Amateur Photographer

Amateur Photographer is the world’s oldest weekly photographic magazine, established in 1884. It is the respected authority for news and reviews, with detailed tests and investigations on the latest equipment. The weekly contents include interviews and columns from many of the world’s leading photographers and practical technique to inspire and enthuse the devoted readership, to whom taking photos is far more than just a hobby. Essential reading for those interested in buying photographic equipment or wanting advice about improving their picture taking. Amateur Photographer is published 51 times a year. Subscribe now and save money on the retail price.

Welcome

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

Major travel contest now open

Hit the streets with AP contributor

Black and white thinking

Viltrox releases fast 85mm lens

Thypoch-graphy

Leica-branded 35mm b&w film lands

High-end tripods from Peak Design

Viewpoint Dan Mold • Fifty years on since the dawn of digital, is it time to forget megapixels and use a different metric to compare cameras? writes Dan Mold

From the archive • This week the AP time machine travels back to this month in 1944 and 1981

The Anthropocene Illusion by Zed Nelson • Nature as spectacle – curated, chlorinated and utterly controlled. Zed Nelson’s images are beautiful, bleak, and impossible to ignore, says Peter Dench

Tina Turner by Peter Lindbergh

Cuba. On a Given Day by Claire Garoutte & Anneke Wambaugh

It's good to share • Our favourite photos posted by readers on our media channels this week

Earth’s frontline • Nigerian photographer Oyewole Lawal’s project about the waste miners of Lagos is a stunning and important series. Britta Jaschinski finds out more

The ultimate DSLR • One of Nikon’s last DSLRs, the pro-spec D850 still has a lot to offer, as John Gilbey discovers

SECOND-HAND CLASSIC Fujifilm X-T30 • If you’re after a small, light, mirrorless camera that punches well above its size, the X-T30 could be just right for you

Hollyland Lark M2S Combo Kit • Easily hidden and excellent audio – Damien Demolder tests this tiny wireless microphone set

Amateur Photographer

Inbox • Write to the Editor at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk and include your full postal address. Please don’t send letters in the post as there is no one in the office to receive them. Replies are from the Editor unless otherwise stated

THIS WEEK WE ASKED... • What’s the most interesting feedback you’ve ever received on your photos?

Amateur Photographer of the Year • Here are the top ten images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round One, Black & White, with comments by the AP team and our guest judges

Behind the print • When everything comes together, there’s no better feeling, as Michael Topham experienced in Croatia

Reader Portfolio • Spotlight on readers’ excellent images and how they captured them

The art of the deal • Economic uncertainty and rising prices means that buying used, or selling old gear, makes more sense than ever. Geoff Harris shares ten tips for getting the best deal

What looks like a toaster and shoots 0.01MP images? • Answer: the first digital camera – John Wade explains how it all began

DIGITAL STARS The dawn of digital – and what followed • John Wade traces a digital timeline of landmark and sometimes quirky cameras

First exposure • We love moaning. The raw file won’t open, the firmware update wiped your settings. But spare a thought for the early adopters – when digital photography meant ghostly battery life, media cards that could barely hold a lunch break, colours that made everything look a bit ill. Peter Dench hears from top shooters about...