I have to admit, I’m not immune from this. The camera review industry feeds this approach to camera selection, producing comparisons between products concentrating almost entirely on numerical data. For them there are two advantages of this approach. Firstly the numerical data is relatively simple and inexpensive to gather. Secondly, it’s much easier for the reader to compare numerical values as against nuanced opinions.
The reality of complex products such as cameras is that performance aspects that can’t be captured as simple numeric values are often central to the usability and usefulness of them. This became very plain to me last year when I bought my first action cam. It’s a market I’m not familiar enough with, and suffer from the added problem that I know too much about what goes into this kind of product. It’s a mass-produced image sensor, a ubiquitous ‘system-on-a-chip’ processor and a simple moulded fixed-focus objective lens. I could buy all the parts needed one-off for less than £20.
Denne historien er fra May 21, 2024-utgaven av Amateur Photographer.
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Denne historien er fra May 21, 2024-utgaven av Amateur Photographer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
140 years of change
AP has become the world’s oldest surviving consumer photo magazine because we have moved with the times, says Nigel Atherton
Preserving history in platinum
A deep dive into the meticulous art of platinum printing, and the collaboration between the Royal Geographical Society and Salto Ulbeek. Mike Crawford explores how they brought historical photographs to life with enduring beauty and precision
Life in the past lane
What was life like for an amateur photographer in 1884? John Wade takes a trip back in time
Choice cuts
How many trillions of photographs must have been taken in the past 140 years? Amy Davies asked some of our regular contributors for their favourites....a difficult task, to say the least
How good a camera can you buy for just £140?
Three members of the AP team see what they can find for the money
Round Five: The Best of the Rest
The APOY judges choose their favourite images that didn’t make the top ten of our Landscapes category
Amateur Photographer of the Year
Here are the top ten images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round Five, Landscapes, with comments by the AP team and our guest judge
FILM STARS A lifetime of landmarks
Cameras that hit the headlines between then and now. John Wade is your guide
140 years of Amateur Photographer
As AP celebrates its 140th birthday next month, Nigel Atherton looks back at its glorious past
John Wade considers...World War II: Home Front 1940, by A.J O'Brien
Say the word 'Wall's' to those of a certain age and two things spring to mind: sausages and ice cream.