Puts Contra Reid?

[stevme]

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It looks as though Herr Puts has relegated Mr. Reid's reviews to the category of unreliable subjectivism, although Mr. Reid is not mentioned by name.

 

The subject of Erwin's ire seems to be the recent 75 mm review (in which case, at least he is a subscriber to the Reid site). Says Puts: little new, and what remains is unreliable impressionism.

 

According to Puts:

 

"it is now very easy to take a few pictures, compare them side by side, note a range of differences and comment on these differences. There are countless websites where you can find this kind of review. The main problem with this approach is the impossibility to separate the whole from the individual parts and facts from subjective interpretation. When you view and interpret an image file on a computer screen, you see the sum of the effects of the scene itself, the lens projection on the detector, the characteristics of the detector, the characteristics of the post processing program, the characteristics of the computer screen itself and last but not least the interpretative value system of the viewer. To extract from that total system the relevant properties of the lens as invariant from the whole context of the imaging and viewing chain, is an impossible act."

 

Here is the full salvo:

 

http://www.imx.nl/photosite/comments/c036.html

 

Steve

[wparsonsgisnet]

I've made better purchase decisions over the past year-plus solely based on Sean's site.

 

Puts may feel he is in control of technical details, but I for one cannot translate his writing into a buying decision.

 

What helps me is comparisons of actual images. I have read a great deal of Puts' stuff and find it helpful, but not to the degree of spending money.

 

For instance, when the M8 was due to arrive I knew I needed something to replace the 35mm effective length, very important in my stage photog. Sean had reviews of lenses from 21 thru 28 out there, with brand comparisons, and with actual pictures from each. While I had been thinking the new and relatively inexpensive 28, I ended up getting a 24 based on images I could actually see.

 

It was very nice, after that, to see that Puts raved about the lens. Sort of like a nice napkin to pat the lips after a good meal.

[george +]

So? Puts frequently explains technical data that we can usually get direct from the manufacturer's brochures. And does so in ever soooo many words.

 

Sean and others tell their views. This I can not get from the manufacturer.

 

As an asides, I have never fallen asleep reading Sean's stuff.

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[Guest guy_mancuso]

I'm feeling the urge not to vent today, must be the lack of beans.

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[larry]

The world needs both accountants and artists, a fact that seems to escape Puts in his spreadsheet mindset. He does a good job of quantifying information (if you can get past his hack prose), but he's a little too smug when it comes to patting himself on the back at the expense of others.

 

Larry

[barjohn]

Sean's reviews do something that Puts can never do and that is apply the eye of a professional photographer, one that has my deep respect based on my looking at his work. There is technical and theory and then there is the real world where they don't always meet despite our best intentions to put them on the same path. Like Bill, I make buying decisions based on what Sean says and illustrates, I don't on Puts. YMMV

[mat_mcdermott]

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Larry's comment above is right on the mark. Personally, I far prefer Sean's equipment reviews and photographic insights far more relevant to my needs than Puts' graphs and technical analyses. For the person designing a lens, isolating what the lens is doing from what the sensor and post-processing software is doing is undoubtedly of critical importance, but for someone out to make artistic images it's frankly a bit pointless.

[HaraldL]

Puts is probaly more a tech reviewer than mr Reid. I don´t have a problem with that. Just don´t fool yourself by just listening to only one. Different views do broaden your knowledge.

 

Harald

[sdai]

Come one, folks ... all M8 related topics have been beaten to death and now you desperately need to find new ones to keep your second life going? LOL

 

All you need to do is sell your car, buy every single lens in Leica, Zeiss and CV's catalogues, TRY each of them in one month, and list the unwanted/unused ones on eBay. Can't be easier than that ... and you have first hand experience and could make money from your own reviews!

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[Guest Olof]

Sean's reviews do something that Puts can never do...

 

But Puts reviews are free, and even when you want to subscribe Seans reviews, its no easy bacause his homepage wants an US telephone number ???

[egibaud]

I got an idea so we can have a reliable review....

 

We buy all the lenses we want to compare, make the test ourselves and decide!!!!!

 

What this guy says is laughable !!!!!!! Sean's may not be the ideal review, but surely the closest to what we would do if we had all these lenses in our hands!!!!

 

Other idea, this guy buys all the lenses we need to test, he sends them to me, I test them, then, I send them to someone else, he tests them, and so on. 10 years later, we compare all this forum's members test results and impressions and we decide....

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Come on give us a break!!!!, you are clearly annoyed that Sean Reid's reviews is a great reference at the time of deciding what lens to buy. I admit I have never taken into account your reviews, not that they are not good. I just happen to feel that Sean was doing the way I would do it myself and felt more comfortable with his reviews.

 

My post is not an answer to the creator of this thread but to the writer of the review he refers to.

 

Eric

[egibaud]

its no easy bacause his homepage wants an US telephone number ???

 

THIS IS NON SENSE !!!!!!!!!!!

 

I live in Spain and I am subscribed to Sean's reviews.

 

Eric

[tashley]

I'm feeling the urge not to vent today, must be the lack of beans.

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LOL,

 

let me do it for you Guy: 'Puts' should be spelled with a 'z'.

 

so flame me!

 

;-)

 

t

[macusque]

Sean's reviews are probably the most interesting for a photographer, he always puts (no pun intended..) things in perspective, reporting his findings on many aspects of the image rendering, inlcuding which lens is preferable for shooting in harsh daylight or in black and white.

 

He gives his honest opinion as a photographer and he actually made me save a bunch of money at least twice, something Mr. Puts didn't...

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[sdai]

I'm not surprised that some idiot needs to read more than one book just to prove a circle is round. LOL

[Enoteca]

But Puts reviews are free, and even when you want to subscribe Seans reviews, its no easy bacause his homepage wants an US telephone number ???

 

Hi Olof,

that must be a misunderstanding. You will not need an US-number and you will easily be able to subscribe on Seans's reviews via his homepage and paying the small amount of some 30 $ which I find a good investment. The amount will enable you to read for one year all of Sean's reviews, which I find very important deciding, getting knowlage for all questions about the M8. If you get used to the new machine and got all of your gear, you may decide after a year, whether you will join Sean further or leave the reviews. Concerning the cost of the new baby, I think these 30$ for Sean's review is near by nothing. Try it!

[sean_reid]

 

The subject of Erwin's ire seems to be the recent 75 mm review (in which case, at least he is a subscriber to the Reid site). Says Puts: little new, and what remains is unreliable impressionism.

 

Steve

 

Actually, Erwin isn't a current subscriber and it is unlikely that he has actually read the article in question. But he obviously heard about it.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[sean_reid]

But Puts reviews are free, and even when you want to subscribe Seans reviews, its no easy bacause his homepage wants an US telephone number ???

 

As I told you by e-mail, you seem to be having an unusual problem with your **** card and I recommend that you try another card. The site doesn't do any financial transactions at all, they're done by PayPal and PayPal can sometimes be strange. Feel free to e-mail again to try to sort this out.

[sean_reid]

I'm not surprised that some idiot needs to read more than one book just to prove a circle is round. LOL

 

 

What?

[sean_reid]

Thanks for the comments on the reviews, folks, much obliged.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean