Camera reviews for professional photographers

Introduction

While I don't agree with all Scott Choucino's opinion about certain aspects of the photography business, he mostly does make a valid point. If you're looking for a reliable source of information, his channel is definitely worth checking out.

In this video, he argues that camera reviews, with the exception of a very few, do not make any sense for professional photographers. He illustrates this point with an example of a camera review of the EOS 6D and 5DMkII.

I used to enjoy watching camera reviews on YouTube and reading them online. However, after watching and reading a few, they started to raise more questions than they answered.

Examples

James Popsys? Entertaining to watch. But useful? James is more of a YouTuber than a photographer. Peter McKinnon? To me, he's more of a videographer than a photographer. He's a good entertainer, though. Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions? It's more entertainment than professional photography. DPReview TV? Sure, if you love specs that don't really mean anything.

The worst part is that YouTube channels run by real photographers are either boring or a continuous product placement. That's why Thin House Studios is such a useful source of information. Scott knows how to explain things with a specific, no BS approach.

I can relate to a lot of what Scott is saying. When I was in the market for a new system to replace my Fujifilm cameras, I had a hard time understanding what to focus on. Everyone was so hyped about Canon's new R system, but it felt like they were pushing it because it was the latest and greatest, not necessarily because it was the best alternative.

The same thing goes for the Nikon Z system. They are great cameras, but did you see the prices? If anything, the reviews were useful in pointing me to the second-hand market. That's how I found mpb.com.

Finances

I love great stuff, and most of the time, I will spend without necessarily using my brains. If I had listened to reviewers, I would have purchased two EOS R5's with a 24-70/2.8, a 15-35/2.8, and a 35/1.8.

But I didn't. That would have set me back €15,155, and that's without the memory cards, batteries, and boosters (grips). Keep that in mind.

In the End

I knew what I wanted. It was going to be a Canon.

Their color science is pleasing to my eye, and their reworked menu system was definitely a must-have. Fuji's was a continuous pain to use, and from what I heard and experienced, Sony was out of the picture from the start. It was confirmed when I rented an A7. I have never experienced a more convoluted menu structure than Sony's.

I needed a 20+MP camera for daily use (documentary and reportage) and a high-resolution model with 40+MP for fine-art work. I also needed two zoom lenses at f/2.8 because I want to do available light photography, handheld of course. The 40+MP camera was going to be a tripod camera anyway. There is no point in having a lot of pixels and blurred shots because of a lack of light. So, which Canon camera was affordable and had a ton of glass floating around in the second-hand market? The EF, of course.

In the end, I purchased an EOS 5DMkIII, an EOS 5Drs, two grips, 8 batteries, no memory cards, a 16-35/2.8, a 24-70/2.8, and a 35/2.0 for around €4,650.

Remember the initial price I would have spent if I had listened to the reviews? Exactly.

Main takeaway

Rent the device you're interested in. That is the only useful metric you will need.


-z, photographer © 2020 – 2023

Discuss...