Thanks Ken Rockwell, but...
A lot of you who are into photography would have stumbled across Ken Rockwell's website one way or another. Before I begin, I should really thank him for contributing so much free and useful information to the Internet. His site is undoubtedly generating lots of traffic and probably earning quite a bit of advertisement dollars, and I really think he deserves the recognition and credit. It's one of the websites I always check to see "what Ken thinks" before making my purchasing decisions. It's especially a wonderful site if you're searching for old vs new Nikon equipment.
Alright, enough of giving him all the credits, let's go back to why I'm writing this. I'm writing this to contribute my share back to the online photography community to warn you guys to watch out for his website, and especially what he directs you to believe is the "fact". Ken mixes in a fair share of great information along with his very personal opinions when it comes to comparisons. That's what really makes him deadly. If you're simply starting out in photography and choosing equipment, and you stumble across his website and start learning everything there without a clear head with an open mind when you find other relative information, you'll simply start thinking "the Ken Rockwell way".
"What's wrong with that?", you might ask. I'll give you a quick example here.
On his Nikon SB-600 versus SB-800 Comparison page, you will find plenty of information that you will want to know about the differences between the two. However, if you read it with a clear head, you'll soon notice he's strongly biased against the 800 and presents to you almost no pros for choosing that over the 600. Pay attention to lines like these -
I don't know what your eyes are made of, Ken... but we don't really live in that 7 segment LCD calculator display age anymore. I really don't know why a dot-matrix LCD screen is harder to read for YOUR EYES.
What do you mean by IDIOTIC REPEATING STROBE MODE? For those who are interested in experimenting with flash photography, like capturing water drop sequence, freezing athletic motion, and all kinds of eye opening effects, the SB-600 simply lacks that capability. What you don't use doesn't mean it's "IDIOTIC"
14.) Wedding photographers carry fat external batteries for fast recycling and tons of shots. The SB-800 has a socket for this. The SB-800 even has a bizarre external single AA holder which lets you use odd sets of 5-AA cells for somewhat faster recycling compared to just using the 4 internal cells (It seems weird to me: my sets and charger come in 4s, not 5s.) Other companies like Quantum make big external batteries that plug right into the SB800 while the SB600 has no such connection. In the old days we just rigged up our own connections to flashes, usually with wooden dowels the size of AA batteries and thumb tacks, and used a 6V gel-cell around our waists. Personally I just swap alternating sets of Ni-MH AAs and I'm happy.
Ken, wedding photographers carry the external batteries for fast recycling time because they need the luxury for ultra fast recharge time so they minimize the chances that they miss THE shot. Yes, you can swap your Ni-MH AAs and be happy, but for those who need the flash and they need it NOW, they need that SB-800 and that big fat battery around the waist you describe.
Yes, his entire website is filled with great information about equipment, but also a whole bunch of very personal opinions based on his photographic style. As much as I enjoy reading his site, and as much as I look up to what Ken has to say about something, we should all proceed with caution and read his site with a very, very open mind. Be sure to watch out for those opinionated lines and see what others have to say especially when money in your wallet is on the line.
Alright, enough of giving him all the credits, let's go back to why I'm writing this. I'm writing this to contribute my share back to the online photography community to warn you guys to watch out for his website, and especially what he directs you to believe is the "fact". Ken mixes in a fair share of great information along with his very personal opinions when it comes to comparisons. That's what really makes him deadly. If you're simply starting out in photography and choosing equipment, and you stumble across his website and start learning everything there without a clear head with an open mind when you find other relative information, you'll simply start thinking "the Ken Rockwell way".
"What's wrong with that?", you might ask. I'll give you a quick example here.
On his Nikon SB-600 versus SB-800 Comparison page, you will find plenty of information that you will want to know about the differences between the two. However, if you read it with a clear head, you'll soon notice he's strongly biased against the 800 and presents to you almost no pros for choosing that over the 600. Pay attention to lines like these -
| Illuminated LCD | Dedicated icons and 7 segment numbers: bold, easy to read | Coarse generic dot-matrix, harder to read |
|---|
| Idiotic repeating strobe mode | no | Yes |
|---|
14.) Wedding photographers carry fat external batteries for fast recycling and tons of shots. The SB-800 has a socket for this. The SB-800 even has a bizarre external single AA holder which lets you use odd sets of 5-AA cells for somewhat faster recycling compared to just using the 4 internal cells (It seems weird to me: my sets and charger come in 4s, not 5s.) Other companies like Quantum make big external batteries that plug right into the SB800 while the SB600 has no such connection. In the old days we just rigged up our own connections to flashes, usually with wooden dowels the size of AA batteries and thumb tacks, and used a 6V gel-cell around our waists. Personally I just swap alternating sets of Ni-MH AAs and I'm happy.
Ken, wedding photographers carry the external batteries for fast recycling time because they need the luxury for ultra fast recharge time so they minimize the chances that they miss THE shot. Yes, you can swap your Ni-MH AAs and be happy, but for those who need the flash and they need it NOW, they need that SB-800 and that big fat battery around the waist you describe.
Yes, his entire website is filled with great information about equipment, but also a whole bunch of very personal opinions based on his photographic style. As much as I enjoy reading his site, and as much as I look up to what Ken has to say about something, we should all proceed with caution and read his site with a very, very open mind. Be sure to watch out for those opinionated lines and see what others have to say especially when money in your wallet is on the line.
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4 comments:
I agree about what you observed about ken's opinion.I still visit his site for information.I bought my SB600 after reading his opinion.I have no regrets.Its a good flash.But when I bought my Micro nikkor 105 f/2.8 VR..I did not listen to him.He seems to be the only one in the net to say it is useless.
I agree with you about ken and his opinions on certain stuff.I chose to buy SB600 to SB 800 going by his advise.But when I bought my Micronikkor I ignored his advise.He is one of the few who says it is not worth buying.
I also agree in your observations, but not 100 %.
I have learned a lot from his site.
His site is the most easy to jump around. It is made so clever and easy and simple and that takes a clever and gifted man to do that.
To make things user-friendly is not for everybody.
When I started in photography I took his advice 100 %, but do not now, but I still read it nearly every day, and still learn.
I also bought the sb600 after his review.
Now I also have the sb800 :):)
I have the 105VR and do not agree with him.
I think he is
- very gifted
and he
- believe in himself, and some people do not like this and gets envy.
- he sometimes write something that is not right (as mentioned the 105VR), but I still have to find one man on earth, that never do a fault!!!!
His informations about Nikon gear are the best - even I do not agree always, there is so many informations.
I will always look at his site nearly every day - even I do not agree.
Do we really have to agree in everything ?
I also agree in your observations, but not 100 %.
I have learned a lot from his site.
His site is the most easy to jump around. It is made so clever and easy and simple and that takes a clever man to do that.
When I started in photography I took his advice 100 %, but do not now, but I still read it every day, and still learn.
I also bought the sb600 after his review.
Now I also have the sb800 :)
I have the 105VR and do not agree with him.
I think he is
- very gifted
and he
- believe in himself, and some people do not like this and gets envy.
- he sometimes write something that is not right (the 105VR), but I still have to find one man on earth, that never do a fault!!
His informations about Nikon gear are the best - even I do not agree always, there is so many informations.
I will always look at his site nearly every day.
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