2024 was arguably a better year than 2023 for our industry, but things still haven’t recovered to pre-COVID levels and many people are struggling. I personally know of a lot of people who have been in the industry for many decades who have given it up due to the lack of work available. Let’s hope that 2025 is a better year for all of us.
Just like every year there were advancements and improvements in existing technology, and despite the downturn, there were lots of new products released.
Here at Newsshooter, we published more than 1,400 articles and 78 in-depth reviews. Most importantly we produced original content. Newsshooter prides itself on the fact that we have almost 100% original content. We very rarely repost other peoples’ articles which goes against the norm nowadays (and when we do, we’re always mindful to seek their permission as we believe that’s important). Our independence is our brand and our identity provides us the freedom to give you our honest opinions, even if those opinions are not always popular among manufacturers. Both Erik and I work professionally in the industry so we can offer you real-world opinions about how the equipment actually performs in the real world.
The first-ever post on our site was way back in September 2009. This year we celebrated our 15th anniversary! DSLR Newsshooter as it was known back then was created by Dan Chung and I started contributing regularly in January 2010, and the rest is history. Newsshooter was at the forefront of the DSLR revolution and was one of the few sites that showed how this new breed of cameras and technology could be used by working professionals. Since that time, we have grown and evolved, but our basic philosophy and principles have remained the same. We have now published over 10,500 articles on the site and become an invaluable resource for the industry. This site has always been about providing our readers with news, reviews, and content that is produced by working professionals in the industry. Erik and I are not influencers looking for likes and views. The content is what is important and that is why so many professionals who work in our industry value what we do.
Newsshooter has ZERO full-time staff. It is operated and owned by Erik and I, and all of the content we deliver to you is done in our spare time. Erik and I are both working professionals with more than 67 years of combined experience working in the industry. This gives us real-world insight when it comes to reviewing and talking about the gear and the craft of filmmaking. It is a lot of hard work and a labor of love to keep the site operational.
I would also like to thank our Sales Manager Bob Meth, and Taro Irei, Scott Karlins, Jake Naso, and Elliot Smith who helped us do show coverage throughout the year.
Keeping you up to date with the latest news, covering major trade shows, and reviewing equipment is a very time-consuming process. An article or a review you may read in 5-10 minutes may have taken us weeks to do. The team behind Newsshooter provides this website to you, our readers, because we love what we do, and we want to make sure you are informed about all the new gear and how it can be used. We are not about clicks or page views. This site was established to provide like-minded professionals in the industry a place to find out about new equipment and how it performs in the real world, and that still stands true today.
With just two people doing this on a regular basis you can imagine how much work goes on behind the scenes. Not only does it take a large amount of time to run this website, but also resources and money to do so. We are grateful for the support we’ve had from our sponsors and advertisers which keeps the website operational, free of charge to you, and allows us to attend all the major trade shows around the world. Without sponsorship or advertising, this site wouldn’t be able to exist.
Every review and article is done independently and while we usually work closely with the brands to ensure we can bring you the complete story, there is no influence from any manufacturer or sponsor on what we produce. Every product is reviewed or discussed based on its merits, regardless of where or who it came from. The caveat to the way we operate is that we may not get the earliest access to new equipment because we only produce open and honest reviews.
As I mentioned before, Newsshooter’s strength has always been its independence and its ability to provide, honest and open feedback about the products we cover. We have a reputation as being tough critics because we believe that you need to know all the facts. Erik and I call it as we see it, and our opinions and reviews are based on real-world use and experience.
Again, I would like to thank the sponsors of our site who make it possible for us to provide our readers with in-depth content throughout the year.
We wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for the loyal readers who come to our site to get the latest information. On behalf of Erik and me, we want to thank you, our readers, for your continual support, and we hope to see you in 2025. Just remember your family and friends and keeping safe and healthy should be your priority. Gear is just gear and while it is great to discuss and debate about it there are a lot more important things in life.
Thank you to everyone who supports us. Without you, the readers, there wouldn’t be a site. Let’s all hope that 2025 is a great year!
