Ecommerce behemoth Amazon.com went shopping itself on Monday with the acquisition of UK-based digital photography review site dpreview.com for an undisclosed amount.

Dpreview.com, founded in 1998 by Phil Askey, offers unbiased, technical reviews of digital cameras and accessories alongside discussion forums, buyers' guides, a product comparison database and industry news.

Amazon liked the site so much it decided to buy it. "Dpreview.com is by far the most authoritative source anywhere for straight talk about new digital cameras," the auction giant's founder and chief exec Jeff Bezos said. "We at Amazon.com have been their fans for a long time."

Amazon.com already publishes customer-submitted reviews for all its products. Buying a digital camera is a different purchasing proposition from buying a CD or book. By buying Dpreview.com, Amazon will be able to offer professional advice and reviews of digital photography kit while keeping them on its site.

Dpreview.com will continue to run as a stand-alone operation based in London. Dpreview.com founder Askey said the acquisition by Amazon will make it easier to find the time and resources needed to improve existing features on the site, such as its discussion forums.

"One of the difficulties of operating dpreview.com independently has been the balance between producing content and delivering new site features," he said. ®

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