in Hollywood is “super, super niche.” He only knows of two other blade camera operators, and knows both of them since the “rollerblade community is super tiny.”
He recently shot a video for Oakley Meta smart glasses where he had to follow a pro skateboarder who was dropping into a 14-foot bowl.
“One of the guys can’t do that shot, so if I’m unavailable and my buddy is unavailable, time to think of a different shot.”
John Lyke put together a video all about his career as a rolling Hollywood cameraman.
7Artisans has introduced a new compact prime lens for rangefinder shooters, the M 35mm f/2.8, designed for both Leica M and Leica Thread Mount (L39) systems. Priced at $428, the lens leans into a classic design philosophy while incorporating modern optical refinements in a notably small and lightweight form.
The 35mm focal length has long been considered a standard for everyday photography, offering a natural field of view that balances subject and environment. With a 61.8-degree angle of view on full-frame cameras, the 7Artisans M 35mm f/2.8 is positioned as a versatile option for street photography, travel, and general use.
The lens features a maximum aperture of f/2.8, which is more modest than faster primes but contributes to its compact size and portability. While not designed primarily for extreme low-light work, the aperture remains usable across a range of lighting conditions while maintaining a slim profile suited to rangefinder setups.
Visually, the lens draws clear inspiration from classic rangefinder optics, echoing designs from Leica’s earlier lineup. Its all-metal construction and compact proportions give it a distinctly vintage feel, while a blacked-out finish offers a more contemporary aesthetic compared to traditional silver lenses.
At just 3.5 ounces (88 grams) and approximately 1.1 inches (28 millimeters) in length, the lens is designed to stay unobtrusive on camera. Its small footprint makes it particularly well-suited for photographers who prioritize portability and minimalism.
Despite its size, the lens maintains a solid build quality, with a metal body that reflects its retro-inspired design language. It uses a 34mm filter thread and includes both a larger hood for flare reduction and a smaller hood that can function as a protective bumper.
The M 35mm f/2.8 is built around a seven-element, five-group optical structure based on a double Gauss design. This classic configuration is paired with modern coatings intended to improve contrast and reduce flare compared to older lenses built on similar principles.
7Artisans positions the lens as balancing sharpness with a more traditional rendering style. The goal is not purely clinical performance, but an image character that retains some of the qualities associated with vintage optics, while still delivering consistent detail across the frame.
The lens uses a seven-blade aperture with a range from f/2.8 to f/22, allowing for flexibility in depth of field and exposure control.
As expected for a lens in this category, the M 35mm f/2.8 is manual focus only. It is fully rangefinder-coupled, offering focusing from 2.3 feet (0.7 meters) to infinity on Leica M mount bodies. On some L39 cameras, coupling may begin at approximately 3.3 feet (one meter), depending on the specific camera design.
The lens is built with integrated M and L39 compatibility, eliminating the need for separate adapters and helping maintain focusing accuracy across supported systems.
Its compact design also minimizes viewfinder blockage, even when using the included lens hood, preserving a clear composing experience for rangefinder users.
One of the defining characteristics of the lens is its emphasis on portability. With its low weight and compact dimensions, it is designed to be carried effortlessly, making it ideal for long shooting days or travel scenarios.
The lens is also intended to function as both a practical tool and a tactile object. Its metal construction, compact form, and included accessories reflect a design approach that emphasizes physical interaction as much as image-making.
The 7Artisans M 35mm f/2.8 is compatible with a wide range of cameras beyond modern Leica M bodies. It can be used with Leica Thread Mount cameras, including classic Barnack models, as well as compatible rangefinders from brands such as Voigtländer, Canon, and others.It can also be adapted to many modern mirrorless cameras.
7Artisans notes that, due to variations between camera bodies, rangefinder coupling performance and physical clearance may differ slightly by model, particularly in older systems.
The 7Artisans M 35mm f/2.8 is available now for $428. It is offered in Leica M mount as well as a version compatible with Leica Thread Mount (L39) systems, with distribution through the company’s official store and authorized retailers.
Check out the awesome products that TrueSonic Inc. offer.
https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2145237&u=3952045&m=130968&urllink=&afftrack=
Check out all the awesome stuff at Moment for your photography/videography needs!
https://partner.shopmoment.com/4PDeVG
Save on your orders for SmallRig gear
If you'd like to pick up your own HOVERAIR XR Drone use the following link
https://thehover.com/products/hoverair-x1-self-flying-camera-combo
and code XMHOVER to save $20
Get your own discount on VITURE XR One glasses, Neckband, Switch Dock and more!
https://shop.viture.com/?ref=LiamPhoto
Check out the latest deals at OWC (Other World Computing) for all your Apple/Mac needs.
https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/specials/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cj
Get low cost SSLs for your sites here.
Sign up for VidIQ using the following link:
https://vidiq.com/liamphotoatl
Check out my ThinkTank Affiliate link. When you buy using this link you help the channel, pay nothing extra and can even get a free item!
I now have my own discount code for my Subscribers and Podcast audience at http://www.platypod.com use my code WD20 to get 20% off on any Platypod branded items, excluding bundles which are already discounted by 20% or more. One user per customer.
I also have an affiliate code for Dehancer Film profiles at http://www.dehancer.com and use code LDPHOTO
Check out the awesome gear Ulanzi has for photographers and Content Creators!
https://www.ulanzi.com?aff=1002
You can buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/liamphotoaf
Also be sure to join the Liam Photography Podcast Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/liamphotographypodcast/ You can reach the show by call or text @ 470-294-8191 to leave a comment or request a topic or guest for the show. Additionally you can email the show @ liam@liamphotographypodcast.com and find the show notes at http://www.liamphotographypodcast.com.
You can find my work @ https://www.liamphotography.net and follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @liamphotoatl. If you like abandoned buildings and history, you can find my project @ http://www.forgottenpiecesofgeorgia.com. and http://www.forgottenpiecesofpennsylvania.com.
Please also stop by my Youtube channels Liam Photography
Comments & Upvotes