Pop Photo Mag Reviews

by Mitchellvgray

Not only can I not get an online subscription from my mail sent one, but I can't even open it anymore! I open it and it sits on the menu screen. I can't select anything.

by Wrxified

EDIT: okay getting really frustrated. Been processing my download for hrs. Tried to reinstall. Did a reset. Nothing. Developers issue. Want my money back on the subscription.

First off thank you for the subscription option. Just signed up for my first year an raised this from 1 to 4 stars. This magazine is awesome but still a little to complicated. Stick with simple ideas that work. Like hot corners vs 2 fingers, placing them in a odd spot followed by an upward swipe!?! Really? Do you really need a customer to tell you how this is frustrating? You guys write articles focused on how intuitive one camera is vs another. Maybe have those editors and testers join a team to coach these software guys on what's intuitive and what's complex. I've read 5 of your digital copies now. I shouldn't need to read the instructions each month when I download a new copy.

Also what is up with the download process? I'm on a blazing fast connection. Downloaded fine but it has been "processing" for 20 minutes. I don't want to process magazines. I want to read them.

by Leobear27

When I called "Popular Photography" to inquire about whether being a "print edition" subscriber would entitle me to at least a sample of the digital edition, I was told that "Print" and "Digital" are separate entities. With "Business Week", print subscribers are given free online access to their digital edition. "Popular Photography" should follow this example. I checked to see if my print edition could be changed, and got an affirmative answer. However, the process will require 6 weeks to take effect. Switching now might just make it possible for me to see the digital version in June. This is a poor way to entice their current loyal print subscriber base to try the digital edition and is a short sighted policy. I would not download PopPhotoMag until one determines if the content is the same or better than the print version.

by F Easy

Half the issues cost money for print subscribers when they should be free. No response from customer service.

by LDMartin1959

I already have a subscription to the print version. So, why can't I get free issues here -- or at least be allowed to convert my subscription? And why is the electronic version more expensive than the print version? It can't be a production cost issue because it costs more to print and mail the hard copy than to do an electronic version. They claim to have responded to feedback but it seem to me their only "response" is to ignore the feedback.

Supposedly this comes with a "free" preview issue. Apparently "free" doesn't mean the same thing to the fold at Pop Photo that it means to most because I've looked and there is no free issue included. three are, however, "free" instruction on how to use PopPhotoMag which are nothing more than the basic operating instructions every iPad user already knows -- things like "swipe to turn the page"...

PopPhotoMag is a sorry waste of time. Buy the print version. It's cheaper.

by Old Johan

Not sure what or how PopPhotoMag works; is it still SUPPOSED TO? Do I need to create an account elsewhere to “log in” through PopPhotoMag ?

Whats up?

by Tiny Malone

Do not purchase PopPhotoMag is no longer supported or being updated

by Frustratedbyidiottechs

How much money is Pop photo losing with PopPhotoMag? You can’t even connect to the internet and get a subscription!

by Jlpz82

I donwloaded PopPhotoMag and purchased PopPhotoMag subscription for a year and it said get the May issue with the subscription. So i went ahead and subcribed and gave all my information and when i finished i expected to be able to download the May issue right away but it still had a price on it and it still gave me the option to subscribe. I checked my credit card account and it said pending from itunes so is the purchased not finalized or what? I thought i would be able to download the magazine right away but now i guess that with a subscription its different than buying one issue at a time and being able to downloaded it right away. I called apple they had no idea, i called pop photo and they had no idea either. So come on what kind of service is this if apple and pop photo dont know how their products work. Pop photo just said to wait till friday that maybe ill be able to download it then. Apple droped the ball on this one or am i the only special case? well anyone that purchased the subscription on PopPhotoMag please let us know if you had the same problem about not being able to download the first issue right away until a couple of days later or if you were able to download it instantly after purchasing the subscription.

