Geek/artist buying guide Part 4: Digital Photography Review
Which camera is right for me? Do your research at dpeview.com.
DPReview.com is probably the most visited photography website on the internet. Its vast library of articles includes unbiased and comprehensive reviews of the cameras, as well as previews of models yet to be shipped from their manufacturers, and active forums for specific cameras where owners can discuss the problems or features they have encountered. If you’re interested in buying a digital camera but are having a hard time choosing a model, or if you have run into trouble with your current camera, this is a fabulous website to do research on.
The reviews at dpreview.com touch on everything you need to know to decide on the right camera for you. This includes a walkthrough of how each camera works, objective appraisals of how well and quickly the cameras perform, photographic tests comparing the images taken by each camera with images taken by its major competitors, and complete spec sheets. Along with all the data are numerous illustrations, pictures taken by the camera under controlled conditions and pictures of the camera body itself from all angles.
The reviews are very thoughtful. Each has a conclusion with a list of pros and cons and some very illuminating notes on what makes the camera being reviewed a good or bad choice. Since some cameras are better in different situations, suggestions are often given about other models similar to the one under review.
All in all, I think the website is the best way to make a confident choice about what can be a very expensive purchase. You will be less likely to feel any buyer’s remorse over your new camera purchase if you spend some time reading the articles at dpreview. What’s more, you’ll be vasly more knowledgeable about how to operate your new camera once you get it. So if you don’t mind spending the time and do like knowing your stuff, this is the site for you.
If you use dpreview, you should be aware that there are two major types of articles. The larger (and probably more numerous) are the reviews discussed above. There are also “previews” for cameras that have only been announced by their manufacturers. The previews should not be confused with the reviews, because the information in them is provided by the manufacturer itself. No unbiased opinions based on hands-on experience are yet given because the camera has yet to have been made available to the website’s authors. So if you are thinking of buying a cutting edge new camera, I would recommend waiting until a full review has been posted at dpreview, rather than basing your purchase solely on the promises made in one of the previews.
Tags: buying guide
This entry was posted on Sunday, October 28th, 2007 at 10:41 am and is filed under Reviews and Recommendations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
