From Summer to Fall

We're now in meteorological fall which is my favorite season of the year for photography. In addition to foliage colors it's also the season of events, including Tugboat Roundup and battle anniversaries at Saratoga National Historical Park. If I'm going to be making gear changes I want to make sure they're completed before these events get going. 

As soon as I picked up the RF 16-28mm lens to pair with the RF 28-70mm lens I had a nagging feeling that I wouldn't be happy for long. Two days ago, I sent the two non L f/2.8 STM zoom lenses to MPB in trade for an RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM (my 4th copy) and some cash. 

Some reasons for the swap are:

• longer focal lengths than 70mm.

• having the 45mm f/1.2 diminishes the need for f/2.8 in an everyday lens.

• the 24-105mm L is optically corrected.

• my collection of five 77mm filters plus the 500D which brings the magnification of the lens to .5X.

• USM focusing motor.

• full weather sealing.

I should have the lens by the middle of next week, which is cutting it close for the Tugboat Roundup. Until then, I have the RF 45mm f/1.2 lens and my Minolta manual everything lenses.

Here is a collection of shots since the last post, over a week ago.

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/2, 1/60 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/1.4, 1/60 sec., ISO 800

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 16mm, f/5.6, 1/350 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 43mm, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/1.4, 1/500 sec., ISO 400

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/2, 1/250 sec., ISO 400

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/8, 1/2000 sec., ISO 100

Moody Morning

I skipped this morning's sunrise. There weren't enough clouds to make it worthwhile at 5:30 AM. I headed out, about an hour later, to the end of Flight Lock Road where the flight of locks meets the Mohawk River.

A gravel road, closed to vehicles, runs between the Mohawk and lock E6. I walked to lock E6 and back. Here are some of he scenes along the way, starting with the Mohawk River and ending at lock E6.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 41mm, f/2.8, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 37mm, f/8, 1/90 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 41mm, f/16, 1/180 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 42mm, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 59mm, f/8, 1/3000 sec., ISO 100

No Sun, But a Little Sunlight

There was a chance for a good sunrise this morning but it ended up there was too much cloud cover to the east for the sun to do much beyond a hint of color. But it's nice to start the day outdoors with geese, ducks, egrets, herons and eagles to keep you company.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 40mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/5.6, 1/45 sec., ISO 400

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 16mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 22mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/45 sec., ISO 1600

More 45mm 4:3

I am really liking the 4:3 aspect ratio format with the 45mm lens. I can set the camera's aspect ratio to 4:3 and it will just show that part of the image in the viewfinder and on the LCD screen. The entire 3:2 ratio image is captured in the RAW file, however, so I'm not losing anything in the process. And I can move the resulting scene from side to side a bit if I want to.

Cropping the RAW file is an extra step in processing but, with DxO Photolab, the 45mm lens, the 16-28mm lens and the wider part of the 28-70mm lens all require cropping to get to the 3:2, 4000x6000 file that is Canon's intended end result anyway.

Here are some scenes from this morning in downtown Troy, New York along the Hudson River.

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/6.7, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/4, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/2.8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/2.8, 1/3000 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f/1.2, f/2.8, 1/3000 sec., ISO 100

Very Subtle Sunrise

My sunrise season at lock E5 in Waterford coincides with the filling and emptying of the flight of locks as the reflections from the basin is a main reason for choosing the location. This is generally May through November. 

Past years have seen some dramatic sunrises with sky to water color that requires an ultra-wide focal length to get it all in the frame. Not so much this year.

This morning was another bland sunrise. Despite the hourly NWS forecast calling for 50% cloud cover, there were almost no clouds. Again.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 58mm, f/2.8, 1/20 sec., ISO 1600

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec., ISO 1600

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 64mm, f/2.8, 1/45 sec., ISO 1600

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 55mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec., ISO 1600

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 61mm, f/4, 1/180 sec., ISO 400

The Best Time of Day

If I had to choose a two hour period as the only time I could use my camera each day it would be the hours each side of sunrise. Frequently, the hour before the sun comes up brings the best color of the day. Sometimes it's the hour after the sun comes up which presents better scenes. Today was one of those days.

I knew there were no clouds and a lot of fog when I went over to lock E5 before sunrise, but, you never know... 

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 55mm, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 37mm, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/11, 1/180 sec., ISO 200

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 18mm, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 16mm, f/22, 1/60 sec., ISO 400

New Lens, New Project

I picked up another copy of the RF 45mm f/1.2 STM lens this past week. I had traded in the copy I preordered when the lens was released in December for the 28-70mm zoom lens back in the spring. Between a Canon instant rebate and rewards cash at Adorama, this copy didn't cost much more than I received for the original lens.

I've long thought about switching to the FujiFilm medium format GFX system someday. This system has a native 4:3 aspect ratio in contrast to the 3:2 ratio of 35mm film and full frame digital systems. As an exercise, I'm going to organize images made with this lens and processed in 4:3, or 3:4, aspect ratio in a gallery in the prime lenses folder at https://davidtruland.smugmug.com/Prime-Galleries/45mm43.

Here are some of the initial photos from yesterday and this morning.

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/16, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/16, 1/45 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/1.4, 1/45 sec., ISO 800

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/1.4, 1/90 sec., ISO 800

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/4, 1/90 sec., ISO 800

Waking Up

I hadn't really intended on making an effort to get out for this morning's sunrise but when I'm up, I'm up. 

I don't know if it's DOGE cuts to NOAA and the NWS, but the formerly reliable hourly forecasts for sky cover have been extremely inaccurate this year. A forecast of 40% to 60% sky cover used to be a harbinger of a good sunrise. Now, it could be anything from totally clear to completely overcast. And that's not taking into account fog or wildfire smoke.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 53mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec., ISO 1600

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/2.8, 1/45 sec., ISO 1600

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/5.6, 1/180 sec., ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 53mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/22, 1/45 sec., ISO 100

Catching Up

I've been out a couple of times since the last post so here are some photos to catch up. 

First is a concert at Saratoga National Historical Park featuring Ampersand, a trio from Maryland performing traditional American music.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/2.8, 1/350, ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100

Following the concert I drove the tour road, making some stops and walking some of those trails.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/8, 1/180, ISO 200, CPL

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/8, 1/350, ISO 200, CPL

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 16mm, f/8, 1/350, ISO 100

And then this morning I was out for another sunrise, which is now getting to be at a more reasonable time of 5:51AM.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/4, 1/125, ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/4, 1/350, ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/4, 1/180, ISO 100