My personal thoughts about Robin Wong's blog (comments welcome)

[mpresley]

Eh. His article is basically advertising copy for Olympus, replete with non-specific vagaries, that is passed off as somehow, magically, a real review.

Why people blithely refuse to understand that simple fact is beyond me.

I guess I'm one of those who doesn't come away feeling like I've been betrayed after reading his blog, even if he is an Olympus employee. I own the Pany 25 and still like it. If they had both been available when I purchased the Pany, I might have been tempted to go with the Olympus but with all else being equal, I'd rather shoot at ISO 1000 than 1600 if that's all the only difference - and at least based on his obviously biased photographs, the difference is pretty subtle.

 

[Luckypenguin]

I was always too scared to want to find out "about" Ken Rockwell. :smile:

 

[Bhupinder2002]

I was always too scared to want to find out "about" Ken Rockwell. :smile:

Ken Rockwell is too much sometimes and I am scared to read about Zack Arias of especially after DSLR is dead kind of joke.
Cheers

 

[FlyPenFly]

I read it for what it is, a marketing brochure created by an employee of Olympus marketing.

 

[Replytoken]

O.K.; what does Ken Rockwell fantasize about Robin Wong?



Regards,

Jim

rotest_emoticon:rotest_emoticon:rotest_emoticon:rotest_emoticon:

 

[drd1135]

I only trust reviewers that have no bias or support from ads or manufacturers.

 

[OzRay]

I only trust reviewers that have no bias or support from ads or manufacturers.

I guess that rules out...err, everyone.

 

[Reflector]

He takes nice photos and writes long, detailed reviews that are filled with his opinions. I don't rely on him as a sole source of information and neither should anyone else.

Else you would no longer be a witness to the slow, tortured and agonizing death of critical thinking but instead a willing participant.

 

[DougVaughn]

I couldn't say it better. No one forces us to read anything on the web we don't want to read, and no one is forcing us to buy Olympus products. I don't waste much time griping about free reviews. For what it's worth, I enjoyed reading his blog and wish I had even half his talent as a street photographer.

i find it funny when the crowd makes a demands from a free source as if he owes them something

"he had better make a comparison on a panasonic body"
"he is not allowed to call his posts a review!"

its 1 voice on the web. if you dont like it, ask for a refund

 

[Bif]

The biggest problem with Robin Wong's blog is the temptation to think you can use the same lens he's testing and get the same results. I mean, seriously, he could shoot with a Holga toy lens and get better shots than I do with the 75mm Zuiko.

Well, I "drooled" over the pictures he took around a year before taking the position with Olympus Malaysia with that 75mm Zuiko, "drooled" over them for more than a year before finally ordering that lens.

It lives up to my expectations 100%. Robin was a confirmed Olympus enthusiast long before accepting that position with the company. I don't have a problem with his promoting what he believes in.

 

[OzRay]

I couldn't say it better. No one forces us to read anything on the web we don't want to read, and no one is forcing us to buy Olympus products. I don't waste much time griping about free reviews. For what it's worth, I enjoyed reading his blog and wish I had even half his talent as a street photographer.

That raises an important point about his reviews; take anything he says with a grain of salt, but he does show what you can do with the lenses that he reviews. I find what I have read, a lot more entertaining than say what DP Review puts up, which is simply clinical and dry.

 

[T N Args]

I couldn't say it better. No one forces us to read anything on the web we don't want to read, and no one is forcing us to buy Olympus products.

I could say it a lot better. Marketing works. We all are so sure it doesn't.... not on me! Only on the unintelligent or weak. Hah!

 

[Jonathan F/2]

Honestly I have no problem with him being employed by Olympus. If a camera brand was paying my bills I'd easily be pimping their gear. I think those complaining are just flat out jealous! I also find his pictures and style way better than the likes of Steve H*ff or any review site that begs you to click on their sponsor links.

 

[hkpzee]

I guess I'm one of those who doesn't come away feeling like I've been betrayed after reading his blog, even if he is an Olympus employee. I own the Pany 25 and still like it. If they had both been available when I purchased the Pany, I might have been tempted to go with the Olympus but with all else being equal, I'd rather shoot at ISO 1000 than 1600 if that's all the only difference - and at least based on his obviously biased photographs, the difference is pretty subtle.

That is exactly how I feel, too. I enjoy reading Robin's blog for what it is - an entertaining blog written by a great photographer and an Olympus enthusiast, who has recently became an Olympus employee. I still like my PL25, and won't be trading it in for the Olympus lens after reading his review, nor do I feel bad about my decision. What Robin showed me in his review is that Olympus came up with another winner of its own...

Having said that, if I didn't already have the PL25, I might have been tempted to go with the Olympus, especially because of the shorter minimum focusing distance, which has always been one of the main gripes I have with the PL25, and it's not something I need to be told by Robin...

 

[Livnius]

Robin is an excellent photographer and when he posts a new review I make sure to drop by his blog and have a read...I certainly wouldn't buy a piece of gear based solely on his conclusions in much the same way I didn't buy the Toyota 4X4 just because the Toyota rep told me it was better than the equivalent Nissan version I was considering.

I shoot an Olympus m43 body....2 Oly m43 lenses and 2 Panasonic m43 lenses. My next lens will more than likely be a Panasonic and my next body an Olympus. I also shoot a Ricoh GR, a Sony RX1 and have used a couple of Fujis.......I think by now I've learnt to recognise a salesman when I see one....Robin Wong is precisely that, but because he is such a great photographer and uses and reviews gear I'm interested in I will always give him the time of day.

 

[RevBob]

He takes nice photos and writes long, detailed reviews that are filled with his opinions. I don't rely on him as a sole source of information and neither should anyone else..

Large and bold is the equivalent of shouting - we are not deaf. Let's keep it friendly. Thank you.

 

[RT_Panther]

Ken Rockwell is too much sometimes and I am scared to read about Zack Arias of especially after DSLR is dead kind of joke.
Cheers

And Zack's anti-DSLR 'antics' means we know he won't be getting the XT-1 either....

 

[T N Args]

What Robin showed me in his review is that Olympus came up with another winner of its own...

There is no reason to believe that what you saw or read came from a representative copy of that lens. Therefore Wong showed me nothing.

The new 25 is a slightly larger, slower and longer-FL alternative to the 20 pancake for much the same price.

 

[FlyPenFly]

His pictures are okay, not really anything special. Not sure what you guys are seeing, if you want to see great amateur work, join 500px or the alt gear forum at FM.

 

[htc]

And in a month or two we have read five or ten other "tests" and they are going to be at the same level, I think. He has his pride too not to write total crap. We all can read and we know internet AND we all have "filters" for what we read AND nobody will buy anything based of just one "internet writing", yes? ;-)