YouTube "Flashlight Reviewers"

[Tasky]

I find that 75 percent of them are free reviews ( in exchange for the lights).
Nothing beats a, I just spent my money, and this is the best thing since sliced bread review.

I'd argue that those who spent their own money are sometimes just as biassed as those being plied with free gifts, as they want affirmation that they didn't just drop £3-400 on a piece of [censored] custom light that doesn't actually blast sunshine out of its backside like they hoped it would. It's part of the reason why people often recommend things they themselves have, over others which may be more suitable for the person that's asking.

 

[dmattaponi]

Some are better than others. The only thing that really bothers me is when someone does a review and says something incorrect because they are "reviewing" an item they haven't even bothered to familiarize themselves with (or bothered to read the owners manual). Just can't figure out why someone would talk about something without taking a moment to understand it's features or how it works.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Tasky]

Some are better than others. The only thing that really bothers me is when someone does a review and says something incorrect because they are "reviewing" an item they haven't even bothered to familiarize themselves with (or bothered to read the owners manual). Just can't figure out why someone would talk about something without taking a moment to understand it's features or how it works.

Because they're now doing a job and they're in it for the money. They're not here to cater for your enthusiast indulgences. Either it got sent and they didn't have time to fully read up, or they weren't that interested in this particular freebie and are just churning through because YouTuber is now a career path and they need the views to get the ad revenue.
Disregard channel and move on.

Reading what you wrote, I'm reminded of R. Lee Ermey showing off a BAR compared to a Bren, and being shocked at seeing a former US Marine using a signature US military weapon very incorrectly. He should most definitely have been familiar with that, so presumably it was all part of 'the show' on that episode....

 

[AstroTurf]

no arguement from me...

"Nothing beats a, I just spent my money, and this is the best thing since sliced bread review."

I'd argue that those who spent their own money are sometimes just as biassed as those being plied with free gifts, as they want affirmation that they didn't just drop £3-400 on a piece of [censored] custom light that doesn't actually blast sunshine out of its backside like they hoped it would. It's part of the reason why people often recommend things they themselves have, over others which may be more suitable for the person that's asking.

 

[dmattaponi]

Because they're now doing a job and they're in it for the money. They're not here to cater for your enthusiast indulgences. Either it got sent and they didn't have time to fully read up, or they weren't that interested in this particular freebie and are just churning through because YouTuber is now a career path and they need the views to get the ad revenue.
Disregard channel and move on.

Reading what you wrote, I'm reminded of R. Lee Ermey showing off a BAR compared to a Bren, and being shocked at seeing a former US Marine using a signature US military weapon very incorrectly. He should most definitely have been familiar with that, so presumably it was all part of 'the show' on that episode....

I'd agree people are trying to make it a "job", but then you'd think they would want/need to do a good job to get and keep viewers.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ateupwithgolf]

I like Matt Smith, and the Flashaholic guy. They also have good discount codes periodically.

 

[Tasky]

I'd agree people are trying to make it a "job", but then you'd think they would want/need to do a good job to get and keep viewers.

That's the easy part.
As in the review style you mentioned - You might know they're talking out their backside, or have not done their research properly, but they're talking enough sense to show they know more than most of the people watching their video... and those will be their repeat viewers, at least until they come here and learn enough to move on, but there will always be more to keep them in place.
Even the well-known experts who really do know pretty much* everything still make mistakes or miss stuff out. The spit-hot ones will issue corrections, though.

End of the day, just use your noggin. Most reviews give enough info for me to extrapolate and get an idea of whether I'll like a light or not... even the ones where it's a kid on a shaky iPhone camera in his bedroom, "umming" and "like, err, like-ing" his way through basically just regurgitating the enclosed product manual.



*There is always someone in a dark corner of an internet forum who knows better, anyway...!!

 

[dmattaponi]

That's the easy part.
As in the review style you mentioned - You might know they're talking out their backside, or have not done their research properly, but they're talking enough sense to show they know more than most of the people watching their video... and those will be their repeat viewers, at least until they come here and learn enough to move on, but there will always be more to keep them in place...

I think this about sums it up.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[greenpondmike]

There used to be a fellow on youtube that reviewed different kinds of maglights. He would first be indoors and then he would go outside and even shine them across a river and you could really see what they could do with their strenghts and shortcomings. I tried to look for him one time and then couldn't find him. I don't remember the name of his youtube page.

 

[Katherine Alicia]

he only real time I`ll use YT in relation to flashlights is for Comparision shots with a light I already own, it tends to give a better idea of what you`ll be getting. beyond that I`ll look it up and here and read about it or ask someone.

 

[wjv]

Some of the people are great and others not so much. . .

My pet peeve are the ones who read the Lumen/Runtime stats off the box as if it is gospel!

"1,500 lumen for 4 hours on four AA batteries!!!"

When reality is 1,500 lumen for 30 seconds, dropping to 112 lumen for one hour and then 30 lumen for three more hours.

 

[Monocrom]

I do reviews on YouTube. Blatantly honest ones too. Including flashlights.
I can afford to do honest ones because YouTube is not my job.
I don't have a Patreon. I don't have a Go Fund Me.
And, being both ugly as well as the wrong gender, I don't have an OnlyFans.
I have zero sponsors. Everything I review, I buy and pay for myself.
No shilling. (Unlike most of my fellow reviewers.)
When you do honest reviews, people get angry when you butcher their sacred cows.
Put NG to the left of my user-name, that's my main channel on YT.
Ironically, I do ASMR on my other channel. Let me know if you need sleep.

 

[WebHobbit]

I do reviews on YouTube. Blatantly honest ones too. Including flashlights.
I can afford to do honest ones because YouTube is not my job.
I don't have a Patreon. I don't have a Go Fund Me.
And, being both ugly as well as the wrong gender, I don't have an OnlyFans.
I have zero sponsors. Everything I review, I buy and pay for myself.
No shilling. (Unlike most of my fellow reviewers.)
When you do honest reviews, people get angry when you butcher their sacred cows.
Put NG to the left of my user-name, that's my main channel on YT.
Ironically, I do ASMR on my other channel. Let me know if you need sleep.

Subbed

 

[ampdude]

I watch gun and knife and gear reviews all the time. Some are good, some are great, some are commercial, some are plain dumb. But flashlight review videos usually go beyond that and are typically pretty cringe. It's usually just some fudd showing off his cheap new blue light tinted chinese made multi-mode circuit board in an aluminum tube. "ERMAGERD this thing so darn bright it blinds mah dawgs!!! And I can see all the raccoons eyes in the backyard at night!! Look how I click it three times and it keeps gettin' brighter."

Okay, well that was a fascinating review Joebob Billybob and 5 mins of my life I'll never get back.

Subbed

ROFL, yea you really gotta take everything on there with a very cynical (realistic) viewpoint. Everything is about the views and the subscribers.