Alternatives to DPReview

brentbrent · Mar 21, 2023

There is another thread lamenting DPR's impending shutdown, but I'm starting this one to hopefully gather suggestions for where to go next for camera info.

There is a Micro Four Thirds forum here: https://www.mu-43.com/forums/ The few times I checked it out it didn't seem nearly as vibrant as this place, but perhaps a big influx of members from this place might change that.

Please post links to any other photographic forums, review sites, or other sites that you know of that might be sources of info about MFT, camera gear, or photography after this place shuts down

tedolf · Mar 21, 2023

Obviously: "TedolphReview(tm).com"

Tedolph,

Moderator, TedolphReview(tm).com

sniper5 · Mar 21, 2023

mftcommunity.com

This is new but this is the advantage!

In this earthshaking situation, is it really the best idea to "just move" to another big forum and most dpreview users will end up as a sandcorn on the beach and do not find each other anymore?

Or does it make more sense to start new from scratch without any inherited burdens etc.?

I am running several photo community forums and always wanted to start also a new MFT Forum. Because of the Pandemic, I postponed all efforts for it.

But now is an opportunity, to start fresh and bring all dpreview users ideas and experiences into it.

This is the opportunity to build up a NEW MFT Forum to your own taste and the taste for dpreview users.

It is like building a new house.

There are not that many opportunities to make it to your own taste without having to do the technical part or pay the bills

This is an opportunity. Do not miss it! make it your own house and influence how it should look like.

Best wishes

For the German speaking users: mftcommunity.de

jrsforums · Mar 21, 2023

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/

Jon Schick · Mar 21, 2023

For the E system, e-group.uk.net

More generally I think my go to sites will be theonlinephotographer.typepad.com (always very readable, entertaining, thought provoking and not so gear focused) and imaging-resource.com (I've found their reviews just as useful as DPR).

40Eridani-Vulcan · Mar 21, 2023

jrsforums said:
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/

I can't register. I get this odd message...

REGISTRATION IS DENIED FROM ALL THOSE COMING FROM SERVER HOSTING COMPANIES OR ANONYMOUS SERVICES.

My internet connection comes from Xfinity. I'm puzzled.

drj3 · Mar 21, 2023

Are you using a VPN?

Bobapingu · Mar 21, 2023

A good point. However, before I jump ship, I'd like to see what the boys come up with on their own.
What I love about DPR is that it gives us m4/3 fan boys a forum where we can hide away from the smug FF brigade yet still get sufficient cross pollination to keep things real. There was a strong 4/3 user site that I was a long-time member but it faded even before 4/3 ceased to exist. I think that was because there just wasn't enough contact with the rest of the photographic community.

40Eridani-Vulcan · Mar 21, 2023

drj3 said:
Are you using a VPN?

nope

40Eridani-Vulcan · Mar 21, 2023

40Eridani-Vulcan said:
drj3 said:

Are you using a VPN?

Click to expand...

nope

Found the issue. It was my private relay. I disabled it, registered, and re-enabled it. All good now.

glassoholic · Mar 21, 2023

Mu-43 is a good forum. It is a polite and positive place to visit. Good behaviour is expected. That's a good thing.

bs1946 · Mar 21, 2023

There are quite a number of M43 groups on Facebook. But a word of advice, steer clear of the public groups. because that's where you find all the spammers and worse.

Mark9473 · Mar 21, 2023

jrsforums said:
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/

One screen (on my phone) of threads on the Olympus forum spans two years...

grcolts · Mar 21, 2023

https://cameraderie.org/forums/ This forum has a mft section as well as many other camera system support forums.

CBR1100XX · Mar 21, 2023

glassoholic said:
Mu-43 is a good forum. It is a polite and positive place to visit. Good behaviour is expected. That's a good thing.

Tom Caldwell · Mar 21, 2023

brentbrent said:
There is another thread lamenting DPR's impending shutdown, but I'm starting this one to hopefully gather suggestions for where to go next for camera info.

There is a Micro Four Thirds forum here: https://www.mu-43.com/forums/ The few times I checked it out it didn't seem nearly as vibrant as this place, but perhaps a big influx of members from this place might change that.

Please post links to any other photographic forums, review sites, or other sites that you know of that might be sources of info about MFT, camera gear, or photography after this place shuts down

I don't like to be negative but the mu-43 site seem to suffer a bit of what the ancient but good MFLenses forum suffers from. It is built seemingly to foster twitter-like sound bytes rather than to allow reasoned debate. Debate might be possible but a debate punctuated by significant slab-sided advertisements is a big change after dpreviews more considered advertising layout.

