# Thoughts on Ken Rockwell



## Raos

What do people here think about Ken Rockwell? I ask because he seems to be a very well respected photographer, but I find that a lot of what I read on his site contradicts things I have read here. I know that a lot of photography is personal preference so I do not think that one answer is necessarily right and the other is wrong. A lot just depends. I am just curious what people think about him here though.


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## Aye-non Oh-non Imus

If you were to do a SEARCH with "Rockwell" as the keyword in Titles only, you'll find 18 threads dating back to 2004.  Some of it is quite an entertaining read.  I doubt, very much, the attitudes have changed after 7 years.  Love him or hate him or laugh at him.


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## Raos

Thanks and sorry for not searching first. I broke the cardinal rule of forum posting.


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## Derrel

HIs site is like a large,expansive,authentic Chinese restaurant menu: it has some stuff you really,really want,and will like very much, like Mandarin chicken, pan fried noodles, and sesame beef; it also has some stuff you mighty be repulsed by, like chicken feet in sweet glaze, or pickled pigs' feet.


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## Raos

So I see you have a thing against feet


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## Derrel

Well, I tell you what...my neighbors run a Chinese restaurant. Mr. Wu's mother often comes over and babysits their son, who is 8 years old and often comes by to hang out with my son. So, one night the elderly Mrs. Wu shows up with a plate of glazed chicken feet....like 6 of them...dewclaws and all....big, herkin' rooster feet...expertly covered in a sweet, orange glaze...her grandson screamed out, "Yeah! chicken feet!".
She offered me the plate, and by gesture I refused, and pointed at her grandson and said, "He really wants them!" and with that, they headed home with the plate of glazed chicken feet...a short while later my little son said, "Oh, dad, just thinking about those chicken feet makes my stomach feel kinda' weird." True story.


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## The_Traveler

Derrel said:


> Well, I tell you what...my neighbors run a Chinese restaurant. Mr. Wu's mother often comes over and babysits their son, who is 8 years old and often comes by to hang out with my son. So, one night the elderly Mrs. Wu shows up with a plate of glazed chicken feet....like 6 of them...dewclaws and all....big, herkin' rooster feet...expertly covered in a sweet, orange glaze...her grandson screamed out, "Yeah! chicken feet!".
> She offered me the plate, and by gesture I refused, and pointed at her grandson and said, "He really wants them!" and with that, they headed home with the plate of glazed chicken feet...a short while later my little son said, "Oh, dad, just thinking about those chicken feet makes my stomach feel kinda' weird." True story.



I know you realize that is your own Western prejudices.  You eat eggs and look where they come from.


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## Mike_E

The_Traveler said:


> Derrel said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, I tell you what...my neighbors run a Chinese restaurant. Mr. Wu's mother often comes over and babysits their son, who is 8 years old and often comes by to hang out with my son. So, one night the elderly Mrs. Wu shows up with a plate of glazed chicken feet....like 6 of them...dewclaws and all....big, herkin' rooster feet...expertly covered in a sweet, orange glaze...her grandson screamed out, "Yeah! chicken feet!".
> She offered me the plate, and by gesture I refused, and pointed at her grandson and said, "He really wants them!" and with that, they headed home with the plate of glazed chicken feet...a short while later my little son said, "Oh, dad, just thinking about those chicken feet makes my stomach feel kinda' weird." True story.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I know you realize that is your own Western prejudices.  You eat eggs and look where they come from.
Click to expand...




Yes, but we don't eat the shells.     LOLOLOL


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## The_Traveler

Some surprising treats - wok-fried crickets and ants (ants rather sweet), dog (tastes like cat), monkey (under duress, very stringy), cobra (sort of fishy chicken taste), silk-worm wine (think of tequila), completely unknown veggies, fruits and lots of mystery meat I didn't inquire too closely about.  Rather enlightening.


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## The_Traveler

But remember that oral sex probably sounded icky when you heard about it the first time.
And look how that turned out.


