Originally posted by rawr So ultimately TOP is just another cargo-cult site. The recent TOP D800 posts made me a little sad, in fact. All his photos with his rental D800 were mediocre in every way, yet he made them a justification for his purchase of the D800, when in reality he was just smitten by his new gadget.
When I first read this, I was going to post that you were full of it, because I respect Mike Johnston's insights a lot. But I allowed a little thought and reflection to sink in and I now appreciate your perspective here. His rationale does seem mostly emotional and those show-off shots were unimpressive--even though I do understand Mike's approach to evaluating rendering quality. But let's face it, a daily photo blog does have to regularly demonstrate transition. And he is fulfilling the camera porn fantasy of many of his readers--myself included--which is always good for page clicks.
Outfitting the D800 is an expensive affair, so asset liquidation has to happen to keep new material flowing. Because of his ongoing relationship with Pentax as a sponsor, and because his review of the DA Ltd. macro 35mm lens was wonderfully over the top, I think he felt an obligation to write a swan song for his Pentax. But I think the bottom line was the bottom line.
I'm sure he'll circle around back to the brand sooner or later.
M