Consumer Reports is a good magazine for the rest of us, the lowest common denominator, the broadest demographic.
They liked low cost CD players years ago because they couldn't tell much difference between the sound of them and the high priced audiophile CD players. For most of the rest of us, it's true: it is almost not worth the extra cost. But the audiophile CD players are niche products, for a very thin slice of the consuming public, people who can tell the difference, people who can appreciate it enough to spend more money and time. Most people are happy with fairly clear background music, from a CD that has been compressed to the point of blandness. Yes I am talking about the popular stuff too. Lots of people like that. Few and far between are the listeners who appreciate a recording that uses the entire dynamic range of the medium to advantage. Most people don't like those recordings, too much work to listen to, too loud and too soft and so on.
Same with cameras. You're lucky to see any Sigma camera reviewed by them at all. They liked the lower cost compacts, the entry level DSLRs, and so on: virtually the same image quality as the more expensive cameras. Virtually is good enough for most people, except the small percentage actually interested deeply in product performance. That's where Sigma comes in.
Remember Sigma cameras are a niche product, valued by a very thin slice of the consuming public interested enough to know. Consumer Reports will not be able to understand any niche markets.
My wife gets Consumer Reports every month. It's usually a nice read. If I am looking for a lawnmower or a hedge trimmer, or a faucet for the kitchen sink it works pretty well. I'm not sure but I imagine there are niche products in the lawnmower arena. I know we will never hear about them from Consumer Reports.
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Tom Schum
Celebrate mediocrity (in moderation)
