I find the cinematographer to often be a very, very distinctive element of a film. One of my favorite filmmakers worked with a number of different filmmakers, and you can tell which films shared the same cinematographers without consulting the credits. You know immediately which Raul Ruiz films had Sacha Vierny as cinematographer. You probably know before you know it's a Ruiz film, in fact. As with directors, some cinematographers have a more pronounced stamp than others, and that doesn't necessarily mean they are less talented, but it's not so different from directors or actors.
All that being said, I think all popularity contests are meaningless, and this one moreso than others.
This 'feast for the eyes' thing seems to miss the point by a mile. Some films are great because they're the most exquisitely prepared hors devours.