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## Derrel

Yes, Lew, I realize where eggs come from. Eggs are a recognized food all around the world, in basically every culture where birds exist as a food supply, and where birds are lacking, the eggs of fish, and turtles, are often eaten. However, in the USA, we typically do not eat the feet, beaks, bills, gonads, or eyeballs of many animals. Can I ship you a crate of duck bills and chicken beaks, oh, enlightened Traveler? Or maybe a case of sheep testicles from the upcoming lamb castrating season?


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## fwellers

The_Traveler said:


> Some surprising treats - wok-fried crickets and ants (ants rather sweet), dog (tastes like cat), monkey (under duress, very stringy), cobra (sort of fishy chicken taste), silk-worm wine (think of tequila), completely unknown veggies, fruits and lots of mystery meat I didn't inquire too closely about.  Rather enlightening.


 
I've had bbq dog in the phillipines. Very tasty white meat ! They used to serve it on a stick. 
I've had monkey too over there. Didn't like it at all. Very fatty and just tasted bad to me.
I ate balut over there too. That's some pretty nasty stuff, it's something you do on a dare when you're half in the bag from SanMiguel beer. ))


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## The_Traveler

Derrel said:


> However, in the USA, we typically do not eat the feet, beaks, bills, gonads, or eyeballs of many animals. Can I ship you a crate of duck bills and chicken beaks, oh, enlightened Traveler? Or maybe a case of sheep testicles from the upcoming lamb castrating season?



We, Americans I mean, tend to go on as if the way we do things is the right way and everyone else is somehow silly or with strange tastes. 
That behavior makes us seem provincial to non-Americans and Americans tend to be rather defensive about it.

I'm somewhat enlightened about some things and working on others.
I don't care much for duck bills or chicken beaks or chicken feet for that matter. But if you want to send me some sheep's testicles packed in dry ice I'd be happy to try to find a recipe.


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## CCericola

Who is Ken Rockwell?


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## 1holegrouper

Raos said:


> What do people here think about Ken Rockwell? I ask because he seems to be a very well respected photographer, but I find that a lot of what I read on his site contradicts things I have read here. I know that a lot of photography is personal preference so I do not think that one answer is necessarily right and the other is wrong. A lot just depends. I am just curious what people think about him here though.



I love his site. Its funny yet important that he caveats himself- as the latest camera he seems to review is often called "the absolute best ____ camera", lol. I guess that is like most of us though.


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## usayit

I eat Balut when I was kid living with my parents.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut_(egg)

Its pretty good actually.. (at least by childhood memory) Just don't try to microwave it without cracking it first. What a mess!








I tried it recently....  (more than 15 years have passed) for some reason I couldn't stomach it.


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## Aye-non Oh-non Imus

I was outside the Dallas/Ft Worth area at some cross-roads little town.  It was around lunchtime so I found this diner along the road.  Being young and broke, I chose the lunch special for a couple of bucks.  As I was half-way through my meal, the very friendly waitress came to refill my glass of tea.  When asked how was everything, I complimented her on the taste and portion size of the plate in front of me.  Before she could spin away to another customer, I had to ask.  

"Ma'am, where exactly do "Calf Fries" come from off the cow?"

She smacked the wad of gum of couple of times that had been resting on the inside of her cheek while waiting on me, and said with the sweestest twang in her voice.... I swear to god......  "Well, sir....... that's the part of the bull that makes him a ster"  (I spelt it like she pronounced it).  

I looked at my plate, then looked back at her, shrugged my shoulders and said "Taste great, thanks."


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## KmH

From Ken Rockwell's web site: About KenRockwell.com



> [SIZE=+2]*Introduction*[/SIZE] This website is my way of giving back to our community. It is a work of fiction, entirely the product of my own imagination. This website is my personal opinion. [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]To use words of Ansel Adams on page 193 of his autobiography, this site is my "aggressive personal opinion," and not a "logical presentation of fact."​


[/FONT]​


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## table1349

My thoughts on Ken Rockwell.  He ain't no Norman Rockwell, that's for sure.


