The DPReview homepage as it appears today.

After more than 25 years, DPReview is getting a completely new website. Here's what you need to know.

---

When DPReview first lit up the internet in 1998, the tech world was bracing for Y2K, computers used CRT monitors, and early digital camera owners waited minutes to upload a photo over a 56k modem. In the quarter century since, a lot has changed.

One thing that hasn't changed quite so dramatically, though, is our website. We've occasionally added features or applied a fresh coat of paint, but the changes have been evolutionary rather than transformative. To a large degree, that consistency was a feature, not a bug; we've never wanted to do a major site redesign unless we were confident it could preserve the core DPReview experience.

That time has come. We're in the final stages of building a completely new DPReview from the ground up, and years of reader feedback have shaped our thinking about what the new site needs to be.

What's changing

We all love nostalgia, but just like CompactFlash cards, it's time to leave some of our best-of-the-early-2000s web interfaces behind.

"We're in the final stages of building a completely new DPReview from the ground up..."

DPReview will be getting a new look and feel built for the modern web, designed to work great on both desktop and mobile devices. If you're a desktop user, you can look forward to faster load times, easier navigation, and a more modern experience.

If you're a mobile user, you'll no longer have to revert to our desktop site to see certain pages. Additionally, we've updated some of our favorite site tools that have never worked well on mobile devices and optimized them for mobile use, including our image comparison tool, product comparison tool and sample galleries.

Under the hood, we're leaving much of our legacy infrastructure behind. In its place, we'll be moving to a modern, widely supported codebase that will make it easier to develop new features and that we can confidently invest in well into the future.

What's not changing

Our editorial mandate is not changing. That means we're not going to change what we cover or how we cover it. We're committed to giving you the same camera reviews, tech explainers, opinion pieces, and photography stories DPReview is known for, written by the same people you've come to trust.

"Our editorial mandate is not changing."

Our community forums will also remain unchanged. Many of you will recall that we had to move our forums to a new platform in 2025 to ensure their continued operation. Other than some minor cosmetic updates to align with the new site design, the core forum experience will stay the same.

When is this happening?

We plan to roll out the new site within the next several weeks. As we get closer to launch we'll share interim updates, and maybe even some sneak peeks, so you can get a sense of what to expect.

The DPReview homepage in 2012. Although the site has received some facelifts over the years, the basic format is recognizable.

In the spirit of keeping you informed, there's one near-term change worth flagging. Our Challenges system is built around a structured timeline with phases for announcements, submissions, and voting. Since we don't want to disrupt challenges that may be in progress at the moment we move to the new system, we will be temporarily freezing the ability to start new challenges beginning on April 25th; challenges already underway will complete normally. A new Challenges system is coming, and we'll share more details on timing as we get closer.

Back to the future

A lot has changed since 1998. Many of you have been part of our community for much – or even all – of that history, and have experienced that change alongside us. That kind of loyalty isn't something we take lightly, and it's a big reason why getting this right matters to us.

"We plan to roll out the new site within the next several weeks."

We also want to be realistic. This is a massive project. Not only are we building new things, we're also migrating over 25 years of history and tens of thousands of articles to a completely new system. There will be a few things that won't be ready right out of the gate, and we'll make sure to address those as quickly as possible after launch. Additionally, despite plenty of testing, there will almost certainly be some unexpected bugs when the new site goes live, and we hope you'll be patient with us as we squash them with our tripod legs.

But it's going to be worth it: a more attractive, easier to navigate, more photo-focused website, representing a huge commitment to the site's future. We're excited to launch this new chapter in DPReview's history, and we think you're going to like what's coming.

---

FAQs

Is the current site broken? If not, why change?

Not broken, but overdue. The site has been running on the same aging codebase for over 25 years, and maintaining it has become increasingly costly and limiting. Moving DPReview onto a modern shared platform with our sister site Gear Patrol means we can invest in new features and improvements far more efficiently than we could on legacy infrastructure while keeping DPReview's editorial identity fully intact. The old system was a ceiling. This removes it.

Will this affect DPReview's editorial content?

Our editorial mandate isn't changing. We'll continue to bring you the same authoritative, unbiased coverage of cameras and photography you've come to depend on, written by the same people.

When can I see what the new site looks like?

We hope to share some sneak peeks in the weeks leading up to launch. You'll be able to see the full site on launch day.

