Is the digital photo craze dead? DPReview.com shutting down.

[DREW WILEY]

We've already got way too much technology for our own good. Soon enough, current cell phones will seem as primitive and arcane as buggy whips; and there might be some kind of realized sci-fi telepathic sensor directly linked to our own brains replacing them. Glad I'll be gone by then. I'm content with my film cameras and darkroom. Call me a backwards turtle if you want. But crocs and turtles not only survived the great mass extinction which killed off the dinosaurs, but they might outlast us too, the way things are going.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I was on DPReview just yesterday and I was wondering how it was still around with so few digital cameras compared to the past. Photography sure has changed. Only downside I see is all those old reviews will be gone. I guess there is always waybackmachine.

 

[runswithsizzers]

Once upon a time, I checked in at DPR fairly often. I particulary appreciated their comprehensive written reviews of cameras and lenses. Can't bear to watch video reviews.

The main reason I quit looking at DPR was because I lost interest in multi-page threads about inconsequential topics hotly debated by prickly personalities. Sure glad there is none of that around here! ;-)

 

[wiltw]

I don't even know why "parent" is used at all.

I fail to understand why the puzzlement about use of the word 'parent'.
This was just received by me in an email sent by DPReview:

"After nearly 25 years of operation, DPReview will be closing in the near future. This difficult decision is part of the annual operating plan review that our parent company shared earlier this year.""​

 

[Anon Ymous]

... As the technology matured, the market saturated, the demand and the pace of innovation slowed, the smartphone became the de facto standard camera for most people. It certainly is for me. My mid-tier phone has a camera that astounds me. The only thing missing is different focal lengths, but I can live without that.

My thoughts exactly. It's the camera you always carry and it's very, very capable. You can even shoot raw if you wish to get the best possible results. And yes, if only one could get more focal lengths apart from the standard wide angle one.

 

[BradS]

I looked at DPReview once fairly early on in its existence and never looked again. Looks like it has changed some since then.

 

[AnselMortensen]

What's a DPReview?

 

[Rolleiflexible]

A Time for Everything​

3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

I love it when you quote The Byrds.

 

[wiltw]

The main reason I quit looking at DPR was because I lost interest in multi-page threads about inconsequential topics hotly debated by prickly personalities. Sure glad there is none of that around here! ;-)

Yes, the forums did get unpleasant, but the official camera reviews used to be very thorough and well documented in their critiques and praise. The imaging tests, particularly the ones done in studio, permitted a very useful comparison of different generations of cameras because of the test standardization.

 

[ic-racer]

Is the digital photo craze dead?

Ended around 2011 according to digital camera sales. Like many passing fads, there may be a nostalgic re-interest in the coming years.

Both film photography and digital camera imaging share a common denominator these days; those with serious interest continue to participate.

 

[snusmumriken]

I love it when you quote The Byrds.

Or Pete Seeger. Or Ecclesiastes.

 

[warden]

Perhaps this is an opportunity for @Sean? DP review has a film photography forum and somebody was asking on it where they should go now.

 

[film_man]

Well I hope all the..personalities over there don't rush into places like fredmiranda and turn that into a turd fest.

Places like Amazon buy all sorts of companies only to then shut them down because they are not "core" business. It wasn't when you bought so...duh.

 

[xkaes]

I never "GOT" the DPReview FORUM format. It was WAY too awkward. So I avoided it as much as I could. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I never "GOT" the DPReview FORUM format. It was WAY too awkward. So I avoided it as much as I could. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I only searched for articles about particular lenses. I never read the comments after the articles.

 

[skorpiius]

I never "GOT" the DPReview FORUM format. It was WAY too awkward. So I avoided it as much as I could. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

It was super old school from when it was launched in 1998. Similar to Reddit format I guess. They later added a flatten button to view it more like a typical forum but it was imperfect.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...The main reason I quit looking at DPR was because I lost interest in multi-page threads about inconsequential topics hotly debated by prickly personalities. Sure glad there is none of that around here! ;-)

It appears that many in this thread, including those who quoted you, completely missed the sarcasm of that second sentence. Well-placed sarcasm.

 

[Sean]

Perhaps this is an opportunity for @Sean? DP review has a film photography forum and somebody was asking on it where they should go now.

Those who have a presence there are welcome to inform their community they can reach out to me directly at: sean@photrio.com

If the community there is looking for a new home I can see no reason not to engage with them and onboard them. Any bad actor types can be filtered out through our expanded moderation team. I know our digital areas could use a big boost and any moderators of their digital side can work with us on our forum structure and more. They could in some ways pick up where they left off. Sadly their accounts will need re-creating and their historical data will be gone.

Our biggest sell is that we have been faithful to our community and data since 2002, we are photographer owned and run

Thanks!
Sean

 

[xkaes]

CIRCLE THE WAGONS!!!

 

[Sean]

CIRCLE THE WAGONS!!!

I guess this is the modern version of that...

 

[Huss]

As long as we can get one roll of Kodak Gold for $20 on Amazon (on sale from $25), we are good.

 

[Huss]

Anyway, I always knew digital photography was a fad. When did it hit mainstream? 1998? So it’s only lasted a bit over 20 years? Film photography? Over 150 years and going strong.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Anyway, I always knew digital photography was a fad. When did it hit mainstream? 1998? So it’s only lasted a bit over 20 years? Film photography? Over 150 years and going strong.

Cell phone cameras are digital and there are probably more of them sold every year than film cameras ever did. A better comparison would be film cameras to digital cameras.

Funny that we debate this stuff when a lot of painters group photographers together as one big pile of wanna-be artists

 

[runswithsizzers]

It appears that many in this thread, including those who quoted you, completely missed the sarcasm of that second sentence. Well-placed sarcasm.

And I even put in a winky.

 

[Huss]

Funny that we debate this stuff when a lot of painters group photographers together as one big pile of wanna-be artists

I used to paint back in the day. Mixed my own colors from the juices of fruits, vegetables, crushed rocks and vanquished foes.
But thankfully gave up all that nonsense when film photography was invented. Now I can happily make 36 portraits in less time than it takes those hipster painters to select a brush.
Painting? Don’t miss it.