Overkill

Could someone on the editorial team please explain why it is necessary to publish full tests on the Canon 5D III and Nikon D800 in the June 2012 issue, and then follow on immediately afterwards in the July issue with a head-to-head featuring the same two cameras?

Once again, NO RESPONSE from the magazine; should I bother posting in the Feedback Forum?

Hi Roy,

While we know that many of our readers would like to read single product reviews of both the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and the Nikon D800 we know there will be some photographers out there who haven't yet decided on which to choose. With both cameras sitting in an similar area of the market and targeting the same audience, a head-to-head test gives us the opportunity to directly compare build quality, handling and performance. If we didn't run a head to head for such models we would be unable to directly compare the image quality results and tell you which camera produces the better results of the two.

Head to head tests remain a great way of finding out the true benefits of a camera over its closest rivals. Apologies if you think we're repeating ourselves, however you'll find the single product tests are completely different to the head-to-head and likewise so are the sample images.

Regards,

Michael Topham
Reviews Editor - What Digital Camera

Sorry, but that is rubbish. Are you saying that people are incapable of reading two full reviews and deciding which camera is the best for their purposes? Reviews with sample pictures are all that are needed, we don't need everything repeated a month later. By all means, do a head to head a few months later, as an aide memoire, but the following month is, as I have already stated, pure overkill.

Hi again Roy,

You can be assured our intension is never to repeat ourselves but we must not forget there could be many readers out there that didn't pick up the previous issues you mention and read the single product tests. Here at What Digital Camera we always like to strike a happy balance between single product tests and head to head tests, particularly for those who don't necessarily subscribe but enjoy picking up an issue now and again.

Anyone who'd like to read the single product tests of the two cameras mentioned in this thread can use the links below.

http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equ...ii-review.html

http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equ...00-review.html

Kind Regards, M

Hi again Michael

I accept what you say, but still say that reviewing the two cameras in consecutive months is unnecessary.