Camera Reviews

Not all camera reviews are created equal, and the photography industry worked out a long time ago that we pay more attention to writing we perceive as unbiased than to advertising. It has to be said that although many companies in the industry are ethical, there are others that value sales over strict honesty.

There are the obvious considerations, such as whether a magazine that depends on a manufacturer for advertising will write a negative review of that manufacturer’s products. More often, though, the process is a little more subtle. A blatantly promotional review will not fool many people, so the reviewer may throw in one or two very minor quibbles to give the impression of balance.

The Internet presents a bigger challenge. There are literally thousands of people who make money by simply directing viewers to a company’s website to purchase goods. Just putting a link to the company on a website doesn’t work very well. However, writing what appears to be a review—but is actually a disguised sales pitch—works extremely well.

Another tactic is a fake review posted on a big sales website. Some manufacturers who advertise equipment on Amazon, for example, have been known to solicit positive reviews in return for payment. There are also companies with teams of registered writers that broker requests for articles from companies and other clients. Often these requests explicitly state that the articles are reviews for websites like Amazon, and they usually come with instructions to be positive but not obvious—as in obviously writing the review for cash. A wise consumer will read more than one review and be wary if the product has just a few reviews that are all five star.

The trick is not to disregard all reviews but to be aware that the writer may have an agenda. Even if this is the case, there can still be useful information contained in the review. In most cases, the writer’s affiliations and interests will be fairly transparent. It should also be mentioned that these practices are by no means exclusive to the photography industry.