[uccemebug]

Great idea about a couple of social groups. Perhaps we should also post our daily photos in the main group? I am having a bit of trouble remembering where I spammed my comments and thus forgetting to follow up on any developments.

I like what you did by putting the day's spares into a single post. It gives us a chance to see them inline and we can see the comments.

Edit: This would also allow pictures to be hosted on say flickr which would be nice if we are to continue this challenge on a monthly basis

Yup! Hey, Stillshunter, what you think?

[reeftool]

Casil403, stay well. Those injuries hurt for awhile.
Boy, I haven't heard about crazy glue being used in these circumstances since my uncle glued a molar back to his jawbone some 20 years ago. He is still alive and kicking.

Actually, it is used all the time now. I had an emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage 3 years ago. No stitches! They used a medical formula super glue. The Doc said it is pretty much the same stuff, just sterile. There were no bandages, no dressings to change. I was home in 48 hrs. The glue residue slowly peeled off within a month and 6 months later, the scar was hardly noticeable.

Hope you're doing ok Casil, sorry to hear of your injury.

[casil403]

Thanks Reef and axl. Since I crazy glued it it seems to have slowed the bleeding. I'm down to one bandaid instead of 3.
Someone told me too that is what they use in the hospitals...seems to be working so far.

[casil403]

So getting back to the challenge, I am curious to know what everyone has learned about their chosen lenses so far, about their shooting style, has it changed any? About how they stay motivated?
Me:
I am reading Freeman Pattersons "Photography & the Art of Seeing" so that is keeping me motivated. I have been shooting a similar style to his all (without knowing it) along but it is good as a refresher.
I have learned (and I think I mentioned this in another thread) the FE is not as "gimmicky and limiting" a lens as I was led to believe...in fact the opposite is true. It is a really versatile lens and quite a sharp one as well. While I still prefer my sigma 10-20mm to it for landscapes, I have learned that I can make the most mundane thing quite a bit more interesting simply by using this lens. It is also making me look the potential in a shot quite a bit differently now also...which is cool.
I often left this lens at home when out shooting but I think I will have to start changing that notion in the future.

I also want to say thanks to Stillshunter for coming up with such a great idea and inviting others to join. Not only am I enjoying looking at all your cool and varied images, I am also enjoying the little group we have managed to create as well.

[reeftool]

I am on vacation so I have more than a couple of spares so far. Probably 100 or more yesterday. My daughter and I climbed a mountain and I took shots of the whole trip. I will probably put them in an album on my Picasa page and I'll post the link when I get done with the PP.

[psychdoc]

So getting back to the challenge, I am curious to know what everyone has learned about their chosen lenses so far, about their shooting style, has it changed any? About how they stay motivated

I chose the DA 70mm because it is small and my personal style is that if the lens-camera combo was too big, I was not going to carry it around much and consequently less photos.

However, my biggest problem with it was that you had to stay far from the object you were shooting to get a focus. Not that I want to do macros. The long and short of it was whether I could use it as a walk-around lens. I think for the most part I am convinced I can. I also have the DA 35mm. So if there is another challenge I will probably try that lens and compare the two. On the face of it the 35mm should work better as a walk around but so far I have had better luck with getting pictures with the 70mm...But then I have not had the 35mm long and have not used it at all this month.

I have not said much in the forum other than posting photos; but the social group idea may be a good thing.

[reeftool]

There is no one lens for all situations. It's the large choice of lenses available that brought most of us to the decision to buy an SLR. I'm using the challenge to learn how to better utilize my 10-17. When I first bought it, I had one primary use for it and that was to have the ability to photograph an 8 person rowing shell from close up. It worked fine for that and I began using it for other shots. By accepting the challenge to put that lens on my camera and go out and shoot with it every day with has forced me to try some different things with the lens that I may never have tried. My short experiment with flash the other night is a good example. I would have never have combined the FE and flash except for the fact that I needed to do my challenge shot for the day. While far from a great photo, I learned that it CAN work.

[axl]

I'll have to check out these social groups. The only problem is my busy schedule and being very good in"social networking"

[axl]

Well as reftool noted there is no one lens for all situation but with my style FA43 comes pretty darn close!

Anyway, halfway through and trying to asses my chosen lens... Hmmmm
50 is very useful on APSC IMO. 1.2 is super useful. I only wish it was A series. To be able to leave the lens in Av mnode and only change ISO & Ev as needed would be great. Coupled with K10D I need +1 Ev in Av mode when shooting wide open to get correct expsure. Other f stops need M mode obviusly. @ f1.4 I need to adjust + 1 stop from metering. By f2.8 is OK and @ f4 the stop down metering is pretty much spot on. @ f5.6 I need -0.5 stop by f8 -1 and comletely falls apart beyond (pretty much useless so I take reading at f4 and calculate).
MF at 1.2? Well there are easier things do. Ii started to practise focus bracketing (thanks these days for digital).
Other than that I confirmed and assured myself that the lens has the most buttery OOF of any of my lenses (yes 31 & 77 including) even when stopped down! Terrific colours and great contrast from f2 with very good sharpness and contrast at f1.4 and if focussed correctly fantastically usable at f1.2. There are some aberations but surprisingly nearly no sign of PF (very pleasant surprise compared to FA43).
As for my style? Pretty much the same but I'm getting more daring with people shots and more creative with other type shots.

