Thread: Review or User Experience?

Originally Posted by jonoslack

I have a splendidly bi-polar relationship with DxO . . . if they agree with me (K5 sensor) I think they're great, if they don't (M9) I ignore them.

LOL, I confess to a bit of that too.

I am with you, David, where you wrote

If I'm honest, I most trust the user experience of those who I think are similar in terms of camera use to me.

Of course, I may be flattering myself in comparing myself to some others... Let's put it this way. I am not a professional photographer. When I was studying photography as an student thinking I would be a professional, I was influenced by two things - wanting smallness and trusting the advice of a more experienced photographer/friend... I bought an Olympus OM-1. That was my only SLR after having inherited two previous ones from my older brother.

Fast forward many years...to my year and a half or so of digital, and initially I read, read, read...but I've always preferred the more anecdotal style of "review" such as yours, and some I've read on The Online Photographer, as well as Kirk Tuck's... Then, as I got to know some of the folks on Amin's two forums, I definitely began to rely much more on impressions by photographers who I felt I had more in common with and whose photographs reminded me of more of my own style/interests, and whose experience I felt I could relate to.

My local camera store is run by a grumpy gus, and when I've asked him technical questions, I've found him giving me dis-information. So, while I strive to "buy local" and have often paid a premium to keep local businesses running, I won't with this guy. (But on the other side of the coin, I don't feel comfortable going to his place to play with his cameras, but then buying somewhere else).

For me, there are two options:
1) buy it myself online and resell if it's not for me. The loss I write off as a "rental" feel.
2) depend on a "gestalt" sort of approach by reading all the various sites. DCResource, DPR for testing and studio shot comparisons (mostly for noise in the blacks), LuminousLandscape for in depth reviews on handling, etc. Here and mu-43 for user input (or POTN for Canon cameras).

I'm not a fan of any site like "trustedreviews" -- any site that tells me they are trusted, I don't trust. Also, I don't like the personality site/blogs like Thom and Steve (or Kirk Tuck). I'll read them, but they tend to have their way of shooting, which is not my way, so their opinions I don't find wholly relevant to my situation. Finally, I don't find DxO useful.

Mainly, though, I use some sites to narrow a piece down to a possibility for me, but I'm going to have to buy it to really understand it, and take the resale loss if it's not for me.

Originally Posted by BBW

I may be flattering myself in comparing myself to some others... Let's put it this way. I am not a professional photographer.

The standard of photography on this site tends to make the distinctions a bit meaningless. Yours included. I often write about things that are related to making a living with a camera, but I always carefully avoid any suggestion that there is any difference between the quality of work produced.

The attributes of creativity, imagination and knowledge of the craft are by no means the preserve of the "professional" photographer. We have more incentive to get the job done obviously, but any of us who think we can assume an air of superiority just because we get paid for it are walking on very thin ice indeed!!

wt21, too bad about "grumpy gus" as it sounds like he's going to be his own undoing. I would feel and do just as you do.

Mainly, though, I use some sites to narrow a piece down to a possibility for me, but I'm going to have to buy it to really understand it, and take the resale loss if it's not for me.

That is the bottom line, isn't it? It really is only from having the camera in question and getting to know it, that one can really find out. I also like your #1 about writing off the loss in resale as a "rental fee". That is a good way of looking at it. I used to feel badly about my sell offs...and have never added it all up, but really this is a point well taken for me. If I am not going to use a camera, I would rather sell it than have it sitting around.

David, thank you for your post. I have always known that you don't assume an air of superiority, etc. My main reason for pointing out that I am not a professional was to let it be known that one of the reasons I only tend to have one camera at a time is due to my own personal situation. Nevertheless, I am with you 100%!

There were three cameras on my shortlist before buying the LX5. That list was created by reading every review I could get my hands on, I expect all three would have been capable of producing similar results with minor pros and cons to each. The only factor not covered was the personal stuff, how it felt in my hands, I can't get that from the internet, so it's a play at the camera shops for the final decision. I'm happy to pay a slight premium for that service, though when I don't need it for spare battery or SD card I do use the internet.
But then I'm not the biggest of consumers, three cameras in ten years, only being replaced when they go wrong. Maybe this forum is dangerous in that way, I'm already beginning to ponder if a G3 would suite me better... must resist...

I read reviews, forum, posts and look at sample images.
Finally however, I go to brick and mortar store, if possible, to handle the camera.
If it passes that test then I buy from them.

I read reviews to learn what a camera does and what doesn't, how interface is and other mere facts. After that I read users reviews, then I read forums. I think forums are a very good source of information. I always read manuals before buying. Then, I go and see. Finally, I look at real world samples, not just quality tests, but real pictures that get me inspired.then I go and see. Then I buy.

I don't trust anything, but I think everything is a good source of information.

I like Steve Huff's reviews.

I tend to distrust reviews and review sites, because regardless of anything else, its either personal opinion, which we all have a lot of, or its paid opinion in which case you can't trust it.

I also don't (any longer) pay much attention to the sample shots provided on many of the review sites, because they rarely show what any given camera can really do.

I do pay attention to the opinions of people who own and use a particular camera regularly. For example, it was Lili's use of the XZ-1 which got me interested initially, and continuing on with her posting of consistently great IQ shots of Trippy. I was swayed for a while with the coming of the X10 but in the end I went with what I knew would be a good camera and I have not regretted it one bit. I've had to learn to listen to users more and longer before purchasing. I also bought the GRD3 on impulse (good price at local camera store) and have not regretted that, either. The X100 I bought because I still remember how wonderful the rangefinder-esque style was in film days, and I would have bought an M9 if I could have afforded it, but I cant.

In short... I may read reviews, but I take them as they are, with a grain of salt, and pay much more attention to the users.