Yongnuo 568EX Canon Review
I must say that I (generally) feel I can trust professional reviews, but I know what Colin means when he questions the testers impartiality, especially with the big-name advertisers, there's always a niggling doubt that the reviews are tempered by real or perceived allegiances. However I also believe that there is a degree of elitism in Amateur reviews too, and a like or dislike of particular brands which will come through in their reviews, potentially to a greater degree than that of the professionals for whom it's a paid job rather than a hobby.
What I think amateur reviews lack is the breadth of knowledge and experience which the professionals offer. It's easy for me to say that the Canon 600EX-RT is a fabulous flash and that the Yongnuo 568EX is second best, and that the Nissin Di866 ii failed after just 500 discharges, but what I can't do it compare any of them to the other flash currently available.
This lack of extensive knowledge also leads to the reticence to mark down your own purchases, you've already investigated and made your decision that product-X is the "best" at the point you purchase it, therefore (unless it's subsequently let you down badly) you're hardly likely to say anything too harsh about it.
Also, due to the fact that many amateur reviewers don't have access to the more esoteric (expensive!) equipment it's awfully difficult to make an informed judgement as to a particular items quality (or lack thereof). It's all too easy to say that your super zoom is fabulous, sharp, and fast if you've come from a camera-phone and haven't experienced the benefits of Zeiss glass! Nor do many amateur reviewers have access to multiple copies of a piece of equipment to undertake testing of more than one example. A good case in point was the chap on these very forums who was contemplating the purchase of a 70-300 lens. My personal experience, of one copy of both the L and non-L lens was that there was little, if any discernible difference, yet a wealth of other users stated categorically that the L glass was streets ahead optically. I can't say whether the L lens I borrowed was poor, whether the non-L version I bought was exceptionally good, or whether it was just down to my camera which suited the non-L lens.
I think there's a place for Magazine, Internet, and user reviews in the selection process of new equipment, and then at the end of the process it's down to you, the consumer, to make an informed decision based on your own evaluation. My Yongnuo review was a result of a lot if chatter on this forum about the merits of marque flash vs. the cheaper far-eastern brethren, so I thought I'd offer my limited experience for general consumption in the hope that it may help someone make a slightly better informed decision during the purchase process.
I must say that I (generally) feel I can trust professional reviews, but I know what Colin means when he questions the testers impartiality, especially with the big-name advertisers, there's always a niggling doubt that the reviews are tempered by real or perceived allegiances. However I also believe that there is a degree of elitism in Amateur reviews too, and a like or dislike of particular brands which will come through in their reviews, potentially to a greater degree than that of the professionals for whom it's a paid job rather than a hobby.
What I think amateur reviews lack is the breadth of knowledge and experience which the professionals offer. It's easy for me to say that the Canon 600EX-RT is a fabulous flash and that the Yongnuo 568EX is second best, and that the Nissin Di866 ii failed after just 500 discharges, but what I can't do it compare any of them to the other flash currently available.
This lack of extensive knowledge also leads to the reticence to mark down your own purchases, you've already investigated and made your decision that product-X is the "best" at the point you purchase it, therefore (unless it's subsequently let you down badly) you're hardly likely to say anything too harsh about it.
Also, due to the fact that many amateur reviewers don't have access to the more esoteric (expensive!) equipment it's awfully difficult to make an informed judgement as to a particular items quality (or lack thereof). It's all too easy to say that your super zoom is fabulous, sharp, and fast if you've come from a camera-phone and haven't experienced the benefits of Zeiss glass! Nor do many amateur reviewers have access to multiple copies of a piece of equipment to undertake testing of more than one example. A good case in point was the chap on these very forums who was contemplating the purchase of a 70-300 lens. My personal experience, of one copy of both the L and non-L lens was that there was little, if any discernible difference, yet a wealth of other users stated categorically that the L glass was streets ahead optically. I can't say whether the L lens I borrowed was poor, whether the non-L version I bought was exceptionally good, or whether it was just down to my camera which suited the non-L lens.
I think there's a place for Magazine, Internet, and user reviews in the selection process of new equipment, and then at the end of the process it's down to you, the consumer, to make an informed decision based on your own evaluation. My Yongnuo review was a result of a lot if chatter on this forum about the merits of marque flash vs. the cheaper far-eastern brethren, so I thought I'd offer my limited experience for general consumption in the hope that it may help someone make a slightly better informed decision during the purchase process.
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