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## Formatted

Not this topic again...


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## fwellers

usayit said:


> I tried it recently....  (more than 15 years have passed) for some reason I couldn't stomach it.



One night I ate 2 of them. Then the next morning I ordered to runny scrambled eggs for breakfast, as was my habit at the time. I took a look at those eggs, had a flashback to the balut filled night and started gagging. Couldn't touch those eggs that morning. I think that was maybe the last time I ate balut.
I do like the juice ( blood ) in the egg though. I tastes like chicken soup. )

Sorry OP to derail the thread a little.


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## Derrel

Sooooo, which would you rather have to digest? A plate with four balut eggs (developing chicken inside and egg), or four pages of Ken Rockwell writings????


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## usayit

Hmm.  that's a hard one!   

I'm probably leaning towards Balut.  Its food.. providing life.   Ken's writings for the most part kills brain cells.



In all honesty... if the guy can make a living from his writings all the more power to him.


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## The_Traveler

Derrel said:


> Sooooo, which would you rather have to digest? A plate with four balut eggs (developing chicken inside and egg), or four pages of Ken Rockwell writings????



I'm afraid much of Rockwell's stuff is like corn that's already been through the cow.


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## 2WheelPhoto

"Thoughts on Ken Rockwell"

My thoughts are I think he was on a bike in front of me at the Tail of The Dragon in TN, and he should really learn to ride plus buy something other than a crappy Hardley-Ableson bike that won't handle the twisties.


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## Raos

fwellers said:


> Sorry OP to derail the thread a little.


Food is my other passion so I don't mind one but that this thread has moved in that direction


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## Overread

Ken Rockwell is a guy that really really knows how to market himself (or rather his website) ever so well! 
I mean heck its full of - please click the ads and looks like it was made years ago by a kid - and yet - everyone knows and talks about him. It's not as if his reviews are anything special, since most are focused really only on his viewpoint and shooting style (eg he hates tripods ) rather than a more generalist view of the gear - and his photos - eh I've never really seen anyone talking about his photography.


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## usayit

US consumer (typical) are not savvy consumers (lets just avoid discussion about the "why").     Ken's website (much like most marketing material here) is popular because they simplify or dummify the whole purchasing experience.

In the eyes of the typical US consumer, the perfect resource would be a spreadsheet 

product A (buy/do not buy)
product B (buy/do not buy)
....
product N (buy/do not buy)


Goes the same for horsepower, megapixels, and such....  a single number rating is about all the consumer can process.


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## fwellers

Derrel said:


> Sooooo, which would you rather have to digest? A plate with four balut eggs (developing chicken inside and egg), or four pages of Ken Rockwell writings????



Way to bring it back on topic. 
I don't mind Ken. I still go to his what's new page once in a while.  He does take a decent amount of time doing some of his lens comparisons, all free to me.


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## djacobox372

I know of Ken Rockwell the engineer that reviews camera technology but I have never heard of Ken Rockwell the photographer.


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## slowhand

I find it humorous how he went, in a short amount of time, from saying the D7000 was basically the best digital camera Nikon makes to nowsaying the new Fuji x100 is better and has made him forget about the D7000.  That's after having the x100 for like a day.

He is a circus clown.  Yes, people like to go to the circus and look at the clown.  He is entertaining but no one takes him seriously.


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## alzurzin

Well, I try always not to denigrate people: KR has his opinions, and people can choose to read or not to read them.  For his comments about the ContaxG2, I would say he is 98% correct, as I own one and have similar to say. For film, I agree mostly with him, as I too consider film to be yet superior to digital. For other gear, I cannot say.  

But, his most recent post does raise my eyebrows.  KR claims to be the grandson of Tesla.  This is a revelation of biblical weight, as all the books I have read about Tesla confirm he was a bachelor and celibate to the day he died.  Nowhere can I find mention of offspring.  So, KR's claim is a surprise to say the least.

Of course, personal lineage in this case has nothing to do with photography: the thread is about impressions of KR.


