[biz-engineer]

That said, I think Amazon's approach to DP Review is probably pretty hands off

Absolutely. However, if you go at the very bottom of DPR website, you'll find request forms, and if you go further you'll eventually have the choice how much is your budget to get your product advertised (including video reviews) by DPR. No money, no review.

[Rondec]

Absolutely. However, if you go at the very bottom of DPR website, you'll find request forms, and if you go further you'll eventually have the choice how much is your budget to get your product advertised by DPR. No money, no review.

Sure. I just don't think Jeff Bezos (or others) are directing Richard Butler to write certain things and not others.

That said, there is a Buzz Feed sensibility that often enters into articles -- at least on their initial iterations. The "review" of the DFA *50 (if you can call it that) reminds of just such a thing, where they had 8 or 9 different pages you had to click through. A comment was made initially that they had to review this lens because they thought this might be the last SLR lens they see from Pentax and they emphasized multiple times "how big" the lens was and how terrible the LoCA was on the lens.

I think the Internet tends to reward strong opinions -- even if they are dead wrong.

[c.a.m]

However, if you go at the very bottom of DPR website, you'll find request forms, and if you go further you'll eventually have the choice how much is your budget to get your product advertised (including video reviews) by DPR.

That's interesting.

DPR lists several options for potential clients, including "Social Amplification" and "Customer Insights."

I'm not familiar with contemporary marketing buzzwords, so I wonder what these two things mean.


Edit: I read several articles on these marketing terms, and think I understand them.

Social Amplification: content is picked up and shared by other social media platforms.

Customer insights: among other aspects, it is information and data on customers' (or potential customers') interest in a product or reaction to a product advertisement. In DPR's case, they could provide statistics and analysis on readers' page-views, for example, or interest levels on an upcoming product release.


- Craig

[bobmaxja]

In social network, a lot of money go to the Influencer and many many of them know little about what they push.

[biz-engineer]

DPR lists several options for potential clients, including "Social Amplification" and "Customer Insights."I'm not familiar with contemporary marketing buzzwords, so I wonder what these two things mean.

Same here. I'm not sure what these terms meant. I could understand the prices they charge for it .
TV used to be the main media for advertising, but it wasn't interactive, online downstream. Internet does what TV does, but better, since it's possible to select content based on user interests and collected market research data at the same time. Product reviews online are more like the Teleshopping broadcast on TV, they show you how wonderful is this innovative vacuum cleaner that can suck anything on a carpet and give you the call number to order now because the price is "only" $99 and they only had limited quantity of it (because if you don't order now , you'll never order).

[beholder3]

I think it is obvious that while the dependency on being an Amazon affiliate is one of the fails of that tabloid there are two much more destructive issues:

a) hater / fanboy writers
Whatever neutral setting you might have overall, it doesnt help anything when you have low end paid interns writing the article who are so very clearly haters and fanboys as a person. The attachment to Nikon and Sony is pretty obvious.

b) complete lack of professionalism and scientific roots for the concept "review": transparent, same measurable criteria

While even a teenager will understand that it is essential for any "review" to have clear criteria and comparative judgements to have exactly the same criteria for everyone over time these minimum requirements are not met by any "article" posts there.
The utter lack of the latter turns it all into pure advertising and propaganda. Cherry-picking what looks good on A and hand-picking what looks bad on B is the basis formula for any propaganda. This enables your fan crowd cheering "but it is true, it is all fact based".
Then you go and blow up the picked negatives. That's why it is a tabloid.

By contrast look at how imaging review does reviews. Or look at how lenstip does lens reviews. Extremely stable criteria, exercised evenly. Night and day contrasts to the tabloid.

[biz-engineer]

By contrast look at how imaging review does reviews. Or look at how lenstip does lens reviews. Extremely stable criteria, exercised evenly. Night and day contrasts to the tabloid.

