I am surprised that Amazon is closing down DPReview. The first thing that comes to my mind is, why close it? There would likely be someone who might want to buy it. The most likely reason is that Amazon will somehow monetize the content. How and what, I do not know.
The vast database is a history.
The database of cameras and lenses is vast. It has a timeline of digital cameras. It is a history of digital cameras. Very sad to see that going away.
Amazon is cutting costs.
Amazon is cutting down many jobs, and closing DPReview is part of that.
Most likely, DPReview is not profitable. Amazon bought DPReview in 2007. It generated a lot of Affiliate sales. Amazon bought it because of that. It was cheaper to buy it than to pay affiliate money.
Why are profits down?
The number of places to buy and use affiliate links has grown. DPReview has become a place where people search for information about cameras and buy them elsewhere. It is like a camera store in your local mall. People go there and look at cameras and other gear, then return home and order it from an online store. The cost of displaying goes to the store, and the profit goes to the online store.
DPReview closes 10th of April, 2023. It will be online for some time after that, but how long? We do not know.
How do I feel about DPrewiev closing down?
Of course, I am unfortunate that Amazon closed it. I have used it to look for info about cameras. I read the articles about the industry, but I never read the reviews that much. I have been an Olympus Visionary and OM SYSTEM Ambassador since 2016. Before that, I worked closely with Canon. I never really needed info on what to buy. It has been quite clear.
I wrote some posts to the forum between 2003 and 2005. It was mostly about RAW conversions. That was a new thing to me, and most likely for many others in the early days of digital photography.
I also asked questions and got ideas for articles I wrote for a Finnish photographic magazine, Pikseli.
DPReviewTV “moves.”
The good news is that Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake can continue their YouTube career. They will be the hosts on the PetaPixel YouTube channel.
I am looking forward to that channel. Their introduction video said the content would be more about photography, not mainly gear reviews. Chriss Niccolls noted that they would be making content about how they use the gear. That will be more interesting than just discussing the features and pixel peeping.
I believe the channel starts in May 2023.
What about you?
How do you feel about this? What did DPReview mean to you?
Tell us in the comments.