by Craignotgreg

My previous review was negative because each edition was over 500MB in size. I assume this is due to the interactive interface. Unfortunately, I still don't have any positive feedback. My gripes with the content now is that reading and viewing the magazine is more of a hassle than an enjoyment. I understand that the whole touch interface thing is still booming but the reason why I buy magazines is for the static nature of the article and images. I also don't care for how the article text overlays the article images. This is especially true for the before and after shots. If you want to compare two images, don't cover them up and dont make the user have to scroll up, down, up, down, etc. in order to see the differences. There should also be a feature to hide the article text... this is a photography magazine, I'd think the actual pictures deserve to be viewed without interference. I won't be resubscribing for PopPhotoMag version. I much prefer a PDF to flip through.

by VideoShane

I did not already have a subscription to PopPhotog, so I thought I would take a chance with the new pricing structure. I have to say I'm really disappointed with the layout and ease of use. PopPhotoMag tries to be way more clever than it needs to. Articles branch off into scroll downs and scroll sideways and scroll backways, it gets really hard to tell where you're at in the magazine. And the worst part is, there is now pinch zoom to be able to zoom into the text. And lastly, something that you would think would be common sense, why can't I double click on any one of the photos and bring it full screen without text on it? I would like to view the images as large as I can without the text distracting from them. This mag is absolutely a 1.0 version, my hope is that they actually read these reviews and take the readers thoughts into consideration when creating updates.

by Don3

Until I purchased another month just now, and can't find any old issues or this new issue, I may have cut Popular Photography some slack. Then it asked me to rate it while I have no issues to even look at except for a preview issue which keeps asking me if I want to buy it. So this was not good timing for them.
I suspect that Popular Photography thinks that the issues on line are awesome. They are just OK.
Navigation is pretty tedious and having text float on top of photos is REALLY distracting and if I want to see the photo I can get rid of the text, but then if I want too keep reading I have to tap or swipe or do something to make that happen.
But, what I really don't like... Is that the photos can not be made larger or allow more detail. They just stay small and static.
It is a PHOTO magazine! The photos ought to be awesome and they are stuck and do not allow a closer look. I want to see details and quality... That. Is the strong point if this media.
I subscribe to Attitude magazine and I can zoom in and see details and the text stays where it belongs and if they have video of photo shoots it shows up as a link or if advertisers want they have links too.
I think Popular Photography needs to see what other magazines are doing to make the online experience more valuable.
Now, I will try to find the new issue and the old ones.
How lame is that?

by Qwell

I think we expect too much too soon. PopPhotoMag does what I expected of it. While it has been stated, "People aren't Stupid", it doesn't mean they're informed either. I expect to pay something to enjoy this magazine in a digital format, time and labor were expended to produce it. I accept that the publisher will not give the magazine away nor do I want to be taken advantage of by an attempt to recover all the cost on the backs of early adopters.

It would be fair to exhibit some patience while the publishing industry figures out how to provide it's readers the experience they want on a tablet. I too want to convert my paper subscription to digital for fewer dollars (I'm looking at you Wired and the Atlantic), but I suspect it has something to do with economies of scale. Remember Ford wanted all of his customers to drive black cars initially.

by Scottaw66

I enjoy the content, but the UI is still a little frustrating, even after the April update. Not a fan of the background images that snap to when the text is scrolled. You scroll, see the text for the next photo, keep scrolling, and then two photos snap by so that you miss one. Not intuitive nor smooth in any manner. Lose the cutesy background "snap-to" images and just tie them to their related text as every other digital magazine does. It might not be as unique, but they do it that way for a reason.

Also still too easy to accidentally wind up on a previous section while simply trying to scroll vertically to read an article.