There isn't any camera review standard. Haven't you noticed that the AF bike tracking test has been replaced by a AF walk tracking test for mirrorless (they don't ride a bike anymore, too fast for the Panasonic DFD to track). It even worse, DPR entirely exclude some camera models/brand from their comparative reviews, they only present a few self selected model (basically the big 3, Canon , Nikon , Sony) and either Panasonic or Fuji depending on mood. Pentax and Olympus removed from reviews. A reviewer has full power: he can review what he likes to review and decide what criteria to use for the review, it's fully open.

[Serkevan]

There isn't any camera review standard. Haven't you noticed that the AF bike tracking test has been replaced by a AF walk tracking test for mirrorless (they don't ride a bike anymore, too fast for the Panasonic DFD to track). It even worse, DPR entirely exclude some camera models/brand from their comparative reviews, they only present a few self selected model (basically the big 3, Canon , Nikon , Sony) and either Panasonic or Fuji depending on mood.

Have you noticed that the studio comparison has the Sony A7R4 using their 85/1.4 GM monster lens and the Canon R5 uses the 85/1.2L while the K-1 uses the FA77?
They use from what it seems the most recent native, fast 85 they had on hand, but that's hardly relevant on a sensor to sensor comparison.

[beholder3]

It gets worse when you also add in the manipulations done by NOT reporting on things.
Given all the advertising of Sony A7s3 and predecessors inlcuding raving reviews you wont ever find it on the exposure latitude comparison.

I mean, it is the exact same scene shot as "studio scene". And anyone wants to tell me they actually stop shooting a camera model in their test box for one reason, then wait months and then come back and shoot another topic?

And its not about too little time as later released cameras are in there.

[biz-engineer]

Have you noticed that the studio comparison has the Sony A7R4 using their 85/1.4 GM monster lens and the Canon R5 uses the 85/1.2L while the K-1 uses the FA77?

C'mon, don't be so biased, they didn't have the DFA*85 nor the DFA*50 at the time of the Pentax K1II test. The Panasonic S1 pixel shift was tested with a Leica prime lens, yet doesn't compare favorably with the Pentax K1 PS with the FA77 .

[Serkevan]

C'mon, don't be so biased, they didn't have the DFA*85 nor the DFA*50 at the time of the Pentax K1II test. The Panasonic S1 pixel shift was tested with a Leica prime lens, yet doesn't compare favorably with the Pentax K1 PS with the FA77 .

I know - my point is that they should have used the same lens (get a medium format one and adapt, I guess?) in all cameras. Of course, there are many logistic limitations, but the way it is set up... it's not too serious a comparison.

[SharkyCA]

Just thought I would add this here in response to the first post!

About this site: Digital Photography Review

[bobmaxja]

DPR is the perfect example of social amplification with their comments sections.
What is social amplification?
Promoters & Influencers
When you share a piece of content or an engagement to your social channels, you have the option to ask your promoters to amplify the content (invite super fans to become your brand promoters with IntellaSphere). You’ll find the option while creating a post in the bottom-right corner of the “Create Post” screen, above the “Submit” button. After the post goes live, Brand Promoters will get an alert asking them to amplify your content by reacting and sharing it on their channels.

Promoters will see a box labeled “React & Amplify,” which takes them to the original post you created—so instead of just re-posting your link on its own, they can interact with and share your post, giving your content more visibility and promoting your brand/profile. Your posts will get more engagement, building up the credibility and reach of your brand’s presence online.

[Class A]

Just thought I would add this here in response to the first post!

That note wasn't always there.

Not too long ago, there were some discussions in comments and the DPReview staff chimed in stating "Oh, yeah, we had no idea the note about Amazon wasn't there anymore. Let's put it back."

At least they are consistent regarding their lack of professionalism.

[Class A]

While even a teenager will understand that it is essential for any "review" to have clear criteria and comparative judgements to have exactly the same criteria for everyone over time these minimum requirements are not met by any "article" posts there.

When I once brought up the lack of repeatability of their tests, their so-called "science editor" said the tests would be more relevant if they featured real world conditions (that cannot be controlled). Hashtag: When the "science editor" does not have a clue about elementary testing principles.