[Madaboutpix]

I used to fuss a great deal about technical ratings and reviews. (After all, they were supposed to be objective, weren't they?) And certainly, reviews on PopPhoto, DPR, IR, DxO Mark (to a lesser extent) helped to steer me first towards the K10D (which, like the K20D, I couldn't afford at their respective times) and later the K-7, which was to become my first Pentax DSLR. But one thing that sustained my interest in Pentax once my attention had been redirected back to that brand, which had been a household name in the 1980s when I started photography, were a number of sample images I had marvelled at on different sites.

Once I began to understand what photographic qualities the Pentax engineers seemed to be prioritizing in their camera and lens designs, and became more apt at judging those qualities in my own and other people's images, and became more aware of biases in technical reviews and their limited relevance for real-world photography, my interest shifted considerably towards more "holistic" and actual-use-based reviews. Northcoastgreg's and PF Staff reviews certainly deserve a mention here. For lenses, I have also used and still use ePHOTOzine and OpticalLimits (formerly known as PhotoZone) and a number of others, but have also learnt to take their conclusions with a grain of salt and to compare results from a variety of sources. Based on the PhotoZone review, for instance, I perhaps wouldn't have got the smc DA10-17 Fish-Eye, but sample images and notably northcoastgreg helped to persuade me that this lens had something to offer where it mattered, and I am glad that I didn't let myself get discouraged from adding it to my kit.

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Last edited by Madaboutpix; 10-14-2019 at 12:01 PM. Reason: Grammar

[StiffLegged]

I don't read reviews very often, mostly since many reviewers (of those I've read, that is) do bang on about their pet peeves/preferences. If video was a consideration it might help my will-to-live, but it isn't so endless blather about it does sap the joie de vivre. I learn more about kit watching knowledgeable photographers use the stuff, so I follow a number of photography-oriented (not gear-oriented) YouTube channels. Mind you, I'm not planning buying an 8x10" field camera, so Ben Horne's photography must be why I watch him!

[repaap]

From reviews one has to remove possible personal motivations in order to make it work. Like I like this and I hate this. It is too big/small enough. Too prizey.

Also some review guys are copying others if they are not sure(atleast it feels like that). All in all sites that are not connected to a shop directly, might give to you most honest review. Other than that, you have to make a conclusion on what that review guy or gal prefer.

Some reviews on this site are useful. Ofcourse if one who has good reputation and has shown examples on almost daily base shooting, it make it more valuable to me.

[BigMackCam]

I read reviews from both review sites and users to get a general feel for how satisfied folks are with a camera, lens or accessory, and to understand any common issues. With a camera, for instance, it's useful to know if the firmware user interface is well structured and the control layout works well, how good the battery life is, what the buffer clearing times are like etc. With lenses, it's useful to know if purple fringing or other aberrations are significant, or if flare is a big problem etc.

Beyond that, I've learned that I'm the only reviewer I can fully trust, so I need to use the item myself (which generally means buying it). That's not a criticism of others, but recognition that individual expectations, preferences, measurement criteria and motivations all feature strongly in how someone reviews and rates a particular item. I'm as unique as anyone else in that respect, but in my case I believe I'm pretty forgiving of equipment quirks and weaknesses compared to some. There isn't a DSLR or mirrorless camera I've used in the last 10 years that I couldn't get on with, whilst acknowledging that some are better than others in different aspects of performance and operation, and might require some adaptation in the ways I shoot. Same with lenses. I don't expect critical sharpness and perfect contrast wide open; I don't mind a bit of vignetting and a little distortion. I do like detail, but I don't mind applying a bit of sharpening and/or clarity in post to bring it out. If I'm fussy, it's in the overall rendering character of a lens - but I've never read a review that quantifies that in ways that fully match my personal likes.

So, I do find reviews useful to a point - i.e. to capture a general consensus on the item I'm interested in. But unless that consensus is overwhelmingly negative, I'm likely to base my purchasing decisions on a personal assessment of specs, features, manufacturer and price. Then, if I buy, I'll form my own opinion as I use the item. If, after using it for some time, I don't like it, I can sell it and recoup at least some of my investment, or simply chalk it down to experience

[ramseybuckeye]

I did tons of research before buying into Pentax and the K20D at the time. I looked not only at reviews, but features that each camera had, weather resistance was a big selling point for me, even though it was a longer with to get my first WR lens.

