There are at least two of us here that are just getting started with reviews, and I recall other threads about members looking for review suitable cameras and asking how to use them, and another thread about review templates. I can think of a few threads I'd start if there was a better place to put it.
A forum just for reviewers could be real handy for sharing tips and seeking help that will result in better reviews that'll benefit the community. It might not be super active, but it wouldn't take much to beat out the "consumable batteries" sub-forum.
To me a review is a personal thing. I love reading other members reviews but there is not a hope I would or could copy them as I would fail. The review template is a good starting point. Not all reviewers use it but it may help you start and evolve your own reviewing style.
You guys are making too much of the template. It's something one person asked for, not that I'd have a problem if new reviewers opted for a template instead of not doing a review at all. I'd hope we have much more to offer each other than a template.
I could see testing methods going in there. While tests aren't exactly reviews, they do serve the same purpose. Whether it's an original light or a modded light, we test to compare to other lights. At some point sooner than later I'm going to build an integrating bucket to better quantify the lights I review and mod, and I think it'd be ideally placed in a reviewer forum.
It`s just a pain with an every growing forum like this, to find the little tiny bits of info you once read but can`t find anymore.
And therefore I started the "How to do a review" thread.. not mainly to make a template, but to share ideas and tips.
I`ve just finished 2 reviews, and everytime I was looking for ideas and suggestions here and on CPF, to cover the things that I think people want to see.
so to each his own, but for me a template is almost a must.. I`m not a good writer, and therefore, (the same as at my job) I need some guidelines.. call me a morron.. but anyway, it`s good to have most stuff together in 1 forum.
I`m that kind of person that sorts things out, and have things laying together, for the sake of getting less stress.
Some threads about how to make your own light box.
What settings on your camera are good to do indoor photography, what lights, etc.
some threads about how to measure the current draw of different kind of flashlights.. (I had problem with measuring the medium and low on 1 of my lights, which another user had the same trouble with here on BLF).
(these could also be in a subforum, but with links to a Reviewer forum would be nice)
some threads about making graphs
I think that is really helpful. The same as having a special Modding forum.
call it practical.. I like having the most important info together, and not spread over a 1000 pages.
