Side Trip on the Gear Roadmap

The MPB trade in with the 28mm pancake lens outgoing and the 16mm f/2.8 incoming is all set and I'm just waiting for the ultra wide prime to arrive. While the deal was in the works, however, I decided to pick up a matching lens to the 16mm, the 50mm f/1.8 STM. The two lenses are physically the same.

TheDigitalPicture.com

Interestingly, you can buy modified versions of these two lenses designed for drones and moving vehicles for twice the price.

"The Armored RF 16mm & 50mm Autofocus Lens Bundle from GLOBAL DYNAMICS UNITED features armor-reinforced Canon lenses for safer use on drones, moving cars, or bikes. The manual focus ring and all external switches have been removed. All adjustments are left to the internal motors so that there is nothing to get knocked out of place when the lenses are in motion."

I carried the new lens around Oakwood Cemetery this morning. Here are some shots of Oakwood statuary.

RF 50mm f/1.8, f/2.8, 1/3000 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.8, f/2.8, 1/6000 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.8, f/2.5, 1/4000 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.8, f/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.8, f/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

Sunrise Reveals Shortcoming

Or, not short enough, actually. By switching from the 24-105mm f/4L to the 28-70mm f/2.8 lens, I've lost focal lengths at both ends, as I've mentioned. This morning's sunrise revealed one of the limitations of 28mm as a landscape focal length. Not wide (or short) enough for big skies, especially with water reflections.

The same can be said for 24mm, however. Ideally, I would add the RF 16-28mm f/2.8 lens to cover the times I want something wider than 28mm. But then I'm back with the lens change issue as either could be kept on the camera and I'd end up not changing. 

So, I decided to trade in the 28mm pancake lens toward the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM lens, which I've had previously. My thinking is that if I want something wider than 28mm, that's not going to be 24mm or even 20mm. I'd be using the 16-28mm zoom lens at 16mm the vast majority of the time. 

The 16mm STM lens is small, light and cheap. Not quite the image quality of the four times more expensive zoom lens but it's not far off.

The lens is small and light and the temptation to not change back to the standard zoom after I use it won't be there like it would be with a more versatile ultra wide zoom lens. That's the plan anyway.

[UPDATE 6/9/26: I don't regret getting the 16mm lens but there is a BIG empty space between 16mm and 28mm. I've developed a good technique for lens changes that would also work well with the bag I'm using and the 16-28mm zoom lens. I'm seriously considering picking up the zoom, maybe renting first. 

In addition to the focal lengths between 16mm and 28mm, there are a couple of benefits to using the wider zoom at 28mm rather than the longer zoom at 28mm. First, the 16-28mm lens is sharper at 28mm than the 28-70mm lens. This is common as the wide end of a lens is frequently at least a bit weaker. Second, while both of these zooms have close up abilities of about .25X, that is achieved at the long end of both lenses so, the wider lens will focus closer at 28mm.]

70mm, f/4, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

28mm, f/4, 1/350 sec., ISO 400

70mm, f/4, 1/750 sec., ISO 200

28mm, f/5.6, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

39mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

28mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

Perfect Weather Again

I don't plan on celebrating any of the 2026 holidays and anniversaries at the Saratoga Battlefield but the place remains a favorite of mine. I prefer history, reverence and nature to mindless nationalism. Especially on perfect weather days like yesterday.

Wilkinson Trail

Wilkinson Trail

Wilkinson Trail

Wilkinson Trail

Monument Trail

Wheat Field

Summer is Coming

Summer weather seems to be kicking in this week with upper 80s during the day and upper 60s overnight. This kind of weather means early morning outings for the most part although some hikes up at the battlefield will take place during the heat of the day.

Now that the Waterford flight of locks is flooded I can use the basin between locks E4 and E5 as a reflecting pool (not painted a fake ugly blue) for the occasional sunrise. Maybe tomorrow morning. Here is a link to last season's sunrises. https://www.trulandphotography.com/Color/Projects/Lock5-Sunrises

Here are some scenes, including a 16 second video, from an earlyish morning walk over to Peebles Island.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 35mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

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

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 35mm, f/5.6, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

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

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/2.8, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

Opening Day

Today was opening day for the navigation season on the New York State Canals. I wasn't sure if I was going to go over to Waterford for the first lock through on the flight of locks as it was lightly raining. 

These days, the canal system exists mainly to provide free leisure activity to wealthy yacht owners. Luckily, I ended up catching an early tugboat exiting the flight of locks at the Mohawk River end before the leisure craft got that far along. The Seaway Jennifer was headed to the Oswego Canal.

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

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 62mm, f/2.8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/2.8, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 42mm, f/2.8, 1/2000 sec., ISO 100

Tomorrow is the Waterford Canalfest which this year will be hosting the Seneca Chief from the Buffalo Maritime Center. I may get more shots tomorrow but here are some from this morning.

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

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

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/2.8, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

Perfect Weather

I enjoyed a hike around Saratoga Battlefield this morning not having to think about what lens I wanted to use. Time will tell whether the choice of the RF 28-70mm f/2.8 over the 24-105mm f/4L is a good one or not. But, as much as I love fast prime lenses, I think I'm done harboring any illusions that they are an option for me.

Today was one of those perfect days with coolish temperatures, blue sky with some clouds, little wind and no biting insects. Here are some scenes from this morning's hike.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 32mm, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 35mm, f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

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

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

Can't Stop Changing

I got tired of carrying around the 85mm lens and not using it. I can carry a flash and batteries for about the same weight. So, I'm selling it. Life is now simpler with only the 28-70mm and 28mm pancake lenses. 

Both lenses have f/2.8 maximum apertures. I won't be able to rely on very wide, very close or very blurry to make photos interesting. It will be a healthy exercise to be limited in this way. We'll see how long it lasts. [UPDATE 5/30/26: It didn't last very long to the extent that I decided I needed very wide. See https://trulandphoto.blogspot.com/2026/05/sunrise-reveals-shortcoming.html.]

I stopped at Falls View Park in Cohoes this morning and walked the stairway and path down to the river level - and back up. This park is only accessible from May to October.

These first two shots, from the same spot, show my current focal length limits, 28mm and 70mm.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

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

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 51mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 58mm, f/6.7, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

Only a Week Away

I'm still working out which bag and lenses combination works out best without having to constantly move everything around. It's a work in progress.

This morning I put the camera and 28-70mm and 85mm lenses in the Think Tank Speed Freak bag and walked around Waterford. We're eight days away from the scheduled opening of the canal season with the Canalfest taking place the following day. 

The flight of locks hasn't been flooded yet as work on some of the locks continues. The buoys for the Hudson River are stored on barges in the middle of the flight so all that has to happen in the next week.

Last year high water delayed the opening of the canal for weeks. There's no sign of anything like that this year.

The tugboat C. L. Churchill, shown in the foreground at Waterford Harbor, is the companion tug for the replica canal boat Seneca Chief which is also aground in the middle of the flight of locks and will be present for the Canalfest.

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

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

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

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/4, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 39mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 47mm, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 100