I feel I am a little more knowledgeable no than I was ten years ago. The reviews that test and rate cameras on test benches don’t really mean much to me, if you aren’t using the camera you don’t really understand it. Having a faster autofocus is nice, but if you can’t tell it’s faster without a bench testing it’s really not noticeable. I find the questions and comments in forums much more valuable. Some things can be tossed out rights away like when people bash brands or cameras and lenses they have not used. The professional reviews here on Pentax forums are very good for Pentax users because they can compare them to a system we know.

[HoutHans]

I have no problem trusting reviews, but I'll adopt a critical attitude invariably (I guess this comes with being a scientist). So when someone posts a review of a Pentax lens on this site without any pictures and does not explain their findings, I won't be influenced. In general reviews are useful to compare features and they can be useful to identify the necessity of such features for me.

[kiwi_jono]

Well personally, I think the more information you can get on gear the better. I will look at any review I can find for a lens BUT look carefully at their methods and conclusions. Even with a negative review there is often plenty of information and samples to look at for yourself.
Its usually the conclusions more than anything else that don't gel with how fit the gear is for my use. For example:
1. Its common for reviewers to be biased towards their own use case (e.g. Video or Sports action)
2. Its also pretty common that the reviewers have a brand preference going in.
3. Some review sites obsess on measurements too. E.g. "Corner sharpness is soft wide open - its no good" - when its a fast lens intended for creamy bokeh and 3/4 frame is sharp wide open.

DP review is a case in point if you stripped out all the conclusions, barring the odd error here and there (and to be fair there are not that many), your conclusions are likely to be different.

Some of the "hands on" reviews by photographers (particularly landscape in my case) can be useful as they are less likely to obsess in particular attributes.

A classic lens that seems to get a hard time in a lot of "measurement" based reviews is the FA43 - largely for its border & corner performance wide open. But in real world use its a great little lens and its great build, small size & weight out weigh any disadvantages.

[Rondec]

On the Pentax review section here, I wish Adam allowed for some sort of way to sort user reviews based on usefulness. Often the interesting review with most useful images is buried on page 5 or 6. This is particularly so with a lens that many folks have purchased like the FA 50 or some of the DA limiteds.

[aslyfox]

who determines " usefulness " ?

I don't know how you would sort posts under the " user reviews " of a camera or lens ?

[wstruth]

When I am buying a product I research as much as I can about it including reviews, comparisons and user experiences. That said I do try to sift the facts from the feelings. I think its important to know as much as possible about the product I am buying, including what issues people have had with it so I can understand better if an issue arises, and if it is an issue form nit understanding how the item works or is it a product failure or is is someone who had an expectation that wasn't met.

[Rondec]

who determines " usefulness " ?

I don't know how you would sort posts under the " user reviews " of a camera or lens ?

Based on number of people who said a review was helpful? Its already there, it just isn't used to sort reviews.

[aslyfox]

Based on number of people who said a review was helpful? Its already there, it just isn't used to sort reviews.

ok

I've never saw that part of the reviews, I wonder if it is used often

[Rondec]

ok

I've never saw that part of the reviews, I wonder if it is used often

I think some. I just looked at the DFA *50 reviews, which is a fairly new lens. On the first page of reviews one review has 8 "this review has helped me" and one has 4 of those and there are a couple with 3 of those. It seems like you could sort by those.

That's probably not a good example because it has only two pages of review so it wouldn't take long to read them all, but for a lens with a couple of hundred reviews it would be handy.

I know when I'm looking through that section I do click if I think a review is helpful.

[aslyfox]

sounds like a good plan

[DWS1]

I mainly read reviews, both technical and user, to see if the manufactures' claims about the features of their products effectively do what they claim. I generally dismiss the reviewers' over all judgements on the products as a whole because they are normally written from the reviewer's personal point of view as to what's important or not. My biggest gripe is with reviewers that base everything on a value judgment, like "This is a great lens and very sharp, considering its price". If it cost more would it be considered soft? These type of reviews tell me nothing. I'll make my own value judgement. That why I'm reading reviews in the first place.