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## flea77

I find KR's website to be just like every other website in the world, full of opinion and advertising, some useful and some not.

Allan


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## Destin

He isn't necessarily putting out bad, or false information. But his information is best suited for snap shooters who just want to get better photos than a point and shoot can provide. 

He claimed his d40 was the greatest camera on earth for a long long time, even after the d90 and d300 were released he still said his d40 was better. 

He claims that the sb-400 speedlight is better than the sb-600/800/900, unless your a full time news pro, Which is bogus. 

There is a laundry list of cases like this where he recommends the older cheaper model of everything over the newer better one. I'm not saying this is wrong. To beginners It may be good info. But he doesn't seem to understand what the additional features of newer, higher end stuff can bring to the table, even for a snap shooter or beginner.


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## usayit

alzurzin said:


> B KR claims to be the grandson of Tesla.  This is a revelation of biblical weight, as all the books I have read about Tesla confirm he was a bachelor and celibate to the day he died.  Nowhere can I find mention of offspring.  So, KR's claim is a surprise to say the least.



We have Tesla, the great inventor.   He is arguably the most important inventor in history; 100+ patents internationally, father of AC current, Nobel Prize, and had some of the most forward looking (and scary) research in weaponry.   The guy was is a genius (IMO, more so than Edison, who he shared a rivalry).   A genius who couldn't market himself at all.... to die in a hotel room by himself, broke, and relatively unknown.  

We have Ken Rockwell.... hmm... um... doesn't have much to show but could market the crap out of a simple website.

Ain't that funny.   I highly doubt there is any connection between the two...  self-imposed selective breeding he believed in.


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## Quentin_Moyer

-He called the D1X a "boat anchor" 
-He thinks VR replaces tripods :er:
+The 28-80mm G is on his "10 best" list 
-/+ He has many tastes (cars, audio, etc.) that he also writes about... taking the site a little off topic.


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## Patrice

I think bashing KR is infantile. He does what he does, take it or leave it. We are all big enough to judge the contents of his web site for ourselves. 


It is not an easy task to provide a safe, nurturing and fulfilling environment for one's family. He is managing just that by providing information and entertainment on a web site. He seems to be having fun doing it as well. We should all be industrious.

You might not agree with his writings and opinions, some might even think there is a fair bit of crap or misinformation, or maybe just incomplete information put forth on his site. So what, not like this forum doesn't have any. There is downright pure crap posted here sometimes as well. This post being one example.


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## The_Traveler

Patrice said:


> There is downright pure crap posted here sometimes as well.



Editor: delete 'sometimes' replace with 'often'.


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## Josh66

Enough about Ken.  Lets talk about strange food more.  

Food is a much more interesting subject than Ken Rockwell...


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## Kerbouchard

Say you what you want about Ken Rockwell, but he is a marketing genious and if you search for just about anything camera related, his site comes up on the first page.  I'm sure a lot of us wish our websites were as popular as his.

As far as his opinions and reviews, Ken says it best on his 'about me' page..."remember, I do this site as a goof"


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## ulrichsd

I think his reviews are very much geared toward his style of photography, which is mostly landscapes.  If you are into portraiture or other types of photography, then the reviews become less relative.


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## Bitter Jeweler

O|||||||O said:


> Enough about Ken.  Lets talk about strange food more.  Food is a much more interesting subject than Ken Rockwell...


Tonight I ate some oysters, hog jowls, quail eggs, quail, and some sweetbreads.


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## Patrice

Were the eggs still in the quail when you ate them? Inquiring minds want to know. You should have had some boiled cod livers and roe stuffed in a cod stomach with those oysters. Yummy.


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## Bitter Jeweler

No, the quail egg was part of one dish, the quail was part of another.


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## den9

honestly he reminds me of a pushy sales man, trying to talk you out of something you want suggesting it doesnt fit your needs, wants or skill level, not even photography wise.

on the other hand i find his site informative with lens reviews, films, filters and other random non sense, but he just pisses me off, like an asshole know it all prick neighbor who always has to out do you.

he seems like a mystery man after all these years, is he a pro? what does he do for work? does he live off his website? i think the only reason why anyone knows him is because he comes up on google half the time you search for something.


