The sad truth about camera reviews & "Youtube Photographers"
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- čas přidán 26. 05. 2024
- In this video I talk about Camera and lens reviews and the culture on youtube photography channels as well as some corporate industry practices that need to change and yes some photo reviews on youtube do need some change.
NIKON, CANON, SONY, FUJI and all cameras, we all love and watch the reviews on youtube but here are some sad truths regarding camera reviews on youtube.
I also touch on camera brand influencers (youtube photographers) vs real photographers and what to watch out for when watching reviews on youtube about your next camera body or lens.
Enjoy.
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Way before the first digital camera review, William Shakespeare said
"No legacy is so rich as honesty"
V, you make the best content ❤
Thank you Carmine. Unfortunately honesty can get you in trouble sometimes. The truth will set you free. hehe
I totally agree with you, at the begging of my photography journey I used to follow channels to learn and I was disgusted as they slowly became Sony commercials. I am talking about the Jared and Tony type of channels, hate those guys now. So I decided a long time ago to just follow fresh and honest CZcamsrs like you, who talk about photography and art, more than gear. Keep your awesome work! 💪
Issue is that the majority of You Tubers who wants to talk about photography DON’T get the most click on this type of video and said many times that the reviews are the ones that are mostly watched. They say that it is a waste of time and money to make a video that is not watched, so they talk about gear.
Thank you Nachinoloco. Appreciate your kind words. Reviews coming soon!!! I used to watch allot of Jared Polin and I still watch and look for the next crazy thing he says for entertianment value. He's been a little fair as of late but if Im not mistaken, he's sponsored by Canon for all the gear they use around the fro factory.
@@angeloplayforone Angelo. that's fine im ok with gear talk. but at the very least, don't bash other brands and pput a little more effort in the samples. Its a rat race to see who can be first. Guys like McKinnon take the time to craft out the art. I like that. Well he doesnt really do gear reviews but you get what I'm saying.
@@Vahagraphy Jared ‘Canon’ Polin likes to review Canon camera and like to dismiss the big discussion in Canon world about the lack of third party lenses and the expensive prices of Canon. Words like Canon has the best lenses, have plenty of choices and now let’s third party lenses. No words that this third part lenses are Tamron and Sigma APS-C and not the FF 2.8 zoom and primes that everyone’s wants. Not saying that Canon lenses are around €3000 to €4000 for on of the basic f2.8 trinity of lenses and more expensive that their Sony G-master counterparts or Nikon counterparts.
@@Vahagraphy pretty clear he is sponsored by Canon. Disappointed to say the least. I don’t watch him anymore.
Appreciate this video and the message. I am someone who follows photography channels not because photography is my hobby per se, but bc photography is an important part of my actual hobbies (bird and nature watching, hiking, stargazing and amateur astronomy, and taking a few beach vacation trips with my wife and/or grown children as time and money allow throughout the year).
I have an older Nikon DSLR and a somewhat newer P1000 and have really enjoyed learning the basics of photography and hopefully will continue to learn with.
I say all this, because what you are talking about I see very much the same in the CZcams hiking community, the camping community, the jeep and off-roading community, the astrophotography community, etc etc. It’s like panning for gold to find honest reviews and feedback and product suggestions amid all the noise of the latest and greatest and generating FOMO and blurring the lines between honest reviews and outright advertising.
I can only say, take everything on CZcams, or I guess any media, with a grain of salt and remember at the end of the day you and only you are the best judge of what you need vs what someone else may be telling you that you should want.
Great advise. I guess all the communities or some/ most practice this " Im reviewer and not an actual user of the product" thing. Thanks for sharing. Love that P1000.
Love from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada! You rock, V. I have stopped watching vloggers who are only marketing products. I am only following those who chat honestly and those who are making travel vlogs using photography as the basis.
Nice another Mississauga representative
Good talk about camera reviewing. Camera brands have their own target consumers and they're all happy with their brand and so should the YT photography channels be as well. Great video.
It’s not hard to spot the paid for reviewers, honestly!
I just want them to be honest because allot of people watching the big channels take them for their word.
I honestly started clicking “not interested” in videos recommended to me for gear or tech. Unless I’m genuinely looking for a review. It keeps you in FOMO mode. Just enjoy what you have
I have been asking this questions for so long, ive never seen any photos that would blow you away from many of those so called CZcams photography experts. a few show a few decent photos but most dont show anything that looks professional. if I see photos of a tree branch to review an expensive lens im rolling my eyes . great video and totally agree :))
Thank you Mike. How you been? Hope all is well my friend.
