(When you are old enough, you should be smart enough to use the right tool for finding the right target. The photo was taken in the busy Causeway Bay on the Hong Kong Island shortly after a rude gweilo* crossed my way, bumped into me and sticked up his middle finger to me. He was politely rebuked)
A reader asks me whether I think the F200EXR or the CX1 is better.
Actually, I wrote a relevant post on choosing cameras here before. This open reply is a supplement to it.
What People Read in a Review
As the idiom goes “Every medal has its reverse”, the same can be said of the digital era. Whenever there is a new camera, there seems to be an immediate demand for it. For one thing, of course, the versatility of digital cameras has opened up the market further into, so to speak, the uncharted waters. For another, users have been taught – or maybe “misled” - to be too specifications savvy, which is not preferable.
Since the Fujifilm F200EXR and the Ricoh CX1 saw the light of the market, there have been reviews and comparisons springing up on the internet as usual. And the same cycle sets off: the demand arises and the prospective buyers crawl posts after posts for an answer:
Which is the best new camera on earth that will worth the admission?
Basically, most of us are comparing the specifications, the areas where a camera fails, what noisy images it will make and you name it. We can do this as repetitively as can be. The crawling just hooks us.
(Blurred: Sometimes, our focus is easily blurred by too many reviews and comparisons. When I took this photo, I was too quick in order to miss the chance. But I lost the focus, making the image special in its own right. The Cookies Monster is a human size mascot)
What You Should Read in a Review
Yes, we should read some reviews and comparisons before buying a camera.
But first, don’t over do it. Second, frame your needs before reading them so that you know what information is of value to you. I know you are not stupid. But let me explain.
I can never stress too much in saying (again and again) that all digital cameras are comparable one another of the similar specifications. What makes the one stand out is basically the preferences of individual buyer. For that matter, a photographer should factor in his subjective, personal judgements in order to frame in mind which type of camera suits his/ her photography style and taste. Then, read some (some, not endlessly!) reviews to match the choice.
In short, read a review for what the camera can do and whether it can do it the way you usually do for your photography.
So How?
For example, I always carry with me a mini-tripod. The image quality at high ISO doesn’t really bother me. When I read a review, I may not count against a camera for its less satisfactory high ISO performance.
For another example, an experienced photographer may wish for a camera quick and intuitive to use for different photographic situations. So when reading a review, he/ she simply looks for the camera which features, say, 2nd curtain sync flashing instead of comparing cameras for their amazing high dynamic range functions just to discover later that their flashes cannot be controlled the way they usually do.
Now you can narrow down the matching choices.
Then read some commercial reviews for they are more technical about the photos. This is for checking out if the character of the photos taken with a certain camera is likable to your taste.
After that, you should end up with two choices. If possible, get your hands on with the cameras in a store. Otherwise, post a question on any forum for the most crucial questions. To make life easier for you, don’t put up an open end question like:
Which camera has better ergonomics?
Which camera do you think is the best?
Instead, make the question more like a yes-no question:
Can I tweak the exposure combo with one finger and without diving into the menu system?
Can I adjust the EV for the flash in some three presses on a button?
It is a subjective matter, however. The answers will be for reference only. Grab the one that suits YOUR needs.
(Be smart, look for what may be hidden but important to your needs when looking for the right camera. Sometimes, what is obvious and popular may not be relevant to you. This photo was taken at a misty night. The noisy ISO 400 of the GX200 does not do much harm here to my taste)
Some Further Notes
To me, I prefer reviews of a real user on how he feels about the camera after using it for some days. Those reviews give me information about whether the camera suits my style.
And surely enough, a camera with impeccable specifications does not make you a good photographer. Neither does the reviews. So be smart and spend more time on taking real photos and reading educational literature on photography instead.
And, well, as for the non-serious compacts like the F200EXR and the CX1, the same procedure can be applied. For the fancier functions which can be better performed by a software, ignore them.
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* “Gweilo”, literally “ghost man”, has been a widely used Cantonese term referring to westerners. First an offensive term, it is sort of a fun way to describe a close friend of someone who is a westerner. For woman, the term is “gweipo”. Both terms are used by expats in a joking way.
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