Amateur Photographer – 28 July 2026

Summary

Andy Westlake tests whether the Leica SL3-P is the best Leica ever at a pricey GBP 5.99 cover on 28 July 2026 in the new-look fortnightly Amateur Photographer — now every two weeks and featuring John Brackenbury's custom-shutter insect photography on page 30, Lee Miller's rare WWII Britain exhibition at her former home reviewed by Jessica Miller on page 36, and the APOY Round 2 black-and-white winners curated by Peter Dench on page 42.

The Wing Commander feature (page 30) by Graeme Green interviews John Brackenbury, who photographs insects in mid-flight using a custom shutter, modified lenses and a now-outdated budget mirrorless camera — proving that technique beats equipment. Lee Miller's Britain (page 36) by Jessica Miller visits the Lee Miller故居 exhibition of her WWII photographs across Britain, a rare showing of images less known than her war correspondence work. APOY Round 2 winners (page 42) present the Amateur Photographer of the Year black-and-white category, curated by Peter Dench. Picture Perfect (page 26) features three travel photographers discussing their single favourite image. What's New (page 8) covers the Tamron 12-20mm F2.8 ultra-wide zoom for Nikon Z and Sony E mounts, priced at GBP 1,449 for E-mount and GBP 1,529 for Z-mount, with VXD focus mechanism, XGM elements and three GM elements, plus the AOP Student of the Year award won by Rupert Allen from University of Gloucestershire with Church of Coal, winning GBP 2,500 in Fujifilm kit.

Equipment tests dominate the second half: Andy Westlake on the Leica SL3-P (page 50), Damien Demolder on the Neewer AS600C LED light (page 57), Kingsley Singleton on the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro — one of the most popular macro lenses for decades (page 61), Will Cheung on Excire Photo 2027 AI photo management software (page 64), Freewell 5-in-1 tripod kit (page 69), and Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 40L (page 71). Regular features include Your Best Photos (page 20), Blast from the Past on cowboy cameras by John Wade (page 72), Emerging Talent profile of Chloe Breheret (page 74), Inbox reader letters (page 78), Best Buys (page 83), and Final Analysis by Nigel Atherton on a Reuters Fourth of July photo that went viral (page 98). The 30th Anniversary Ricoh GR since 1996 is also covered.

Editor's Take

The 28 July issue is the strongest Amateur Photographer of the three July-September issues. The strongest feature is the John Brackenbury interview, which genuinely surprises — a budget camera with custom shutters beating flagship gear for specialised insect photography is the kind of story that makes photographers rethink their kit priorities. The Lee Miller exhibition review is well-timed and well-written, though the exhibition itself is small. The weakest section is the equipment test density: six tests in 24 pages (50-74) means each gets about four pages, and the Freewell tripod and Peak Design backpack reviews are too brief to be useful. The transition to fortnightly publishing shows in the thinner What's New section. This is for photographers who want one great technique story and solid lens tests in a single issue.

Strengths
• John Brackenbury's insect-photography technique feature is genuinely inspiring and technique-focused
• Leica SL3-P, Tamron 90mm and Tamron 12-20mm tests cover three significant new products
• APOY Round 2 black-and-white winners provide solid reader-competition content

Weaknesses
• Freewell tripod and Peak Design backpack tests are too brief to inform purchasing decisions
• Fortnightly format shows in thinner news section compared to weekly-era issues

Verdict: Recommended — The Brackenbury feature and Leica SL3-P test justify the cover price; skip the accessory quick-tests.