Comments on: Leica M9 Review at Ken Rockwell

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:50:16 +0000

Max,
funny, I feel the same way. He does have insights on the gear, but they change, often in the same post. Also he takes really sweet hi-res product shots, that make me want to buy everything.

By: Max

Max — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:57:38 +0000

I’m addicted to Ken’s web site, much like I was to the daily Nancy comic strip from long ago. Both are/were stupid but you keep going back for more.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:06:45 +0000

carl,
I’m not sure what Rockwell’s deal is, I think you have to take his opinion with a grain of salt, and just kind of make your own interpretations based on the data he provides (image samples). I’m pretty sure he says himself that his site is more entertainment than objective, and for sure he’s got his hands on a lot of gear. I suspect that he’s just as fickle as the rest of us, and when he heaps the praise on the M9, I feel confident that he indeed really likes the M9, even it means tossing aside some of his previous thoughts….

By: carl

carl — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:41:49 +0000

I’m a new DSLR user (3 months), and I found Rockwell’s site, in the beginning, to be refreshing. He seemed to cut through the technical b.s. and provide some plain-spoken guidance re: equipment. But as I read more and more of his articles (and I even bought one of his camera guides), it became harder and harder to tell what his true opinion is. It’s fine to change one’s mind because we all do it; but his Leica review is an excellent example of a monumental flip-flop without a real explanation as to why the change. He reviewed the M8 and disparaged the whole idea of why any modern user would want to bother with a rangefinder; yet, he does a 180 re: the M9. While the M9 might be an improvement over the M8, it’s still a rangefinder in the ways the Rockwell seems to dislike. Frankly, I believe his now love for Leica is a business decision — and, again, I have no problem with that from a certain business perspective … but that’s a business perspective that is less concerned about credibility (and he’s not the first site or magazine to give a company good marks in hopes of getting more business). Some people on web almost hate the guy; that’s not me. I just feel that, while he might know a zillion times more about photography than I do, he’s lessening his ability to serve users like myself.