Which photomag do you like/dislike the most? There's quite a difference. PopPhoto is an oldie, has a schizophrenic layout that splits stories into three or four parts, finally burying them in the classifieds. Seems to concentrate on the latest gear, has little to say about Leica though it has been critical in the past - lenses were criticised for having "too much curvature of field" - what does this mean? Can you trust their lens tests? However, Herbert Keppler now seems to like the M3.

My favourite mag is the British Amateur Photographer. Good mix of old and new gear reviews including Ivor Mantanle's classic camera column; good pix old and new including some historic ones. (Cultural difference? Americans go for the newest and latest of everything; the British and Europeans still value the past? I'm just being provocative here, any bites?)

How about the various Leica magazines, inluding the LHSA one? Are they worth subscribing to?

-- David Killick (dalex@inet.net.nz), April 06, 2002

Answers

IMO the bulk of photo mags are 75% ads and 25% infomercials. They are aimed primarily at the tyro and in fact do them a huge disservice because I've found many errors in them that I spotted easily but a beginner would not, and might ruin lots of film and their enthusiasm for photography. Although Outdoor Photographer has a nauseating amount of infomercials and ads too, they also have columns by people like DeWitt Jones, Len Rue and Galen Rowell that still give me insight and are a pleasure to read. So I suppose I'd have to say that is my favorite commercial mag.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 06, 2002.

Popular Photography, circa 1960, when they actually wrote about photography. It's well worth looking for back issues, and reading them cover to cover. These days, if I'm buying a photo magazine I buy Shutterbug, because the content is equally bad to the rest, but you get more ads for your dollar.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), April 06, 2002.

I like Aperture, Doubletake, and La Nueva Luz. The rest hvae little to do with photography, they're just camera magazines, supported by the camera manufacturers, who really don't care if people use their cameras to take photographs or to beat other people over the head (or to wear as neck jewelry.)

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), April 06, 2002.

For all photography--NO ads, No talk about equipment, optics, film, technique, process or anything else that detracts from the ultimate, final purpose of the craft/art of photography (i.e., the photograph), try "Zoom International" ["Zoom"] published in Milan and available worldwide.

-- Cosmo Genovese (cosmo@rome.com), April 06, 2002.

Check it out at www.zoom-net.com

-- Cosmo Genovese (cosmo@rome.com), April 06, 2002.

favorites: amateur photog for news (they always get stuff first) and for the cassic camera coverage; classic camera for the real esoterica; shuterbug for the ads and SHEER BULK; lenswork and B&W; for the photos; view camera for the writing; and photo techniques -- when it's good, it's real good.

least favorite: american photo -- gives photography a bad name; photographic -- gives magazines a bad name; and photo techniques -- when it's bad, it's REAL bad.

-- roger michel (michel@tcn.org), April 06, 2002.

and p.s. herb keppler has been dead for forty years; they just keep recycyling his old columns over and over and over again.

-- roger michel (michel@tcn.org), April 06, 2002.

Lenswork is the best I think from both a photographic and philosophic point of view.Perhaps consistantly the best I've ever seen.This is not an equipment magazine.

-- Emile de Leon (knightpeople@msn.com), April 06, 2002.

For B&W photographs, you might want to have a look at Photographers International from Taiwan. Also interesting is Natural Glow from Japan, but I don't know whether it's still around.

-- Mitch Alland (malland@mac.com), April 06, 2002.

I subscribe to BLACK & WHITE MAGAZINE; have every issue they've ever published. I sometimes buy PHOTOVISION from the newstand, and also subscribe to SHUTTERBUG because of the ads. I'd like to subscribe to a really nice european magazine (again) because its nice to get a different perspective beyond the domestic varieties of hype!! As far as what I don't like - I'd better not comment - there's a "sacred cow" of the "fine-art" sort, the merits of which.......no, I'll be nice!!!!

Regards,

-- Art Waldschmidt (afwaldschmidt@yahoo.com), April 07, 2002.

It would be difficult to choose one magazine only. THE NATURAL IMAGE, published 4 times a year, by George D. Lepp, is written by a pro and is how a photo journal should be. It is a fine mix of equipment talk as well as demonstration of technique. He does not have ads and, even though he is probably dining at the table of Nikon & Canon, he does tell it like it is. He is also into digital, big time, but in three years of getting this little mag, I have not seen the word LEICA one time. Lepp is primarily a wildlife photographer.

SHUTTERBUG is great for ads.

POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY does the best lens tests, ...when they do them (not enough Leica lens tests).

LEICA PHOTOGRAPHY is great. You'll get good info on Leica products.

