The User Forum and User Review Dead End:
I'm sure that most of the people who post on camera forums and user reviews are sincere, but, sad to say, most of the opinions expressed are factually incorrect or poorly reasoned. Unfortunately, I think people who are sincerely looking to these forums for help or advice are usually being misinformed.
Many of the best photography websites (for example, dpreview.com) have user forums and user reviews. I recommend taking most of what you read in these forums with the proverbial grain of salt. Every time I've dropped in on a forum the majority of what I read was either very poorly reasoned or just plain wrong. It's tempting to post replies to the worst of it, but why spend my time and energy there when I could be shooting or editing or, hey, working on my website, which I'm perennially behind on?
My 'favorite' kind of user review on a website like SLRgear.com goes something like this:
"I bought one of the new Canokon 24-55mm f/4 Aspherical Zoom lenses. It seemed pretty sharp, but I think they should have made it a 20-85mm instead. Plus, f/4 seems a little slow. I would have preferred an f/2.8. And $600.00 seems pretty expensive for a lens that doesn't have image stabilization."
Rather than offering something illuminating about the product at hand, the 'reviewer' writes a laundry list of what the product should have been. Oh, yeah, that's a helpful review.
Here are some other reasons to avoid forums and user reviews:
Photo Techniques, Tricks, Tips, Tutorials, Tools, and Taboos:
Some "users" review products they have not used. How do I know this? That's easy; see the next bullet point. Having an opinion requires neither thought or knowledge.
Some "users" even review products that haven't even been released. I kid you not. A few years ago, after Canon had announced a new product but a month before it was released, one of the websites I regularly visit created a forum page for the product. People immediately began to post reviews praising and panning the product, even though none of them had access to it.
Some "users" have a conflict of interest because they work for the manufacturer or distributor or a dealer. Or, to put it more bluntly, some companies post positive reviews for their own products and/or negative reviews for their competitors
In fall 2006, SLRgear.com ran a contest (a drawing) worth $1700.00 for all review posters. Each review earned an entry in the drawing. That kind of incentive encourages unscrupulous people to post fake reviews, and to review things that they haven't used.
