Single In Single in November (SiN) 2024 has (or has nearly) finished. How did you go? Did you learn anything from your nominated gear?

[rayvonn]

After years of doing it, this was probably my most comfortable one, I think because it was the first time I approached it with the nominated gear working around me and what I was doing rather than the other way round as was the case in previous years (the first one I ever did years ago felt like a nightmare). I’m glad I did it as it was the best way possible to learn about a piece of gear I hadn’t previously used or for that matter wanted to use.

What I learned of the Tamron 70mm-150mm Macro F3.5, my nominated gear for the challenge is as follows:

Cons

• Unwieldy & heavy, not well balanced because, I’m guessing, it was designed for tripod use in film days and I used it handheld for the month. A complete change in muscle memory is required if one is used to using small primes. I’ve had an RSI injury for the best part of this year and this lens didn’t help!
• Discipline is critical when engaging this lens, just flicking a stabilisation switch on the computerised camera isn’t enough. Reliance on the camera’s iso capabilities in low light is also often hard to avoid.
• Macro cannot be considered to be mission critical for today's modern professional purposes.
• One can probably get similar/ same output from smaller M42/ Ai-s/ OM primes. So this lens is not needed to a great degree.

Pros

• New skills were obtained operating a manual not AF zoom. This was a bit deal for me at least, doing this for the first time with a zoom range such as this was difficult. This forces you to be creative, a pain in the rear but rewarding when viewing the images back.
• Not a contrasty lens. I like that. If you like that then, when the optics and the colours are still good, which was the case with this lens, then for me that’s a feature, something almost impossible to glean from current new lenses. Whist it will be nice to get back to lighter primes and for all the cons listed above, I do still see myself calling for this lens on occasion because of the way it renders. I have only identified that through doing this SIN.
• The flexibility of a zoom lens which also does macro is a boon for something like SIN, I could go out with it or I could stay in, it would produce images in either scenario good enough for posting and to my taste. The macro capacities of the lens are as good as the photographer wants them to be, ie it’s on you, they might not be mission critical for today's professional purposes but rendering can still be and is often lovely to my eye and on occasion, unique. So it makes you work for that better image which again, is rewarding.

Also, if you are going out with a heavy lens like this with long zoom and macro capabilities, then you better have a purpose in mind before going out with it. Boy, did I learn that the hard way.

And despite the cons listed above, getting myself familiar over a period of time using a long heavy manual focus lens has turned my mind in future to possibly engaging with similar sized and I’m guessing better beasts in future, those being 1) the Nikkor Macro 200mm F4 Ai-s, often recommended by @Brian here and 2) the Nikkor 35-70mm D (the big one, not that one considered Nikon’s worst ever lens).

So how did you all go?

 

[OCBeyer]

Ah, many times I almost regretted not going with my much more modern kit, but in the end I'm glad I didn't. The old Kodak C663 provided our family with some surprisingly good photos back in the day, but then they were almost always vacation shots, in almost always nearly perfect light. Though the timings of the camera are slow, once it's up and running (and if the light is good) it can produce some stunning images, especially with the colors that come out of that little Kodak CCD sensor.

But November, here in the USA, after day light savings time has ended, and working a day job, is not the best photo taking season for this reliable little snap shooter. However, that forced me to be more creative ( I decided to never use the harsh little flash). I even mounted it on a table-top tripod a couple of times, but for the most part I had to hold this camera VERY steady. Boy has IBIS spoiled me.

I'm a viewfinder only guy, usually turn off (or turn in) my LCD. But this little camera has a surprisingly good macro function, and that means using the LCD for composition. Which wasn't all that horrible.

It's no wonder the young people are flocking to these old point and shoots. I still think that they are easier to use outside than a smart phone camera (or maybe just more fun to use). The old LCD is somehow easier to see than my phone screen. And the little tunnel VF really helps in bright sun. And I think the images have a more classic photo quality to them. Plus the small size meant I always had it handy in a cargo pants pocket.

So in the end, it was fun. And I'm mostly happy with the pictures I took. But next time...wide, long, zoom, image stabilization and decent ISO handling.

Or maybe not.

 

[pljs]

• it was good for me to be forced to get creative some days, to get a decent shot;
• learned I like the 1x1 format for composing, maybe I will limit myself for a part of 2025 to this format;
• I really got to know the possibilities and settings of the camera I just bought a few days before, it was also the only camera I used this month;
• It's main attraction is the size (and that's a very big factor!), the images are quite good, but the Fuji XT-2 feels A LOT better and more fun to use;
• so looking forward to pick up the XT-2 again and using different lenses;
• I also restarted using lightroom (for years I used Fuji with sometimes the capture one free version, but the RX100's JPEGS are not usable);
• I missed one day unfortunately. But all in all it wasn't super hard. I'm pretty happy with around 25 of the total 29 pictures I took.
• Off course the RX100 is maybe the perfect camera for a challenge like this: very small and allround.

