DP Review gets tired of misuse of IS

No kidding.
 
They should identify the manufacturers. Complaining about product hype is a little silly. Pointing out specific manufacturers at least makes more sense to me.
 
I hadn't really looked at compact models for a while, and had no idea some companies were claiming ISO boosting as "image stabilisation". A physical system whether lens or sensor based is a genuine system that justifies the name. This on the other hand is disingenuous and sneaky. Good marketing in other words. Maybe I shouldn't complain about companies doing what companies always do, but frankly with this and the ubiquitous "digital zoom" I'm getting fairly sick of the level of BS and hype in the camera industry. It's probably just nostalgia but I don't remember quite so much advertising of non-existent features or misrepresenting standard features before the digital boom. IMO there's a point where it stops being marketing 'fair game' and becomes false advertising. And that point was quite a way back.
 
Next they should stop manufacturers from labeling lenses "macro" unless they can really do 1:1.
 
In addition to good ole advertising hype I think we can thank the internet bulletin board for a portion of this nonsense. If you drop down and scan the DPR boards you'll find that examples are legion. My favorite is the sneering "entry level camera" without regard whatsoever to capability or image quality.

I'll restrain myself from the incipient rant I feel coming on. . . . well, mostly restrain myself. The current corollary to J.P. Morgan's (or was it a Rockefeller?) comment on yacht pricing is my assertion that anyone defending their need for a lens with white paint doesn't.

But some fool will buy this "image stabilized" camera and then bray loudly about his shrewd wisdom and general acumen. And yet more fools will take him seriously because, after all, they found it on the internet. Unfortunately, we have met the enemy and they is us.
 
In addition to good ole advertising hype I think we can thank the internet bulletin board for a portion of this nonsense. If you drop down and scan the DPR boards you'll find that examples are legion. My favorite is the sneering "entry level camera" without regard whatsoever to capability or image quality.

I'll restrain myself from the incipient rant I feel coming on. . . . well, mostly restrain myself. The current corollary to J.P. Morgan's (or was it a Rockefeller?) comment on yacht pricing is my assertion that anyone defending their need for a lens with white paint doesn't.

But some fool will buy this "image stabilized" camera and then bray loudly about his shrewd wisdom and general acumen. And yet more fools will take him seriously because, after all, they found it on the internet. Unfortunately, we have met the enemy and they is us.

I've always believed that the worst place to get product advice is from a consumer who owns the product. I think you know what I mean.
 
I do know what you mean, however for me "independent" reviewers can be worse. Let's face it, the best place for me to get product advice is me, and the best place for you to get it is you. Other folks can list features and tell us their experiences and opinions, but ultimately 'quality' and suitability is something we have to assess for ourselves. That is why I will never understand people who buy a camera or buy into a system without handling the product themselves, nor will I understand the claims that Brand A or Product B will be suitable for everyone.
 
I do know what you mean, however for me "independent" reviewers can be worse. Let's face it, the best place for me to get product advice is me, and the best place for you to get it is you. Other folks can list features and tell us their experiences and opinions, but ultimately 'quality' and suitability is something we have to assess for ourselves. That is why I will never understand people who buy a camera or buy into a system without handling the product themselves, nor will I understand the claims that Brand A or Product B will be suitable for everyone.

Yes there are some bad ones. Ken Rockwell comes to mind. He really needs to be seriously ignored and disregarded. The camera magazine reviews are also pretty terrible. Hard to find out what is bad about a camera if the manufacturer is a steady advertising customer. I like the DPreview.com reviews. They really seem to be pretty objective. I can always take advice from a pro photographer as well. At least a pro understands the good and bad things and has a wider base of knowledge and experience with various equipment. But you're right. You should buy what appeals to you and I should buy what appeals to me.

A good photographer can make good images with any camera so I'm not sure it matters a whit whether someone buys a Nikon or Canon or whatever. It never really mattered to me. I can't think of a single really bad camera I've ever had (well there was that Hasselblad 1000F many years ago) and I could make images with any of them.

What amazes me is that people come on to the forums to ask a question about a camera and they get flooded with advice on switching to another brand. It is as though the respondents need to justify their own purchase decision somehow. They don't appear to be in the employ of the camera maker's marketing department. I can't imagine why anybody would care what kind of camera someone else uses. I'm not even sure I care what kind I use.
 
What amazes me is that people come on to the forums to ask a question about a camera and they get flooded with advice on switching to another brand. It is as though the respondents need to justify their own purchase decision somehow. They don't appear to be in the employ of the camera maker's marketing department. I can't imagine why anybody would care what kind of camera someone else uses. I'm not even sure I care what kind I use.

but you have to admit that our forum here is very mild in terms of brand-fetish :)
 

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