Peebles Island With 24mm Lens

The RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM lens is my most recent acquisition and it's a focal length that fits Peebles Island well. At one point in the past I had 24mm, 28mm and 35mm lenses with my DSLRs and it was always the 24mm lens that saw the most use there.

So I started out yesterday with that focal length and although I carried the 35mm lens as well, it didn't see any use. Here are some of the results.

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/750 sec., ISO 200

24mm and 85mm

I've toyed with the idea recently of using only the R8 body with my three current lenses. It's newer, smaller, lighter with a few more megapixels and the spare batteries are also smaller and lighter. 

But, as I'm well aware, the tendency is to keep using the lens on the camera and not take the time to change lenses even when a different lens would be preferable. Today, for instance, I had the 85mm lens on the R6 and started off with the 24mm lens on the R8. I never did get around to using the 35mm lens.

Having only the single body with three lenses is not really sensible. Here are some of the scenes from today at the battlefield.

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/1000 sec., ISO 400

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/1000 sec., ISO 400

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

Encampments at the Battlefield

It's the time of year for encampments and interpretations at Saratoga National Historical Park. Today was the first of several I plan on documenting. 

EOS R8, 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/1000 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, 85mm f/2 STM, f/5.6, 1/1500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, 85mm f/2 STM, f/5.6, 1/1500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

EOS R8, 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

The 24mm Lens Has Arrived

MPB must not function on Friday afternoons, much like other New York based photography stores. This is at least the second time I've had a Friday morning email telling me the item has shipped and FedEx confirms a label was created but the item never gets picked up by FedEx until Monday. So instead of receiving the lens on Saturday, I receive it on Tuesday. 

I made some sample photos at lock E5 late this morning to show the results with my three current lenses. Here is the same scene shot from the same spot.

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

EOS R8, RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

And here are two images showing the 24mm and 35mm lenses at their maximum aperture focused on the valve to demonstrate background blur.

EOS R8, RF 24mm f/1.8 STM, f/1.8, 1/4000 sec., ISO 50

EOS R8, RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/1.8, 1/4000 sec., ISO 50

Another interesting aspect of the 24mm STM, and other similar Canon lenses that rely on digital corrections to fill the frame, is that you can process the files with some extra image on the sides. In this case, the final original resolution is 6314x4000 as opposed to the standard 6000x4000. The following image shows how much it widens the view from the first image in this post.

And the Changes Keep Coming

Just when I think I have my gear plans figured out Canon introduces a surprise lens that both messes up, and fits in perfectly, with those plans. I don't even have the results of my latest transaction yet as I await the RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM lens for which I traded three cheaper lenses, the 16mm, 28mm and 50mm STM lenses.

The new lens, which wasn't even rumored before Canon announced it yesterday, is an RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM lens that is compact, lightweight and affordable. It is not an L lens but is weather sealed in the manner of an L lens. I will not be able to resist this lens at some point. [UPDATE 10/5/24: After seeing some image quality samples from this lens at https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=1708 my interest has cooled considerably.] [FURTHER UPDATE 10/16/24: After reading the completed review at The Digital Picture and after selling my R6, I did go ahead and order the lens. The weather sealing and having the 50-70mm focal length range added to the kit convinced me.]

It messes up my current plans in that I will need a different bag solution from what I have planned for the two bodies and three prime lenses. It fits in perfectly with my current plans in that with the zoom lens on one body and either the 24mm or 85mm lens on another I will have a great setup for all kinds of situations.

What do I gain over my previous combination of RF 14-35mm and 24-105mm f/4 L zooms? Size, weight and light gathering ability. With no loss, and maybe a gain, in image quality.

I will have the 24mm lens in hand shortly and until then I have the 35mm and 85mm versions, each attached to one of my camera bodies. Here are some shots from this morning.

EOS R8, RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 1600

EOS R8, RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/22, 1/180 sec., ISO 1600

EOS R8, RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/5.6, 1/180 sec., ISO 200

Grafton Lakes Woods

There is a trail loop between Long Pond and Second Pond [I looked it up and this is called the Beaver Lodge Trail] at Grafton Lakes State Park with interpretive signs for kids and this year many of the signs had a photo attached with a clue for finding a woodland house "hidden away" nearby. I walked this trail yesterday and discovered a number of the little houses. Here are some photos.

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/8, 1/180 sec., ISO 400

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/8, 1/45 sec., ISO 400

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/5.6, 1/45 sec., ISO 400

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/8, 1/10 sec., ISO 1600

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/8, 1/45 sec., ISO 1600

EOS R6, RF 85mm f/2 STM, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 1600

Tugboat Roundup Day 3

My previous visits to Waterford Harbor for the tugboats this year were early evening on Friday and midday on Saturday. Morning is a different lighting situation, obviously. 

I used only the 85mm lens as I was trying to get something different from the previous two days along the wharf. The gallery at https://www.trulandphotography.com/Projects/TBR2024 ended up with 65 images. I now lack longer lenses to get closeup photos of the boats as they come into the harbor as in previous years. Here are some photos from the final morning of this year's event.

EOS R6, RF 85mm STM, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 400

EOS R6, RF 85mm STM, f/8, 1/3000 sec., ISO 400

EOS R6, RF 85mm STM, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 400

EOS R6, RF 85mm STM, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 85mm STM, f/4, 1/4000 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 85mm STM, f/4, 1/90 sec., ISO 100

EOS R6, RF 85mm STM, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

Tugboat Roundup Day 2

Here some photos from day 2 of this year's Tugboat Roundup along with a photo of the two camera/lens pairings with the sensor planes lined up. Since I picked up the 35mm lens I haven't used the 16mm, 28mm or 50mm lenses. The 35mm is a level better than those bare bones lenses although something a bit wider is sometimes needed. A potential plan going forward would be to trade in those three lenses for the RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM lens which is identical to the 35mm version except for the focal length and being a bit lighter. 

EOS R8, RF 35mm STM, f/5.6, 1/750 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF 35mm STM, f/5.6, 1/1500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF 35mm STM, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF 35mm STM, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 200

EOS R8, RF 35mm STM, f/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

EOS R6, RF 85mm STM, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 400