I think it's worth the subscription, but the experience lacks the quality of Wired or National Geographic on iPad, for example.

by Bethsloan

I really appreciate the time & effort that goes into each weeks edition because they are so awesome on my iPad. Like everyone else it would be nice to have a print subscription with access to the digital for the same price, but hopefully that will come shortly in the future. The only thing I can complain fully is that some of us photographers who enjoy it as a hobby may not want to see the next camera body or lens that's available for $1200. I would love it if you could find the different lenses to fit canon body's (and everything else) & where a starving photographer could afford them. Or maybe in one issue do an article on a few tricks & secrets from some of the most established artists out there. And translating a little of that photography talk into English. Also I want to see some amazing pictures. Things that 90% of us could not walk into their back yard & reproduce. ( I'm sounding like my granny now "Well maybe I should just be the editor for the magazine." LOL)
-Bethany Sloan

by Davidmeggers

Yes, this is how it should be: well thought out, well designed and (so far) well executed. I am not even going to balk at paying 2.99 since I will probably end up being a casual subscriber. Having said that, the sad truth is that many people who buy this will only see the price and not much else. This is a very good example of a magazine that has evolved, what this is not is a screenshot of the magazine stuffed in to an app, so this is a good start.
Apple does need to start allowing support for regular subscriptions (so lower prices and auto downloads) but for now this is how it should be.

Couple of comments: it wasnt clear how I get back to the main page to see available issues, which I eventually found by doing some magic two fingered swipe up; photos in the background are good, but a little distracting when scrolling through articles.

by Photojordan

Overall PopPhotoMag works well but at times it drags and take a bit for the pages to reach full rez but it's not a deal breaker. It hangs a bit at times and it that has nothing to do with network access or iPad processing power. It's still a great way to read this magazine and the ability to navigate is actually quite easy if you take a moment to review the instructions that pop up on opening an issue. I really like how you can tap the screen to remove the text overlaying an image and see only the image as well as zoom in and out. The dynamic content presentation is cool and I think they could use it to more advantage. I'd even suggest some short instructional clips and demos using the ability to really offer a great user experience. All in all, well done!

by Lsurugbyrules

Popular Photography is absolutely one of the best iPad magazine applications in the Apple store. The application is tailored for the iPad format with a very intuitive interface and it has added background downloads so around the 20th of every month it's like Christmas when I open my iPad to find my new issue waiting for me. I love the scrolling text and the double tap to hide text so you can really focus on the photography unencumbered. It is very difficult to find a technical issue with the application or the digital issues. PopPhotoMag developers at Popular Photography really deserve a pat on the back and a little extra in their paychecks for their efforts. PopPhotoMag is truly fantastic and along with the breathtaking content its the one pop-up that I look forward to receiving every month and when the 15th rolls around I start to get antsy waiting for my fix.

If you don't have it.. get it..because if you don't have it you simply don't get it.

by Prometheusunbound

Doesn't it make you angry when PopPhotoMag you've bought is such poor quality that it can't possibly enlighten you about the subject matter in question? Well, it makes me angry!

PopPhotoMag doesn't make me angry. It makes me happy! It makes me smile - a whole lot!

Why? Because PopPhotoMag is about the greatest cameras, the finest photographs, and the best photographers of our time, and every page of this digital magazine is jaw-dropping in detail and color. The colors stand up and salute you, demand your attention, inspire you, wrap their arms around you, caress you or tickle you, depending on the subject matter. What's more, the descriptions of cameras and equipment and the statements explaining how photographs were taken are well done, easy to read and easy to understand.

My only constructive criticism is that the reader should have the ability to completely roll up or down the rectangular box containing the written material without flipping to the next page. I'd like to be able to see and appreciate the image alone, without the written material, after I've read the material.

Overall, this is a truly superlative app - an app I'd strongly recommend to anyone who wants to see and learn about cameras and equipment that are on the cutting edge of technology, and even though I can't afford all of them, they and the photographs they produce are the stuff of dreams!

by The A-train00

Despite the several negative reviews, I went ahead and took the plunge and got a year subscription. I did not have the print edition, so to me the price was not much of an issue. Here is my two cents on the price discussion - it is a digital version - true, BUT remember that 30% of that price is immediately taken. The cost savings from not printing or shipping dry up pretty fast with the additional overhead. I say thanks for being reasonable and bringing a subscription price close to the print version. Plenty of other magazines are still sticking with the cover price.

As for PopPhotoMag , it looks great, easy to navigate and read. Pictures are stunning to look at on the iPad. I am happy with my purchase and am enjoying this magazine.