Will the new site be faster?

Yes, the new site will be faster and more reliable for most things. That said, some functions are limited by factors outside our control. Downloading a large sample image, for example, still depends on your connection speed. We can make the site faster, but we can't speed up the entire internet :)

Will the review archive and the camera and lens databases be available at launch?

Yes. We are migrating all our existing content, including articles, reviews and the camera and lens databases.

Will the site still be optimized for desktop users with large monitors?

Absolutely. While mobile is an important part of the new design, we have no intention of short-changing desktop users. We love big, beautiful photos, and if you're on a large monitor, we want you to get the full benefit of that experience.

Will my saved bookmarks still work?

Yes, existing bookmarks will continue to work.

Why do you need to freeze the Challenges system?

The current Challenges system will not be carried over to the new site – we're building a new one that will launch after the site goes live. To avoid any challenges starting under the old system that can't be completed during the transition, we're freezing new challenge creation on April 25th. Any challenges already underway will complete normally before the switchover.

Will this affect the forums?

The new website will not change how our forums work. There may be minor cosmetic updates to align with the new site design, but the forum experience will remain fundamentally the same.

Will the new site have ads?

Yes. Advertising is one of the ways we fund DPReview's operations, and that won't change with the new site.

Will my account and post history be preserved?

Yes. Your account, comments, forum posts, and history will all carry over to the new site.

Will there be further updates after launch?

This is the beginning, not the end. We'll continue to make improvements after launch, and the new codebase will make it significantly easier to introduce new tools and features going forward.

How can I provide feedback?

You can leave a comment below or reach us at support@dpreview.com. Once the new site is live, we'll have a dedicated area of our forums where you can ask questions, discuss the changes, and share feedback.

Image: Harman Photo

Harman is a name that, for many, is synonymous with black and white film. After all, it's the company behind the staple monochrome brands Ilford and Kentmere. However, in 2023, parent company Harman Technology launched Harman Photo, a color film label, with Phoenix 200 as its first completely in-house color film.

Now, the brand has released a short documentary that walks through the process of developing a new color film and its goals moving forward. It's a really fascinating look into the R&D process for film companies, and offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their equipment and lab spaces. It also is neat to see (and hear from) some of the individuals behind this work.

To start, the team walks through the difficulty of color film in particular. "For a black and white film, there's a lot fewer layers, and it's very heavily silver-driven. When we are talking about color film, there's a lot more chemicals involved because we have to get the various layers of color that we need," says Giles Branthwaite, Sales & Marketing Director of Harman Technology.

Harman Photo developed these from scratch, too. "Our emulsions for color film are nothing like what we've done before. Everything that we do, every layer that we put on, every new model of film that we do is new from the ground up. There are no recipes for what we are creating. It's all coming out of the minds of R&D as we speak," says Greg Summers, Managing Director of Harman Technology.

"It's still not where we ultimately want to be."

It was also exciting to hear about the company's long-term goals, of which there are plenty. There have been two iterations of its Phoenix film, but they won't be stopping there. "It's still not where we ultimately want to be," says Branthwaite, a sentiment echoed by others featured in the video. They also specify that some tweaks weren't quite ready for Phoenix II, but will be ready soon, citing halation, sharpness, granularity and speed as some of the areas that will see improvements.

"There's some very experimental stuff coming soon. It's going to shock people."

Beyond the existing lineup, the video also teased that more films are on the way, and ones that we won't expect. "There's some very experimental stuff coming soon. It's going to shock people," says Josie Cowap, Lab Technician. Long term, they want to offer a "full range of products, full range of speeds, potentially different segments of the market," says Branthwaite. "As a brand, we want to be different. A little bit alternative, a little bit out there."

Image: Harman Photo

Greater availability could also be on the horizon. "We're anticipating our volumes will grow," says Branthwaite. The team walks through some of the investments made in the production facility, specifically the finishing line, where they spool all the film and package it. "These machines cannot be bought. We've had to design them, get them manufactured, put them together, so they really are bespoke," says Branthwaite.

So much investment in the facility is a good thing for us film fans. "This actually gives somebody hope that analog film will be around for the next 10, 20, 30 years going forward," says someone who works in the factory but wasn't named in the video. Indeed, as a film photographer, the whole story gives me hope for the film industry in the years to come.