The Blork Blog

Within the next couple of months, Sigma is going to release its long-awaited DP1 digital camera. Why that is a big deal, and why people like me would drool over a camera that doesn’t even have a zoom lens, are subjects for another post. Today I’m going to introduce you to one of the worst photography Web sites on the Web: CameraSpace.net.

That site’s badness is a matter of content, not design. CameraSpace.net presents itself as a buying guide for cameras and photographic equipment, but in fact it seems to be little more than a Google Ad farm. It’s tricky though, as it looks way better than the average link farm one finds on the Web.

I’m deliberately not linking to it. But I followed someone else’s link there recently, hoping to find more information on the DP1. Instead I found a few descriptive paragraphs and a table of camera features. That’s would be OK if the information made any sense, but it does not. It refers to the camera as a “digital SLR” (it is not) and talks about interchangeable lenses and a “Power Grip;” neither of which apply to this model.

So I did a test; I checked out the descriptions of a couple of other cameras, namely the Panasonic DMC-LX2 (a pocket camera that I own) and the Nikon D-80 (a digital SLR that I would like to own). Here are the descriptions of all three:

Sigma DP1:

The Sigma DP1 Digital SLR Camera comes loaded with a large LCD monitor, fast shutter speeds and an effective megapixel range that would make Eastman Kodak blush. Two of the key elements that make the Sigma DP1 camera so appealing are the Sigma DP1 powergrip and the wide array of Sigma DP1 lenses available.

Effective buyers of the Sigma DP1 will take advantage of the Sigma DP1 Kit which will include the Sigma DP1 Manual, Sigma DP1 leather case and the ever-popular Sigma DP1 Power Grip. Taking advantage of these items in the Sigma DP1 Kit will also possibly earn you a Sigma DP1 Rebate!

Panasonic DMC-LX2:

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Digital SLR Camera comes loaded with a large LCD monitor, fast shutter speeds and an effective megapixel range that would make Eastman Kodak blush. Two of the key elements that make the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 camera so appealing are the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 powergrip and the wide array of Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 lenses available.

Effective buyers of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 will take advantage of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Kit which will include the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Manual, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 leather case and the ever-popular Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Power Grip. Taking advantage of these items in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Kit will also possibly earn you a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Rebate!

Nikon D-80:

The Nikon D80 Digital SLR Camera comes loaded with a large LCD monitor, fast shutter speeds and an effective megapixel range that would make Eastman Kodak blush. Two of the key elements that make the Nikon D80 camera so appealing are the Nikon D80 powergrip and the wide array of Nikon D80 lenses available.

Effective buyers of the Nikon D80 will take advantage of the Nikon D80 Kit which will include the Nikon D80 Manual, Nikon D80 leather case and the ever-popular Nikon D80 Power Grip. Taking advantage of these items in the Nikon D80 Kit will also possibly earn you a Nikon D80 Rebate!

Um… do you see any similarities there? Except for the camera make and models, the same text is repeated, verbatim, for each one! Oddly, the table of features are customized (although poorly stated and not very accurate), but at the bottom of each is another three paragraphs of similar text in which the only things that differ are the names of the models and brands.

Oh, and there are nine Google ads on each page.

I wish there were a blacklist for crap sites like this.