In short these two weeks have been invaluable experience assuring me that selling this "old laughing lady" would have been major mistake!
Thanks stillshunter for this challenge and I hope I'll get the chance to repeat it with other lenses...

On a side note: I haven't shot other lenses since 1st of Sept

[stillshunter]

Things have been so hectic at work and so I've barely had time to shoot and post lately, let alone keep an eye on this thread and provide meaningful comment on other's photos. Apologies all . ...and what a shame!!! I've missed out on some major happenings with folks - Casil and Bramela especially thoughts are with you and your speedy recovery - and axl's big news. Congrats again mate! But I also sense that some friendships are certainly consolidating here. I admit to thinking while devising this challenge that a group that goes through a challenge together would grow a little together, but I didn't quite anticipate that they would grow such bonds during their mutual 'suffering' I, for one, have really enjoyed the collegiate spirit of this challenge and would be more than happy to keep in touch. Not only to see how everyone's photography is developing, but how Life on their side of the Earth is going. So please count me in on the Social Group....with the caveat that if my work schedule remains the same I might be a little vagrant at times.

So what's this little posse going to be called...judging by the Group name are we "The September Spares?"

Also like Axl I've not touched another lens all this month. So I think I can certainly do "Uno in October" Just not sure if I go the DA15 or FA50. Hmmm.....

[Bramela]

I chose a Super Tak 300mm MF lens.
I think that I have been really tested by this lens.
I am enjoying it, but getting really good results, is something a find a little allusive at times.
I am not blaming the lens, but myself. If I have learned something, it is that MF lens are becoming a bit of a stretch for me, with my aging eyesight.

Question : Focus Capture on K20d, I use it quite successfully on some of my MF lens, but am finding it won't operate with a M42 lens fitted with Pentax adapter.
Has anybody got any thoughts or suggestions on this?

"Single in September" the whole concept is a great exercise and it would be great to do it again

[reeftool]

I chose a Super Tak 300mm MF lens.
I think that I have been really tested by this lens.
I am enjoying it, but getting really good results, is something a find a little allusive at times.
I am not blaming the lens, but myself. If I have learned something, it is that MF lens are becoming a bit of a stretch for me, with my aging eyesight.

Question : Focus Capture on K20d, I use it quite successfully on some of my MF lens, but am finding it won't operate with a M42 lens fitted with Pentax adapter.
Has anybody got any thoughts or suggestions on this?

"Single in September" the whole concept is a great exercise and it would be great to do it again

I use a strip of aluminum foil over the contacts on the camera body and then screw down the lens which holds it in place. Your can then use your Taks to trap focus. I have the same problem. I wear trifocals so I have to take my glasses off to shoot (manual focus). It's getting tougher. I have a 200/4 Tak that I love but have focusing issues. The only problem I do have with this is motion blur. Taks are heavy and turning the lens to focus and keeping the thing steady isn't easy.

[uccemebug]

I have learned (and I think I mentioned this in another thread) the FE is not as "gimmicky and limiting" a lens as I was led to believe...in fact the opposite is true. It is a really versatile lens and quite a sharp one as well. While I still prefer my sigma 10-20mm to it for landscapes, I have learned that I can make the most mundane thing quite a bit more interesting simply by using this lens.

I've only used FE lenses and adapters owned by friends but they're no gimmick, you're quite right. In fact, when my 20mm lens goes on my film camera it's rare that it even comes off again. Increasingly, I find myself carrying only the 20mm and an 85mm with that setup. Thanks to the two year old I have to keep my setup pared down to the essentials.

It is also making me look the potential in a shot quite a bit differently now also...which is cool.

Seeing things the way that your lens might is one of the joys of the artform, isn't it?

Not only am I enjoying looking at all your cool and varied images, I am also enjoying the little group we have managed to create as well.

Yeah me too.

I'll have to check out these social groups. The only problem is my busy schedule and being very good in"social networking"

I have no idea why they're called "social groups" but they seem to mirror the Yahoo Groups design. They've never really taken off on this site, but they're easy enough to use.

[uccemebug]

50 is very useful on APSC IMO. 1.2 is super useful.

My wife's favourite. She loves it when I put that lens on and hand it over to her.

As for your metering woes, you've gone farther than I have in mapping the f-stops to meter compensation. I'm very impressed with Pentax's lenses but frankly, the green-button-metering situation is ridiculous. It's a real source of complaint for me, as it interferes with the joy of using the camera.

The MILC cameras support metering with any old lens you put on them, and now Nikon's introduced a mid-level camera with meter coupling. This is a technology that was rolled out in the early 70's ffs! But there's hope. In one conversation on photo.net comparing the K7 to the new Nikon, some owners familiar with the technology showed that it would be quite straightforward to bring real meter coupling in.

The support for old lenses was once a distinguishing element for Pentax. They really need to match Nikon now and bring in real meter coupling. And rather than produce two mounts, I imagine that it would be cheapest for them to simply re-create the uncrippled mount and use it for "all" (both) their DSLRs.

In my dreams, anyway.

[wedgetail]

Ok its official I have whooping cough! 5 days bed rest i will post what i have when I can this is the first time in ten years off working for myself that i have been ill. ask your Doctors about a booster shot we need one every ten years as adults.
Mark