 

[MiguelATF]

All I can say, and don't laugh, is that when partially pressing the shutter button to prefocus a shot before actually pressing it down all the way to take the shot... some camera/lens combinations have a mind of their own in terms of where - or how - the exact focus should be placed. One of those cameras is the one I used for this SiN - my diminutive and generally optically excellent Fujifilm XF10. But... sometimes... it exercises its own mind when it comes to actually focusing.

I'm pretty sure I knew that already, before beginning this SiN. But the past 30 days have been a further confirmation.
I don't know if that constitutes as 'learning something'. After all, isn't one of the definitions of insanity supposedly trying the same thing over and over again, with the expectation that it might turn out differently this time...or the next? No, wait! I'm getting my definitions mixed up: that's the definition of photography... isn't it?

 

[doobs]

This was a most interesting experience.

I've never done a "Single in" before, so that was new. I also used it as a forcer to use my X-Pro2 with the XF35mm f1.4. I've used it, but truth is, it's the red headed step child in my camera family.

The two favorite children are the XT-2 with the XF16-80 or XF10-24, and the X100f, each for their own purpose. They consist of prolly 80% of my usage.

I've got a XF18-55 that originally was on a X-Pro1 that I sold some time back. It just didn't seem to "jell" with the X-Pro. So the XF35 showed up and it seemed to be a natural fit.

Only by that point, the XF18-55 was on a XT-1 and it just felt right. The fixed focal length of the XF35 just felt restrictive.

I did a tech refresh a while back, swapping from the X-Pro1 and XT-1 to a X-Pro2 and a XT-2, and my X100s to a X100f. They share the same batteries, sensors, and have similar menu structures, so that greatly helped this old fart with muscle memory.

So, I decided to jump in with both feet on the single in. I choose this camera, and dedicated myself to only posting SOOC B&W images.

I won't kid you, some weren't bad, and some missed the mark. I definitely need to tweak the recipe as I like dark, most, contrasty images, particularly in B&W. These weren't terrible, but I've got a different vision in my mind's eye.

Thanks all who participated, there were some amazing images. And thanks Matt for sponsoring this, you're awesome!

Cheers

 

[drd1135]

As I learned in the last Singles challenge, the iPhone can definitely hold its own in this kind of internet competition. The iPhone’s images can hold their own in any online forum, as it is optimized for precisely this medium.

 

[dab]

It was a nice time, I used my first fixed lens - 50mm/1.4 Canon EFS which I bought around 20 years ago, together with Canon 20D. It is big, not very reliable and giving nice images. Was a nice experience and happy to be able to return back to more compact, rangefinder lenses. I think the most important part for me was - just get out and look around. The lens has a little usage lately, and I think it was a good workout for it. It was enjoyable and fun. I got a couple nice shots and good mood.

 

[agentlossing]

My chosen gear wasn't quite new to me, since I've been shooting with the Pentax Monochrome almost nonstop since late summer, and I had a week or two with the DA 15 Ltd. before the challenge began. But I've certainly gotten more comfortable with shooting it in a variety of situations, since I had mainly been using that lens out and about in Seattle, and Single In challenges have a way of putting you in a bunch of different conditions when you need to make a photo.

I really like the "feel" of this lens with this camera. Everything is metal, meaning that there's a bit more weight there, but it also feels very solid. The screw-on metal cap for the 15 Ltd. may slow me down a bit when I'm readying the camera for shooting, but it's also confidence-inspiring when carrying it around. I've started feeling alright putting the camera in my backpack's main compartment (my commuting pack, not my camera backpack with its segmented padded compartments), because, with the screen protectors on the rear screen and top LCD panel, it just feels pretty indestructible.

The 15 Ltd. turns out to be a great lens for snapshot photography. There are a few things I've learned in the past about wide-angle lenses (try to shoot the camera level, put your subject near the middle, get closer if you want to emphasize the subject) which certainly bear out with it. Photos from it can easily show an organic feel which matches up rather well with the pleasing grain of the Monochrome at higher ISOs. It's certainly no tiny 28mm Ricoh GR-style package - and it brings home how much I'd like a 21mm GR model - but I've made it work rather well throughout the month carrying it where I needed to in order to get a shot.

 

[Irene McC]

The lens I decided to use for this SiN was one I had just bought in October and was very eager to use and use and use
It's a focal length that I generally get on well with (23mm on crop, ie 35mm on 35/FF) but a cheap Chinese version.

