[pepperberry farm]

Shooting with the HD FA 35 this month was good and reaffirmed what I thought about the lens. Overall pretty happy with the lens. For some reason 35mm is about as wide as I like to go for most shooting including landscapes. I have a 28 and a 14 that rarely come out. I guess the new 21 won't be high on my list for new gear. As I really prefer 50mm or longer I found myself using my K3 more than the K1 since my suburban neighborhood doesn't offer much for landscape shots. Not sure what to go with next month. I have an FA 50mm macro coming in the mail so that's a possibility. Maybe a takumar 55... Or the samyang 85mm...

I've found that shooting the least-used lens in the lineup gives me a reason to get to know the lens and to either keep or sell the lens at the end of the month...

[vector]

I've found that shooting the least-used lens in the lineup gives me a reason to get to know the lens and to either keep or sell the lens at the end of the month...

Yeah and that may be what gets me to use the Samyang 85mm. It was a cheap way to fill that longer portrait lens gap when what I really want is a 77mm. This month was the HD FA 35 because it's my newest and was bought to replace the DA 35. So far I like it more than the DA. Not that the images are all that different, but the build and handling and F2. I am also trying to keep to lenses with aperture rings so I can use them on my film bodies and adapted on my Fujifilm X-T1.

[pepperberry farm]

Yeah and that may be what gets me to use the Samyang 85mm. It was a cheap way to fill that longer portrait lens gap when what I really want is a 77mm. This month was the HD FA 35 because it's my newest and was bought to replace the DA 35. So far I like it more than the DA. Not that the images are all that different, but the build and handling and F2. I am also trying to keep to lenses with aperture rings so I can use them on my film bodies and adapted on my Fujifilm X-T1.

good - using lenses to make them prove themselves and that they fit into your lineup is a good thing...

funny thing about the SIC is that as a sidebar to the glass that we all use, the camera bodies get a good workout - if you shoot every day, all month long, in thirty days you're going to know that camera body pretty well....

[robgski]

if you shoot every day, all month long, in thirty days you're going to know that camera body pretty well

I try to use a few features or capabilities during the month as well, it's too easy to set the camera to "Av" and snap away.

[vector]

I try to use a few features or capabilities during the month as well, it's too easy to set the camera to "Av" and snap away.

Yeah, I covered a lot of different things so far this month: tripod, no tripod, OVF, live view, auto and manual focus, exposure compensation, M, AV, TAV, B, Auto ISO, fixed ISO, ND filters. I meant to do some astro but haven't had the gumption to stay up late enough. I did practice calibrating the astrotracer but until I use it I won't know how well I have that figured out. One thing I have been trying to do more of is use higher ISO more often. In the past I have a tendency to push that ISO down and rely on SR trying to keep the images cleaner, but after some experimentation I have found that I am losing more images to motion blur than I am saving with lower ISO. I think I have my NR processing in lightroom looking pretty good and things are still looking good at 6400 or sometimes 12800. Have to keep reminding myself that most of these will only be seen online so unless someone is peeping the high ISO is not a problem. Still lots to learn and experiment with. First month doing SIC has been challenging but rewarding.

[robgski]

I meant to do some astro but haven't had the gumption to stay up late enough.

I know the feeling, and my area is notorious for having overcast skies on nights when amazing and rare celestial phenomena are forecast, as well.

I think I have my NR processing in lightroom looking pretty good and things are still looking good at 6400 or sometimes 12800.

A good example of the benefit of participating in SIC/
I was trying to keep my ISO at 800 or lower, but Sandy posted some very clean shots at very high ISOs and that encouraged me to break through the ISO 1600 barrier with my K-1. I also purchased Topaz De-Noise and I am very impressed with the results.

[Eric Auer]

I'm hoping to play with a Zoom, tired of primes :P

[pepperberry farm]

I'm hoping to play with a Zoom, tired of primes :P

not because I'm tired of primes, but just for a change of pace, I was considering a zoom, also...

[Eric Auer]

not because I'm tired of primes, but just for a change of pace, I was considering a zoom, also...

I dig the zooms for street these days a lot. Not just because of distancing.

I like setting up a spot with the right background and just wait for people to walk in and out, and with a zoom youre not so obvious as you can be fairly far away.

[babywriter]

August thread is up:

Single In August 2020 - PentaxForums.com

[pepperberry farm]

August thread is up:

Single In August 2020 - PentaxForums.com

thank you....

[Minimonster]

August thread is up:

Single In August 2020 - PentaxForums.com

Thank you!

[Chris_K]

August thread is up:

I knew something was up
Thank you!

[Chris_K]

I entered yesterday's thread to catch up with comments and I saw 100% of awesome pictures! I mean, usually they are good but to me, this particular set is brilliant!

[W412ren]

The clouds cleared last night so we went out to to some astrophotography in the garden. To those that haven't tried this yet it's well worth it and the calibration process of the Astrotracer function is quick and easy. When the image doesn't work as well as you are expecting it is likely to be a function of the direction you are facing combined with the angle of elevation of your camera.

Anyway, my image for the 26th is nowhere near as good as it should have been (the reference image is headed in the right direction) but I have posted it as an example of what the sliders in Lightroom can do. The three I have used (clarity, texture and dehaze) I am familiar with but have never racked them over to +100 before. I think I was lucky in that the cloud was relatively thin and had only just blown in because this obviously wouldn't work through dense cloud formations

So.... even if it is cloudy get out there and image the stars