DPReview Shutdown Thread - Nikon Z

[topografical]

Since we might end a bit fragmented before we regroup, let me say a huge thank you and raise a toast to all the contributors, big and small.

On that topic.. I think there are archival websites out there, is there one we can trigger a snapshot after April 10th?

 

[Guy Dagar]

Well, I happen to own https://talkphoto.net/, it's a site that I haven't had time to develop, nor do I have all the skills and knowledge to make it work. But if there is someone here on the forums who happens to be savvy enough to create something akin to DPReview, I would love to hear from you!

 

[rumple]

Members here have any suggestions?

Fred Miranda dot com

The only place I know with reasonable volume.

 

[curiousmike1300]

I was never part of the community there, but I've heard good things in the past.

i.e,. something like https://www.flickr.com/groups/3156733@N20/

 

[skyrunr]

I'm really going to miss this site and the online friends I've made over the years, thank you to all! Thank you to the staff for providing such great content and layout. This is by far one of the most reliable sites for information out there.

This will be a difficult site to replace. I find the layout SO MUCH better (digestible) than most other forums. Seriously, a gofundme to save it would have been welcomed. When Amazon removes replies to reviews they sure ruined how useful they were. This was a sign of things to come.

I'm not so sure I'd pay for a subscription, as the users provide most of the most valuable resources. I'm sure a credits system for answers could be worked out.

I wish everyone the best here, and hope to see you in other forums. Trying not to be sad, and I'll probably take A LOT more photos without this distraction. I have felt that can be addictive, but there are a lot of worse addictions for us to manage.

Best wishes to you all!

 

[topografical]

I used it a long time ago and I think there's a similar set of features for photo posting etc. Would be ready to take the load of all of us bunch I think

 

[Poldersnapper]

I'm very sad to get this message.
First of all for all the employees, of course.
Let's hope you all find suitable jobs elsewhere.

For those who have Twitter, let's use the hashtag #DPReviewFriends to stay in touch and share some photos and stories.

André

 

[kenw]

I'll be a bit of a naysayer here...

DPR content beyond the forums has not really been adding much value to the Nikon user for many, many years now. The "reviews" have tended to be late and brief compared to the famous DPR reviews of the distant past. There are many alternatives for reviews on smaller sites and often forum users are providing more useful information than the "official" DPR content was.

Probably the huge database of controlled studio shots is really the main "review" asset that DPR has continued to provide. That is a resource that will probably be missed, though to be honest in this day and age of nearly identical sensor performance it is mostly just used to argue with each other about vanishingly small differences between cameras.

What has always been of utility has been the forums and that utility is derived from the forum members of course. So I'd suggest the next couple of weeks be spent figuring out where everyone should migrate too. If the forum pulls off the migration and brings most of the users together again then much of what was useful from DPR will be preserved and continue to be useful.

 

[Michael Firstlight]

If they don't sell it then we'll likely all migrate to another forum (Nikonians?) or similar. I've been a member since the beginning in 1999 when I purchased my first digital camera, - the Nikon 950 twistie. It would make more sense if they sell it, but no one knows the driving force if it's a cold shutdown. I love the site design - none other like it.

It's been fun! (now someone can start an argument with me over this post LOL)

Mike

--
The one thing everyone can agree on is that film photography has its negatives. It even has its positives and internegatives.

 

[rumple]

When Amazon removes replies to reviews they sure ruined how useful they were.

Amazon started borking the goodreads reviews some time ago. They (the reviews) can no longer be trusted.

 

[kbrkr]

I've been through this on many other forums over the years and the membership seems to come up with ways to keep the forum going by either purchasing, leasing, taking ownership and then funding the servers, etc.

Is this an option in this case?

 

[pcgeekesq]

There are many alternatives for reviews on smaller sites

The only review sites I value as much or more than DPReview is Thom Hogan's. Other sites are useful, but DPR and TH are the ones that figure most prominently in my buying decisions. YMMV.

 

[Doofer]

How is Amazon NOT making money off this site? This doesn't make sense from a business perspective.

RIP studio scene comparison tool, won't miss the forums, that's for sure.

Funny, you seem to enjoy sharing your 'opinions' on them regularly.

 

[rumple]

I think there are archival websites out there

Forums: Digital Photography Review (archive.org)

Forums: Digital Photography Review

Expert news, reviews and videos of the latest digital cameras, lenses, accessories, and phones. Get answers to your questions in our photography forums.

web.archive.org

It isn't perfect, but will have archived at least some of it.

 

[dj_paige]

Can you give us a link?

 

[kbrkr]

Can we create a dedicated thread with a list and links to all the alternate photography forums. The one thing I love about this site is there are many manufacturers and topics to choose from; not just Nikon.

Can we list all the links in a separate thread please?

 

[Iain G Foulds]

… Dpreview: This is an opportunity to simplify, remodel and monetize the Dpreview forums. The forums are an invaluable source of inspiration, experience, and advertising.

… More advertising would be understandable. A modest, yearly subscription rate would be fair, and corporate rates as well.

 

[Gollan]

Can you give us a link?

Sure, here are links to some Reddit subreddits (forums):

Nikon Z Series

Nikon

Photography

 

[Smiert Spionam]

https://www.nikonians.org/

I was always turned off a little by their aggressive push to upgrade to a paid membership.

Yeah, me too (though I did contribute a few times). The thing that finished it for me was the combination of pay-to-view forums and aggressive controls over personal content -- I couldn't edit or remove links to my own work, which meant that if I stopped paying, I couldn't see any responses to things I'd posted.

That rubbed me the wrong way.

I was a member of photo.net back in the '90s, though I haven't visited in ages. I still use FredMiranda.com, and I think it's ultimately the best alternative. I generally prefer it to here anyway, though this site has been especially good for new releases.

 

[T O Shooter]

Good riddance. About 3 years overdue. Not what it was and certainly not what it seems.

It's unfortunate though that Amazon didn't / won't sell it to someone who would continue it as a photography forum. Skip on the reviews.

Big business shouldn't be running something that could be run by a few individuals.