Photography Roundup - 8/12

Summary of photo news, the latest contests, and more

By K David in Columns on Aug 12, 2015

Somewhere in the Sun | jchorst

For many of us, the end of the hottest months of the year is starting. Kids are going back to school (a blessing all around for parents and non-parents alike) and heatwaves are beginning to break. We still have some good weeks left, however, for taking evening strolls in the sun and capturing some lovely golden and blue hour shots. So grab a tripod, a Pentax, a couple good lenses, and make the best of the rest of the summer!

Featured Deals

August is back to school time in the U.S., so if you need a reason to pick up a new lens or camera, taking photos of your kids' first days back or at school is a great reason. Here are some of the best deals we've been tracking this week.

• Canon Pro 100 PIXMA Wireless Printer for $49 after Rebate, includes $38 of free paper
• Pentax K-3 II for $826
• Adobe Creative Cloud for $8.32 per Month
• Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED WR for $304.98
• Pentax K-3 with free 50mm lens and flash
• Rokinon 85mm F1.4 for $209 used, $239 new
• Manfrotto bag deals

Official In-depth Pentax K-S2 Review Released

Pentax Forums released our official in-depth review for the Pentax K-S2. The K-S2 has received  plenty of praise by users. Ricoh clearly hit the nail on the head with the K-S2. Be cure to check out our in-depth review for lots of sample images and a thoughtful look at the camera and its use.

Pentax Forums Roundup

Official Monthly Photo Contest #108 Theme Image

Official Monthly Contest #108, Junk, is Open for Submissions

The August Official Monthly Photo Contest is open for submissions. This month's theme is Junk. Knowing how much our forum members love to photograph dilapidated old stuff, be sure your photos of junk aren't junk. This is going to be a very tough monthly challenge!

Official Monthly Photo Contest #107 is Open for Nominations

Official Monthly Photo Contest #107 is open for Nominations. Be sure to check out the entries and vote for the best image that fits the theme "Waiting". Believe us when we say that after you start reviewing images, you won't have to wait long to find one you like.

Picture of the Week #370

POTW #270 Submission | Dieterson

Did you get a chance to check out this week's Picture of the Week thread? We had some fantastic submissions featuring a lot of nature and travel photography.

The Traveling Nifty Fifty

SMC-M 50mm f/1.7

Did you know that there's a 50mm f/1.7 that's traveling the world and visiting Pentax Forums members? If you'd like to have it visit you, pop over to the Traveling Nifty Fifty thread and sign up. Users take photos with the nifty fifty, share them in the thread, and send the lens along.

Gear News

Sigma 18-300 "C"

• Sigma 18-300 in Pentax K Mount
• Pentax K-S2 Firmware 1.10 Released
• Ricoh GRII Firmware Updated to Improve Wi-fi Functionality
• Read more on the 18-300 announcement here
• Sony Will Focus Heavily on its Full-frame Cameras
• Obstructions Vanish From Images Treated With New Software From MIT, Google

Good Reads

We have a large list here to help you round out your summer reading. So grab your Kindle or iPad, enjoy some sun at the beach or poolside, and check out these reads.

• Cropping and Composition – The Art of Directing your Audience
• Eleven Science Photos From This Week That Will Fill You With Awe
• One-hundred-and-twenty-nine of the Most Beautiful Shots In Movie History
• Introducing CLERA - First Transparent Camera!
• Panning, a Lesson for Aviation Photogs
• The Guerrilla Girls, After Three Decades, Still Rattling Art World Cages
• Watch a Meteor Explode (Beautifully) in Mid-air
• Practical Pointers for Getting Your Photos Noticed on Flickr and 500px

Interesting Kickstarter

Steady Shot Bot

This week's interesting Kickstarter is the Steady Shot Bot. The Steady shot Bot is a combination motion stabilizer, image tracker, and hyperlapse robot that can be controlled by pre-set settings or a Playstation-style controller. The Steady Shot Bot packs a set of features into a single unit that exist nowhere else in a single unit. The Steady Shot Bot shows how videography and photography are becoming more intertwined for hobbysit photographers.

As always, Pentax Forums endorses neither the product nor the backer for this or other Kickstarters that we share. We share these to help Forum readers stay informed about cutting edge photographic technology.