Consumer Reports (Page 2): My advice.........Why read cr if it irritates you?

bali

My advice.........Why read cr if it irritates you?

Gifted One Loc: S. E. Idaho

mdorn wrote:

I only look for reviews to support purchasing decisions I've already made. Then I suffer from buyer's remorse for weeks. Therefore, I can't really help you on this one. :-)

At last an honest man. We do seem to torment ourselves. "JR"

beverett Loc: los angeles

Festus wrote:

When I have looked at Consumer Reports, 99.9% of the time I would not pick any of their choices based on their reviews. For the most part, what ever they review, they are not users of what they are reviewing. I would prefer to look at reviews done by individuals that have significant experience in the field of any product that I was planning on purchasing. Photography or other.

Right. CR ignores the high-end products. Readers are led to believe that the "best" products are those that CR ranks highest. There is an entire level of gear that isn't even mentioned.

bali

Don't read them if it irritates you

Sunnykaren Loc: Michigan

LoneRangeFinder wrote:

At the "consumer" level, I would value their evaluations; at the "professional" level I tend to discount--or take with a grain of salt--their ratings. They are rating for the general population... it's kind of like getting your prints done at Walgreen's, Walmart, Costco, et. al.-- if they satisfy you--fine....

Where do you get your prints done? Just curious......

BrettOssman Loc: near Tampa, Florida

LoneRangeFinder wrote:

At the "consumer" level, I would value their evaluations; at the "professional" level I tend to discount--or take with a grain of salt--their ratings. They are rating for the general population... it's kind of like getting your prints done at Walgreen's, Walmart, Costco, et. al.-- if they satisfy you--fine....

Excellent response, IMHO. Not everyone needs or wants professional level gear. From what I recall, CR never targets pro's, nor do they claim to.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

beverett wrote:

There is an entire level of gear that isn't even mentioned.

Yes, and that's why I was surprised to see them give the top rating to the $89,000 Tesla electric car. The Nissan Leaf was rated just below it. Someone shopping for an electric car probably wouldn't be trying to decide between those two models, although I'd love to have a Tesla.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

LoneRangeFinder wrote:

At the "consumer" level, I would value their evaluations; at the "professional" level I tend to discount--or take with a grain of salt--their ratings. They are rating for the general population... it's kind of like getting your prints done at Walgreen's, Walmart, Costco, et. al.-- if they satisfy you--fine....

I agree 100%, but with regard to cameras I would replace consumer with newbie and professional with advanced amateur.

photoninja1 Loc: Tampa Florida

The reviews are typically so late to market that more than half the cameras are no longer on the shelf. And I agree that the reviews trend to be weighted in a way that would not work for many knowledgeable photographers. I stay with DP Review and similar.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

photoninja1 wrote:

... knowledgeable photographers.

The minority of their subscribers.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

EstherP wrote:

Not very high. They seem to rate only the newest models with the newest models. You could have a camera that is a year or two years old, is much better than this year's crop, but is not listed in Consumer Reports.
EstherP

I have to second that and they are not specialized to test/review cameras, they do all sort of things. With cameras, I just don't trust them very much ( I've seen some of their reviews of cameras and they were pretty much bogus)!!

Sunnykaren Loc: Michigan

Sometimes flaws (and good points) are pointed out on Amazon customer reviews...can be helpful for further investigation...just a thought.

PNagy Loc: Missouri City, Texas

wilbur wrote:

In reviewing discussions comparing cameras, no mention that I have seen speaks of Consumer Reports evaluations on cameras and lenses. How do you folks rate their evaluations ? Thanks. Wilbur

Consumer reports is generally focused on directing you to what is the best value for the money. This has led me to purchasing cars that hardly ever require a repair, such as the Toyota Yaris I bought new in 2009, but which has had no repairs on it, not even routine brake work.

I will not use Consumer Reports to evaluate cameras and lenses because I do not think that they do it comprehensively enough to cover all the high end equipment, and because I want the highest quality regardless the price. If you just want good, consumer level or prosumer equipment, I think Consumer Reports would be a good resource.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

PNagy wrote:

Consumer reports is generally focused on directing you to what is the best value for the money. This has led me to purchasing cars that hardly ever require a repair, such as the Toyota Yaris I bought new in 2009, but which has had no repairs on it, not even routine brake work.

It's interesting to see which cars need very few repairs and which are bad choices to buy. A high price doesn't guarantee a reliable car. For years, the Ford Escort was on their list of most reliable cars. Their lists are based on reports by owners, rather than "experts" or car dealers.

Mr Clickie Loc: Twin Cities, MN

Knowledge is power. read read read. lots of forums & lots of different reviews and opinions. Then, form your own. Or, formulate your own first and then see if anyone else can validate your thoughts.