Breathing new life into older cameras through software
How demosaicing fixes the plastic look of high-ISO photos. Plus: Apple displays, wildlife winners, and new photo books.
I’m in cherry blossom mode for the next few weeks. If you’re headed to Japan for sakura and have a several-hour stopover at Narita, I highly recommend hopping on a train for the short trip to Narita-san Temple. It’s the perfect way to clear out those long-haul cobwebs. Today’s dispatch includes some photos I’ve taken there.
I’ve been spending the week playing with an advance copy of DxO’s PureRAW 6 to see how well it can revive some of the shots I’ve taken over the years on my travels with older cameras in sub-optimal lighting conditions. Because the combination of older digital cameras and sub-optimal lighting can be a brutal mix.
If you haven’t used the new generation of RAW noise reduction tools, they’re very different kettles of fish from the old-school software we used to rely on. And you can get some stunningly better results.
Traditional tools operate after the demosaicing process. They look at a finished, noisy picture and essentially try to smudge or blur the grain away — which is exactly why older high-ISO photos often end up looking like they’re made of plastic or smeared with vaseline.
The current generation of AI tools, like Lightroom Denoise tool and DxO’s PureRAW, do something fundamentally different. They attack the noise during the demosaicing process. They use AI (the machine-learning type, not the generative-AI type) to figure out what is noise and what is actual texture while the file is still just raw 1s and 0s, before the pixels are even fully built. The results are incredibly sharp, and the process can actively breathe new life into high-ISO images or RAW files shot on older cameras. And not only can they revive old files, but they can functionally extend the life of those older cameras. So maybe we don’t all need to buy that latest and greatest whizz-bang camera model, after all! :)
Related: DxO PureRAW 6 Is Out: Is the Upgrade Worth It?
Photography Gear News
ProGrade Digital to the moon! In a marketing coup, ProGrade Digital has announced that their data storage is used in NASA Artemis lunar missions. Hasselblad and Nikon haven’t done too badly over the decades by being the space gear of choice.
New GoPro cameras coming soon. GoPro has announced its next-generation GP3 processor. It promises better battery life (yay!) and less risk of overheating. And, as with seemingly everything these days, it packs in new AI features. But the interesting part for me is that they plan to use this to expand into the higher-end cine market.
New budget color films. Many of the old film stocks have been discontinued, but there are still determined efforts out there to create new films, especially at more budget-friendly prices. Like this Chinese company, Lucky Film Co.
New drool-worthy Apple 27” Studio Display. Apple has announced new 27” Studio Displays. The standard model is pretty much as you’d expect. The new XDR looks pretty amazing for videographers and photographers but comes at a very Apple-like price point.
Deals
Nikon Z7 II - $600 OFF. With the Nikon Z7 III expected soon, there’s a great deal on the Z7 II ($1,897 for the body), which is still an extremely good camera. It pairs wonderfully with the 24-120mm f/4 S versatile zoom, which is itself $150 OFF ($997).
Sony a7R V - $900 OFF. A whopping discount on this pretty incredible camera. And B&H’s kit ($3,298 for the body) includes a ThinkTank Retrospective bag (my longtime favorite travel photography bags), a fast memory card, and a spare battery.
Sony a7 III - $300 OFF. Although this camera came out several years ago, it really made a splash with its image quality, and especially its low-light shooting. It’s just a wonderful camera to shoot with ($1,898 w/28-70mm lens). Run its RAW files through the latest generation of denoising, and you end up with superb RAW quality.
Wide Angle
A 6-planet parade: Astrophotographer Josh Dury captured this great shot of a 6-planet parade across nearly 180-degrees of the sky.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Voting is still open for the London Natural History Museum's Reader’s Choice awards.
Texas Launches a Statewide Ethical Wildlife Photography Contest: Wildlife in Focus just announced the inaugural Texas Wildlife & Nature Photographer of the Year contest. Unlike many competitions, this one explicitly requires that all images depict wild, free-ranging wildlife photographed ethically and truthfully in natural conditions without baiting or staging.
The life of a wildlife photographer isn’t easy!: A beautifully shot and fascinating short film on wildlife photographer Joshua Holko‘s work photographing wolves and bears in the Boreal Forest of Finland.
Australian wildlife photographers do well this week: Matty Smith won Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2026 for an over/under shot of elephant seal pups in the Falklands. Meanwhile, Jono Allen was named the 2026 World Nature Photographer of the Year for his shot of a rare white humpback whale calf. Some other stunning shots in the competition worth checking out here.
Wildlife on a plate: Speaking of wildlife, if you have young kids in the house, a fun project is to make them custom plates with your photos of animals on them. I made a bunch for my kids using Zazzle (other services like Shutterfly also offer it), and they’ve held up really well. You can do it on paper plates (great for birthday parties!) or ceramic coffee mugs.
New Photography Books
Brooke DiDonato, Take a Picture, It Will Last Longer: I’ve come across her work before. It’s conceptual, fine-art portraiture and surrealism, and it’s an entirely off-kilter look at the Ohio-inspired suburban setting. She breaks all the rules, but it works really well. Bookshop.org / Amazon
Scott Kelby, The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Book. I relied on Martin Evening’s guides for years — they were the gold standard. But Scott Kelby knows a thing or two about Lightroom himself and has a very accessible way of explaining it. This is the updated version. Bookshop.org / Amazon
David Busch, Nikon Z6 III Guide to Digital Photography. Busch’s guides have been rock solid for years. If you own a Z6 III, this will help you get way more out of your camera. Chances are, it can do a lot more than you thought. Bookshop.org / Amazon