@@Vahagraphy been doing well brother and yourself ? :)
At this point, the key thing when choosing a system is which system you are most comfortable with when shooting. The final effect is indistinguishable and seriously, the system you choose is irrelevant.
YES. the key and starting point for me is, which camera feels best in the hand and then its the lenses.
I'm a serious hobbyist and I still shoot with a Nikon D810 and love it. It is my opinion that if a camera was great 10 years ago then it is still great today even if it doesn't have all of the newest bells and whistles.
yup, unfortunately the companies don't want you to feel this way because they want you to upgrade every other year. If you don't. they make it seem with these channel stars sending viewers the message that you are missing the latest greatest when you go out and shoot with outdated gear.
@@Vahagraphy it's a shame that so many people fall for this form of manipulation.
@@doubledip3181 yup
Many of these videos dont even say the video is sponsored at the first 30 secs of their video. They also say they are not paid(but paid trips)
New & subbed.
You've nailed this!!
I seen the video, he makes some good points but missed big on a few important pieces that you covered.
I've been saying for years how youtube turned into a commercial business platform, not all obviously but *Way Too Many* have.
This is a great piece.
Thanks for your time,
Cheers,
There is more to photography than just camera's and lenses. You have to love people and respect their opinions. It is part of the composition. It is good to hear from you Mr. Vahagan. I always think of you when I'm doing band photography at a festival.
Hey thanks bro. Rock those cameras at those shows. :)
@@Vahagraphy Thank you, I like using the Nikon D750 at concerts because of it's low light performance. Normally I use the Nikkor 24-120 lens, because it can zoom in closer or further away if needed. 1.8 prime lenses are better in low light. But sometimes at concerts the versatility of a zoom lens is more important. I like photographing individual musicians after they get warmed up and into the performance. Normally that happens around the 3rd song.
CZcams reviews are very often sponsored, which is basically a paid advert for the product.
One channel actually admits to the fact that if there was no sponsor attached to the video then they would never make videos. Not worth the time and effort without getting paid. I swear, if I hear another square space ad lol.. these guys are doing square space now in multiple spots on the videos now.
Great review! It always seems that we are being sold to constantly. I really feel that these very stylized CZcams reviews are just making people spend money on things that they really don’t need.
Some of them are provided with the gears by the camera/lense companies and claim those reviews are 'unbiased'. I always take it with a grain of salt.
Agree… think about this… gear is just a tool…there’s is no point to go around CZcams and follow these people, and we all know whose they are… get the gear, brand that you like and create your photography journey, don’t be a follower instead be yourself and create your own style. I strongly believe that the less you pay attention to these people the quicker you will find your style and the more fun you will have. Practice and practice… i have started with film camera, still got it back in 1994 Fujica st605, non digital world. People these days get too into the technology and rely on brands autofocus etc… i speak for myself and I don’t need bells and whistles for my professional work. I still work with Nikon D1 and D3 with 28mm , 58mm and 105mm 1.4 my favourite lenses. Cheers brother, i do like the U turn on your channel, very smart and well done bro
Another great content !!!
Thank you my bro. BAM BAM BAM ,, GOT IT!!! hahahaha
Just recently unsubscribed from bunch of youtube channels because of this crap. Most of them acquired a reputation of trusted reviewer in the past when they actually did a non biased reviews, but at some point money started to stink. I see how enticing this can be, but as Warren Buffet said: It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.
Yup.. and we just don't know how big these checks really are. They will never disclose that info to the viewers. If a company is paying for advertisement to sell more cameras, the way to get in front of the line is with money. Money talks bs walks.
What you are saying makes sense. I'll be watching. :-)
Thank you so much. ROCK N ROLL!!!!
Hello Vahagraphy, Yes The are so many so call creators on CZcams who just say the same thing word for world or very close to each other, and some who will just about take write articles and more or less just read them. I now find it hard to believe any of them. I am now just using the fact that the are review on some bit of kit, I then have to go to my local photographic store to check it out for my self. I also think that this is true of all reviews I see on the internet. Its one of the reason that I try and only watch CZcamss from people who give a review on a bit of kit that I have and then see if I agree. Must add you do very well. Keep safe, keep well and do find some time for fun!
Totally AGREE!!
