Reviews, or Lack of Same

In my next series of posts I'll be discussing first the software apps I routinely use in processing my photos and then the equipment on which I shoot them.  I want to make it clear at the outset that what I will not be doing is providing fully informed reviews of these products.  Much as I would like to, I simply don't have the time or resources to do an adequate job.  Instead, I'll note here two resources that I've found from personal experience to be generally reliable and to which I myself refer before making purchases,  The first is PC Mag, one of the oldest computer magazines around - I fondly remember subscribing to the bulky print editions in the late 1980's when I purchased my first personal computer - and whose reviews, though not particularly lengthy or in-depth, I've found myself in agreement with on almost every occasion on which I've consulted them.  I'd recommend these reviews primarily to those seeking a broad overview of the product.  The second resource is DPReview which has become one of the most trusted sites in the industry for its exhaustive testing of products.  Though I've once or twice disagreed with its conclusions, DPReview provides its readers with all the relevant stats with which to make up their own minds.

In addition to the above, it can also be instructive to browse user reviews on Amazon and B&H Photo.  The problem here is that these reviews, while often helpful, are for the most part only first impressions and may be biased by problems the purchaser has encountered with the vendor rather than with the product itself.  In addition, many purchasers lack the knowledge and expertise needed to write an informed review.  In any case, it's best to read as many reviews as possible on these sites rather than only one or two to get a general sense of how purchasers view the products under discussion.

No matter what the source of  review, it must be remembered when reading equipment reviews that those authoring the reviews are almost always writing of brand new products straight out of the box.  That's fine, except that some problems with equipment only appear after it has been use for some time.  When a friend asked me about a consumer-level camera he had been thinking of purchasing, I found the reviews were all generally positive.  When, however, I Googled "problems with ____" I found a number of posts on various sites complaining that the shutter had failed after a few months or a year of use.  As a result, I now Google "problems with ____" before making any equipment purchase.  Caveat emptor.

What I will be doing in the following series of (very) brief posts is providing my own impressions of the products under discussion and how useful I've found them in my own photography,  They shouldn't be taken as anything more than that.  At most, readers may learn of products with which they had previously been unfamiliar and decide to investigate further to learn if they may be of use in their own photography.