Announcing Our June, 2023 Photo Contest

Win a gift card and other prizes in our monthly photo contest

By PF Staff in Photo Contests on Jun 1, 2023

We're herewith announcing our monthly photo contest for June. The theme for this month is Pets.

This month we'd like to see your best pet photo. Most would think of dogs and cats, but a pet can be any animal kept for companionship or pleasure.

First prize is a $50 gift card to B&H Photo, second prize is a one year forum account upgrade, and third prize is a box of photo paper form Red River.

The official contest rules are found here.

Click here to submit a photo for the contest.

If you haven't done so already we invite you to browse our special gallery of last month's photo contest submissions and nominate your favorites.

April 2023 "Reflection" Photo Contest Winners

Announcing the winners of our monthly contest

By PF Staff in Photo Contests on May 23, 2023

"Dawn in the Dolomites" by vijaykishan

It is our pleasure to announce the winners of our April, 2023 "Reflection of Light" photo contest! In first place was forum member vijaykishan from Germany who captured "Dawn in the Dolomites" (pictured above). This photo was shot with a Pentax K-1 and an HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm F2.8 lens.

Our runners-up were forum member keithamatz from USA in second place with "Chicago's The Bean" and after a draw lyrics51 from USA in third place with "Basel Building". Click on either thumbnail for a larger version.

"Chicago's The Bean" by keithamatz	"Basel Building" by lyrics51

We'd like to congratulate the winners and also thank everyone who participated or voted! Also, be sure not to miss our current photo contest, "Windows". Read all about it here.

New versions of the FA 50mm F1.4

Ricoh announces an HD and a Classic version of the FA 50mm F1.4 Lens

By PF Staff in Pentax Announcements on May 17, 2023

Based on the smc Pentax-FA 50mm F1.4 "normal" lens, Ricoh on May 16, 2023 announced two new versions. The original version from 1991 was discontinued earlier this year.

The smc Pentax-FA 50mm F1.4 Classic is basically identical to the original except from a different lettering on the lens barrel. Ricoh claims, though, to have tinkered with the optics so as to enhance the tendency to produce "rainbow flare" in backlit images at large apertures (an ND filter is included to support using large apertures even in good light). We will examine this claim when we get the opportunity to lay our hands on this variant of the lens. The front element has received SP coating making it easier to clean and keep clean compared to the original.

The HD Pentax-FA 50mm F1.4 has received HD coating which enhances the contrast. Moreover, the lens barrel has been redesigned in line with the looks of D FA lenses.

Both lenses retain the softer rendering of typical film era lenses rather than the super sharp rendering of today's "designed-for-digital" lenses like the HD Pentax-D FA* 50mm F1.4. As opposed to the original version the new siblings have rounded aperture blades.

We are pleased to see these new lenses in particular since they are pegged at a much more affordable price point than the HD Pentax-D FA 50mm F1.4 lens. And they are much lighter and more compact than the D FA and hence perhaps more suited for travel and street photography.

The technical data are found in our database by fowwing the links in the descriptions above.

The lenses will become available mid-June and will retail for USD 379 for the smc version (which includes an ND filter) and USD 349 for the HD version.

Ricoh's press release is found below:

April "Reflection" Contest Finalists Announced

Vote for the overall winner!

By PF Staff in Photo Contests on May 15, 2023

After the end of the nomination phase of last month's official Reflection of Light photo contest, we're now ready to announce our top 15 finalists!  Click on the link below to view the photos in full size and cast your vote in the poll:

Vote for your favorite photo in the poll

As usual for our monthly photo contests, voting closes in a week, and then we'll announce the winners.

Don't miss our May "Windows" photo contest, which closes to submissions at the end of the month.

Announcing Our May, 2023 Photo Contest

Win a gift card and other prizes in our monthly photo contest

By PF Staff in Photo Contests on May 1, 2023

We're herewith announcing our monthly photo contest for May. The theme for this month is Windows.

Show us images of windows. You are welcome to post process your image into an abstract form but you can also submit the image as you shot it with (or without) ordinary post processing. Good luck!

First prize is a $50 gift card to B&H Photo, second prize is a one year forum account upgrade, and third prize is a box of photo paper form Red River.

The official contest rules are found here.

Click here to submit a photo for the contest.

If you haven't done so already we invite you to browse our special gallery of last month's photo contest submissions and nominate your favorites.