I suspect that maybe the folks at Amazon thought when they were acquiring DPR that they'd be gaining new purchasers who would read a review or view a video review of a new camera or lens or both and eagerly then jump right into Amazon to buy said item(s). Thing is, local camera shops and reputable photography stores with online presence have been around the internet for a long time and these are the trusted, reliable sources to which most people will turn first, especially if they still have a local camera shop in their area.
OK, so fine, the local shop maybe is out of stock or doesn't carry that particular brand of item in the first place: next resource is going to be B&H, which is internationally known and carries a massive inventory of camera gear and other electronics. Placing an order with B&H will get the item to one's doorstep pretty promptly and reliably, with packaging well done to protect the item in question. OK, so, oops, B&H is out of stock, too? Ditto for other trusted online photography equipment vendors?
Eh, well, let's see if Amazon has it. Ooh, there it is, listed as being in their inventory! Depending upon the situation, such as the perceived urgency for obtaining the desired item in the first place, plus whether or not it is actually in Amazon's warehouse and the entire transaction will be handled by Amazon as opposed to being shipped by one of their Amazon Market vendors, is when things are down to the wire and the decision is made: do I place an order with Amazon or do I just wait for B&H to get the thing back in stock? Will the fragile item arrive in nothing more than a bubble envelope with the boxed item free to bounce and be tossed around inside as it goes through the rigors of being transported and thus in danger of arriving smashed when I open the package?
Bottom line is, at least for me, Amazon would never be my first choice in obtaining a photographic or electronic item, especially when it's simply a matter of waiting a little while for a more trusted vendor to have it available and ready to pick up locally in the shop or ready to be shipped. I suspect that many other professional and amateur photographers have felt the same way and made their choices accordingly. So, yeah, Amazon probably wasn't seeing the ROI that they were anticipating and with other situations facing them right now with this downturn in the overall economy, to the "suits" in charge of things it probably seemed like a quick and easy solution to just dump that photography website that wasn't bringing in lots of new orders anyway and just move on.... Sad, maddening and frustrating for all of us out here who really benefited from what DPR has offered through the years.
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