If you've ever been to a real full service magazine store, such as Borders, you'll probably see at least 20 magazines devoted to photography.

You'll only find info on Lepp's magazine at his site: www.leppphoto.com

-- Frank Horn (owlhoot45@hotmail.com), April 07, 2002.

I used to subscribe to Photo Techniques, but I've let all my subscriptions lapse. It had a lot of solid content, excellent columnists, and nice design. There was a run of issues that had little of interest to me, but I've heard things are picking up again.

The worst was Shutterbug (haven't looked at one in years). It had a few regular contributors who wrote worthwhile material, but most of it was utter crap. A number of articles were just self promotional pieces. I'd constantly cringe at the pathetic level of the writing and editing. And the graphic design and layout was a nightmare--it looked like something a fifth-grader with a new Mac slapped together.

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), April 07, 2002.

My favorite photomag has been gone for 20 years - Camera 35. 8^(

Columnists included Bill Pierce (now to be found at digitaljournalist.com) and David Vestal (now in PhotoTechniques). Camera 35 (among other things) gave an entire issue to Gene Smith to publish his Minamata essay (40-plus pages).

I try to keep up with all of the following: Black and White Photography, Photo Life (Canada), Pop Photo, PhotoTechniques, Amateur Photographer (UK), Practical Photography (UK), PHOTO (both US and French versions) - and the Communications Arts (CA) Photo Annual (August(?) issue each year).

My favorite at the moment is Black and White Photography (not to be confused with the collectors'/gallery owners' magazine B+W Photography).

My least favorite - I don't know. I tend to ignore Aperture (they had a political/avant garde 'art' attitude going for a while that drove me away) - Camera Arts - B+W.

I pick up Leica Photographie if there's a specific article that interests me.

I have been getting hand-me-down LHSA Viewfinders - mostly esoteric research on serial numbers and odd accesories. Some of it is very entertaining - but it's really a historical journal, not an image magazine.

I do like the Brits - for reasons similar to David's. Practical Photography did the only head-to-head-to-head-to-head comparison of the Leica-M, Hexar RF, Contax G, and Voigtlander R that I've seen. Plus the Europeans still give precedence to image content - and especially story-telling people pictures.

PhotoTechniques has occsioanl useful stuff and keeps me on my processing toes - but it ain't the same without "The 37th Frame."

The stand-alone "The 37th Frame" newsletter version is on my must-order list, but I haven't seen an issue yet.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), April 07, 2002.

If there were any good magazines available I woldn't be here making this reply post. I hate them all. Just adds.

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), April 07, 2002.

PDN and CA (Photo District News and Communication Arts). All the rest are merely for equipment collectors.

-- mark lewis (mark@markpix.com), April 07, 2002.

Leica Photographie has improved over the past year under a new Editor and has a few interesting articles on technique and new gear. Erwin writes for them as well. Pop Photo, on the other hand, continues to deteriorate and is really 90% advertisements now. The nature colomn is interesting. The reason they "ignore" Leica is simple: we are a minuscule segment of the market, albeit the top portion. This is a simple BUSINESS decision we will have to live with.

-- Albert Knapp MD (albertknappmd@mac.com), April 07, 2002.

David,

I read CAMERA ARTS, AMERICAN PHOTO, and PHOTO TECHNIQUES. On-line, I read Frank Van Riper's column in the Washington Post's CAMERA WORKS section (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/photo/index.html), Scott Bourne's PHOTOFOCUS MAGAZINE (http://www.photofocus.com/), and Michael Reichmann's LUMINOUS LANDSCAPE (www.luminous-landscape).

There are others that I will pick-up on occasion, but these are the ones that I read regularly.

The only magazine that I dislike is POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY, that I used to read religously until the folks from MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY took over.

-Nick

-- Nicholas Wybolt (nwybolt@earthlink.net), April 07, 2002.

PDN, Lenswork, American Photo & CameraArts. CA has a quarterly column by George deWolf that's excellent. Lenswork is occasionally inspirational. PDN hits the pro market & is essential for legal & technical (film/equip) news...

-- Patrick (pg@patrickgarner.com), April 07, 2002.

i have not decided on my most favorite...but my least favorite is Petersen's Photographic.

-- Dexter Legaspi (dalegaspi@hotmail.com), April 07, 2002.

If there were any good magazines available I woldn't be here making this reply post. I hate them all. Just adds.

The ones I named above, along with Lenswork, have little in the way of ads. Your statement seems a bit strong given that you don't appear to have seen all the magazines.

PDN and CA (Photo District News and Communication Arts). All the rest are merely for equipment collectors.