I started out in photography with a Kodak Instamatic, then in High School took photography classes using the analog film cameras and stayed with it until about 2003 until I purchased my first digital camera, a Canon Rebel digital camera. Now I own a Canon 6D and 6D Mark II and a M50 Mark I. I never went for the newest right away, I always got them later on, I recently purchased a Canon RP and I love it. The cameras do what I want them to do, not that I'm a great photographer but I'm very good at it. So I said all that to say that what the person in this video said is right, do what is right for you and go with what you feel is good for you. Yes, watch review videos and read reviews in magazines but use the information to make sound informed decisions for you not because someone said so. Research, compare and make sound decisions, once you acquire the equipment, use it to get better with it and have fun!!!
Camera Conspiracies and Gerald Undone just hit on the same topic.
Hi Scott. Yes! Gerald was my inspiration for this video. :)
lmao at least Kasey reviews cameras based on his criteria which are high FPS, squirrels and birds, 3d pop and microcontrast; Gerald just dives deep into the specs like a true spec reviewer; and other "reviewers" only does promotions. im glad more people are watching CC.
1:47
Can you help me find Ordinary Filmmaker's films? I asked him under one of his latest rumors videos, and received no answer... .
I have no idea bro. :)
I hate the saying "Game Changer" hahah nice video bro
the game has changed. lol GAME CHANGER. SONY KILLa lol
@@Vahagraphy as always another Killer video! Haha 🤣 miss you buddy
@@Photojouralist123 miss you too bro. you have always been even keel with me and I'll never forget it. Your a true gentleman all around. An old school type of cat. Much RESPECT.
@@Vahagraphy oh ya this old dog 🐕 has been around the block! I loved that your a straight shooter. No bullshit dude. And you’re the only photographer who used the same Nikons I did D2x, 3, 4 and 5 . Rock steady pro Nikons. No matter what I’ll follow you bro 😎
New sub great content 👌 👍 👏 ☺️.
Welcome aboard! happy to have you as a new subscriber Benjamin.
Beautiful sample images are great, though personally I think the goal of a sample should be highlighting optical aspects of the lens. If it's a picture of a tree that creates lighting conditions that would produce chromatic aberration then I'd say awesome. That said, to each their own which is the great thing about CZcams. 👍
Vahas youtube channel is a tony nortop channel killer 😃😃😃😃
hahahah Gonna take allot more effort. lol naw but in all fairness, it wouldn't be the same without a good ol "breaking News" video from Tony. All I want these bigger names to do is just be fair and show more of some serious work. After all, they are talking to us photographers and photographers so act like it and let the photos do the talking.
@@Vahagraphyif it’s breaking news put the AD AFTER the byline
@@robmcd squarespace is important lol got to pay the bills.
@@Vahagraphy thought he didn’t need the money… was a successful publisher?
It’s only Northrops of the CZcams world will world will surely do that
Squarespace anyone? lol
I'm wary of many gear reviews on YT, to many seem to have a noticeable bias, often shilling for Canon. As an engineer, what I have noticed is gear at similar price points tend to have similar specs and capabilities with each other. So often it becomes, not which is 'better' objectively but subjective factors that determine the final purchase decision.
Great comment. bottom like is, they are all good, but which one fits you like a glove. That's why I say, hold them first or when it comes to lenses. mount them , test it then go from there.
My Way... you know it's adapted from a French song, don't you?!?! 😁😆😉
I didn't know that. :) thanks for sharing. I'll youtube the french version now.
@@Vahagraphy If you need any help, let me know. Peace bro!
@@Vahagraphy David Bowie was one of the songwriters who were supposed to come up with English lyrics for that song. What he came up with was awful. He himself said so. Eventually the lyrics written by Paul Anka were chosen and _My Way_ was born. Bowie, being Bowie, was inspired by the experience and as a result came up with "Life on Mars?".
Indeed. I am more likely to listen to a Christopher Frost review more than the vast majority of the CZcamsr channels.
I like his video where he compares the Noct 58 Nikon with the Leica Noct. That video made me pony up the cash and get one for myself. Thank you Chris Frost.
@@Vahagraphy theres hope for you yet.
@@castieldiallo2945 let's hope so :)
Any yTuber that gets gear not paid for out of their OWN pocket is sponsored. Period. Whether not that person can capitalize on that, well that's on them. Getting free gear whether that be outright and or as a loaner, that has BUILT channels like the one that Gerald Undone has. So he having the NERVE to now say, well a Trip will cost him money is more then a bit much. Getting loaners and Paid Trip via the Gear/Camera companies made it possible for GERALD to be at this point. So NO, Gerald isn't the solution, he's the PROBLEM. Funny how he ends his Video with all this LOVE for Sony. Funny that.