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## bentcountershaft

I wish there was a guy like Ken for all of my hobbies.  He's kind of funny and more importantly reminds me not to take myself too seriously.


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## Derrel

Ken Rockwell is like a steady diet composed ENTIRELY OF CHOCOLATE BROWNIES!!! Oh, sure, things are great for the first meal. But then things begin to go south. At the end of a week, you're literally BEGGING people for a taste of wholesome, nutritious food!!


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## mfo

I've mostly got time for his commentary/reviews. He often repeats himself several times within an article which I find a bit strange. I can understand inexperienced photographers getting irritated by some of his contradictions. If you're roughly at his level of experience you can take what he says as opinion (sometimes tongue in cheek) rather than _gospel_. He's entertaining and thought provoking. The photographic web would be more boring without his website. I'd share a couple of beers with the guy for sure!


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## PhotoWrangler

Derrel said:


> Sooooo, which would you rather have to digest? A plate with four balut eggs (developing chicken inside and egg), or four pages of Ken Rockwell writings????




I think I'd probably blow Rockwell before EVER eating half developed animal embryos.....


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## 480sparky

My thoughts?  He's a guy with lots of gear and a website.


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## PhotoWrangler

Patrice said:


> I think bashing KR is infantile.




Not to mention a terrible waste of time... in the time it took for everyone to post their bash, they could have finished editing another clients session.


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## den9

480sparky said:


> My thoughts?  He's a guy with lots of gear and a website.


apparently most of his stuff is loaned, rented or bought and returned.


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## canadyken1

i read him and like his point of view


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## Kerbouchard

den9 said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> 
> My thoughts?  He's a guy with lots of gear and a website.
> 
> 
> 
> apparently most of his stuff is loaned, rented or bought and returned.
Click to expand...

Somewhere on his page, he mentions that for some items that he reviews that he doesn't have access to, he just refers to the manufacturer info and makes up the rest.  I thought it used to be on his about me page, but it looks like it has changed since the last time I visited.


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## Nikon_Josh

I think in a way KR mocks alot of the gearheads in the world! he has the seven categories of photographer which is highly entertaining if you have seen it...

What draws me back to Ken is his abilty to always push for the underdog lens, he does talk alot of sense about some of the cheaper lenses and makes it clear that they are great tools to make great images with. Instead of saying some four thousand pound lens is what you really need if your serious about photography! He tells everyone that it dosent really matter. Alot of review sites are complete BS, I find DPReview HIGHLY SUSPECT for a start!! They always offer completely middle of the road reviews. 

I even heard that when they dared to knock the Canon 50D in ONLY a little way, they got an angry Canon rep on the phone to them. They are clearly paid mouth pieces for the manufacturers! 

I think Ken is making a joke of the internet camera review circus and I find it highly entertaining! Gear heads are just plain irritating!


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## Derrel

I laughed out loud some years ago when Ken put up his "review" of the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8 P lens; a rare, specialized, modern, computer-aided design of the famous Tessar lens design of the prior century. He never had the lens in his hands when he reviewed it. He criticized it quite soundly in his "phantom review"...turned out the lens was one of the absolute best Tessar designs ever made--due to both Nikon's skill and capability as a lens making company and because the Tessar lens was initially designed in 1902, and Nikon used modern lens coating methods and internal lens baffling and computer-aided design to absolutely maximize the capabilities of this simple four-element design.

Ken took so,so,so much "flak" for his phantom review of the 45-P that he was forced to actually get a sample and try it, rather than look like a fool for reviewing something he had never even SEEN in person!!! That was a classic low point for Kenny. and as Josh alluded to above, YES, there are quite a few people on the web who appear to be paid shills for Canon gear. Many of their users are pretty sensitive about the Canon brand and any shortcomings that **anybody** finds in Canon products.


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