How we verify
A camera's specs are published in many places, and they do not always match. Cambench reads each camera everywhere it is listed, keeps the words each value was read from, and only calls a value verified when independent sources agree on it.
Where the specs come from
Every camera body B&H lists new, newest first. Each is looked up on the maker's own site and press release, B&H, DPReview, Adorama, Crutchfield, Wex, launch news, Wikipedia, MPB and eBay, and every page is kept as it was read.
| Source | Who stands behind it | Breaks a tie |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | The camera's maker | Yes |
| Press release | The camera's maker | Yes |
| B&H | B&H | Yes |
| DPReview | DPReview | No |
| Adorama | Adorama | No |
| Crutchfield | Crutchfield | No |
| Wex | Wex | No |
| Launch news | Each news site on its own | No |
| Wikipedia | Wikipedia | No |
| MPB (used) | MPB | No |
| eBay (used) | eBay | No |
Other shops and review sites that publish a spec sheet for a camera are read too, each as its own source. When two values have the same number of sources behind them, the one the maker or B&H states is listed.
Reading each page
Agents read each page against one dictionary of about 45 specs, quoting the words that state each value; a reading is kept only when its quote is on the page and its figures match.
Verified
A value is verified when independent sources (different owners: two sites of one company count once) agree; disagreements are adjudicated against each spec's definition.
- Verified
- 3 or more independent sources state the same value. A few others stating something else does not change that.
- Two sources agree
- Two independent sources state the same value and none states another.
- One source
- One source states it and no other source mentions it.
- Sources disagree
- Sources state different values and fewer than 3 agree on any of them. The value shown is the one with the most behind it.
- A listed price
- A price. Prices change by the day, so each is shown as a seller listed it, with the date it was read.
The spec level
A 0–100 spec level from fixed scales per area (resolution, video, burst, viewfinder, stabilization, card slots, build and battery, autofocus, screen), weighted, with a reason per area.
| Area | Counts for |
|---|---|
| Video | 18% |
| Resolution | 14% |
| Burst | 12% |
| Viewfinder | 10% |
| Stabilization | 8% |
| Card slots | 8% |
| Build and battery | 8% |
| Autofocus | 6% |
| Screen | 6% |
| Shutter and ISO | 6% |
| Connectivity | 4% |
An area a camera's sources say nothing about is left out and the rest count for more, so a missing value never counts against a camera.