[OzzRod]

Welcome everyone to the Single in February 2015 Challenge

Aim of the Game:To use the same lens each day for a month, posting one picture captured each day with that lens. The picture must be captured with a Pentax lens coupled to a camera body of your choice (including Pentax/Ricoh), a non-Pentax lens provided it is coupled only to a Pentax or Ricoh body, or a Pentax-Ricoh point&shoot camera. (Taking other pictures with other cameras/lenses is fine, but these won’t be eligible for this Challenge).

Commenting: Posting your pictures allows other participants to comment on them. Conversely, it’s hoped that you will comment on those of other members. Please don’t be shy if you don’t have much photographic experience or are a Forum newbie - your personal reactions to photographs are as valid as anyone else’s. It’s a very friendly group and with regular commenting, you’ll soon be enjoying the camaraderie.

The rewards: It’s great fun. You’ll learn heaps about how your chosen lens can perform and you’ll see what other members achieve with their selected lenses - sometimes the same one you’ve chosen. In the comment banter you’ll pick up many tips on photographic technique generally, including post processing. As the month progresses it often becomes quite demanding (it’s a challenge, remember) but you’ll always be encouraged by other participants. Worried about LBA? - this game doesn’t help you fight it!

How to participate:

1. First you need to join the Group to be able to post pictures; you only have to do this once. The group’s name is “Monthly Photo Challenges”. You’ll find a clickable link on that forum page to join.

2. You’ll need to have your pictures stored in an on-line album. This could be the Pentax Forum, or others such as Flickr, Picassa etc. You actually post a link to the picture in your album into the daily picture thread.

** If you are linking to a Pentax Forum album, you’ll find advice on how to post elsewhere in the Forum and in the FAQs below. One of the Challenge’s stalwarts, patjp, has also prepared a short video on how to do this - it’s on YouTube (Singlein.m4v)

** If you are posting a link to Flickr, just click on the sharing icon below your selected picture and a window will open displaying the BB code. Copy it and paste into the Single in (month) Challenge thread in the Pentax Forum.

Each day, you’ll see a new thread of pictures grow and by clicking on each you should be redirected to the photographer’s parent album where you will be able to add a comment and read those of others. When you post each day’s picture to the Pentax Forum, please specify the camera/lens combination underneath your picture eg K5 & DA15 Ltd - this makes it easy for others to note what combo you’re using.

The thread you’re painstakingly reading now is the Discussion Thread for Game > Single in (month).
This is separate to the picture posting thread referred to above and you’ll probably want to subscribe to the Discussion one to keep up with activities and develop a rapport with Challenge members. It’s the place where you can ask questions, offer advice, share concerns, suggest improvements, and often just participate in general banter related to this month’s challenge.

So there it is. It is easier than it might seem at first. If you miss a day, don’t worry. If you have any problems, please ask. We’re a very friendly, forgiving, international bunch. Come and try!

FAQs: Finally, Zorglub has kindly posted a FAQ collection here …. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/groups/102-monthly-photo-challenges/711-faq.html


THEME DAYS FOR FEBRUARY 2015

February turns out to be slightly problematic for programming theme days. If we want to keep the 15th and the 21st as Abstract and Selfie days respectively, then one Saturday and one Sunday are taken. The Colour days were allocated to Sundays, thinking it might make it easier for everyone. If this approach is to prevail then the schedule for February would be ......

Sat. February 07: RED
Sat. February 14: GREEN
Sun. February 15: ABSTRACT
Sat. February 21: SELFIE/BELFIE
Sun. February 22: BLUE
Sat. February 28: B&W

[severalsnakes]

Yahoo! I'm in, and it's going to be a weirdo lens: Access 35-70/2.5-3.5.

Really pleased to see the belfie designation! :-D

[OzzRod]

I'll be back most days using my relatively new HD DA 35/2.8 Macro Limited.

