Ken Rockwell has gone gaga!

I wasn't aware that he (Phil A.) is interested into photography a lot .... thought he is more interested in the technology of digital image recording and processing. But if he liked the M8 and now the M9, good for us. 🙂 If Leica survives in the business, we all can benefit from it.



thomasw_ said:
The guy who has written many reviews at dpreview, Gabor. I don't find it strange or interesting that he decided to buy a M8 after reviewing it and liking the RF approach. All he did for the M9 review -- IIRC -- is admit to his readers that he is biased favourably toward using a RF for some of his photography. Perhaps I missed something that was interesting or curious about that?
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funkpilz said:
What is it with people and Ken Rockwell? I can't seem to understand what all the fuss is about. I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to the technicalities of photography, so can someone explain to me where he is wrong in his articles?
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I don't take him too seriously - he's just another voice among many. And I don't think he's wrong in his articles,

I just think he's a kinda odd bloke

using terms like "oriental" for Japanese camera companies, and referring to the Leica M8 as a "half-frame" camera.

Stuff like that is just silly, and makes me take him less seriously.
 
I dunno. I think Keith should offer himself up to do Leica commercials as the "Leica Man." The rugged exterior. The leather Barmah. Surrounded by heavy metal. MIG welder in one hand, M9 with Noctilux .95 in the other. Commercials would have to be shot in Oz, of course. That much testosterone and heavy metal should sell a million M9s.

And, Keith, of course, gets to keep the props. :angel:
 
I check out his site regularly, mostly just for something a little "off" to read. You never know what he might write. But do I go there for his photographs? not really.
 
I thought the article was hilarious! Satire is welcome at times; the only thing he screwed up was the reference to "rare Canadian penguins" since um, er ... we have no penguins 'cept in zoos. OK, maybe he's right, they are rare!
 
I too have to admidt that I like some of his site. I think RFF should accept the conversion to the dark side (us) and be happy.

Most of his other stuff is not as over the top (e.g. Leica Man) and I hope he calms down. He trashing of R lenses is a bit Silly. He approach to Nikon and Canon glass is now a bit too broad brush. It's almost like he is becoming the American Irwin Puts!

OK, it's better but why is it so much better.

Good job if you can get, wonder how I can get me one.....

B2
 
Always a breath of fresh air in a sometimes serious debate over Chrome or Black, 50mm or 35mm. wrist strap or regular strap,hood or no hood, filter or no filter on and on and on. You have to admit his writings cretainly don't fall below a lot of what you find on this forum. His Leica Man article was pretty funny too. I just don't take any of to it serious.
 
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aperture64 said:
My favorite line: "Rangefinders need constant service"
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Perhaps you should have put that in context:
Rangefinders need constant service

The rangefinder mechanism is a delicate mechanical instrument.

Even with the LEICA, it will need to be adjusted for optimum results every so often.
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Can't see where he's wrong.
 
BillBingham2 said:
Were did Phil do that? Really just skimmed his stuff the other day. Though I do love his site.
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From his M9 preview:

Full disclosure - personal bias

Before the M8 review I had no experience of rangefinder photography, something I considered relegated to history. During the review process (and thanks to input from those who had used rangefinders before) I gradually began to ‘get’ the advantages, being better ‘connected’ to the subject thanks to the huge bright viewfinder, and being forced to focus manually, alwys select the aperture, and think more about the shot. Not to mention in the case of the M8, the look from those gorgeous prime lenses (amazingly sharp at the point of focus fading smoothly to silky bokeh). Hence not long after posting my review I bought an M8 for myself (along with a bunch of lenses), and ever since (and unconsciously) all of my personal favorite photographs have come from the M8.​
 
That whole article is spot on. I especially love the shot of the two lenses. That puts it in all perspective. I think many people have blinders on. KR wrote it, therefore its crap. Looking through the articles picking nits, while ignoring the big picture.
 
sleepyhead said:
I don't take him too seriously - he's just another voice among many. And I don't think he's wrong in his articles,

I just think he's a kinda odd bloke

using terms like "oriental" for Japanese camera companies, and referring to the Leica M8 as a "half-frame" camera.

Stuff like that is just silly, and makes me take him less seriously.
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"Asian" would have been a better adjective. He seemed to have been making a distinction between the desirability of Asian cameras and Leicas. I don't agree that geography has something to do with camera quality, but one of Leica's big selling points has always been the hand-crafted German quality gambit. And look at the number of people willing to pay a premium for German-made Leica goodies over their Candadian-made doppelgangers.

The M8 "half-frame" remark seems to me a jab at the camera's crop factor.

Rockwell's recent enthusiasm for Leica's did not spring from whole clothe, He's been writing about the M7 for some time, and complaining about the size and weight of his DSLR camera. He's taken a little P&S on several trips.

Rockwell is far rom the only photography blogger to run affiliate ads. Frankly, the payoff from affiliate ads is so small that any attempt by a blogger to sway readers' buying decisions is an exercise in wishful thinking. The real inducement for biased blogging -- i.e., skewed reviews and recommendations -- is on sites that don't run affiliate ads but who accept gifts or payment from the vendors. I understand there is a bit of a flap in the "mommy" blogging community because certain bloggers are suspected of being rewarded and incentivized by corporations to write glowingly about their mother-and-baby products.
 
As a Barnack fan, I must disqualify myself as a critic of Ken. [Just envious of not being able to compete in the M9 League of exceptional gentlemen?]
John
 
Ken gets paid money every time someone posts one of these threads and sends web traffic his way. He's probably bought a new car by now from all the help from this site and photo.net alone.
 
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