For the Single In's I'm always wary of not choosing something very valuable or big and heavy, since walking around daily with something highly visible and expensive is not advisable in my hometown.
So this TTArtisan fit the bill.

I'll repeat what I said in the other SiN discussion thread:

I absolutely love using it and didn't find the manual focus much of a hindrance. I also enjoy using the Fuji 23 f/2 on my Fuji bodies and 35mm's on my full frame Nikons.
For a long time 23mm was my general go-to for street shooting, but I 'replaced' it as my daily carry when I bought the 27mm pancake, simply due to form factor, not optical preference.
Meanwhile during the month of November I bought a used TTArtisan 17mm which I'm now keen to play with.

Cons? No - not really. Not the ideal lens for fast moving subjects though.

 

[mpeterson]

I enjoyed the challenge, and for one thing I used it to attempt to familiarize myself with the little TTArtisan 50mm f/2 lens I'd purchased a few weeks before the challenge began. I posted 10 days in or so, that I found the lens to be "okay" and it reminded me of my old Pentax-M 50/2 or Nikon-AI 50/2 lenses from the 70s. As the month went on, though, I found myself becoming a bit less enthusiastic about it. In many cases it renders quite nice images with good detail and decent color. At other times, though, I noticed that even in "easy" situations with plenty of light - where I could use a fast shutter speed and f/5.6 or f/8 aperture where the lens should be quite sharp - I was getting unacceptably soft results. I've also noticed rather uneven exposure across the field of view at times, and in some light conditions color rendition is very dull and drab. I need to look into these things a bit more, but for the very low cost of this lens, I expected to find some issues. It's still a fun little lens to shoot with, but after using it daily for a month, I know that I could not use it for anything truly important due to its rendering being the most unpredictable of any lens I've used in recent years. So this is at this point a "recreational snapshots only" piece of gear. I'm happy to shelve it for a while now; I'll see if I can sort out those issues perhaps in the new year.

Regarding my camera, I did enjoy shooting the Z f - I'd had it for a while but hadn't used it much prior to this. However, one issue really bugs me with it: some aspect of how I handle this particular camera causes me to frequently bump the top-deck PASM switch out of location. I only use the camera in A or M mode, but I find I frequently end up with the switch about halfway between the two. It really needs some sort of lock mechanism, as it seems it's far too easy - at least for me - to dislocate it accidentally. What happens is, I bring the camera to my eye, ready to shoot, and I discover that the viewfinder is very dark. I immediately suspect, each time, that I must have left the Exposure Compensation dial in a minus position, or that the lens isn't entirely seated (both of which cause this same effect). But then when I find those to be set correctly, I notice the PASM switch. This happened very frequently this past month. I can only guess it's happening as I put the camera in to, or take it out of, my bag. I'm going to pay attention to how I'm handling this camera and see if I can change whatever aspect of my handling is doing this, as I'm finding this to be a quite annoying issue. Otherwise I'm mostly enjoying the camera and am glad I chose it for this event.

Anyway, thanks again to all who participated, I enjoyed your images every day

 

[davidzvi]

Well, this was the third challenge I had used the A7CR for, and it sealed the deal that Sony just isn't for me. It's a fine camera and the resolution is great. But I just don't like the colors and tones of the images.

 

[Irene McC]

Well, this was the third challenge I had used the A7CR for, and it sealed the deal that Sony just isn't for me. It's a fine camera and the resolution is great. But I just don't like the colors and tones of the images.

Thank you for your honest comment. Sony are so often heralded as the 'best' in mirrorless cameras, and while having great respect for their development of features, I too dislike their colours

 

[MoonMind]

Well, this was the third challenge I had used the A7CR for, and it sealed the deal that Sony just isn't for me. It's a fine camera and the resolution is great. But I just don't like the colors and tones of the images.

Thank you for your honest comment. Sony are so often heralded as the 'best' in mirrorless cameras, and while having great respect for their development of features, I too dislike their colours

I find myself intrigued by the A7C series time and again - so it's good to see people whose images I know share information like this to help dampen the embers! Thankfully, most of my drive towards another "compact" system camera has subsided for the time being ... In truth, I don't have any desires to add another system again (I've had Sony E (E/FE) and Fujifilm X).

I've posted most of my impressions of my chosen gear in the discussion thread already, but here's a quick summary regarding the lens.

Pros:

• Compact and sturdy, nicely built - a great match for the Z fc
• Sharp where it counts (at all apertures and all distances)
• Usable at its minimum focus distance (even though it's not easy to keep things in focus at times - but that's because of me moving ...)
• Hardly any major aberrations (but see below regarding flare)
• Mostly pleasing rendering - a lens "for me"
• Cheap!

