[babywriter]

Welcome everyone to the Single In July 2018 Challenge!

Theme days:

Saturday, 7th July: BLUR/BOKEH

Saturday, 14th July: NIGHT LIFE

Saturday, 21st July: B/SELFIES

Saturday, 28th July: SMALL WONDERS

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 …. The FAQ - Monthly Photo Challenges - PentaxForums.com


Video below was created by patjp

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

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Last edited by babywriter; 02-22-2019 at 05:41 AM.

[pepperberry farm]

in... lens for the month TBD...

[babywriter]

I’m in with the Fujinon-Z 43-75mm f/3.5-4.5 (m42 mount). The lens dates from 1978 and is one of the earliest zoom lenses for interchangeable-lens cameras. Should be fun.

[robgski]

I am interested, we'll see how July goes.

[iheiramo]

Yes, I'm in as promised. I think I had something good coming again next month. Wait a sec I look up...





...Indeed a fun lens. M40/2.8 in July.

[Minimonster]

I'm thinking about it.

[Sandy Hancock]

I recently re-acquired a K135/2.5, the earlier copy of which I sold before the K-1 was released, so that might be a good option. BUT.... I'm expecting a F17-35 Fisheye to be delivered on Monday.

I think the latter (with some comparisons to the DA10-17 and possibly my Samyang 12mm) would be more interesting, but it would require a late start.
With permission from the powers that be, I'd start with the 10-17 at the long end on the K1, and switch when the "new" lens arrives.

With any luck, August should be the DFA*50....

[pepperberry farm]

in... lens for the month TBD...

I'll be using my copy of the Spiratone Plura-Coat 28mm f2....

[Sandy Hancock]

Correction on the above - the lens is the F 17-28 Fisheye Zoom. There's no such thing as a 17-35

[rjbrett]

I’ll be using a Hexatar Munchen 45mm f2.8 this month. I bought this tiny lens off Mighty Mike on the PF marketplace almost a year ago There isn’t too much about it online but from what I’ve read it was produced in the late 1950s as the kit lens for a Pentacon camera rebranded as a Hexatar for the US market. Apparently it was a small run of 10,000 to 40,000. I posted photos on flickr yesterday – that’s a 49mm lens cap next to it in one. No one seems to know much about the lens, except that it was probably made in Munchen.

It is a triplet pancake with a preset aperture ring that is rotated by turning the filter ring. The filter ring is only 34mm, so I find this a bit fiddly and leave the 34-49mm step up ring I’ve been using for filters and hood on, as it’s easier to move gently without disrupting the focus. There’s no mention of coating on the lens, but going by the slight purple tint of light reflected on the front element I’m wondering if it has a single coating.

I’ve been impressed with image quality the couple of times I have used this lens – at one stage last year I had the use of an HD 70mm limited for a day, and it didn’t disgrace itself in that company. It will be interesting to see how I go using it for a whole month.

---------- Post added 07-01-18 at 02:44 AM ----------

Correction on the above - the lens is the F 17-28 Fisheye Zoom. There's no such thing as a 17-35

That sounds interesting! - as do the Fujinon and Spiratone. Saw the Fujinon mentioned in a Wikipedia article on the history of lens design last night.

Wonder how the pancakes will stack up?

[wstruth]

I'm going to jump back in this month I was trying to decide between my new Sigma 17-50 2.8 and the Ricoh gr II (just because it's light in weight). But now that I see Sandy mentioning the 10-17 I may just end up going with the fisheye zoom too, especially since I took some shots today with it.

[robgski]

Since a few others are considering FE or UWA, I think I'll use my Takumar 17mm Fisheye, which is a UWA n the K-5. I'm a day late already.

[babywriter]

Got an explore on my watering can shot:

[robgski]

Work has demanded a lot of my time and brain power, but my deadline is noon on Saturday, hopefully I can process and upload the shots I have taken, and make up for he shots I did not. The Takumar 17mm Fisheye is one of my favorite lenses, it is nice to be putting it to use again.


By this time next week, I'll be at on the ocean side of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, I cannot wait to revisit it and should have no end of subjects to capture.

[Sandy Hancock]

I've been doing some soul searching today, and have decided to sell off a lot of my kit. No, I haven't lost faith in Pentax, and I haven't hit hard times - I've just decided that there is too much duplication between formats and it's weighing me down physically and creatively.

On the chopping block are:

My entire medium format rig: 645Z, DFA35, DFA55, FA75, A120 macro, FA150 and the exotic Schneider-Kreuznach Cinelux-Ultra 125/2.0

Plus a selection of K-mount stuff: LX + winder, F17-28, FA20, DFA24-70, F28, FA31, A50/1.2, DA*55, DFA*70-200, K135/2.5 - yes, that includes my current "Single In" lens, but I'll continue with it until it sells (or the end of the month).

It's all in perfect working order and very good to near mint condition. Getting it all up in the Marketplace will be a major undertaking, so I though I'd let you mob know first because you know me and have seen the output of the equipment over the years. And I'd like it to go to good homes ;-)

The active group here is pretty small at the moment, but if you (or any member of the extended "Single In" family you know of) might be interested in any of it, make a reasonable offer by PM and I'll see what we can arrange!