Find Digital Camera Ratings That Count
Digital camera ratings are only as good as the person who does the rating, and only as far as they apply to your own camera needs. Before you buy your first digital camera, or upgrade to the newest model on the market, take time to look over digital camera ratings from others who use their cameras in the same way as you plan to use yours.
Consider the usefulness of digital camera ratings in the same way that you would the rating of a new car. If you are in the market for a family van, you probably wouldn't want a race car driver to help you decide which van you should buy, because the things he sees as important in a vehicle are probably not going to be the same as your own priorities. It's the same with a digital camera. While hearing from professional photographers is a good idea, their digital camera ratings of a particular camera may be of little practical use to you.
For example, consider what the digital camera ratings of a professional photographer would likely focus on. Because of the nature of their jobs, they would likely place significant emphasis on the time lapse between taking one photograph and the time the camera is ready to shoot again. In many cameras, that time can be up to several seconds. A few seconds probably doesn't seem important when you are simply taking family photographs, but to a professional photographer who is quickly losing the proper light or the scene being photographed, those seconds are precious time wasted. In that case, the digital camera ratings submitted by the amateur would be of little use to the professional, and the reverse is also true.
So how do you find digital camera ratings that offer pertinent information? One of the most important things to remember is that your own analysis of features may be more appropriate than the opinions of others who are offering digital camera ratings. Perhaps your idea of the most important features do not mesh with those of the professional photographers who have reviewed a specific camera. While keeping that professional opinion in mind is probably a good idea, it should not necessarily be the end of your search. That rating may have been given on the basis of a professional's need and expectation of photography equipment.
Finding other amateurs who use their digital cameras in the same way you use your camera equipment will help you find some "expert" advice without depending on the experts. The amateurs who have offered digital camera ratings have something you need - experience with digital cameras. But they also have something more important that you also need - a realistic view of what most people expect of a digital camera. So does this mean that you shouldn't ever trust the opinion of a professional photographer? Of course not. It only means that you should treat the digital camera ratings you read as opinions, and then use your own common sense to decide what camera will work best for you.
