This short article answers a fundamental question that folks have had about the potential for future gear reviews on this website. The rumors about an upcoming ‘wow’ camera from OMDS has piqued the interest of many readers. As has the launch of lenses like the M.Zuiko 8-25 mm f/4 PRO and M.Zuiko 12-45 mm f/4 PRO.

NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.

The fundamental question being asked of me is whether I will be obtaining loaner gear, like the upcoming OM System ‘wow’ camera, and lenses like the M.Zuiko PRO 8-25 mm f/4 zoom, to create gear reviews. The short answer is “No”…. but readers deserve a more complete answer.

As regular readers know I have a terrific working relationship with the folks at OMDS, which began with the Olympus Imaging Division. Back in the spring of 2020 I was named an ‘Olympus Featured Pro’ and I’ve been providing periodic feedback to the company on products and other issues.

This solid working relationship does not bump me up to the front of the line when it comes to getting loaner gear for reviews. There is an extensive list of Olympus Visionaries, Explorers, and Educators… as well as writers for major camera-related websites and printed photography magazines, that would be in the queue ahead of me.

When I attempted to get an early review copy of the M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS, my wait time would have been about 6 months. Since this was a lens that I was seriously considering buying, getting an early copy would have served a dual purpose.

By the time the loaner lens would have been available any review of it that I could have done would have been old news. I ended up ordering my copy, then writing a series of ongoing articles once my lens was in hand. From a practical standpoint test gear availability is a significant barrier.

The other two important issues are my interest level and review skills. To coin a phrase by Olympus Visionary Joe Edelman, I’m not a ‘geartographer’. I care very little about camera specifications and have no interest in comparing equipment from competing brands.

Reviewing camera gear for the sake of reviewing it just leaves me stone cold in terms of my interest level. There are plenty of other photography websites and photographers that do a very competent job in this regard. I would never be one of them.

Truth be known, there are many camera brands that I have never had any interest in at all. Nor have I ever captured even a single image with any of their products. This would include current brands like Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Pentax to name a few. So, I am woefully deficient in competitive brand information and having an experience base using many camera brands.  I think this would make me an ineffective gear reviewer.

The camera gear that is on the market today is all of very high quality. The key is for each of us to choose gear that best suits our needs. There is no single sensor format, brand or model that is the “best” for every photographer out there.  What is perfectly suited to one photographer’s needs may not be a good fit at all for another.

Regardless of the camera gear that each of us may own, the most critical factor is learning how to use it effectively, and to its full potential. Some folks change camera formats and brands long before they utilize the potential of what they currently own. My opinion is that a preoccupation with gear reviews fuels this purchase behaviour.

The name of this website makes my personal choice of camera format very clear. My intent has always been to encourage folks to get out with their camera gear and reconnect to it. To once again experience the joy of photography. I’ll continue to do that to the best of my ability. And, leave gear reviews to others.

Technical Note:

Photographs were captured handheld using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. Images were produced from RAW files using my standard process. Crops are indicated. This is the 1,083rd article published on this website since its original inception.

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