Same kind of statement. Aperture, Doubletake, La Nueva Luz, Lenswork, none of these are for equipment collectors. In fact, the first three, which I regularly read, almost never even mention equipment.

What I really don't understand is "reading Shutterbug for the ads." Reading ads seems like a huge waste of time to me. I'd rather watch Sponge Bob Squarepants than spend my time reading ads.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), April 07, 2002.

In general, I don' t read photography magazines that review & discuss equipment. I second the vote for the magazines mentioned by Mark Lewis (PDN & Comm Arts) and Jeff Spirer (Aperture, DoubleTake, La Nueva Luz, Lenswork). I read all of these regularly and between them you get a nice mixture of the business side of photography, emerging photographers, and great photo essays. All in all, very practical and inspiring stuff.

-- Richard (rvle@yahoo.com), April 07, 2002.

Of the current photo mags I like Camera Arts the most. Few ads, some technical info, and lots of portfolios. Back in the 70's and 80's Camera 35 was great. I let my subscription to Aperture lapse a couple of years ago because they seemed to be concentrating to much on the 'avante garde', which is not my cup o' tea.

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), April 07, 2002.

Roger: I assume you were being sarcastic about Herbert Keppler being dead. AFAIK he is very much alive and well.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 07, 2002.

For me, LHSA "VIEWFINDER", a quarterly publication, has no equal. Clearly my favorite. SHUTTERBUG is improving from an almost purely adverttising vehicle. POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY is at the bottom and OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY is a six minute read.

-- George L. Doolittle (geodoolitt@aol.com), April 07, 2002.

We have subscribed to Shutterbug - - - just to know where to get the best deals on film mailers and film. Now that we know - - - and those dealers have web pages, we'll let the subscription lapse. As for the remainder of the mags - - who cares?

-- George C. Berger (gberger@his.com), April 07, 2002.

Thanks, some interesting mags here I hadn't even heard of which I'll be keen to have a look at. Thanks to the Internet, they shouldn't be too difficult to track down. I agree some of the early PopPhotos were good. I have a book, The Best of Popular Photography 1937-80, edited by Harvey V Fondiller which is good reading and includes "Leica's first 50 years" by Bob Schwalberg.

Not a magazine, but a gallery which contains some excellent pictures by masters old and contemporary is at >www.staleywise.com /classic_collection.html< which you may like to check out.

-- David Killick (dalex@inet.net.nz), April 08, 2002.

My favourite is 'Outdoor Photography' (a British magazine, not to be confused with the US title 'Outdoor Photographer'). And I would second people's views on 'Amateur Photographer'; it's a very good magazine these days with a fine balance of old and new.

Least favourite? That's hard to say as I tend to buy the magazines that I like! I do subscribe to 'Aperture' however, and sometimes a particular issue will make me wonder why.

Alan Simpson

-- Alan Simpson (alan.d.simpson@talk21.com), April 08, 2002.

I stopped susbscribing to Leica Fotografie a few years ago becaude they spoke baby-talk.

-- Mitch Alland (malland@mac.com), April 08, 2002.

British Amateur Photographer.Black&White Photography.The former justs keeps getting better,the latter for its balanced views(heavy on ads thought)Dislike, Practical Photography could there be a more commercial magazine ugg.

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), April 08, 2002.

blindspot. hands down.

-- john molloy (ballyscanlon@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.

Hi All,

I buy Nippon Camera and Asahi Camera every month. Excellent photography and reviews (which my wife translates for me). Last time I saw American Photography I thought it was top level. Chasseur d' Images is also very good for photography and reviews. Leica Photographie is also fun, though I see it rarely. I like Pop Photo for sentimental reasons. The reviews are good, and I enjoy Herb Kepler and Jason Schneider. I miss the old Modern Photography and the old Pop Photo. I was invited up to Pop Photo once and had a great time. Really warm and intelligent people. I am not a fan of the artsty / "experimental" photo journals--the sort that feature gloppy images and such. The experiment is over, whether writing poetry entirely in lower case or printing ill-focused nudes with watermelons for heads. I am turned off to journals that are almost all ads.

Agree Zoom is very good.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), April 09, 2002.

I learned alot about the technical aspects of photography from POP photo and still feel it has a lot of value for beginners, though it is not interesting reading material for the slightly advanced. Anyway what do you expect for a subscription rate of peanuts per month? A beginner can learn about what is out there just by looking at the ads. Of course the internet has made all of the good points above moot. I personally find any rag that stresses equipment reviews to be next to useless. I prefer various photo magazines from mainland China that features large format landscape and portraiture. The printing is top notch in those magazines. In English I like Doubletake because it is more literary than technical.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), April 10, 2002.