Good video. I already unsubscribed from all the Lumix parrot reviewers. Totally agree most reviewers are just people who love the tech but never use it for the art.
You have proof of any of this? If reviewers get cheques from the major camera companies, I know one who’d be delighted, since he’s on record as saying some of his CZcams reviews earn him just $20 for a review that can take days to do. Anybody who imagines any of the big three will be shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars to a hundred CZcamsrs and influencers is living in cloud cuckoo land. What all this talk is doing is ruining the few serious, committed and honest reviewers left.
Right on! Good content in this video. I can spot the corporate suck ass' in less than a minute.
hahahh suckkk asss lol thanks for watching and commenting Charles.
I have the Canon 5D Mark IV still, I love that camera for photographing my German Shepherds…that sensor is special! I also have the Z9, Z8, R3 , ZF and the Z7ii…I know, I have a problem but at least I’m not buying jewelry for myself 😂 My husband understands how much I love photography 💕
Jewelry is better then Z9 costing €6000 and in some years it is €500 worth. My wife said to me the positive about jewelry is that the price will increase, hence it is a safe investment.
Nice. I like the fact you spend the jewelry diamond and watch money for the cameras. That's what I do. No one can argue with you about camera brands because you basically use them all.
@@angeloplayforone yah for investment sure. but we can't live our lives according to investments. Screww it, buy it if you want it and enjoy it. hahah
@@angeloplayforone we have our investments and you’re right trying to resell camera gear is a joke these days. I have a local camera store that I deal with that knows how well I take care of my gear so they deal very fair with me. Cameras and lenses are my joy, jewelry not so much but everyone has that one special thing that brings them happiness.
@@Vahagraphy except Sony, I returned the A1, that thing hurt my hands with their sharp dials😂
Not only “killer” but every week we get a “game changer.” 😂
The other issue with all this is once a reviewer is in the pocket of a specific brand they not only promote it but it also gives them negative bias regards competing brands. So we now find ourselves in the situation where that reviewer never says anything negative about the brand or brands paying them but conversely they have licence to destroy those brands that dont pay them. You see, reviews are not just about the product itself but how it stacks up against its competition in the market. How can a review ever be fair and balanced when you either dont compare it to alternative options or worse still, bash other brands in an attempt to place the brand paying you in a better light. Reveiws will always be subjective of course and what floats your boat probably wont float mine. Photography is a huge expansive subject covering so many genres that one camera might suit it better than another. The difficulty is seperating the genuine journalistic non bias aspect of a review against personal preference, add payed shills to the mix and you really have to ask yourself if any reveiw is worth listening to. I've used lots of camera brands over the years and settled primarily on Nikon as my main system. Its not perfect but it gets me the results I need. No doubt I could achieve similar results if I shot Canon or Sony but I settled on Nikon because I like what they do for the most part. I'm brand agnostic either way, if Nikon doesnt fit my needs I'll move on to a brand that does. That said I'm not going to sell all my Nikon gear just because the latest Sony or Canon has 4 extra megapixels or can shoot 2 frames a second quicker, thats just crazy!
Ultimately the best reviewer is yourself 😉
Those that made that comment change their views so many times over the past & they have been so biast i stopped watching them ages ago. They are paid sales people.
Money talks BS walks. One minute they say one thing about the Z system another say they make it sound good after people call them out on it.
You say there is 'a fine line between a review and a commercial '. I could not disagree more. They are polar opposites.
Gerald Undone is the Problem, not the Solution.
Comparison spoils the fun, those channel makes my sad and "kill" joy from photography
lol Terry Warfield would highly disagree with you. lol but I totally resonate with what you are saying glad that you are speaking up
There have been very few cameras in the last 10-20 years that have actually raised the bar or made a big step forward. Far too many cameras are just incremental changes. Cameras like cars have their fanboys and their company can do no wrong. The reviewers are part of the problem but it's the fanboys that drive the direction of the new cameras and the reviews. My grandson calls them spec sheet masturbaters. So I'll be sticking with my Canon EOS R and Nikon D750 and my film cameras
But video did kill the radio star
absolutely agreed and honest truth. i do not look at Tony and Fro the like. I follow your channel, also Steve Perry is real deal and other independent reviewer like Hudson Hunter etc. Photography life is the best review site btw and also Brad Hill. Christopher’s review is good too
and they get upset when we call them out on the bs. they start ghosting. lol hahahah i love it. I have to check some of the names you listed here. thanks
Instead of talking about gear, maybe we should talk about whether a photographer is any good or not? A person has to operate the gear, right? Maybe that would be too brutal? Seems so. The person behind the gear matters.
