Levels of photography from Ken Rockwell - which are yOU?

dEARlEADER · Jan 16, 2009

stsinner said:
I see a lot of jealousy/envy in this thread.. I'll bet KR could out talk/out shoot most here that talk nothing but shiat about him. I find it humorous.. I'm sure there are better than him on here, Shea being one of them, maybe Big Mike, JerryPH and possibly others, but he's pretty much obsessed with photography, and you can't help but get good when it's your life..

I think he's a geek, but he's no idiot. He also seems biased toward one brand of camera, but that doesn't detract from his fact-based reviews, nor his opinion based reviews..

lol....... oh boy........

Overread · Jan 16, 2009

BAD dEARlEADER!!

we can't have 3 threads on at once - its way too much publicity for one thing!!

TamiyaGuy · Jan 16, 2009

I, with my "glass half-empty" approach, put myself in between levels 4 & 5. But other people might disagree.

stsinner · Jan 16, 2009

dEARlEADER said:
lol....... oh boy........

I just enjoyed another viewing of my favorite video by Rick Astley, compliments of your link.. LOL.. Can't believe that song was ever popular. Between him and Bryan Adams, I don't know what the heck we were thinking in the 80's.!

dEARlEADER · Jan 16, 2009

stsinner said:
I just enjoyed another viewing of my favorite video by Rick Astley, compliments of your link.. LOL.. Can't believe that song was ever popular. Between him and Bryan Adams, I don't know what the heck we were thinking in the 80's.!

Don't blame me....... blame Overread.....

Overread · Jan 16, 2009

what??
wait how??

dEARlEADER · Jan 16, 2009

Overread said:
what??
wait how??

You brought the Rick Astly Infection to the forum..... I just ran with it...

Overread · Jan 16, 2009

pfft as if - I am sure I caught it from LP first!

stsinner · Jan 16, 2009

It is funny how that prank has grown legs.. He's probably more famous now that everyone is using his video in a satirical way.

eyeye · Jan 16, 2009

I think you can think someone is an idiot and still acknowledge they know a thing or two about being behind a camera. I had never head of him until today as well. Looked him up. I like *some* of his work. He knows a lot more then me. But is obviously an egotistical boob and I wouldn't seek him out for any help with my educational process, nor would I sit down to a meal with him. I wouldn't buy his work either because his work doesn't make me feel anything. So I don't think it is wrong to criticize him and I don't think it makes you jealous of him if you don't like him either.

stsinner · Jan 16, 2009

Whenever I do a search for just about any camera or flash, Ken Rockwell's links are at or near the top, right along with Amazon. Maybe it's because I'm relatively new to photography, but I like the down-to-Earth way he tells you things.. Another thing I like is how he tells you that all the bells and whistles on higher-end stuff only serves to make it more confusing and more expensive. He also says to turn off that annoying red-eye reduction, as all it does is get you squinting or blinking subjects and is utterly useless. This lady at the band concert Iwas at last night had a P&S that flashed, no kidding, 5 times every time she took a picture.. It was the most annoying thing, and I felt bad for the kids..

I think he takes a pretty common-sense, layman's approach to his reviews, and maybe that's what people don't like about him-that he's not uber serious in his articles..

BrandonS · Jan 16, 2009

I read his D80 review when I was about to buy mine and had no problem with it. I just read his D90 review the other day. He also had faq's up tha stepped you through the different knobs/buttons on a D80 and what they did. I was new to photography and that helped me immensley. I never looked at his work before now and it isn't anything to sing home about, but I have no problem with anything I've read on his site thus far.

He does seem a little pompous at times, but if he's making money as his own employer not having any confidence wouldn't get him clients.

mrodgers · Jan 16, 2009

BrandonS said:
I read his D80 review when I was about to buy mine and had no problem with it. I just read his D90 review the other day.

There lies the problem in bold. If your camera doesn't matter, shouldn't he be reviewing the following instead of the useless expensive cameras?

jlykins · Jan 16, 2009

You know some people don't like him, and sometimes I don't agree with his opinions, but for the most part I like his reviews. He's pretty accurate on them IMHO

BrandonS · Jan 17, 2009

mrodgers said:
There lies the problem in bold. If your camera doesn't matter, shouldn't he be reviewing the following instead of the useless expensive cameras?

I would agree with this statement if he didn't have P&S cameras on his website for reviews. Since he does, he shows that he does reviews on all types of cameras; which is not out of line with what he says (I personally don't believe the camera doesn't matter mantra).

What might be hypocritical to what he is saying on his site is him making that statement, but having his main picture to the gallery him shooting a DSLR with a giant lens attached to it. It doesn't directly contradict what he says, but it surely doesn't reinforce what he is saying through example.

On the same note a lot of people say racing is 30% car 70% driver for roadcourses, but you don't see people trying to win cup races with Honda Fits.