Looking forward...
Recently I have been wondering where we will all be in 10 years. Will people still be buying SLRs or mirrorless cameras or will phones and phone snaps just take over photography? Or does AP think there will be continue to be a small group of die-hard hobbyists who carry on using ‘conventional’ cameras, including classic film cameras – a bit like people who continue to enjoy classic cars and motorbikes... Will photography using conventional cameras become a niche hobby for nostalgics and eccentrics? I also wonder if anyone will still be buying photography magazines in 10 years’ time and we will have to go online for everything, fighting our way past all those annoying ‘pop up’ ads and videos. And then there is YouTube – will video tutorials kill AP off? I don’t want to sound like an old buffer who is pining for the past but I find it all a bit depressing really... Colin Stuart Great letter, Colin. Camera makers are facing sustained competition from camera phones, which get better and better, but the fear that smartphones would soon wipe out the camera market seems to have been exaggerated. We hear anecdotally from the UK arms of big Japanese camera makers that they are still doing good business, particularly with mirrorless models, which have also attracted younger users. Leica is doing well at the ‘luxury’ end too. Meanwhile pros continue to rely on conventional SLRs and medium format gear for quality reasons, and we hear from retailers that the innovative Nikon D850, for example, is selling like hot cakes. There is also a perception among the public that they still need a photographer with a ‘proper’ camera for weddings and other big social events, which is why wedding shooters are still in business. As for magazines, yes it’s a tough time for print, but people are realising that magazines offer a unique experience for readers and somehow feel more tangible and ‘personal’ than a website – not everyone wants to look at a screen at work all day and then do the same in their leisure time. Advertisements often stand out more in a magazine environment, too – Nigel Atherton, editor