[Tsuken]

Welcome everyone to the Single in August 2016 Challenge

NB for those about to skip this post: theme days at the bottom.

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


Video below was created by patjp

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

Theme days:

Saturday 6th August: B&W
Saturday 13th August: Texture
SUNDAY 21st July: B/Selfies (call it architecture if you're just that built)
Saturday 27th August: Light (a photo where something specifically about the light is the point.)

[robgski]

Hmmmmm, I guess I'll give it a try

[severalsnakes]

I'm in!! Of course I'm using my new Tamron 28-75/2.8 XR Di!

And! It's Fair Time in Missouri once again. The Missouri State Fair runs August 11th to the 21st and I plan on going every. single. day.

[robgski]

The Missouri State Fair runs August 11th to the 21st and I plan on going every. single. day.

The State Fair will give you some good opportunities for the Theta as well.

Unless I buy one of the 21mm I have seen for sale here on PF, I'll use the SMC-A 28-135 lens, on the 28mm/Macro. I'd forgotten how sharp this lens is, even though it wweighs a ton, the results are worth it

[pepperberry farm]

DA21mm Limited and I'm in for August!

(this is gonna be fun... )

[photolady95]

I'm in. Though no 28mm I've a new lens that will be here Thursday and it needs a work out to see how good it is, a Sigma 100-300mm I got on the PF marketplace for $30. Though slower at 300mm than my other Sigma zooms....I'll see if it is any better IQ wise.

[severalsnakes]

The State Fair will give you some good opportunities for the Theta as well.

True facts! I'm going to be such an obnoxious picture-person... but what else is new?

[bobbotron]

I can't quite decide... but I think I'm going to use my dad's ancient old Tokina 28mm f2.8 m42 lens. I have a ton of bulk roll RPX 25 too... I would love to cover a bunch of the days with my old spotmatic and the RPX 25. I've gotten some great results from the Tokina with my spotmatic, but never really given it a chance on the K3.

Or I might go with my 45mm 645 SMC lens.

I really like the single challenge, really lets you rediscover a lens, or get to know one better.

[UncleVanya]

The State Fair will give you some good opportunities for the Theta as well.

Unless I buy one of the 21mm I have seen for sale here on PF, I'll use the SMC-A 28-135 lens, on the 28mm/Macro. I'd forgotten how sharp this lens is, even though it wweighs a ton, the results are worth it

Stacking for Macros? Just kidding - I assume "OR" was replaced by "ON".

Those sound interesting indeed. Who makes the 28mm Macro?

---------- Post added 07-25-16 at 10:34 AM ----------

After the loss of the FA 35 (who knows if only temporary or permanent) I lost interest in completing July. August is coming and I don't know if I'm in or not. I shot the 40, then the 35, and I have a 20-40 Limited, but I'm not sure I want to do that. I have to rethink my goals for August - I'll be on vacation for a portion of it where the 20-40 would be nice so it isn't out of the question. Other lens options like the DA* 50-135 come to mind as well.

[robgski]

Who makes the 28mm Macro?

The lens is a Pentax a used SMC-A 28-135mm Zoom/Macro. I used it a lot on my road trip, and it's very sharp, I wish I'd used it more, but I was driving, so the bulkiness deterred me from leaving it on the camera for the quick "stop, jump out, and take a shot" pictures that I did often.

I do have Vivitar-A 28mm Macro as well, I think I singled it this past year.

Several 21mm lenese showed up on PF in the last two weeks, and I am sorely tempted, but a 70mm also showed up on PF, and I would like to fill that gap in my collection

[blackcloudbrew]

I'm in - really - this time. Wavering between the FA 43 and the HD DA 20-40 Limited. I'll figure it out by the 1st.

[wstruth]

I'm in - really - this time. Wavering between the FA 43 and the HD DA 20-40 Limited. I'll figure it out by the 1st.

I'm wavering between the 20-40 and the 12-24. I'm leaning to the 20-40 having just come off the 16-50 and would like to do the comparison. The 12-24 because I haven't really used it on the K-S2.

[UncleVanya]

If there are two 20-40 users in I may jump in with mine like I planned last month - but that makes 3 months of 40mm, 35mm, and 20-40mm... seems like I may have trouble trying to remember that there are other focal lengths in the world later.

[robgski]

I'm going to be such an obnoxious picture-person

If you could figure a way to mount the Theta on a hat, you could easily walk around the fair and no one would notice.

Part of the reason I like the K-5 and 40mm XS combo is the less noticeable it is in crowded situations.

[joip]

I'm in with the SMC Pentax-DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited. Haven't used it very much.