Poll - Do the EISA awards mean anything to you?

[Damien_Demolder]

The world isn’t short of people who want to give advice, but unless luck is on your side, you’ll come across only a few whose words you truly value. Passion is no substitute for sense, and when big money is at stake only clear-headed, experienced, knowledgeable and unhindered advice will do. For advice to be any good it must be delivered specifically for your benefit, with the interests of the donor and any other party firmly put to one side.

Some are happy to recommend a product, service or place they know is not the best just because they have used it, and find admitting a poor choice beyond their capacity. Some will recommend one above the others when they have no experience of the alternatives and wish to play the role of the wise owl. Finding advice you can use is nowhere near as straightforward as it should be.

This week we publish the results of the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) awards programme. The winning products have been voted the best new launches in their category, and represent the advice of AP’s technical team combined with that of Europe’s 15 best photography magazines. This is no Eurovision; it is advice from people I trust, and I hope you will too.

Take part in our poll Do the EISA awards mean anything to you? on the homepage.

Thanks

Damien

[Learning]

I usually feel that every manufacture must have their turn to be best in class. Its as if the panel is frightened that they may offend. I regards EISA as better than a certain rival group.

[Zou]

Awards like these mean nothing to me - I'm only interested in how a camera works for me, I couldn't give two hoots what someone else thinks of it. For example, the Rollei 35 is often described as ergonomically awful, but for me it works brilliantly. Each to their own, long may there be choice.

[spinno]

sadly no because I can't afford any new kit at the moment
They are useful however because they mean that someone appears to have examined and expressed satisfaction at a product...albeit short term....

[Roger_Provins]

Just looked through the awards and it does appear that they're all nicely shared out amongst the main players - everyone gets something. I'm sure they are welcomed by the winner's marketing department but it all seems somewhat irrelevant to the needs of the average buyer.

[GeoffR]

Given that the average buyer tends to choose a camera brand and stick with it who is the award aimed at? A first time SLR buyer won't be looking at the more expensive models and anyone who is looking at those probably won't care that Canon got an award if he/she is a Nikon, Sony, Pentax or Olympus user.

It seems to me that the EISA awards are the photographic magazines congratulating the equipment manufacturers on the last year's products. They might have more relevance if they denied awards to products with deficiencies, such as no DoF preview in an SLR; brilliant otherwise but no award because you haven't been listening.

[Still_Togging_Along]

I am tempted to suggest that these awards need to to be presented to products which are over 1 year old, so that they also reflect their reliability, how successful any new technology and/or functionality has actually turned out to be. I am thinking of some years ago (an unusual example, I admit) when 6.5Mp cameras were introduced, yet many users felt their 5Mp cameras were delivering better images.

Then there is the issue GeoffR refers to in his last paragraph ... Ok, so maybe the 'mechanics' of such a button within the confines of the modern digital camera, give designers problems, but the display could also present this information, in different forms. I am now however, drifting from the point of your survery!

[Atavar]

Just looked through the awards and it does appear that they're all nicely shared out amongst the main players - everyone gets something.

Look at the bit in red: “Best Product” then look at the winner.

Olympus got the Best all weather compact – well the Tough is a very capable camera in poor weather conditions and although Pentax and Fuji have some worthy competition the Tough is still at present the best. Best super zoom camera can only be granted to Fuji – they have been doing it for eons, of course they are going to have it where it counts and this award confirms they are still doing it right. The awards are for the best product, why give an award to a product which does not deserve it? If Pentax had won best all weather compact, Nikon the best super zoom camera or HP best compact it would really be an indicator for whats going on in an industry most people don't pay attention to. Perhaps, to get the smaller players a mention, have an award for ‘Best upcoming company’ and give it to GE?

I was surprised to see Sigma and Tamron make an appearance. I have used them in the past in the shape of the Sigma 55-200mm, 50mm-150mm f2.8 and the great Tamron 90mm macro but i would not have put them in the awards off the performance of these lenses... their prices but not their performance. The awards have made me think again that the independents may be bringing out something a little more to my liking. I think this is the point of awards. If something happens that is unexpected it can point to good (or bad) things to come. Why did Aperture 3 beat Photoshop CS5? Has the market tired of paying £600 for a photo editing software? Did our own views in a thread on this very forum no so long ago influence the decision?

the Rollei 35 is often described as ergonomically awful, but for me it works brilliantly. Each to their own, long may there be choice.

100% agree with this statement. One mans tin is anothers gold, awards have to take the lowest common denominator i suppose?

[Nod]

At least the EISA awards seem to have gone to products that exist in real life rather than being awarded on the basis of their design briefs and/or spec sheets!

I take little notice of awards - after all, what's the point in me getting an EOS 550D or 7D if none of my lenses etc will fit it? OK, if I wanted a top end body, I could be tempted by a D3s but TBH, I would be more tempted to get another couple of D700's (excuse the apostophe, used to differentiate between a possible s variant of the D700 and the pluralisation) and pay a porter!

[daft_biker]

EISA sounds like a bank account to me. I don't pay any attention to those awards either....

....unless I get invited to a slap up meal, a free bar and get a chance to rub shoulders with folk that I can use to further my career. Then they're alright

[Terrywoodenpic]

I do not think much of awards, and have never ever bought on the strength of one.

The eurovisin song contest shows what can be achieved with "votes"

That these awards are based on a mix of electronic and photographic mags does nothing to reassure me.

However this year , what ever they had chosen would not have been too bad.

[pilliwinks]

I don't bother with awards like these. Most new equipment isn't of the slightest interest to me - at least not the ones that make it to these awards.

The big problem I have is that as the "best of this year's crop" or whatever, it says nothing about how good they actually are considered in themselves. Rather like a Which? best buy, that seems to reflect the price and the number of irrelevant features, rather than the things that really matter. To me, anyway.

[Alan_H]

They may do.

But I was intrigued as to how something could be given an award?

The Tamron SP70-300 lens got an award, but I havent seen a review of it yet. It was only announced on 10 August this year, so how could it get an award?

Or am I mixing up the version of the lens?

[james19]

I think the EISA awards arent too important to working photographers.

[willie45]

Not really. Seems a bit of a sop to advertisers to me. Always balancing Nikon and Canon etc

Willie

[dangie]

Camera 'X' is voted best in category. Best thing since sliced bread. Then next year camera 'X' is updated to Camera 'X2'. This new model addresses all the faults and criticisms of Camera 'X'. But hang on. There weren't any..!!
Photography to most of us is a hobby. But it's also big business. Manufacturers and magazines rely on us wanting the latest equipment even though in reality we don't need it. Tests, reviews and awards light up the business. We add the fuel to keep it burning.