What are your Photo Resolutions for 2026?
Best of Pentax Forums Newsletter January 8, 2026
It’s a Pentaxian New Year!
It’s 2026, and time for those New Year’s Photography Resolutions! What are your Pentaxian resolutions? Shoot more? Shoot slower and more thoughtfully? Buy more gear? Sell the gear you don’t use?
Figure out how much gear you actually own? (We promise not to tell!)
Vote in this week’s poll, and tell us in the comments how you do that voodoo that you do so well!
Elsewhere in this first newsletter of 2026, Moderator garywakeling goes full circle with the HD Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED; Site Supporter penotax shows that some later Sigma EX DG HSM 50mm F1.4s can be used on the Pentax K-1 — early ones don’t fit — and Loyal Site Supporter TwoUptons gets a grip on the YU-Wood Left-side handle for Pentax 6x7.
If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter, please take a moment to join the more than 1,500 Pentaxians who have subscribed to our free curated compendium of the hundreds of great images and post shared each week in our Pentax community. Please let us know your thoughts here in the comments and on our Pentax Forums, and have a perfect Pentaxian week!
Threads of the Week:
Cherhill Downs on New Years Eve January 1, 2026 • Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
Wiltshireborn said — Part of the beautiful Wiltshire countryside where I live, this is the Cherhill Downs, which has one of the eight White Horses carved into its hillside, the other seven are in different areas of Wiltshire. The Lansdowne Monument was designed by Sir Charles Barry, who also designed the Houses of Parliament in London. Read more »
Presentation January 7, 2026 • Welcomes and Introductions
giofiocca said — I bought my first Pentax in 2018, a used K7 that I sold today. This was followed by a K5II and a K5IIs, which I still own. In 2021, I bought a K3III with a 24/70mm f/2.8, and finally, last year, the K1II. I chose Pentax because I’m passionate about “old” M42 lenses, and no brand is better for SLRs. Read more »
DFA 28-105 vs... wait for it... the Hollywood 28mm 1:2 & a whole bunch of other 28’s
January 5, 2026 • Pentax SLR Lens Discussion UtahManSir said — I have lurked but not really posted here, like ever. But I am looking to get off FB/Insta and get back to photography focused time on line. For an introductory post I am going to post a couple images from a group testing of 28mm lenses I just completed and a link to the blog post, it is FAR too long to post here. The gist is I have a K28mm f3.5 and a M28mm f3.5 that I wanted to test against a few other lenses including a borrowed K28mm f2 the famous "Hollywood" lens. Read more »
Pentaxian User Reviews
Pentax Lenses
HD Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED
Reviewed by Moderator garywakeling
Review Date: January 1, 2026 Recommended | Price: $440.00 | Rating: 10
Pros: full frame compatibility , unique view Cons: none
The HD fisheye version has the same optics as the SMC version, however with the ability to remove the (very small) hood and use it with the K-1 without the weird letterbox cropping and getting an almost circular image, the lens has certainly increased its usefulness. One note about the lens hood and lens cap are how easy the combination makes it to remove the lens hood quickly when using the lens on the K1. There are 2 notches on the lens cap which line up with the hood to turn them in to a single unit. The only small downside, is that with constant on and off, I can imagine the lens hood may wear down on the locking bumps. With the full frame on the APS-C and the zoom range, it gives plenty of options to help with my photography.
Third-Party Pentax Lenses
Sigma EX DG HSM 50mm F1.4
Reviewed by Site Supporter penotax
Review Date: December 12, 2025 Recommended | Price: $250.00 | Rating: 8
Pros: sharpness, bokeh, versatility Cons: heavy, AF in low light
Sharpness: 10 Aberrations: 9 Bokeh: 10 Handling: 10 Value: 10 Camera Used: k1ii New Or Used: New Autofocus: 8
Bought it from MPB EU. Only after I’d bought it, i came to know it has two issues with K1/K1ii, 1. bayonet touching and scratching the pentaprism area. 2. an old firmware that freezes k1ii when taking a picture.
I wanted to cancel this order, but PF told me to wait until it arrives, and I should hope that I bought the updated copy, as these issues had been fixed with the latest 2015 copies. Boy, they were right, I got the updated copy.
