Read Eric Frank Russell's SF novel "Sinister Barrier" and you will know exactly what these are.

They are Vitons, and if I tell you that they will be after me....

They should be the same. Hence the conclusion that in your example in both cases the minimum shutter speed should be 1/300 sec.

In reality some people will need faster speeds, some will get away with slower, SR will help, but the best solution will as always be the dreaded tripod.

This wouldn't be a problem if we described lenses by their angle of view. This has been mooted in the past, but it's very unwieldy and everyone knows, or knew, what a 50mm lens or 100mm lens or whatever could be expected to do.

In fact it has never been a problem with other formats. We knew 50mm on 6x6cm format was a wide angle. We know on 110 format that it would be a telephoto.

Modern digital cameras enable non-photographers to take stunning pictures, so now there are many photographers with a good eye but little technical knowledge. Hence some now struggle with these concepts.

It is useful to persevere though as it will improve the ability to produce the image that fits the vision.

Mirror lenses work at f8 only (generally) so the only issue is whether or not you need to activate the ability to use the aperture ring. Try it both ways to see.

I found that mirror lenses tended to over-expose, which might be a quirk of the metering system, but this can easily be avoided by use of exposure compensation.

Many mirror lenses of this spec are dreadful, but the Tokina may well be OK. Don't forget the 35mm-equivalent focal length is 750mm, so you will need at least 1/750 sec to avoid camera shake. Probably faster...

It's been made a "sticky" so it's now top of the list.

No-one seems to mind, so the deadline is duly moved to Sunday Midnight, ready for judging on Monday.

Good luck everyone.

OK, although it's a risky business explaining a thought process, and most competitions say "no corresp[ondence will be entered into" for that very reason. However, fools rush in, so here goes...

I found a six in the number plate and also two threes that make a six. I also wondered whether in binary code 110 meant six, but I don't know and if that were so then the image would IMHO require too much knowledge to be generally accessible. So there are sixes, and potentially more than at first obvious, but then we look at the composition and how the message of 6 relates to the image as a whole.

Such was the thought process. It is of course entirely possible that I have missed something, judges do all the time, if so I'd be interested to know what your take on it was.

OK, fair comment, do we have any other comments on the timing of the competitions?

The advatage of the exisiting Saturday deadline is that the judging can be done at leisure on the Sunday. If done on a Monday then the results might be much later in the day.

Over to you to state your preferences.

Thanks, you've got the idea.

I think one entry per person, no comments on the images for the reason you've already stated, image size as defined at 1000 pixels, just like EPZ.

Otherwise, the brief is in the title of the competition and it's up to the photographer how they interpret it. We will have many judges with many different approached, but for me I'll be happy to take a very broad view of the task given.

After the judging, feel free to tell me how much you disagree, or even agree, with my choice and reasoning.

Any more questions, then this thread is the place.

So here we are ready for the judging and first of all a big Thank You to all who took part in this first competition. In order of the images as posted, here's the conclusion:

amoringello got us off to a great start with a really strong idea. The PS work is excellent, but the shot let down a little by slight softness and a lack of real contrast and "bite". However, a well earned Third Place

petekd had another strong concept, excellent control of DOF and good vibrant colour where it counts. I think the composition could be stronger. Still life images have limitless possibilities and getting it right is not easy.

lilly gives us six examples of beautiful, delicate colour, with outstanding sharpness. If possible, I would have liked to have avoided the sharp cut off at the stems, which detracts slightly, but overall a very strong offering and Second Place

justgetoutandride is one candle short of a classy image, unless of course 5 is the new 6...I do like the idea though.

galoot has total mastery of DOF and exposure, excellent control of the technicalities. The "6" is right on the edge of the composition and would be much better I think being on a third. Sometimes following the basic compositional rules is exactly what is needed.

ammonyte might have been given a nudge towards the light, but once there made a superb image that integrates the concept, the execution and even the title. We have a classy "6", we have a demonic "666" and we have a beatly title to prove that it was all intentional. Very well done indeed, it leapt out at me as soon as I saw it, and our very first First Place

chrisA has offered a very colourful image but I did have to search a little for the "6" and I thought the composition somewhat confused. Perhaps next time a simpler approach to the brief and a more obvious message?

confused has made an image where there is no confusion about the reasoning. Attention to overall sharpness and depth opf field control will improve things immensly, but a good idea nonetheless.

howardJ has missed I think huge potential for playing with the fugure "6". With a bit of PS work, how about changing the price to 66p and the serial number to 66666? This is one way that a simple close up image could be lifted into being something more. Otherwise a good sharp reproduction of the item photographed.


So that's it. Congratulations to the winners and now this thread is open to anyone to add comments and freely agree or disagree with my choices.

Ammonyte, please now start a new thread, make it a Sticky, and let us have your competition subject. Closing date Saturday 14th July at midnight and rules as before. Next Sunday Ammonyte will be our judge.

I'd appreciate it if we could keep this thread just for the entries to the competition - I did mean to mention that.

If we end up with a discussion about the pictures then it will make it much more difficult to judge the competition!

Let's not pre-empt the result....

Thanks.