The End of Meteorological Summer

Today is also the end of my Summer of 28 project. Tomorrow begins the next project concentrating on my newest lens, the RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM. 

September and October are good months for closeup, still life type photos of nature. The lens focuses to half life size which is more than close enough for detail shots of leaves, mushrooms and other subjects. These photos will be organized in a gallery here.

Here are some photos from a brief walk in downtown Troy this morning with the 28mm pancake lens.

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/4, 1/180 sec., ISO 400

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/750 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/45 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

The Lens Swap is Done

The 85mm lens arrived yesterday and my new setup is now complete. Here is a photo of the gear I'll currently be using. From left to right, in front, are the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM, RF 50mm f/1.8 STM and RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM lenses with their hoods. The EOS R6 with RF 28mm f/2.8 STM lens attached, Speedlite 270EX II and EOS R8 are lined up behind.

I haven't yet been out with the 85mm lens but was back up at the Saratoga Battlefield with the other lenses a couple of times since my last post. Here some of the images.

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/11, 1/90 sec., ISO 200, CPL

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/11, 1/180 sec., ISO 200, CPL

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/11, 1/180 sec., ISO 200, CPL

EOS R6, RF 50mm f/1.8, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 400

EOS R6, RF 50mm f/1.8, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 400

EOS R6, RF 50mm f/1.8, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 400

Deja Vu All Over Again

As I mentioned a few days ago, I'm once again in the process of swapping out one set of lenses for another. I am currently in exactly the same spot I found myself almost a year ago when I wrote Waiting for the RF 85mm f/2. I am, in fact, currently again waiting for this lens to arrive from MPB. Last year I was trading in three fast EF prime L lenses. This year I'm trading in my two RF f/4 zoom L lenses.

The only difference in the circumstances I described a year ago are that now, in addition to the EOS R6, I have an EOS R8 to use with the 85mm lens. The lens will probably arrive in the middle of next week.

Here are some photos from the past few days with the 50mm and 28mm lenses.

EOS R6, RF 50mm f/1.8, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 50mm f/1.8, f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 1600

EOS R6, RF 50mm f/1.8, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/4, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 28mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

Mohawk River and Old Canal

Once again I'm doing the back to inexpensive STM prime lenses instead of heavier L zoom lenses transition. I think this is the third time I've made the transition back and forth.

So instead of the RF 14-35mm f/4L and 24-105mm f/4L zoom lenses I'll have RF 16mm f/2.8, 28mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/2 IS STM lenses. I managed to talk myself out of trading in the EOS R8 so I will still have both bodies which works out well as I can use the three wider lenses that don't have IS with the R6 and the 85mm lens that has IS with the IBISless R8.

I don't have the 85mm lens yet (this will be my fifth time owning the lens) so I carried just the R6 and the three aforementioned lenses. I was intending to walk around Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve after picking up the 16mm and 50mm lenses at Best Buy but the road that gets to the preserve over the Northway is closed. Instead, I parked at a Canalway Watertrail kayak launch on the Mohawk River and walked west, under the Northway, in to the preserve and back.

EOS R6, RF 16mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 16mm f/2.8, f/11, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 16mm f/2.8, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 50mm f/1.8, f/8, 1/90 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 16mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 16mm f/2.8, f/9.5, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 16mm f/2.8, f/9.5, 1/180 sec., ISO 200

Some More Pancake Photos

I added a bunch of photos to the Summer of 28 gallery this morning. This was yet another trip to Saratoga Battlefield. We are a month away from the time in 1777 when the grounds began being occupied by the Northern Army under General Gates and the British Army under General Burgoyne approached from the north. 

There are always a lot of events during this time, especially with the 250th anniversary only three years away. Here's hoping I'll still be doing my 5 mile walks at the park when that anniversary rolls around.

EOS R8, RF28mm STM, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF28mm STM, f/8, 1/180 sec., ISO 1600

EOS R8, RF28mm STM, f/11, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF28mm STM, f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF28mm STM, f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF28mm STM, f/11, 1/120 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF28mm STM, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

Something Different

Every post going back to the beginning of June has either been photos with the 28mm pancake lens or at Saratoga Battlefield. This morning, after a day of rain yesterday, I visited Cohoes Falls, not with the pancake lens. Here are some samples.

R6, RF 24-105mm f/4L at 58mm, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

R6, RF 24-105mm f/4L at 29mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

R6, RF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

R6, RF 24-105mm f/4L at 105mm, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

R6, RF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

R6, RF 24-105mm f/4L at 105mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

Summer is Flying By

It seems like the summer has just begun but it's really almost over with. We're only a little over three weeks away from the beginning of meteorological fall. And Labor Day is early this year. 

My summer, in particular, has seemed short. Five weeks of sporadic home construction which required a presence and poison ivy which made wearing socks for hiking in hot weather problematic took a toll. The remainder of August, though, should be good for getting out and making photos.

This morning was a short trip to Peebles Island (walking distance) with the R8 and 28mm lens.

R8, 28mm STM, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

R8, 28mm STM, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 200

R8, 28mm STM, f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

R8, 28mm STM, f/5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 1600

R8, 28mm STM, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

R8, 28mm STM, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200