I tried it (once) with the Pentax F1.7 but I didn't keep the results.

I have the 12-24 and the lack of distortion is impressive. I don't have experience of the 10-20 but I've seen plenty of results from it. That wide even slight departures from level can introduce a lot of keystone distortions and it is difficult to attribute what is due to the angle of the camera and what is inherent with the lens, but my impression (guesswork) is that the 12-24 would be much better for architecture. For landscape I would probably recommend the Sigma new given the price difference. I don't think the price hike of the 12-24 was justified. However, I would hold out for a secondhand one. At £400-500 I think the 12-24 is well worth it.

1. No (well I don't think so), it looks like the cast produced with some filters. However, the definition of natural is not clearcut, certainly not for someone like me who is colour blind to a fair degree.

A black and white image could equally be considered as not natural.

2. No.

I thought it was a warning to Encyclopaedia Britannica salesmen.

If you have an account you can vote. I don't see why you don't consider yourself qualified, if you like a photo yea if you don't nay.

Congratulations, hard work pays off, good to see.

That's a great offer. This is on my shopping list but unfortunately not yet.

I like the idea but the above is not how it is described on another forum. There it says that there is a ten minute window to takethe photo, which can then be uploaded later.

That to me seems more sensible than just a simulataneous upload of shots taken at any time.

From Pentaxeros:

- OBJETO A FOTOGRAFÍAR: "CALZADO"; Puede ser cualquier objeto cuya función específica sea servir de calzado: zapato, bota, zapatilla... . Aislado, con más elementos, uno o muchos... etc. Sólo se presentará una foto por persona. Cada fotografía irá acompañada con un texto explicativo sobre dónde se hizo y porqué se ha optado por dicha foto.

- FECHA: SÁBADO 20 DE OCTUBRE DE 2012.

- HORA: 18,00 h. Se dispone de un margen de 5 minutos antes y 5 minutos después de la hora acordada para realizar la foto. Recordad que debéis ajustar vuestro reloj y el reloj de la cámara de fotos.


I won't translate it verbatim, but is says that the subject is footwear, one photo accompanied by a narrative on location and the choice of subject. The photo taken between 17:55 and 18:05 Spanish time or local equivalent.

The rebuilding of the site was outsourced to a consultancy who did a terrible job. The launch version was abysmally thought out. My favourite part was the categories. When you upload a shot you choose a single category of shot by genre, landscape, portrait, etc. In response to complaints that there was no longer a 'recently added' category to browse all the newest approvals, they added a genre called 'recently added'. So you had to choose whether your landscape was best categorised as 'landscape' or 'recently added'.

I think once you get into the gallery it actually looks pretty good now, but the front page lets it down. They choose a featured artist to appear on the front page, a decent idea, but he last one stayed there for months on end.

I have my doubts about how the voting system operates. The original system design was chock full of bugs and design flaws. Users reported the ones that were obvious, but there is no way of spotting any in the voting system. It seems to be time based as a simultaneous decision is reached on all photos uploaded at more or less the same time. I have a feeling that the old system was part judged and this one fully automated and therefore at the mercy of the incompetent programmers.

There are definitely acceptances that would have been rejected under the old system so the quality has gone down. There are still lots of great images accepted but they are diluted by some absolute rubbish and the bar is too low so the average standard is not good enough. However, the individual artist galleries I think look good and it is up to the individual to set the standard of their own gallery.

It's quite simple, upload virtually anything and it will get approved. Be wary though, a vertical horizon might possibly just get spotted. If you like bird shots then any fuzzy vaguely bird like shape will do. And don't forget to include a large series of almost identical portraits.