Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Rare Lenses, and Pentax News

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra First Impressions

The team discusses their hands-on time with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra at Samsung Unpacked. While smartphone hardware is hitting a plateau, the focus has shifted heavily toward on-device generative AI to improve performance and speed compared to previous cloud-dependent iterations.

• Key Improvements: The device features a new custom processor, high-quality log video recording with no frame rate restrictions, and real-time AI noise reduction.
• Critiques: Despite impressive specs, the team felt that Samsung's AI portrait studio features were inconsistent and still struggle to accurately represent subjects.
• Competitive Landscape: There is a strong emphasis on how Samsung is attempting to differentiate itself from Google’s Pixel line, specifically by providing more robust pro-video tools.

Photography News & Industry Updates

The Rarest Lens

An incredibly rare, one-of-a-kind Nikon 14.3mm F4 fisheye lens—originally designed for Disney's 360-degree theater screens—has surfaced for sale at $250,000.

Pentax Controversies

The team remains baffled by Pentax's decision to discontinue the K-3 Mark III in Japan, especially given its status as their modern technical flagship. They speculate on whether a new model is pending or if the company is struggling with component availability.

Tamron & Sony Frame Rates

"That seems petty to me. It seems silly that we're doing this, Sony."

Tamron has unlocked 120fps support for their 50-400mm lens on Sony cameras, though the team still feels Sony’s persistent blocking of third-party performance features is an anti-competitive, "petty" practice.

Technical Insights

• Content Authenticity: The team praises Sony for bringing C2PA support to their A1 and A9 III cameras via firmware updates, despite Sony not being a full member of the Content Authenticity Initiative.
• Flash Photography: They provide a detailed breakdown of using High-Speed Sync versus Neutral Density filters to balance ambient light in landscape photography.
• Viewfinders: A thoughtful discussion regarding the merits of Optical Viewfinders (OVF) versus Electronic Viewfinders (EVF), highlighting the "liberating" and focused experience of traditional rangefinder-style shooting.