To Choice Photographers,
Thank you for your services, but I am trying to buy a new Microwave along with 2 other appliances and the Photos that your Photographers have been taking and showing us, are the worst I’ve seen.
I don’t understand Why it is so hard for Choice to do this, especially when other companies take such beautiful, clear and bright detailed product photos.
Choice has been doing this for years, but the details on most of the Microwaves and 2 products I am looking at are so poorly lit, without back-lights or in most cases it looks like no lighting was used.
It is very hard to even read the writing or see the labels on your products you are reviewing, and from our perspective the Consumers, we really need to see these Details, Colours, Instructions etc so we can make the best decisions and choices.
Even our own Kitchens are better lit than your photos, so can you shed some light on Why your Photographers are having so many problems with this, I would really like to understand Why it is proving such a challenge to you.
Especially when there are quite a few simple and inexpensive tips and tricks you can use, before and after the taking of the photos to help the Consumers see your reviewed products a lot better.
I am sorry to complain, because I do appreciate yr service, but it could be so much better for us consumers which would also trickle down back to you and then reflect well on you.
Thank you for your time.
If you mean the June '21 review I agree that many of the shots are not well lit, they look like black boxes and very little detail is visible - at least in the online version, I no longer get the hardcopy.
But why does it matter? What important thing would you learn if the images were bigger and better lit? If you have a kitchen that is to be a showcase as well as a workplace I would think you would want to see the microwave in the flesh along with the other appliances, trim etc that it must go with. Personally I don’t care what appliances look like unless the looks are also a sign of bad functional design.
I suspect these productions are influenced by the modern trend in journalism that every article must have picture with it regardless of the relevance or quality of it. At least Choice does not follow this to the extreme where articles only exist because there are images or footage available.
Hi syncretic,
nice to meet you and thanks for yr reply, and yes it was the Microwave review.
I understand yr question, “What more would I lean about the Product if the photos were clearer and better lit”?
In my case:
1- I just want to be able to See and Read the Menu, Button Labels on the front of the products, easily and clearly, especially on the Microwave front face panels. Because what worries me is, that if I can’t read the Menu items, Button Names, etc in what is supposed to be a professional, well lit product photo, I start wondering if the actual product details are really that hard to see in a kitchen or an actual live setting.
And following on a bit, if I can see and read the menu items, button names etc clearly, I can get an overall idea and feeling of how easy the product looks to follow, and decide if that product looks suitable for me and the Features I am looking for. Because a lot of times the features are not always listed with the product description, so having clear photos, helps me to recognize common Menu and Button Names and thus the features associated with those.
I am not worried about the colour of the White, Black or stainless steel, I just found these particular series of photos, didn’t provide that information I mentioned above very clearly for me, because they are so poorly lit, so I can’t make certain decisions but this is just my own opinion, other viewers will have different opinions.
Have a great day and thanks for the chat.
Cheers Kev Borg
My approach to that would be to use Choice reviews to reduce to a short list and then download the manufacturer’s manual which has schematics of the controls with labels and explanations. I would use those instead of pictures to make the final decision.
I agree with @syncretic. I short list to the product(s) that interest me the most.
First stop is the manufacturers website to check the products partly because sometimes the products are no longer available, and partly to get as much detailed information as I can. Sometimes there is a newer version, or an equivalent version. I check the specs etc, to make sure it is what I want. Then I start to look for availability and price.
With microwaves it is best to see them in the flesh, especially if one doesn’t have strong muscles or has an ailment such as arthritis. Some microwave doors, irrespective of how pretty they are, can be hard to open, remove turnstile or difficult to operate.
Likewise with labelling on buttons etc. Often professional photos maximise contrast and clarity, and seeing them under normal lighting conditions by one’s own eyes, can be very different to a enhanced photo or perfectly lit photo shot.
Hey syncretic and meltam,
hope yr both having a good day, thanks for yr comments and after reading yr comments and advice I smiled because I agree with you both.
As after visiting the 3 manufacturers websites and comparing the products I shortlisted on the weekend, I had already emailed my short list of my favorite 3 choices + a “rulebreaker” to the 3 appliance retailers on Monday this week and I am just waiting on their comments and prices.
So very good methodical advice, thanks and in my case being on full covid home lock-down for over 3 months now it was really the only way I could do it, and now the covid level was just reduced on Monday, the appliance shops are opening back up and I can now visit the retailers after I get their emails and do my final check-up and tick the box on the Microwave I want.
It’s also been such a long time since I have had to shop for a Microwave, maybe 15 years on the same one, so I had a lot of learning to do, to catch up on the new features.
One thing I was surprised at was that some of the new models have gone to a stationary Flatbed instead of a rotating Turntable which I didn’t expect. I can see the reasons regarding space, dish size and cleaning ease, if I have them right, but for me I still prefer the turntable coupled with the more consistent Inverter power supply.
Thanks very much guys for yr time and advice, it is very much appreciated and Ill post back when I’m close to choosing a Microwave.
Thanks for taking the time to give us some feedback, we appreciate it! I understand what you’re saying, it’s been an unusual year for us as some of our activities that would typically happen in our labs our studios have been transferred to homes as we dealt with lockdown. Our attitude is we should always be looking for ways to improve, and we’ll aim to do the same here.
I can also offer the tip that if you search the reviews on a desktop computer, there is an option to use a zoom function when hovering a mouse over an image. It makes it a bit easier to check out those finer details. Thanks again, and good luck with the microwave.