[blackcloudbrew]

I'm in but not sure with what. My plan was to keep on with the Q7 and go to the 02 lens but, I've gotten several M42 lenses recently that I may give a work out too. Not sure really but I'll figure it out by February 1st.

[UncleVanya]

Here are my options for a lens for February, help me choose.

Newly acquired:
DA* 50-135
DA* 60-250
DA 35 f/2.4
DA 55-300

Of these the 50-135 is calling my name but I suspect that I need more practice on the longer telephoto zooms. The plastic fantastic is similar on apsc to the nifty fifty I shot for years on film bodies but I haven't shot that angle of view: with a fixed focal length lens, or I could pick something classic like my A* 85 f/1.4

---------- Post added 01-27-15 at 12:04 AM ----------

Really pleased to see the belfie designation! :-D

Here's hoping creativity rules the day...

[mattt]

I have some miscellaneous screw mount 135mm f2.8 - figure I'll make some shots with it before selling it for $10 - Not film this month, I'm exhausted.

[dngr]

What on earth is a belfie??

Also, I'm in. I'm still working on the ships, but you folks will only have to suffer through a week max of ship pics (shipics?) before I get to home for holidays (weee!)

My choice for the month will be my trusty M 50/1.4

[StudentBoots]

After I think a year of absence, I think I'll hop back in with my 77.

[UncleVanya]

What on earth is a belfie?

Google it away from work, more fun to find out that way...

[dngr]

Google it away from work, more fun to find out that way...

I'm at work 24/7

[Sandy Hancock]

I could pick something classic like my A* 85 f/1.4

Oh yes! This!!

[wolfiegirl]

I'm in. Was going to do the da wr 50-200. BUT.... after doing a lens cull (aka fondle through the box) some of my manual lenses are calling out to me. As yet still undecided.

After a month on the brand spangled new wr kit lens, I think I just want to see what old glass will do on the k-50. I must admit I've loved the versatility of 18mm to 55mm though. Possibly part of the reason why I'm gravitating to similar focal lengths on my old glass, although none will go as wide as 18mm

Let's see what the options are:

I have a Tamron 35-80/2.8-3.5 sitting around collecting dust, as well as a F 28-70/4 which people talk about but I've never understood the hype. Perhaps I have a bad copy?!

Then there's a pentax 35-70/3.5 with fungus spots and a stuck filter ring that I picked up for $10 or something ridiculous attached to a k1000.

I also have 2 helios (helii?) that need some loving as well as a pentacon 50/1.8.

Just digging through now, oh look! Hello tamron 28-70/3.5-4.5 159a. I'd forgotten about you...

...and if none of those make it, there's always the 35mm/3.5 Tak and Tak 55/1.8 that comes to mind. both of these will eventually need a go...

Help! I'm drowning in glass!

[jheu02]

I should be in with one of my new-to-me M42 lenses, but which one...

Auto Rikenon 55/1.4 (supposedly a Tomioko lens)

Vivitar (Kiron) 28/2.5

[Sandy Hancock]

Unlike some of you, I have had a significant cull of my lens collection. I've recently parted with a DAL18-55 (with my K-01 to a friend of wolfiegirl's), my Helios 44-2 (to trip), my M42 135/3.5 (with my Zenit E to Occasionally Focussed), my Sigma 70-200/2.8 to another forum member, and returned a sweet FA*85 using a loophole to assuage a severe case of buyer's remorse. My K135/2.5 is also on the market.

So my choices are more limited than they have been for some time. The only remaining lens I haven't "Singled" is the 07 Mount Shield. Judging by some early test shots, getting interesting images from it will be challenging indeed; I'm not sure I have the stomach for it, but I'll give it some thought over the next few days.

[mtux]

I'm in, and the lens will probably be my recently acquired A50/1.4, though I also fixed the focus throw issue of my Kiron 28/2 and added a step-down ring to it to accept 49mm filters, and now thinking about getting a hood for it, thus it's almost a new lens for me ! and I like to use it again. so it will be a decision between these two!