DPR Update XenForo pre-launch FAQ

[Mathew Anderson]

Community,

You have asked many excellent questions about the forum migration to XenForo (thank you!). With those questions asked across several threads, we wanted to consolidate them in one place.

The following list of questions is updated as of October 3, 2025. We will keep you informed of changes to the FAQ (new questions, clarifications, and corrections to existing questions).

Please keep this thread specific to clarifying and asking new questions. This thread is not intended to discuss or debate a question's topic.

If you have general discussion points to make outside this FAQ, please post them in an external existing or new thread on the topic. If responses create their own sub-thread here that continue to discuss a question or debate it beyond the scope of this FAQ, that sub-thread may be removed.

Thanks all!

ABOUT THE NEW PLATFORM (XenForo)

• What is XenForo, and why was it chosen over other platforms?
  XenForo is a forum platform designed to support a robust and long-lived community like DPReview’s. It provides much greater support than our existing, outdated proprietary system, ensuring support beyond the current system's life.
  XenForo was chosen over other platforms for numerous critical reasons, including its receiving regular updates, security and maintenance support, a faster and more reliable interface, and more.
• Who is the owner of XenForo, and is it an established company?
  You can read more about XenForo at: https://xenforo.com/
• When will the new forum system launch?
  No launch date has been announced yet. We will notify you when a launch date is approaching.
• Will the new DPReview forums feature a unique design, or will they resemble a generic XenForo site?
  While every XenForo forum has some basic styling, we have been customizing it to fit the existing forum style and future needs. It should look modern yet familiar to you. Additional adjustments are possible.
• Have you tested whether XenForo can handle a site as large as DPReview in terms of traffic, data, and number of users?
  Yes, XenForo will provide even greater capabilities here than before.
• Will you be providing guides or tutorials to help users learn how to use the new forum interface?
  Yes! We plan to release walkthroughs before and during the launch process. Your feedback on what you would like to see is helpful, thank you. And feel free to take the lead and create your own guides as well. We will be happy to support them!
• Will there be a subscription or paid membership required to remove ads?
  The XenForo migration is separate from any plans for the core site. At launch, the ad system will operate as it does currently.

USER ACCOUNTS, HISTORY, DATA

• Will all past forum content, discussions, and user post histories be migrated to the new platform? How far back will the migration go?
  All of the above will be migrated from the very beginning.
• Will user galleries and the photos within them be migrated?
  Yes
• Will there be a way for users to download their entire gallery of photos?
  All photos uploaded to XenForo can be downloaded. There is currently no bulk download feature, but we are looking into the possibility.
• Will user profiles, including Gear Lists and forum activity history, be retained?
  Yes
• Will my list of bookmarked threads be carried over to the new system?
  Yes
• How is the site's content hosted and maintained?
  The forums will be hosted by XenForo Cloud on our behalf. DPReview/Gear Patrol retains ownership and control of all forum data.

FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY

• Will the new forum have a "threaded view" option, or will it be "flat view" only?
  It supports an enhanced version of what is currently seen as Flat View.
• Will the DPReview Challenges system be affected by this change?
  The Challenge system will remain the same.
• Will the ability to "ignore" a particular user and hide their posts be kept?
  Yes
• Will there be an option to auto-lock old, inactive threads ("zombie threads")
  Yes, this will be available to admins and moderators.
• Will the current subforum structure be changed?
  No current forums will be removed or significantly consolidated. Some may be slightly re-ordered in the main view.
• Will some forums (e.g., by camera brand) be consolidated?
  Any significant changes to existing forums will only occur after launch, when we’ve had more opportunity to gather community feedback on the idea.
• Will the new platform support UBB/BBCode tags like XcodeX and XICODEX for formatting?
  Yes
• Will the new platform support keyboard shortcuts for navigation (e.g., pressing "F" to go to the forum list)?
  Yes
• Will RSS feeds for new topics in each forum still be available?
  RSS feeds will be available at the forum index level.

What are some of the new features we can expect?

• Expanded profiles, including more room for you to write about yourself
• Group direct messages that can act like a private chat room
• Hosting of your own articles (“Resources” in XenForo) and photo galleries with the ability to share
• New feeds and tracking tools to monitor global new posts and content
• Tracking of what the DPReview team is posting and where
• Preview your posts before publishing

And here are some features our team will be able to help manage:

• Feature community content at the top of the forums
• Sticky posts at the top of a thread
• Show posts in multiple locations
• Merge threads that have the same discussion

IMAGE & PHOTO SHARING

• Will uploaded image files be compressed or altered in any other way?
  No, images will be unaltered upon upload. Please be advised that how you view them within the browser may affect the quality of their presentation, and possibly their quality upon download. (This is the same behavior as the current system.)
• Will downloaded images be identical to the original upload?
  It depends on your device, browser version, and where in the forums you are viewing the image. An unaltered original download of images is possible, though.
• Will HDR photo data (gain maps) and quality be supported?
  Planned for future support.
• What will the max image resolution and file size limits be on the new platform?
  We are currently considering a max resolution of about 15000x15000 and a file size maximum of about 50MB. We’re trying to be realistic about photo storage constraints while taking into account community needs.
• Will photos posted in the new forum continue to display their EXIF data?
  Photos in gallery view will display EXIF data. EXIF data in threads is currently in development.
• Will the new gallery allow for organizing photos into albums?
  Yes! You will have more options to organize and present your photos here than before.
• Can we add titles and descriptions to photos in the new gallery?
  Yes. Other users will be able to comment on these photos as well.