First thing I noticed, it is not 50mm, it is around 45-46mm, tested it against DA 50mm F/1.8. Despite that wider angle, the bokeh is much pleasant, at f/2.8 the quality of its bokeh is like at f/1.8 on DA 50mm
Second thing I noticed, it is one stop brighter compared to other 50mm lenses I’d seen, that must be due to its massive front element. You can get some crisp images at f/1.4 with insanely nice bokeh, but you need a very good light for that. It is very heavy for its size. The build quality is a top notch. Overall a brilliant lens, except for that misfocusing in every third shot in low light at f/1.4
Accessories
YU-Wood Left-side grip handle for Pentax 6x7
Reviewed by Loyal Site Supporter TwoUptons
Review Date: December 27, 2025 Recommended | Price: $125.00 | Rating: 9
Pros: Fits as original, looks nearly the same, better cold shoe Cons: None as yet
Available in a range of wood types and finishes, this unit attaches the same way as the original and has the same basic shape and functionality (including a cold shoe). Comes with a storage case (wood-grained plastic), a nice string bag, and a tool for tightening the attachment nut. The finish of the metal is different from the vintage Pentax unit, and the fittings are either black or chrome instead of nickel/aluminum of the original. The little sticker that says Pentax is different, with a slightly wrong font. A bonus, the cold shoe has a lip where the flash foot fits. This allows the center flash pin to sit free and not touch the metal base of the shoe. For some modern flashes (like my Godox), the flash will not fire with the sync cord if the center pin on the foot is touching metal. On many cold shoes, the easy fix for this is a piece of tape, but in this case it is not needed, and the flash works fine on the grip as is. Build quality seems very good, and everything is solid. Fit is also good, and it went on easily and has no apparent slip. The wood is not as dramatically grained as the image showed in the advertisement, but it looks nice and smooth and well-finished. The bracket has strap lugs for hanging the camera by the handle, with the upper one doubling as a regular horizontal lug.
Comment of the Week:
Site Supporter Blackwing1: My 2025 went completely sideways, but turned out to be much less worse than I first feared. I came down with some bug this spring and it gave me a slight fever and fatigue. I also had some trouble breathing, but I figured that was just part of the bug. The bug went away, but the breathing problem got much worse. By the end of May I could barely go up a flight of stairs, and couldn't mow my lawn for more than 3 minutes without having to pause for an additional 3 minutes to catch my breath and stop wheezing. Bear in mind that I normally could to the entire lawn in 45 minutes and that I routinely go for walks at a 3-1/2 to 4 MPH pace. Even here in Wyoming I had no trouble going up and down hillls and mountains. Went to see my doc, who listened to my lungs and said, "That doesn't sound like pneumonia. You're going to the ER."
The ER freaked out when I came in, because walking from the waiting room to an exam room dropped my blood oxygen to 72%. They did a chest x-ray, and decided I didn't have pneumonia, and did a CT scan. The results came back that I had lumps, masses, and nodules in both lobes of both lungs. Their initial diagnosis was that I had extremely metastasized lung cancer, and they gave me a best estimate of 6 to 12 months in which to live. Hmmm. So I went to see a local oncologist who proceeded to do a battery of tests, none of which determined a damned thing. They finally scheduled me for a PET scan in Big City (about a hundred miles away from where we live here in TinyTown™ Wyoming). I had the scan and ended up with some great news: Probably NOT lung cancer since none of the masses or lumps lit up, but my lymph nodes were all really active.
I saw a pulmonologist who promptly scheduled a lung biopsy, and came back with great news. No evidence of cancer, but the lumps and nodules were "granulotomous", and the lymph nodes were busy trying to get rid of the ones that had busted loose. The diagnosis was something called "sarcoidosis", in which the immune system of your body attacks organs or skin cells and forms those lumps and masses. Mine had decided to go for the lungs. No cure, and no treatment for the flare-ups except immuno-suppressants which render you vulnerable to every opportunistic infection in the world, so I'm basically just crossing my fingers.
But since the end of June I've been getting minutely better every day, and by the end of this fall I was almost back to where I'd been in capability for doing things. I completely missed this summer for photo opportunities since I wasn't able to do a whole lot. I got my dream lens (the Pentax 150-450mm) last year so I spent a fair bit of time parked out under a patio umbrella on the back deck, taking pictures of some of the birds at the feeder. That was a far cry from my original hopes of shooting grizzly, elk, buffalo and Bighorn on my excursions out into the mountains, but it beats the heck out of dying.
I'm sure looking forward to 2026, and getting out and about with my camera on my usual hikes and excursions.
P.S.: I'm not looking for sympathy, good wishes or anything by posting this. Dying is the last part of living, and I'm just very happy to have an extension at this point. It DID prompt me to set up a living trust, and take care of all of the end-of-life stuff (will, healthcare directive, power of attorney) so that if I do have a real problem it won't put my wife in a tight spot. We're all squared away now, with nothing to really worry about. Heck, I'm even buying green bananas again!
Enjoy every banana, my friend!
What are your Photo Resolutions?
The Best of Pentax Forums January 8 Poll
It’s 2026, and time for those New Year’s Photography Resolutions! What are your Pentaxian resolutions? Shoot more? Shoot slower and more thoughtfully? Buy more gear? Sell the gear you don’t use?
Figure out how much gear you actually own? (We promise not to tell!)
Vote in this week’s poll, and tell us in the comments how you do that voodoo that you do so well!
Vote in this week’s poll, and let us know why you do what you do in the comments!