MFLenses of course is a tremendous resource but suffers from everyones bio being repeated over and over again and small talk that takes a lot of repetition and has often to be waded through to ferret out the serious stuff.

I suspect that mu-43 with even a fraction of the word flow that dpreview's busy M4/3 Forum handles is to loose the drift in a welter of confetti.

Just popping the bubble - I would like to wait a while and see what eventuates first before the ship has been jumped. It is not that long to fuss about looking for some sort of rescue for the dpreview fora and its pretty classy format. the same thing more or less under a different helmet is what we might like. But keeping up all the other services offered by their skilled staff is a bridge too far I suspect.

Tom Caldwell · Mar 21, 2023

grcolts said:
https://cameraderie.org/forums/ This forum has a mft section as well as many other camera system support forums.

Looks like a Fuji site but M4/3 users could soon fix that

At least by checking out a busy Fuji thread it is obvious that you don't have to sift the advertisements through your teeth to get at the Twitterverse of comment.

Such site really are only as good as the users that support it and M4/3 users could very well make the site quite useful for our purposes.

Much more user friendly than mu-43.

But I am still keeping my powder dry for the moment.

--
Tom Caldwell

EarthQuake · Mar 21, 2023

brentbrent said:
There is another thread lamenting DPR's impending shutdown, but I'm starting this one to hopefully gather suggestions for where to go next for camera info.

There is a Micro Four Thirds forum here: https://www.mu-43.com/forums/ The few times I checked it out it didn't seem nearly as vibrant as this place, but perhaps a big influx of members from this place might change that.

Please post links to any other photographic forums, review sites, or other sites that you know of that might be sources of info about MFT, camera gear, or photography after this place shuts down

There is a decent amount of activity on MU43. The thing to understand is that the site is split into many sub-forums, rather than the single M43 forum we have here.

Some of the sub-forums on MU43 are invaluable, like the lens sample images.

People are generally less argumentative on MU43 as well, so that's another benefit. Though if we see a mass migration from DPR I'm not sure if that will remain true.

Tom Caldwell · Mar 22, 2023

EarthQuake said:
brentbrent said:

There is another thread lamenting DPR's impending shutdown, but I'm starting this one to hopefully gather suggestions for where to go next for camera info.

There is a Micro Four Thirds forum here: https://www.mu-43.com/forums/ The few times I checked it out it didn't seem nearly as vibrant as this place, but perhaps a big influx of members from this place might change that.

Please post links to any other photographic forums, review sites, or other sites that you know of that might be sources of info about MFT, camera gear, or photography after this place shuts down

Click to expand...

There is a decent amount of activity on MU43. The thing to understand is that the site is split into many sub-forums, rather than the single M43 forum we have here.

Some of the sub-forums on MU43 are invaluable, like the lens sample images.

People are generally less argumentative on MU43 as well, so that's another benefit. Though if we see a mass migration from DPR I'm not sure if that will remain true.

I looked at mu-43 and was immediately assaulted by a snowstorm of advertisements inserted between paragraphs.

I had a look at Cameraderie and it does have many sub-forums - seems presently mainly a Fuji forum but it does have a very quiet M4/3 sub-forum and if acceptable we could soon fix that. The advantage of Cameraderie is that it reads well right out of the box. Try browsing a large Fuji thread ..... the different ambience is collossal.

On the other hand a brand new start up mftcommunity looks alike a good starter albeit M4/3 only oriented and very few posts there as of yet as it is brand new.

There are likely to be others.

Trolleyman · Mar 22, 2023

Jon Schick said:
For the E system, e-group.uk.net

More generally I think my go to sites will be theonlinephotographer.typepad.com (always very readable, entertaining, thought provoking and not so gear focused) and imaging-resource.com (I've found their reviews just as useful as DPR).

Mainly Olympus, but Panasonic users and others seem to be well tolerated too. A friendly site that seems populated by mainly older users and bit like a typical UK camera club. https://www.e-group.uk.net/forum/

Also Talk Photography https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/ has Olympus and Panasonic specific threads plus many other active forum sections. Not as friendly though and some sections have rather hostile participants.

Alternatives to DPReview

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Leading Member

Senior Member

Veteran Member

Forum Enthusiast

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Forum Enthusiast

Forum Enthusiast

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Community Leader

Community Leader

Senior Member

Community Leader

Senior Member

Similar threads

Keyboard shortcuts