[ChristianRock]

This is a Monthly challenge to give us 12 different themes for the year to pursue photography - easy themes but themes that will make us have something to work on.

The full list containing each month's theme is at: The 2020 Monthly Challenge - PentaxForums.com

For June, the theme is "The Normal Field-of-View".
Ideally you will spend all month with one lens in the Normal field of view. If that is not practical, try to take at least a picture a day with a normal lens.

Normal lenses are: Full-Frame: 45-58mm and APS-C: 28-40mm. If you have a different format, you can find out what is normal for it here: Depth of Field (DoF), Angle of View, and Equivalent Lens Calculator ? Points in Focus Photography

First, there are no awards... this is for fun only.

Second, it's not a "ok I posted my picture for the month, I'm done" challenge. It's meant so that you will have something to focus on every month. Ideally, you will post one picture every day based on the theme. But there's no pressure - no one's keeping tabs If you post one a week that's fine. If you post the best shot of the month that's fine too. Just go out and have fun and shoot, and hopefully be challenged to improve your photography.

Third, conversation is encouraged. What are you learning and what are you enjoying in regards to this month's theme?

[pepperberry farm]

you do know that it's my intent to make 24mm the new 'normal', right?

[paulh]

I have a couple shots I'd like to squeeze in - if its ok! They were taken a few days ago. Super Tak 35/3.5. (pls let me know if I crossed the line!)

[ChristianRock]

I have a couple shots I'd like to squeeze in - if its ok! They were taken a few days ago. Super Tak 35/3.5. (pls let me know if I crossed the line!)

Those are nice shots so they get a pass

you do know that it's my intent to make 24mm the new 'normal', right?

That is what more and more people think.

Actually I think for most people 28mm or so (which is the cell phone lens) is the new normal...

[paulh]

Actually I think for most people 28mm or so (which is the cell phone lens) is the new normal.

24mm for me is still on the very wide side of normal on aps-c. Definitely wide on FF. One of these days I'll get a 24mm prime. CR, I was agonizing over your A24/2.8 you sold awhile back .

[ChristianRock]

24mm for me is still on the very wide side of normal on aps-c. Definitely wide on FF. The Ricoh GR has a fixed "normal" 28mm lens on a crop sensor. One of these days I'll get a 24mm prime. CR, I was agonizing over your A24/2.8 you sold awhile back .

You actually missed out on another great 24mm lens I sold recently, the other was the Vivitar 24 2.8 made by Cosina - which I got from Dave who just posted above you (of pepperberry farm fame)

The A 24 2.8 was sold, but the buyer backed out due to the coronavirus pandemic - so I still have that lens. In fact I just posted some pictures from it and I have some more. I'm using it more again now that my 16-45 has issues... and my Tokina 24 2.8 is at my work where I haven't been in months.

I can recommend that Tokina as being as good as the Pentax by the way, if you can't swing for the regular price of the A 24 2.8. At least the later version of the Tokina is excellent.

On the subject on 24mm APS-C or 35mm Full Frame wing "normal" - that was, I think, brought up by quite a few people since the 80s, probably - I think - most famously by Mike Johnston, around the same time he brought the term "bokeh" into the English language...

But this is for actual normal - which requires a certain discipline in shooting which the wider lenses - even the 35mm equiv. - don't have. I find it more difficult to compose with the normal FOV than with any other FOV, but when you get a composition right, I think it also looks better than other FOVs. Your mileave, of course, will vary Henry Cartier-Bresson, who was educated as a painter artist, was very much in favor of the normal FOV because in his eyes, there was no distortion at all in the subjects that were presented - while 35mm in his words the photographer was "shouting" instead of "storytelling."

Hopefully this challenge will make some people try it, who don't usually shoot in that FOV.

[paulh]

Hopefully this challenge will make some people try it, who don't usually shoot in that FOV.

Let's hope so!
My first lens was a Quantaray 28-90 zoom, so at the time, 28mm was "wide" for me. It took awhile to overcome the perception of "wide-ness" after I got my first 28mm prime. Then the kit lens showed me an example of what actual wide was . Nowadays 28mm is my favorite FL, and I own more 28s than any other prime. So I hope to contribute quite a bit this month!

[ChristianRock]

24mm for me is still on the very wide side of normal on aps-c. Definitely wide on FF. The Ricoh GR has a fixed "normal" 28mm lens on a crop sensor. One of these days I'll get a 24mm prime. CR, I was agonizing over your A24/2.8 you sold awhile back .

I forgot to reply that the Ricoh GR has an 18.2mm or so lens which is a perfect 28mm full frame equiv. - so it has a wide lens, not normal.
If it had a normal lens of the same quality I think I would have found a way to pick up one!

[paulh]

I forgot to reply that the Ricoh GR has an 18.2mm or so lens which is a perfect 28mm full frame equiv. - so it has a wide lens, not normal.
If it had a normal lens of the same quality I think I would have found a way to pick up one!

Ah, thanks for the correction.

[pepperberry farm]

(Super Takumar 35/2)

[ChristianRock]

Some pictures from this past weekend I'll sneak in here. I'm glad I picked up the Sigma 30 1.4 Art again... I hadn't used it since getting the DA 35 Limited. But in all honesty - I think that apart from the size, I like the Sigma better than the DA Limited. Hopefully that's not going to lead to backlash

[pepperberry farm]

I've considered the Sigma 30/1.4 several times, mainly as a replacement for my Sigma 28......

[pepperberry farm]

(K35/2)

[Tsuken]

I've considered the Sigma 30/1.4 several times, mainly as a replacement for my Sigma 28......

As I’m sure you’ve seen me note numerous times, I’m not a fan of my Sigma 30/1.4 ...

but...

I’ve had another look recently at some of my photos with that lens, and I think I should give it another go. It does certainly have some good qualities

[pepperberry farm]

As I’m sure you’ve seen me note numerous times, I’m not a fan of my Sigma 30/1.4 ...

but...

I’ve had another look recently at some of my photos with that lens, and I think I should give it another go. It does certainly have some good qualities

I've seen your rants about it

(:

it's smaller than my Sigma 28/1.8 and the non-HSM model doesn't seem to have as many focus issues....