Amateur Photographer

I always feel just a little out of place when reading Amateur Photographer, like an interloper into the arcane and secret world of "proper" photography. After all, this is a publication where the only compact cameras reviewed tend to be hugely expensive (by my standards!) all-singing, all-dancing models from the very top end of manufacturers' compact ranges: indeed, a few weeks ago the magazine was testing a Leica compact costing well into four figures - although to give the publication its dues, the cover strapline was "Can a compact be worth £1,400?" (Without giving too much away, the answer ... more

Amateur Photographer is published every week and is the longest running photography magazine in the world. It would have to be accepted that photography as a hobby has passed its peak but there are still many thousands of enthusiasts and there is a market for cameras and associated products which is still worth £500m per year. For the vast majority of people photography is too grand a title for what they do. For most people the mere recording of an image is sufficient. It provides a reminder of a place, a moment in time or an occasion. Equipment for most people is often bought for that basic ... more