There is perhaps an issue with choice of overseas dealers, for instance the UK dealer is not someone large format users have any dealings with, other than the very small no of people who buy his cameras.
The magazine is not listed on his website and there is no noticeable attempt to increase the magazines sales in the UK as a consequence.
As readers it's in our interests as well as yours that the magazine enjoys healthy sales, and makes a profit, if we wish to continue reading it.
Ian
You should read this post on APUG, made as I wrote the above.
Ian
We send 140 copies every issue to Mike so lots of people are getting good service. We have sent him copies of your posts and are sure he will respond.
steve simmons
PS
There is always the electronic version.
Originally Posted by IanG
Ian's points seem to be spot on. 140 copies makes me think that the UK market for Viewcamera Magazine is almost insignificant on the cost-production front. That is a very tiny number of sales for a periodical/magazine. I hope the USA/worldwide sales are significantly higher.
What I do like: the large SIZE 14 font for my ageing eyes. It really makes it so much easier to read.
However I've never bought a copy of Viewcamera although I confess to pinching a spent copy from other photographers.
What really embarrasses me about Viewcamera Magazine is that the reproduction quality of all the images - even when there is an article on 7x17inch format photographs - even those large images on the magazine are completely inferior to virtually every printed jpg from digicam magazines.
It's embarrassing recommending Viewcamera magazine to non-LF photographers and viewers who 'just don't get it'... and so I don't. They don't see the point of 'large format imaging' when presented in this mediocre way and would rather gravitate to trashier mags like 'Popular Photography' or 'Outdoor Photography' because the image reproduction is more inspiring. They don't get the technical differences and technical minutiae of TMY vs TMY2. It's a hard magazine to recommend unless someone is already converted to LF. This difficulty, coupled with the poor publicity issues in the UK makes the editorial task of Viewcamera quite a challenge! Good luck Steve!
Obviously from a man with more opinions than knowledge. His exposure to View Camera is when he can 'pinch', which in most useage means steal, a copy from someone else. Clearly no ethics or integrity.
His web site is all about old equipment and nothing about images.
As far as the quality of our reproductions they are good enough for George Tice, Paul Caponigro, David Muench, John Sexton, etc. to happily be in the magazine on multiple occasions. That speaks much more than anything this unknown can say.
As far as the size of our readership in the UK the 140 copies does not include those that have an online subscription and he does not even consider these people at all. In fact, since Mike took over the UK distribution the circulation has increased and continues to do so. To us, and to Mike, those 140 people are very important. There is also retail distribution in the UK as well that is independent of Mike Walker.
No knowledge, but lots of opinions.
steve simmons
Lol Steve.
Keep your hair on
Buy a copy of 'Digital Camera' or 'Practical Photography' or 'Black and White Photography'. Or 'pinch' a copy if you can convince a teenage student to borrow his redundant copy. (Not all of us use the word 'pinch' to mean theft!). In an honest moment, try asking yourself how the magazine reproduction quality of these magazines compares to Viewcamera. None of these are great quality.
For all we know, Tice, Caponigro, Muench, Sexton choose to be published, not for the quality of magazine reproduction that Viewcamera represents, but for the wider reading exposure which Viewcamera gains for them? Maybe you could interview them to find out instead of speaking for them
Good luck!
Well I can't comment about the current print quality as I'm an International subscriber and so read the PDF version, which is very high quality. However when I have bought copies in the past while in the US and I've not been disappointed with the reproduction quality.
Mike Walker may well distribute 140 copies of the magazine but I guess he is mainly just re-packaging and posting via the UK postal system. Any increase in UK sales is probably also coming via the View Camera website itself. I certainly haven't seen any attempt to raise awareness of the magazine in the UK. The walkercamera.com website is currently offline.
BTW the link in my previous post doesn't work, this is the correct one. It is obviously quite relevant to this thread.
Steve, you mention "There is also retail distribution in the UK as well that is independent of Mike Walker." Perhaps you can elaborate on this, maybe indicating where the magazine is available. I would like to buy copies when I'm in the UK.
It's a great pity that parts of threads like this turn into slanging matches.
Ian
For all we know, Tice, Caponigro, Muench, Sexton choose to be published, not for the quality of magazine reproduction that Viewcamera represents, but for the wider reading exposure which Viewcamera gains for them? Maybe you could interview them to find out instead of speaking for them
You apparently have not had any contact with them and are just speculating from an uninformed place. I have contact with them everytime we've done a story and afterwards as well. They are always very happy with the reproductions.
If someone in the UK is interested there are plenty of ways to get a hard or online copy.
steve simmons
www.viewcamera.com
Re UK Distribution of View Camera
Mike Walker of Walker Cameras is the UK distributor. His e-mail is
mike@walkercameras.com
The magazine is not listed on his website and there is no noticeable attempt to increase the magazines sales in the UK as a consequence.
The View Camera logo has been on the walker camera web site since Feb 07, just shortly after he began distributing the magazine. He is redoing the web site as we speak. He responds to every e-maiil he receives. We also list Mike as the UK distributor in all issues of the magazine.
steve simmons
Steve, I had asked a question:
Steve, you mention "There is also retail distribution in the UK as well that is independent of Mike Walker." Perhaps you can elaborate on this, maybe indicating where the magazine is available. I would like to buy copies when I'm in the UK.
Is it still possible to buy the magazine through Robert White, he is one of the major LF dealers in the UK, and someone many of us have dealings with.
Please don't think I have a problem buying from Mike Walker, my comments are because I wouldn't think of visiting his website unless I was wanting to buy one of his cameras, so he doesn't seem an obvious choice as distributor.
Ian
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks