Gavin Stoker

4 days ago | amateurphotographer.com | Gavin Stoker

Perceived wisdom places the smartphone as the nemesis of the dedicated, standalone digital camera. It’s true most manufacturers ditched their formerly high-volume selling compacts as most of us concluded the camera in our phone was ‘good enough’ and sometimes much more convenient – especially for quickly sharing pictures with friends, family and followers.

5 days ago | digitalcameraworld.com | Gavin Stoker

A second set of wheels so the case can be spun through 360-degrees would make for added comfort/flexibilityPeli has set the standard for rugged, protective cases for precious and expensive camera gear for a long time. Though other brands are snapping at its wheels, its hard-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside 1510 Protector Case exudes the confidence of a manufacturer that knows what it’s doing and what its core audience wants.

1 week ago | amateurphotographer.com | Gavin Stoker

When I was very young my father used to shoot on slide film. This meant that, whenever we returned from travelling, images of our trips were either viewed on a handheld battery-powered slide viewer, passed around from person to person, or en masse via a slide projector directed at the wall of our entrance hall. The best travel cameras to buy nowMy Dad’s projector turned photo sharing into a quasi-cinematic experience, to which several neighbours were usually invited.

2 weeks ago | amateurphotographer.com | Gavin Stoker

On holiday with friends recently I fished a compact travel zoom camera out of my pocket. ‘Huh, you don’t see many of those anymore,’ remarked one, which considering I write about photography and review cameras, I found slightly insulting. The point being made, or at least inferred, was that since mostly everyone is content to use a smartphone for their travel snaps, it seemed slightly eccentric to be using a dedicated digital camera.

2 weeks ago | digitalcameraworld.com | Gavin Stoker

This well-padded camera bag is outwardly disguised as an industrial-looking backpack, with straps at the back and wheels at the base offering alternating and conveniently versatile methods of transportation. Not just a two-in-one, the premium-priced Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II comes across as a three-in-one, as a trolley-style extendable handle is secreted beneath a zip at the top. If cartoon character Inspector Gadget were seeking a backpack, this would surely be it.