You may have noticed some recent updates to the site! The most noticeable change is the new site header. This update was necessary to modernize the platform, improve compatibility with major search engines, and keep FM aligned with today's web standards.
We made sure to preserve the site's familiar look and feel while enhancing functionality. The entire codebase was also updated for better compatibility and security.
Another change you might not have noticed is the addition of a dedicated page for FM Gear Reviews. Previously, reviews were spread across forum threads and had to be found through searches. Now, they are all organized on a single page for easier access. You can also search by focal length, lens manufacturer, and other criteria to find reviews faster.
I've shared the link to the new page below. You can always find it under the updated site header in 'What's New' and 'FM Gear Review,' as well as in the forum footer at the bottom of the page.
Fred, I remembered that it used to be like this years ago. We are talking about in the early stage of FM some 20+ years ago. These are reviews that you started, right? How about folks that want to express their opinion on certain lenses that you have not or did not review? Just post them in the general gear thread then or can they post them here?
AGeoJO wrote:
Fred, I remembered that it used to be like this years ago. We are talking about in the early stage of FM some 20+ years ago. These are reviews that you started, right? How about folks that want to express their opinion on certain lenses that you have not or did not review? Just post them in the general gear thread then or can they post them here?
Hi! That's actually something we no longer have. We used to have an FM member "Review" page, but it was discontinued years ago due to low participation. This new page is just for my own gear reviews.
AGeoJO wrote:
Fred, I remembered that it used to be like this years ago. We are talking about in the early stage of FM some 20+ years ago. These are reviews that you started, right? How about folks that want to express their opinion on certain lenses that you have not or did not review? Just post them in the general gear thread then or can they post them here?
Some 20+ years ago...
I really appreciate that FM maintains the archive of all previous years' forums. Kind of like a time machine. It's embarrassing to see what I said. :-)
The overall look and feel and the interface of the forum is still maintained. I feel at home here. Thank you, Fred!
greeneggs wrote:
Can I complain about the top bar? It is rather oppressive on a smaller screen. It would be so easy to make it use half that vertical space
But that bar replaced the old site header, which was four times longer!
I like the new design and the review list. I was a fan of old lens user reviews also.
Top header looks great, but it is fixed header, so it doesn't scroll up and down on the google chrome web browser. This limits the screen space when the postings with photos are reviewed on small laptop screens. I guess that is what greeneggs was mentioning.
Fred Miranda wrote:
But that bar replaced the old site header, which was four times longer!
serhan_ wrote:
I like the new design and the review list. I was a fan of old lens user reviews also.
Top header looks great, but it is fixed header, so it doesn't scroll up and down on the google chrome web browser. This limits the screen space when the postings with photos are reviewed on small laptop screens. I guess that is what greeneggs was mentioning.
Thanks for organizing the review and making them easy to search!
One change I would welcome is on the forum search results page. Currently the results are in a narrow table and you can't see much of the forum post title. I notice this most on buy and sell searches where you often can't tell what version of a lens is for sale without clicking into a result.
The persistent header bar at the top is too tall (MPB 16" default resolution, and I have the page enlarged in Safari so the text is large enough to easily read). If the FM logo circle was smaller, the bar could be half its current height. At the size it is now, it feels like I'm at a stoplight with my visor down and can't see if the light has turned green or not
Also recommend checking the bottom/footer of the review pages on an iPhone the text down there is not displaying correctly.
highdesertmesa wrote:
New site is much faster and modern looking!
The persistent header bar at the top is too tall (MPB 16" default resolution, and I have the page enlarged in Safari so the text is large enough to easily read). If the FM logo circle was smaller, the bar could be half its current height. At the size it is now, it feels like I'm at a stoplight with my visor down and can't see if the light has turned green or not
Also recommend checking the bottom/footer of the review pages on an iPhone the text down there is not displaying correctly....Show more →
Most of the traffic on fredmiranda.com comes from mobile devices or larger monitors, so the height of the new header was designed with those viewers in mind. If we make it too short, the logo would appear very small on larger monitors, which is a concern since the majority of our members are photographers using those displays. The mobile version of the site uses a different header, so that doesnt apply here, but its still a significant portion of how members experience the site. Reducing the header height by half would make the logo too small, which isnt the goal. I believe the current design strikes a good balance, but Im open to making small adjustments if needed!
I appreciate your moving the reviews to one dedicated place. For such an outstanding lens as my CV 65mm APO is, finding the dedicated review for it was sometimes difficult.
Thanks for making this the best photo forum on the www.
