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It's been 6 yrs since we've seen an "Average" camera...

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RoyGBiv

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I just noticed...it's been 6 years since DPR's rated a camera as "Average." I guess that's a good thing...you can't go wrong! :D

--
'I have no responsibilities here whatsoever'
 
Yep, we don't bother with em.
RoyGBiv said:
I just noticed...it's been 6 years since DPR's rated a camera as "Average." I guess that's a good thing...you can't go wrong! :D

--
'I have no responsibilities here whatsoever'
Click to expand...
--
Phil Askey
Editor, dpreview.com
 
Could be that the technology is so good now days, that an "Average" camera..., is hard to find, if at all available, :-)

--
BRJR ....(LOL, some of us are quite satisfied as Hobbyists ..)


RoyGBiv said:
I just noticed...it's been 6 years since DPR's rated a camera as "Average." I guess that's a good thing...you can't go wrong! :D

--
'I have no responsibilities here whatsoever'
Click to expand...
 
I'd have to agree, that todays digital Cameras are pretty amazing. I remember 110 film, the entry level cameras with plastic lenses produced fuzzy images, and film was expensive to process.

A $89 Digital Camera blows away those 110 cameras. I also owned a few hign end consumer 35mm cameras like the Pentax and Olympus super Zoom models that sold for $300. They took decent images, but not up to the level of a $300 point and shoot digital.

I also owned a Argus C3 Rangefinder which took excellent photos that still look good today, there is only now digital equivalent models coming on the market. (Not rangefinders, but close). I expect them to outshine my old Argus. Also sandwiched in there somewhere in the early 1960's was a Mamiya twinlens reflex or two.

Of course, I also bought a few Canon SLR's, a FTQL, and later a T50? They did, of course a excellent job, but my 40D still beats them out, or at least matches the iimage quality. I was never able to afford a full professional model film camera like the Nikon F. (but I have one now)

My 1D MK II and 5D MK II simply far outshine any of the cameras I've ever owned during the preceding 60 years, so I would also have a difficult time calling any of them average.
 
You ever think of putting some AI on the forum code the detects anytime someone brings this subject up and it auto responds with the explanation.
 
I think there was a small news item awhile ago, DPR hired Garrison Keillor as a consultant, a result of this is all products reviewed will be at least 'above average'.

;)

--
Best regards,
Doug
http://www.pbase.com/dougj
 
What kind of posts would flood the forums if a new group test of "below average cameras" appeared?

--
Iván József Balázs
(Hungary)
 
With today's point and shoots I think there was a lowering of standards. Sure they have wiz bang features, but IQ has gone out the window with tiny sensors stuffed with pixel that produce smeary images in low light.

I recall some pretty nice cameras in the 2003-2005 period from Nikon, Canon, Olympus and Sony that were expensive but did pretty well IQ wise. I guess many of those users migrated to SLRs while the IQ bottom dropped out on the P&S models along with the price. Get what you pay for.
 
Does that exist for any other forum software? Just curious because it would be really useful.
PhotoTraveler said:
You ever think of putting some AI on the forum code the detects anytime someone brings this subject up and it auto responds with the explanation.
Click to expand...
 
Simon97 said:
I recall some pretty nice cameras in the 2003-2005 period from Nikon, Canon, Olympus and Sony that were expensive but did pretty well IQ wise. I guess many of those users migrated to SLRs while the IQ bottom dropped out on the P&S models along with the price. Get what you pay for.
Click to expand...
That's exactly what happened to me...I was happy with my Sony f717
until it died...tried an H9 but it was a big step backward from the IQ
of the f717. Ended up having to go with DSLR (Oly) for better IQ.

Still, I hate the clunky mirror slapping. I have hopes of migrating
to the second iteration of the Oly ep-1 (ep-2?) for a return to the
silent shooting I enjoyed with those "vintage" digicams.

--
Keep your lens clean and your mind open.
http://www.pbase.com/peterb/

 
Makinations said:
Does that exist for any other forum software? Just curious because it would be really useful.
PhotoTraveler said:
You ever think of putting some AI on the forum code the detects anytime someone brings this subject up and it auto responds with the explanation.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I didn't realize this was a recurring theme. :) Personally, I think it's a sign of progress.

--
'I have no responsibilities here whatsoever'
 
It's brought up probably at least once a month, for years and years.

Folks seem to refuse to understand how the rating system works. DPR doesn't review camera they know going in are junk, so your not going to get bad reviews. But also most all camera are pretty good. It's not a review system of relative to other cameras on the market. It's a review against what would be expected. So in theory every camera could get a "highly recommended".

It's no different than school. They make and exam, everyone takes it. You don't expect the mean to be 50% with an even number of folks getting 100% and those getting a 0%. You can have the average be 100%, which would simply mean all students fully understood the material covered. The people make the exam have an expectation of what they students are suppose to know, and thus they can all get a 100% (highly recommended). Until they get a total moron in the class, there may be never a score lower than a B.
 
Phil Askey said:
Yep, we don't bother with em.
Click to expand...
Since dpr has already preselected for review, the cameras to be Above Average and better amongst all cameras, that leaves only three ratings left (not counting the "justs"). Allowing for the "justs", there are six.

So the "Average preselected dpr camera" would be between the dpr-Recommended and dpr-Recommended (Just). I think most have already recalibrated their thinking to this. That's why when a touted flagship camera like the Canon G10 got only a "dpr-Recommended", there was lots of moaning: "how can the G10 be just average among those being tested here?

--mamallama
 
PBasepeterb said:
or maybe Hewlett Packard's lastest offering.

Would that make everyone happy?
Click to expand...
Well, there would be much complaint about the slow reviewing, given the fact that the last HP camera announcements were two years ago.

(I happen to own a HP 735 from old days.)
 
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