OTHER

• What will happen to the user-created Challenges? Will they be migrated?
  Yes, they will be migrated. We expect Challenges to be even easier and more robust to run, thanks to the extra features XenForo provides.
• Can you provide mock-ups, screenshots, or a preview of what the new forum will look like before it goes live?
  Yes, absolutely. We hope to roll something out as the launch date approaches.

NEW QUESTIONS AS OF 10/15/2025

• What is the plan for ensuring the new platform is reliable and stable?
  XenForo's core software is regularly updated by its team, which we will review and accept for each update period. We are also able to update the software on our end if any changes are needed.
• What forum post editing code is used?
  BBCode (Bulletin Board Code)
• Will you be able to subscribe to both specific forums AND threads?
  Yes
• Will the 150-post limit on threads be removed?
  Yes, however, this could change depending on future needs.
• Will the ability for users to edit their own posts be retained?
  Yes, however, this could change depending on future needs.
• Will there be a time limit or other restrictions, such as not being able to edit after a reply has been posted?
  No time limit is currently being planned, though it could be implemented in the future if needed.
• Will we still be able to change the title of a reply to create a sub-topic?
  No, there will be no need, as threads should be of a single topic. To create a new topic, you would start a new thread (which you could link back to the original post).
• Can we quote only part of a post and customize the contents of that quote?
  Yes
• Will we be able to tag posts to make them easier to search for and categorize?
  Yes
• Will the new forum support drag-and-drop for uploading photos?
  Yes, there will be some drag-and-drop functionality.

NEW QUESTIONS AS OF 10/29/2025

• Lots of old camera lens reviews and other content on the main site should be preserved... will it?
  Yes! The main site content is remaining as-is. The only changes at this time are the forums themselves.
• Will an actual user/poster to the actual forums have to pay something to Xenforo
  No
• What are some of the new features we can expect?
  Here are just some of the new or improved features:
  • A new photo sharing and gallery system to share your photos with other community members and browse their work.
  • Consolidated activity feeds showing the latest posts, trending discussions, and popular content across all forums in unified views.
  • A mobile-responsive design – no more switching between different mobile and desktop versions of the forums.
  • Improved direct messaging, including group chats, to connect privately with other members.
  • Enhanced profile pages to showcase your photography, gear, and interests.
  • Customizable notifications to stay updated on topics and conversations more easily.
  • Thread pinning and highlighting for better visibility of timely or informative discussions.
  • New post sharing options for referencing and responding to posts of interest.
• Will the Top Poster list be preserved?
  Yes! Though we may restrict the list a bit by date. For example, perhaps only the last, say, 2-years of activity will count.
• Will the new forums tell you when threads are locked?
  Yes! There will be a small "lock" icon next to the post.
• Will XenForo itself censor or ban users for reasons decided by XenForo, not DPR?
  No. The XF team has no control or authority over any content in the forums.
• What about the comment sections to articles? Will they be migrated, too?
  No. The article comments are a separate function outside of the forums. However, we may be able to combine the two spaces one day, so that you can comment in the article or in a forum post about the article with all comments visible together.

Thanks for checking this FAQ for your questions! If you have any new questions, feel free to post them below.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

Community! We've been gathering your latest questions about the forum migration and added them to the FAQ above. Here is a copy:

NEW QUESTIONS AS OF October 15, 2025

• What is the plan for ensuring the new platform is reliable and stable?
  XenForo's core software is regularly updated by its team, which we will review and accept for each update period. We are also able to update the software on our end if any changes are needed.
• What forum post editing code is used?
  BBCode (Bulletin Board Code)
• Will you be able to subscribe to both specific forums AND threads?
  Yes
• Will the 150-post limit on threads be removed?
  Yes, however, this could change depending on future needs.
• Will the ability for users to edit their own posts be retained?
  Yes, however, this could change depending on future needs.
• Will there be a time limit or other restrictions, such as not being able to edit after a reply has been posted?
  No time limit is currently being planned, though it could be implemented in the future if needed.
• Will we still be able to change the title of a reply to create a sub-topic?
  No, there will be no need, as threads should be of a single topic. To create a new topic, you would start a new thread (which you could link back to the original post).
• Can we quote only part of a post and customize the contents of that quote?
  Yes
• Will we be able to tag posts to make them easier to search for and categorize?
  Yes
• Will the new forum support drag-and-drop for uploading photos?
  Yes, there will be some drag-and-drop functionality.