This poll closes January 14
And here's this week's PentaxForums YouTube video:
And here are the results of last week’s poll:
Weekly Photo Challenges
Project 52-14-1: Winter (Summer), 1/1 - 1/11 (Sunday) WINTER (Summer)
Capture the season in a picture. We will encounter the four seasons this year, and you have the opportunity to choose one depending on where you are (Northern or Southern Hemisphere). Take your best shot, but most of all, have fun! I'm looking forward to seeing many old and new participants in Project 52.
And here’s the entry from Site Supporter MiguelATF: I live in a valley between two mountain ranges (the Siskiyous to the west, the Cascades to the east) in southern Oregon. In winters, there are frequent dense and heavy fogs on many mornings, which sometimes 'burn off' later in the day, with sunshine emerging. This photo was taken in the morning, on the tiny lane which runs alongside my house and up into the foothills of the Siskiyous, which are normally visible, but not today -- as the fog was blanketing the mountains. Confession: I love these foggy winter mornings, which often seem mysterious, magical, and occasionally ghostly.
Taken with my small Fujfilm XF10 compact camera, whose prime lens has a field-of-view equivalent to 18mm.
PentaxForum Front page stories Dec 17-Jan 7:
November 2025 “Insects and Spiders” Photo Contest Winners
Announcing the winners of our monthly contest
By PF Staff in Photo Contests on Dec 25, 2025
It is our pleasure to announce the winners of our November, 2025 “Insects and Spiders” photo contest! In first place was forum member Buckeyemikie from USA who captured “Male Ruby Spot Damselfly” (pictured above). This photo was shot with a Pentax K-1 and an smc Pentax-A* 200mm F4 Macro lens.
Our runners-up were forum member Citizen AP from Poland in 2nd place with “Old World swallowtail” and tazer from France in 3rd place with “Dragonflies Meeting”.
The Making of “Male Ruby Spot Damselfly”
How the winning photo of the “Insects and Spiders” contest was made
By Buckeyemikie in Photo Contests on Dec 27, 2025
It’s a honor to be selected by my fellow Pentaxians. I photographed the Ruby-spotted Damselfly on the edge of a pond in a local park near my home. I had noticed damselflies and dragonflies on previous visits trying to photograph Great Blue Herons and kingfishers who also frequent the pond. The negative space in the image is the pond surface which was intentional as was the placement of the damselfly near the Tool of Thirds. The grass to which the Ruby-spot was clinging was growing with some of the blades overhanging the pond. It was early morning on an overcast day.
Is a Monochrome Digicam the Ultimate B&W Scanning Machine?
Pentax K-3 III Monochrome vs Sony A7r II vs Noritsu HS-1800
By cjfeola in Hands-On Tests on Dec 28, 2025
The ongoing film photography revival has led to an accompanying explosion of home digitization solutions led by digicams with macro lenses. The vast majority of digicams are colour, of course, so the vast majority of such digitization is done with colour digicams. When I was putting together the article The New Golden Age of Black and White Photography, I was struck by the incredible detail visible in photos taken with the K-3 III Monochrome compared to the K-3 III colour version, which led to this question: Is the Pentax K-3 III Monochrome the ultimate scanning machine for black and white film?
The Unmatched Detail of Monochrome Sensors
Colour Conversions vs Monochrome Output is like oil paint vs watercolours
By cjfeola in Columns on Dec 29, 2025
Every discussion of monochrome cameras prompts cries of you can get the same images converting colour shots.
No. No you cannot.
This is not to say shots from a monochrome sensor are better, or worse. It’s like arguing whether a painting is better if it is done in watercolours or oil paints.
Announcing “Best of 2025” - Our January 2026 Photo Contest
Win prizes in our official monthly photo contests
By PF Staff in Photo Contests on Jan 2, 2026
We’re herewith announcing our monthly photo contest for January. The theme for this month is Best of 2025. NEW RULES for all contests in 2026: To be inclusive of shifting user gear preferences, we now allow submissions taken with any Pentax/Takumar lens or any Pentax/Ricoh Imaging camera. This means that photos from non-Pentax cameras with adapted M42 or K-mount lenses are now allowed, for example with mirrorless cameras. We will also allow Ricoh Imaging cameras such as the GR, and Pentax digital camera clones such as the Samsung GX-20.
The topic for the January contest is “Best of 2025”; you may submit any one of your photos with the only restriction that it was shot in 2025! Good luck! First prize is a $50 gift card to B&H Photo, second prize is a one year forum account upgrade, and third prize is a box of photo paper form Red River. The official contest rules are found here. Click here to submit a photo for the contest.
Blackwing1's story about facing a sarcoidosis diagnosis is powerful stuff. The way health challenges reframe priorities for photography is worth reflecting on, especially when paired with that damselfly contest winner. Sometimes constraints force us to find beauty in smaller radii, like shooting birds from the deck instead of tracking grizlies.