In Perspective, Planet: Welcome migrants from DPReview!

[Asher Kelman]

DPReview has served photographers as a most reliable and unbiased source for evaluating photography gear. But after 25 years it’s closing.

So we welcome all DPReview members to make OPF your new home. What we miss in reviews we can try to make up for in honest sharing of experience and our favorite images and techniques.

Please don’t hesitate to write to me with any suggestions to make OPF more functional. This is a good time as I am reviewing our forum structure at this time, anyway. It will be simpler and easier to follow.

Asher

 

[Jerome Marot]

I had not realized DPReview was closing, thanks for the pointer.

I don't quite understand Amazon's policies nowadays. I know that Amazon laid off parts of their workforce, but I thought they were simply adjusting post-covid. Maybe they are not in a good shape after all.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I had not realized DPReview was closing, thanks for the pointer.

I don't quite understand Amazon's policies nowadays. I know that Amazon laid off parts of their workforce, but I thought they were simply adjusting post-covid. Maybe they are not in a good shape after all.

Most of Amazon’s money is made from AWS, their cloud computer service!

Not anything like this!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

We would like input from members for any suggestions to our organization. I have had one request for brand name fora, for easy finding of sample pictures. We can also have that in a search option.

Asher

 

[Pao Dolina]

Another sign that digital cameras are in decline.

DPReview and https://sportsshooter.com/ shutting down more indicators...

Wonder what site is next on the chopping board.

 

[Pao Dolina]

Here's a thought.

If you have any friends on DPR's forum why not invite them to come over to our forum?

I am sure their are some looking for a new home for the coming decades.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Pao,

I wouldn’t worry about numbers of digital cameras sold.

What’s key here is the number of folk who dedicate a portion of their being, to imagine images that move us so much they breathe a life of their own or those who document events and things to satisfy paying clients.

Such photographers will still need “more camera” than even todays pixel-packed mobile phones currently offer!

My interest is not that every household has a near professional grade camera. That’s a marketing Goal of 5 years back!

My interest remains, however, that we constitute a viable market to sustain healthy competition for at least 3-4 camera makers.

Right now, the cameras and lenses we love are readily available and even if companies folded, there are enough good quality cameras and lens in circulation for the next 20-40 years for those who will use them!

Asher

 

[Pao Dolina]

Pao,

I wouldn’t worry about numbers of digital cameras sold.

What’s key here is the number of folk who dedicate a portion of their being, to imagine images that move us so much they breathe a life of their own or those who document events and things to satisfy paying clients.

Such photographers will still need “more camera” than even todays pixel-packed mobile phones currently offer!

My interest is not that every household has a near professional grade camera. That’s a marketing Goal of 5 years back!

My interest remains, however, that we constitute a viable market to sustain healthy competition for at least 3-4 camera makers.

Right now, the cameras and lenses we love are readily available and even if companies folded, there are enough good quality cameras and lens in circulation for the next 20-40 years for those who will use them!

Asher

I am using the closures of those 2 & other websites as indicators of the impact of fewer digital cameras being sold.

Why would Amazon shut down a money making part of their organization, right?

I would not be surprised that for the past 3 years DPR's is more of a cost than a income generator.

Right now ~49% of the digital camera market is Canon branded while about equal % of other brands like Fuji, Nikon, etc are using Sony CMOS image sensors.

Around year 2030 I would not be surprised that brands left standing are Canon at #1, Sony at #2 and any other brand at #3.

While the rest will other go bankrupt, be bought out or be a Pentax.

 

[Asher Kelman]

But it won’t affect us!

 

[Jerome Marot]

I would not be surprised that for the past 3 years DPR's is more of a cost than a income generator.

That does not explain why the owners of the site do not sell it to another company who would cut the staff, make it publish less reviews or make the reviews more advertising based and add some paying options for the members, as happened to several photography sites before. One would expect that the name and user base to have some value. The complete Internet turns around finding what your hobbies are to direct you to someone selling related equipment.

To me, this is a complete change of paradigm and I wonder if it only is photography. But we will see whether other large sites close in the following months.

 

[Pao Dolina]

That does not explain why the owners of the site do not sell it to another company who would cut the staff, make it publish less reviews or make the reviews more advertising based and add some paying options for the members, as happened to several photography sites before. One would expect that the name and user base to have some value. The complete Internet turns around finding what your hobbies are to direct you to someone selling related equipment.

To me, this is a complete change of paradigm and I wonder if it only is photography. But we will see whether other large sites close in the following months.

Perhaps Amazon has yet to be approached about a buy out until the announcement?

The shutdown may prompt interested investors to approach Amazon abought that like Yahoo's Flicker being bought out by SmugMug.

http://photocamel.com/ has shut down and until now has not come back.

For me this is but another sign that digital camera market will shrink to a size that few websites can sustain themselves.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I think that it’s not a lot to do with camera sales but rather interest in Facebook, Twitter and such social media sites for posting images!

Less people need to ask about camera specifications. Professionals are more interested in images. There is no evidence that prosumers, professionals and hobbyists are a shrinking society segments.

Rather it’s now realized that the ordi Art person, just wants to do selfies with friends and family.

But we are not affected in these changes!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

That does not explain why the owners of the site do not sell it to another company who would cut the staff, make it publish less reviews or make the reviews more advertising based and add some paying options for the members, as happened to several photography sites before. One would expect that the name and user base to have some value. The complete Internet turns around finding what your hobbies are to direct you to someone selling related equipment.

To me, this is a complete change of paradigm and I wonder if it only is photography. But we will see whether other large sites close in the following months.

Jérôme,

The worth of DPReview to Amazon is less than a single millet seed to a herd of elephants in the African Savanah!

Amazon is actually funded by the mammoth money generator, AWS, Amazon Web Services, that is online computing and data storage.

….. not selling consumer food or groceries.

DPReview is budget dust!

Every so often, executives just use a thick-tipped red pencil to shed bocks of 5,000 employees at a time. Essentially, they have zero interest in anything that does yield at least tens of millions in profit! As to selling, I am earnestly enquiring but probably, there’s little reward in it for executives as it’s perhaps too much bother.

AWS, as of several years back, made 7.5 billion dollars a month. DPReview isn’t even tenth of the ink in a comma in their sales figures!

Asher