Jared Polin from "fro nows fotows" and certain tony, yes am talkin to you. Cant see any good photos taken from these CZcams photographers yet thier mouth are louder than thier talent😂
haha, I watched that video and cannot remember who it was. Not important just found it funny that I had watched that sewavideo and don't know who it was talking. To me it's not what any one reviewer says or doesn't say. It is the preponderance of evidence across a lot of reviews that help point out feature sets that I may be interested in or feature sets I may find non-useful for my style of photography. Yeah, paid shills can be pretty easy to spot. Not just the paid shills but the brand fanboys.
Fanboys are fun. They can be blinded by the truth easily. How you been Jeff. Hope all is well.
i refuse to take on sponsors. Ive been reached out, but i dont need the money. I retired from a job and dont feel like selling out my audience for another job. I have yet to find a sponsor I actually believe in. Its true though. Gear reviews and tutorials get the clicks.
@@KevinNordstrom I hear ya brother. I retired from a job and am not looking to start another one. I started my channel to have fun and share nature with others. If it ever stops being fun, I’ll walk away from it. I’ve not done gear reviews. Mainly I don’t feel I could do a review on gear unless I’ve used it for a year or so and by then, there is nothing I can say that someone else hasn’t already said. I just enjoy walking through the woods taking photos of beautiful things I see.
@@Vahagraphy thanks V. Been doing well. Some family emergencies the past couple weeks but things seem to be more calm now. Hope you are doing well.
@@JeffandLeslie The day i take on a sponsor it will be with a service I have used already for years. The thing is, sponsors are probaly 70% of their income on youtube. Ad sense is nothing. I put in 60 hours every month into my channel for maybe $150/month. Its really not worth it. Infact im on a few month break beacuse the kids are out of school for the summer and life is busy. You need to be averaging closer to 30k views per video or more to be making any real money on ad sense alone.
However i do it because i want to share encouragment and the joy of photogrpahy with others. When im gone, and my videos are left on the platform, i dont want to be known for gear reviews or rumors etc. If i ever find the right sponsor, i would probaly take it so it could help someone out there. However, Im fine finacially and have no desire to soly rely on youtube for a living. Infact that would be even more stressful and not fun at all.
Ive done a few reviews as well and they seem to always do better, but thats not what my channel is about. Its not what my audience is about either. I know what will get views. Teach others photgoraphy. But you can learn the basics in a few days and theres only so many "how to get sharp images" and lightroom tutorials you can do before that shit drives you crazy.
Same with camera and lens reviews. Gear is awesome and i do get geeked outsometimes. But i find its all just tools in our hands to create something. But talking about It all will blow up your channel for sure, and much respect for those others that take that path. Ill stay in my own little corner of youtube even if i stay a small channel.
Im mainly doing it for myself to heal my combat experiences and depression and hope to spread a little hope to people who struggle with depression and exiety and use a camera for that reason. Which is horrible advise to grow a photography channel lol. CZcams doesnt reward you for the time and effort you put in. CZcams rewards you based on what people want to see. Unfortuannly its gear and tutorials. The art of photography is dieing and a much smaller portion of the photography community. But like i said, I dont need the money and have no desire to rely on youtube for a fulltime job. So i have that freedom to post whatever the hell i want, on whatever i want. with no deadlines, resrictions, contracts, bias opinions, etc.
I may find the right sponsor one day, but it sure as hell wont be squarespace lmao. Take care my friend.
You literally defined killed as 'to be killed'. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
99 percent of them are weird
ROCK N ROLL!!!!!!! haha Weird is good. :) sometimes.
Always disliked all the contents from PETER MCKINNON. He used to call him "Professional cinematographer and photographer", and many times I used to comment under his videos, show me ONE of your professional work, there must be something to showcase right? Some commissioned work?
Nothing. Zero.
Now a days he calls himself a "Teacher of photography and cinematography", doesn't use the word "Professional" anymore.
Be careful with the swearing and politics, Google might not like it. A lot has changed since they bought it.
You are literally repeating what Gerald Undone said. Zero originality.