Product Description
Shutterbug is a photo magazine for advance amateur and professional photographers. Sections include techniques features, equipment reviews, electronic imaging and video, classic collectibles, plus darkroom articles and Help!, a question and answer column.

A good mix of articles and ads for a fair price

Shutterbug offers the photography world what Computer Shopper presents to the computer world. At first glance this publication looks like a large collection of ads from various retailers, mail order companies, and misc. others, organized into a jumbo-sized magazine. What I have found after reading several issues over time is that there are often some very informative articles packed away amongst the ads.

To begin, the magazine sells for $3.99 at the newsstand, but a 1-year subscription (12 issues) is only $17.95. When you open it up, you may notice that the back 1/3 is printed on newsprint paper, much like Computer shopper. This likely saves costs for the publisher and weight and thickness for the consumer. The back 1/2 of the magazine is full of advertisements. The key is that only a select few advertisers are reputable enough that you should think about giving them your time and money. So, it could be stated that the majority of these ads are from less reputable companies and should be ignored.

The front half of the magazine is mixed with solid articles and more ads. This past month (June) some of the main articles dealt with practical issues such as "How to take good photos in bad weather", "10 tips to help protect your photo equipment during air travel", and "Quick tips for spectacular sunsets". These are just a few. There are usually 2-3 test reports of new equipment, (lenses, camera bodies, scanners, printers), as well as "First Looks" at new and innovative products.

When compared to other photo magazines, Shutterbug's lean towards advertisements becomes more apparent. This is not to say the there is less useful information, just more ads, meaning more magazine, and more cost. In addition, the paper that is used for the pages of Shutterbug doesn't always do the photos their due justice as that of Outdoor Photographer for example.

All in all, I feel this magazine is a good one to pick up every few months, as prices for equipment change and you may want to peruse the pages to keep adding to your wish list. If the above is true, and you decide to pick up an issue every few months, then a subscription shouldn't be out of the question, as 4 copies a year plus tax would pay for a years subscription. I suggest you stop by your newsstand and flip through a copy. If it looks pleasing to you, then take it home (pay for it first).

I have gone back to several older copies and found that if I look closely, there really is some good information for every level of photography enthusiast. It is just often tucked between the sometimes cumbersome advertisements.

Thanks for your time...