DPReview is closing after 25 years

Amazon has introduced that it plans to close down one of many net’s oldest and largest digital camera assessment web sites, dpreview.com. Consequently, DPReview is closing after virtually 25 years on-line. The shock transfer comes amid information of a spherical of 9,000 job cuts on the Seattle-based web retail large, because it bids to chop prices and streamline headcount after increasing quickly within the early months of the Covid pandemic. It seems that Amazon has no plans to promote the location, however will as an alternative shut it down totally.

Based in 1998 as Digital Images Evaluate by Phil Askey, the location’s first assessment featured the 2MP Canon PowerShot Pro70. This text notably praised numerous then-novel options, together with a Li-ion rechargeable battery, a ‘swivel and tilt’ articulated LCD display screen, and uncooked format recording, all of which at the moment are thought of commonplace. In what would develop into one thing of a theme, Phil additionally delighted in selecting holes within the digital camera’s picture high quality.

DPReview shortly turned famed for its extremely detailed multi-page critiques, which in its heyday had been learn by tens of 1000’s of tourists. With detailed protection of each facet of the digital camera’s operation, together with the all-important picture high quality checks and ISO noise comparisons, these had been usually taken as gospel by a technology of photographers for whom every spherical of latest digital camera launches introduced a major step ahead in usability and picture high quality.

Extra not too long ago, although, the dearth of any actual alignment with Amazon’s wider enterprise objectives seems to have led to the location’s demise. Key editorial employees left with out being changed, with new critiques slowing to a trickle in consequence. Now evidently DPReview is closing totally. It will be an actual disgrace to see 25 years of in-depth content material disappear fully – it’s nonetheless an amazing useful resource for photographers. Hopefully Amazon will relent and discover a way of retaining the archived materials on-line.

An announcement on the location’s homepage says:

“Expensive readers,

After practically 25 years of operation, DPReview will probably be closing within the close to future. This troublesome resolution is a part of the annual working plan assessment that our guardian firm shared earlier this yr.

The positioning will stay lively till April 10, and the editorial crew continues to be engaged on critiques and searching ahead to delivering a few of our best-ever content material.

Everybody on our employees was a reader and fan of DPReview earlier than working right here, and we’re grateful for the communities that fashioned across the website.

Thanks to your assist through the years, and we hope you’ll be a part of us within the coming weeks as we have a good time this journey.

Sincerely,

Scott Everett

Normal Supervisor – DPReview.com”