Amateur Photographer 30th June 2026

This issue combines wildlife inspiration, photographic history and major new equipment tests. Drew Buckley shares his intimate images of puffins, while three macro specialists discuss favourite photographs and readers reveal their choices in a poll to find the greatest photographers. The winning images from the street-themed round of Amateur Photographer of the Year demonstrate inventive approaches to urban life. Headline testing includes Sony’s high-resolution, high-speed Alpha A7R VI and Leica’s first UK-branded smartphone, compared directly with the Xiaomi model on which it is based. Tamron’s unusual 35-100mm portrait zoom, an affordable Viltrox flash and a flexible SmallRig macro light also receive expert assessment.