More questions come in nearly every day. If your question was not answered yet, please feel free to remind us of it.

Thanks!

--
DPReview Community Manager

 

[robert1955]

thx, start of round 3

Will users have the ability to have a standard signature added automatically to their posts?

If so, will their be a length limit?

If so, will users have the ability to collapse individual and/or all sig's?

 

[UncleVanya]

thx, start of round 3

Will users have the ability to have a standard signature added automatically to their posts?

If so, will their be a length limit?

If so, will users have the ability to collapse individual and/or all sig's?

Or HIDE all signatures.

 

[UncleVanya]

Man the typos.

MOST, but not all, forums I use post a warning when replying to a thread over a year old (since last post). The warning suggests that people should create a new thread unless there’s a specific reason to reopen the thread.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

thx, start of round 3

Will users have the ability to have a standard signature added automatically to their posts?

If so, will their be a length limit?

If so, will users have the ability to collapse individual and/or all sig's?

Round 3 commences with a set of great questions!

Yes, yes (tbd), and eventually.

 

[Mark Ransom]

Man the typos.

Maybe you're a victim of autocorrect? I get that a lot on my phone.

 

[robert1955]

thx, start of round 3

Will users have the ability to have a standard signature added automatically to their posts?

If so, will their be a length limit?

If so, will users have the ability to collapse individual and/or all sig's?

Or HIDE all signatures.

I'm at present content with the 'show signature' toggle. You want to go a step further and not even see that?

 

[robert1955]

thx, start of round 3

Will users have the ability to have a standard signature added automatically to their posts?

If so, will their be a length limit?

If so, will users have the ability to collapse individual and/or all sig's?

Round 3 commences with a set of great questions!

Yes, yes (tbd), and eventually.

A follow up: at present the forum sw interprets a line beginning with -- as a signature and if you are hiding sigs will not show what follows. But I've seen quite a few times people using a line of ---'s as a demarcation in their post, which is then shown incomplete. I hope the new SW works differently

 

[Mathew Anderson]

thx, start of round 3

Will users have the ability to have a standard signature added automatically to their posts?

If so, will their be a length limit?

If so, will users have the ability to collapse individual and/or all sig's?

Round 3 commences with a set of great questions!

Yes, yes (tbd), and eventually.

A follow up: at present the forum sw interprets a line beginning with -- as a signature and if you are hiding sigs will not show what follows. But I've seen quite a few times people using a line of ---'s as a demarcation in their post, which is then shown incomplete. I hope the new SW works differently

Signatures are entirely separate from a post's content (even though they look close together after being posted).

You can still make any demarcations you want for the post, but the signature will remain intact.

 

[JPAlbert]

Is there a sample page or two anywhere so we can see what XenForo will actually look like...?

 

[Mark Ransom]

Is there a sample page or two anywhere so we can see what XenForo will actually look like...?

I don't think they want anybody to see it until it's ready to go live. It would just give people more things to be upset about, while the look and feel are still under constant refinement.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

Is there a sample page or two anywhere so we can see what XenForo will actually look like...?

We will soon be announcing an update on the front page of the DPR website with a FAQ update and a walkthrough video of XenForo (a brief walkthrough, few minutes just to give you some idea of what it looks like and how a few basic things function we know you'll be interested in).

 

[MacroDonata]

Where will the content that we have already uploaded reside:

DPR servers or XF servers?

And, future uploads?

Thanks.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

Where will the content that we have already uploaded reside:

DPR servers or XF servers?

And, future uploads?

Thanks.

Great question! I've asked our team to see what we can add to our own ToS, Privacy Policy, or any places that can present clarity here on data retainment.

 

[UncleVanya]

Man the typos.

Maybe you're a victim of autocorrect? I get that a lot on my phone.

Absolutely.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

Where will the content that we have already uploaded reside:

DPR servers or XF servers?

And, future uploads?

Thanks.

Getting back to you on this (I also responded to your other post). The forums will be hosted by XenForo Cloud on our behalf. DPReview/Gear Patrol retains ownership and control of all forum data.

The existing Conditions of Use and Privacy Notice continue to apply after the migration.

This has been added to the FAQ.

 

[Sagittarius]

Will there be a feature preventing from unauthorized download of the posted picture?

 

[Alan Sh]

Will there be a feature preventing from unauthorized download of the posted picture?

I don't think that's enforceable as you can always do a screenshot of the picture. But maybe the original can be stopped. I guess it then depends on the rules applied.

Alan

 

[belinograph]

Will the URLs of threads and posts in the old forum redirect to the same migrated content in the new forum so that external links and browser bookmarks will continue to work?

 

[Mathew Anderson]

Will the URLs of threads and posts in the old forum redirect to the same migrated content in the new forum so that external links and browser bookmarks will continue to work?

Hi belinograph! Yes, they should redirect to the appropriate and expected destination.