I am in the Manchester area next week and hope to do a bit of photography so which is best to see 195s Piccadilly or Victoria?
Piccadilly platforms 13/14 is a good bet.
I quite agree, if it's expressly photography you're after, then Piccadilly beats Victoria hands down. Platforms 13/14 (which are the only ones the 195s use) are for the most part in unimpeded sunlight. Platforms 3/4 at Victoria (used by the Leeds - Chester/Ellesmere Port trains) are largely under cover, and, even at the extremities, there are obstacles, such as footbridges, to contend with. Platform 2 (used by the ex-Leeds terminators) isn't nearly so bad.
The only way Victoria would score would be if you were concerned for photographing
different units, since, at Piccadilly, one unit can go to the Airport and back in only a scheduled forty-seven minutes, and in respect of the Liverpool service, a complete round trip takes only three hours. Eventually you would see more different units at Piccadilly than Victoria, but it would take a lot longer to do so.