glenerrolrd
Workshop Member
It seems more and more that photographers seek out blogs test sites etc that support their gear choices . No one wants to hear that X company has poor quality control, service or just makes crap gear . Especially after putting down their money on a new kit . The result is that many blogs are dismissed as having biased ,defective or in some cases “pure nonsense “ authors .
Of course much of this can be understood as the authors just having different shooting requirements . Is the author a landscape photographer , a street shooter or maybe a studio shooter using strobes . Big differences occur when we come from different perspectives.
Even a worse bias comes from relying on forum posts or even your own testing . Look in the mirror and admit (as I have ) you don t no S&it about how to test gear . This is not an indictment of ones abilities as a photographer as much as an inability to apply the most fundamental elements of a scientific method . Looking at small jpegs taken under random conditions ,processed using who knows what methods etc . Most discussions don t even know what to look for in an evaluation .
My point of view is that we are too easily put off by any blog that appears inconsistent with our predefined perspective . Personally I use the blogs of several really smart photographers . I don t “throw the baby out with the bath water “ when my perspective differs ..rather I try to understand WHY ?
Here are the BLOGS I use and consider excellent sources of INSIGHTS to equipment .
Diglloyd ...Yes all over the place with his comments but very consistent in his excellent testing protocol .
Ming ...Quite good at steping back from the technology and commenting on “Does this matter in Practical Usage “
Sean Reid ...Really excellent equipment tests and shares my bias toward Street Shooting .
Puts ...Leicagraphy ...plenty of bias but he knows his science ...always learn something even if I sometimes disagree with its relevance .
Jim Kasson...New to his blog but obviously he knows his stuff ...worth considering .
The consistency is that each of theses individuals are Scientists and Photographers ...they all have bias in their conclusions but you have decent if not outstanding test results . They understand the concept of sample variation and when something doesn t look right ..they search for an answer .
Have you found other Smart Photographers to add to my list ?
Of course much of this can be understood as the authors just having different shooting requirements . Is the author a landscape photographer , a street shooter or maybe a studio shooter using strobes . Big differences occur when we come from different perspectives.
Even a worse bias comes from relying on forum posts or even your own testing . Look in the mirror and admit (as I have ) you don t no S&it about how to test gear . This is not an indictment of ones abilities as a photographer as much as an inability to apply the most fundamental elements of a scientific method . Looking at small jpegs taken under random conditions ,processed using who knows what methods etc . Most discussions don t even know what to look for in an evaluation .
My point of view is that we are too easily put off by any blog that appears inconsistent with our predefined perspective . Personally I use the blogs of several really smart photographers . I don t “throw the baby out with the bath water “ when my perspective differs ..rather I try to understand WHY ?
Here are the BLOGS I use and consider excellent sources of INSIGHTS to equipment .
Diglloyd ...Yes all over the place with his comments but very consistent in his excellent testing protocol .
Ming ...Quite good at steping back from the technology and commenting on “Does this matter in Practical Usage “
Sean Reid ...Really excellent equipment tests and shares my bias toward Street Shooting .
Puts ...Leicagraphy ...plenty of bias but he knows his science ...always learn something even if I sometimes disagree with its relevance .
Jim Kasson...New to his blog but obviously he knows his stuff ...worth considering .
The consistency is that each of theses individuals are Scientists and Photographers ...they all have bias in their conclusions but you have decent if not outstanding test results . They understand the concept of sample variation and when something doesn t look right ..they search for an answer .
Have you found other Smart Photographers to add to my list ?