When thinking about new photography gear purchases, the chances are you are reading various reviews to help arrive at a decision on the best kit and, indeed, whether or not to splash out your hard-earned cash.
It might be nice to think those reviews could, in effect, make the decision for you – but they can’t. Why not? The problem is that if you read 10 reviews from 10 different people, you will get 10 different ‘answers’.
Each reviewer will approach the task from his or her own viewpoint. A Sony camera user will inevitably have a different take on a new Canon camera than a photographer who uses primarily Canon equipment. An Android phone aficionado is less likely to put the latest iPhone camera at the top of a performance list than someone who has always used Apple products.
The latest iPhone 16 reviews are, perhaps, a case in point. I have seen the Pro versions of the phone much lauded for their performance – but I have also read reviews which question aspects of their design, user-friendliness and image rendering.
Specifically technical performance assessments may show more consistency but they rarely cover the entire user experience.
Then, of course, there is the user profile. The perfect camera for one person/purpose may just not cut it for another.
Sure, reading reviews helps but in the end each photographer has to ‘interpret’ their findings in the context of what matters to them.
In short, the only person who can make the decision is you.