Cons:

• Flare! Especially when shooting into the sun; that said, it can be tamed by stopping down
• Soft (extreme) corners at all apertures (reminiscent of the Brightin Star 28mm f/2.8, but less pronounced)
• Some distortion, especially close-up; mostly easy enough to correct, though - but no electronics, so, no lens corrections
• No weather resistance of any kind
• Focuses past infinity (a minor niggle for me because I almost always try to focus anyway, but bad for zone focusing enthusiasts)

It was a great little lens for me - which took away some of the aspects of a challenge. That said, I did miss a wider FoV at times, which was interesting because I usually go for a 35mm equivalent (this one's a 37.5mm-e). I had a blast picking up my Z f with the Z 26mm f/2.8 again - even though it's even wider than the 28mm lenses I'm often struggling with, it seems to work for me.

I think it's time for a tele (or super-wide) challenge again ...

M.

 

[agentlossing]

Focuses past infinity (a minor niggle for me because I almost always try to focus anyway, but bad for zone focusing enthusiasts)

That drove me crazy with a couple of cheap lenses for Micro Four Thirds. Something of a deal-breaker for a manual focus lens for me.

 

[MoonMind]

That drove me crazy with a couple of cheap lenses for Micro Four Thirds. Something of a deal-breaker for a manual focus lens for me.

While I can understand that, it turned out not to be a big deal for me at all. The main reason for this may be that I routinely (and only semi-consciously - it's a long-standing habit) reset my (manual) lenses to "infinity" and "open aperture" after each shot and already move the focus ring in the direction I need while bringing the camera up to my eye. I've done this for years (I think it started with me using rangefinders more often), so it's kind of second nature. What it means is that I have to refocus, though more often than not, not the whole way. So, while it's certainly not ideal to also have to do this for infinity, it's not a problem for me, and certainly no deal-breaker.

The Pergear is off by a defined amount, btw.: The infinity marker is in the right spot, it's only the focus ring that won't stop there (it stops at "m" ). Actually, the lens can be used for zone focusing (it even has markings for that), just not "slammed" back to infinity in a pinch. I stopped thinking about this after a couple of days ...

M.

 

[e-light]

I enjoyed the challenge, and for one thing I used it to attempt to familiarize myself with the little TTArtisan 50mm f/2 lens I'd purchased a few weeks before the challenge began. I posted 10 days in or so, that I found the lens to be "okay" and it reminded me of my old Pentax-M 50/2 or Nikon-AI 50/2 lenses from the 70s. As the month went on, though, I found myself becoming a bit less enthusiastic about it. In many cases it renders quite nice images with good detail and decent color. At other times, though, I noticed that even in "easy" situations with plenty of light - where I could use a fast shutter speed and f/5.6 or f/8 aperture where the lens should be quite sharp - I was getting unacceptably soft results. I've also noticed rather uneven exposure across the field of view at times, and in some light conditions color rendition is very dull and drab. I need to look into these things a bit more, but for the very low cost of this lens, I expected to find some issues. It's still a fun little lens to shoot with, but after using it daily for a month, I know that I could not use it for anything truly important due to its rendering being the most unpredictable of any lens I've used in recent years. So this is at this point a "recreational snapshots only" piece of gear. I'm happy to shelve it for a while now; I'll see if I can sort out those issues perhaps in the new year.

I don't know if you are a RAW shooter.
Basically, from my experience, every system house (canon Nikon Sony Fuji Olympus Pentax name it..) has a basic attitude towards color representation.
This is primarily very visible in the way the JPG is generated out of cam.
In addition, the camera engine has different hard-wired specifications from model to model generation (model).
The manufacturer's "standards" are also stored in the RAW ORF NEF. . what ever.
These standards are adapted to our own lens series in multi-layer coated,
Therefore, with the multi-layer coated from the third-party manufacturer, a different, unusual picture can arise in lighting situations.
Unfortunately, purely manual lenses that have no data connection have no correction option

You can create "profiles" in every raw system (much too time-consuming for me because I admire digital because I can finally get rid of the darkroom)
However, you can manually create curves for lenses and use them for this purpose.
In addition to the distortion (should it be annoying), the color can also be trimmed to what you are used to seeing from the series manufacturer.
Everything you have to do yourself afterwards is the reason for the low price


The third-party manufacturers have a uniform color image in their series of lenses.
If you stick with this manufacturer and choose a "memory manufacturer" who also cares a little "more" about color effects in the JPG (for example Fuji Olympus) and where,
fortunately, the color matching of the lenses can benefit the character of the specifications in the engine you spare a lot of time
Which you can use better to deal with the subject IMO that is not the only right one

The challenge for me was to deliver a picture every day.
The time freedom required was a “task” in addition to the job.
Especially with manual lenses you simply have to take more time to focus