Write a user equipment review, get a chance to win a $50 gift card...

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/15546292-lg.jpg" align="left">Howdy Everyone,</p>

<p>As you know, Photo.net publishes its own reviews of photographic equipment. These reviews are created by writers and editors who have many years of photographic experience. That having been said, sometimes the most useful reviews you can read when deciding on an equipment purchase are those from your fellow photographers. Seeing opinions from across all levels of photography experience and knowledge can be helpful in a way that nothing else can. To this end, Photo.net has created a place where users can write reviews of gear that they have owned or used.</p>

<p><strong>So how can I win a $50 Amazon gift card?</strong><br>

Because this is a new feature for Photo.net, we are looking to looking to kickstart the user reviews for cameras and lenses. Write us a review and we’ll enter you in a drawing for one of five $50 Amazon.com giftcards. Every review you write gets you another entry in the drawing. Contest ends on May 15th and we will announce the winners in the newsletter and on the forums afterwards.</p>

<p><strong>How do I write a review?</strong><br>

You can find full step-by-step instructions here:<br>

<br /><a href="http://www.photo.net/help/equipment/create-user-reviews/">http://www.photo.net/help/equipment/create-user-reviews/</a></p>

<p><strong>What do I do if the product I want to review is not listed?</strong><br>

There are a number of paces where our product database is missing cameras or lenses. If you aren't able to find the product you want to review, post here in this thread and I will take care of it. Common and/or currently available products are easy to add, older or uncommon products can take a bit longer.<br>

<br /><strong>What do I do if I have a question?</strong><br>

Please post here or email me via the <a href="http://www.photo.net/info/contact-us">"Contact Us"</a> link at the bottom of any Photo.net page.<br /><br /></p>

<p><i>-Josh</i></p>

<p>Bad hyperlink in your post Josh (http://www.photo.net/site-help-forum/%20http:/photo.net/help/equipment/create-user-reviews/), which leads right back to the Site Help Forum index page.</p>

<p>May I make a suggestion? Unless I'm dense or something, there doesn't seem to be any way to find the various "Help" pages on the site unless you know the url for a particular page, and http:/photo.net/help/ leads to a 404 error. Perhaps you could create a "Help" link under the Community tab that leads to an index page for the various help articles.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Bad hyperlink in your post Josh (http://www.photo.net/site-help-forum/%20http:/photo.net/help/equipment/create-user-reviews/), which leads right back to the Site Help Forum index page.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Fixed. My apologies.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Perhaps you could create a "Help" link under the Community tab that leads to an index page for the various help articles.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, I agree and am already working on it. It's a lot larger of a project that you might think.</p>

<p>Josh, I was considering doing a review for the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ8 digital 'bridge' camera, but a check of the equipment list reveals Panasonic is not even listed amoung the brand names. This surprises me, as I think there are a lot of Panasonic camera users out there. Perhaps this brand should be added to all the other brands?</p>

<p>Alan,</p>

<p>I agree. It's a shame that Panasonic is missing there. I will work on getting that fixed. But in the meantime, here is a page for the fz8:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/equipment/product-detail?product_id=15704</p>

<p>Josh: I'd like to take you up on the invitation to write a review, but I've had the same experience as Alan. Panasonic as a brand is not listed. (My new acquisition is a DMC-ZS10.) </p>

<p>Michael:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/equipment/product-detail?product_id=16104</p>

<p>Thanks, Josh. Review forthcoming.</p>

<p>Josh,<br />My review is for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V. My reasons for purchasing this point and shoot was the image quality (18.2 meg), full HD movie w/zoom, and focal length 870mm. There are other handsome features that made this a valuable and economical piece for any camera bag. The many automatic settings, more than the adjustable ones, produce images that frankly need little post editing including hand-held shots. Image stabilization, manual focus and the ability to zoom in HD movie mode (<a href="http://youtu.be/4B0NdtPtGCk">http://youtu.be/4B0NdtPtGCk</a>) all seem particularly extraordinary. (I have not learned to use the panoramic still mode yet but the other features and image quality leave me extremely hopeful once I become familiar.) SCN mode features soft skin, background defocus, HDR correction, and too many more to list; 3D for display on a 3D TV; memory recall for user custom setup(s); and a creativity mode. This camera, for me, rates a 6 out of 7 and would be an 'expert' everyday, no-matter-where-I-go camera.</p><div></div>

<p>wf,</p>

<p>Could you please repost your review here:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/equipment/product-detail?product_id=16124</p>

<p>Instructions here if you need them:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/help/equipment/create-user-reviews/</p>

<p>I'd like to submit a review of the Sony SLT A-77, but I see it's missing from the list.</p>

<p>Sony A77:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/equipment/product-detail?product_id=16144</p>

<p>I've modified how user reviews work so that they can now be submitted on every product from within the Photo.net Store (available through the rightmost navigation tab). There are far more products there than in our internal database, and it should be easier to find a particular product you would like to leave a review on.</p>

<p>Here are the winners. If you see your name here, look for an email to your email address you have registered with photo.net.<br /><br /><br>

-<a href="../photodb/user?user_id=1998172">Louis Meluso</a><br /> -<a href="../photodb/user?user_id=4802905">Andy L.</a><br /> -<a href="../photodb/user?user_id=7095140">S. Peters</a><br /> -<a href="../photodb/user?user_id=6957305">David Dobreski</a><br /> -<a href="../photodb/user?user_id=115043">Gerry Morgan</a></p>

<p>This month's contest is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered. Look for a new contest shortly.</p>