One common thing that’s constantly done on all the Web fora (and shows up in my emails) is what I call the Random Ask.
The Random Ask goes something like this: “I’m thinking about buying an X, do you have one, and how good is it?”
Let me say that if I were to pose such a question about, say, a lens in an Internet forum, the answers I would get back would almost certainly suggest that the lens is better than it actually is. For instance, here’s an edited version of one such Random Ask answer: "I am happy with the results. For my purposes it works perfectly.”
Some answers provide only the first sentence. The answer I quoted at least puts in a qualifier in the second sentence.
Of course, we don’t know what that answerer’s purposes are, or how they evaluate something. You might have just as well asked a Magic 8 Ball if you should buy the lens (“signs point to yes”).
The Random Ask is herd behavior. If others are liking the grass, maybe I’ll try eating it.
On my sites I have a bit of the opposite problem. I try to be consistent and complete in my reviews, which are done from testing and informed/educated evaluation of real world use. I point out everything I know about the lens, sometimes with test numbers.
Since the final result of a lens design is a balance of conflicting issues, I’ve pretty much written something on the negative side about every lens I’ve reviewed. These past three weeks I’ve been using a lens whose vignetting is so strong that I can clearly see it in the viewfinder, even with corrections turned on. Does this make it a bad lens? Not if your subject is at least somewhat centrally located and you want to retain the eye in the middle of the frame ;~).
I fear, however, that some will look at a -3EV+ corner vignetting number with a small image circle as being a reason to not buy the lens, even when every other aspect of it is excellent. Even when I’ve given the lens a Recommended rating.
Most of the “Should I...” questions I get are actually looking for validation, not specifics. Yet it’s only in the specifics that you can get to the answer of whether a lens will work well for you or not.
I believe in the power of accurate and complete information. (Yes, I sometimes make mistakes or leave something out; if I become aware of that, I try to fix it). My belief is that by providing that, you can draw your own conclusions based upon your specific needs. If you want to ask me a question, though, I suggest you try The Specific Ask ;~).
