I'm done with lens reviews

Rod McD wrote:

Hi,

I'm joining the thread late, but what the heck.... Surely being 'done with' them all is a tad sweeping? And surely one isn't buying new lenses so often that reviews are a staple part of the reading diet? I think the better tests and reviews have their place, as long as one is judicious in the reliance one places on them.

One learns that

• there is sample variation between reviewers.... Their standards and interests vary.
• there is sample variation between lenses.... The reviewer's sample may be the rule or the exception. But you can't know. (And the best sample to test is your own).
• some reviewers are better than others (or at least appeal in methodology and delivery)
• some reviewers' verdicts tend to align with your own conclusions, and so you tend to regard them as more reliable next time.

I think reviews can be worthwhile. You get an overview and pick up aspects critical to your own tastes in photography. Eg, If you have personal pet hate of (say) flare and a reviewer tells you some lens flares badly, well maybe there's no point in buying it for your uses. If a tester tells you that a lens has CAs so bad that it makes the average backlit tree look like a kaleidoscope - well personally I'd give that one a miss too. If you avoided reading the reviews you could have paid a lot of money to get a lens you don't like.

Lenses are expensive. So I do read reviews on those that might interest me. It makes sense to select reviews from the reviewers I respect. I still weigh them up with a little caution. But I see no point in refusing information.... All grist into the mill.

YMMV.

Cheers, Rod

I didn't make it clear in my rant but I was speaking more specifically to reviews on Fuji lenses. Despite what some reviews conclude, they are all very capable lenses. Someone who understands the basic concepts of lens selection probably already understands the tradeoffs they may be making when selecting a prime over a zoom or a variable aperture lens vs a fixed. If 1) you're buying a Fuji lens and 2) you have some basic understanding of lens selection, there really is no reason to let someone or a collective someones' opinion decide whether or not a lens should be given a try. If you're buying from a reputable dealer, you can return a lens if it doesn't meet your needs or expectations for the types of photography you do.

If reviews work for you, that's great. I'm not saying they don't hold value for others. For me however, I'm done with them.