Oh crap. I've been reading cnet reviews about digital cameras. Now I don't know what to believe. I want a new camera!
I think Consumer Reports is still trustworthy, no? They used to say they didn't accept advertising or freebies. I haven't looked there in a long time.
CNet reviews are to be avoided. I'm sure there are valid ones there but distinguishing them among the paid ones isn't always easy. A friend of mine who is an electronic gadget fanatic told me that Consumer Reports is better but not by much.
Aruna is the perfect example of being smart. Amazon reviews are great for the most part. When you find one that strikes you, click on the user and check out their other ratings to see how often they rate/comment and what they're rating and commenting on. You can pretty much tell from that.
Another suggestion, that I've had friends recommend, is to go to YouTube and find videos whose quality you like. Leave a comment asking them what kind of camera they use. (If you're looking for a video camera, that is.) I've seen a lot of comments asking that question. I've even seen a lot of people include that information either at the end of their videos or in the video description.
Other than that, go from review site to review site and compare reviews for the model you're interested in. If you find consistency in the reviews, you can pretty much go with it.
I discovered yesterday that by hovering your cursor above the reviewer's name the number of his/her reviews shows up immediately, saving time! A pity so few people know this!