Apple 16" M1X MacBook Pro: Can it Beat the 2019 iMac 5K and the 2019 Mac Pro 28-Core for Most Tasks?

Consult with Lloyd for any kind of computer purchase, RAID setup, backup strategy, Photoshop optimization, etc.

B&H Photo has graciously agreed to send a loaner 16" MacBook Pro 32GB/1TB/32GPU for review/testing, which will arrive when it becomes available, perhaps in a month or so. Get Apple MacBook Pro M1X/M1Pro at B&H Photo.

As discussed in Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro Coming For Review, within 3-4 weeks I should have the Apple 16" M1X MacBook Pro here for testing, specifically this model, which is everything I’d want were I buying one, except I’d want the 4TB SSD.

The 10-core Apple M1X system-on-a-chip has 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores. As such, it roughly aligns with my 8-core 2019 iMac 5K. And of course the 10-core 2020 iMac 5K is slightly faster than my 2019 model. But might the new MBP show performance superiority over the iMac 5K on real world tasks? I deem it a strong possibility for Photoshop, Lightroom, Zerene Stacker, etc.

CLICK TO VIEW: Apple MacBook Pro 16" with M1X chip

OTOH, for just $2869 you can get a maxed-out 2019 iMac 5K with its gorgeous large screen and that’s far better for anyone who works at a desk most of the time.

My main computer on which I do all of my work when not traveling is the 2019 Mac Pro with 28-core CPU and 384GB memory and Vega II video card. The Beast. While I expect it will easily outperform the Apple M1X chip in the 2021 Macbook Pro M1X for many-core operations (eg 28 cores vs 8+2 cores), I suspect that the MBP might also trounce the Mac Pro at many tasks, those that can use only a few cores.

Should be really interesting to see how it pans out. Plus, if Apple advances the M1 architecture to an “M2” chip with 16+4 cores and 64 GPU cores, would any Intel-based computer be able to compete with it?

16-inch Apple MacBook Pro M1X

Apple 14/16-inch MacBook Pros Here, with M1X or M1Pro CPU — and Why a Desktop is Often Better than a Laptop 

Consult with Lloyd for any kind of computer purchase, RAID setup, backup strategy, Photoshop optimization, etc.

Get Apple MacBook Pro M1X/M1Pro at B&H Photo. B&H Photo has graciously agreed to send a loaner 16" MacBook Pro 32GB/1TB/32GPU for review/testing, which will arrive when it becomes available, perhaps in a month or so.

The new Apple MacBook Pro models with M1X and M1 Pro CPUs tick off most of the boxes I was hoping for, while downgrading the Thunderbolt port situation (3 ports, down from 4, I wanted 4 ports plus MagSafe charging port).

UPDATE: B&H Photo has agreed to loan a 16" MacBook Pro M1X for testing/review.

Apple MacBook Pro M1X/M1Pro at B&H Photo.

Apple 14/16-inch MacBook Pros Here, with M1X or M1Pro CPU: What You Need to Know

CLICK TO VIEW: Apple MacBook Pro 16" with M1X chip

Desktop or laptop?

While I feel the gravity of “new Apple shiny stuff” in wanting the 16-inch/64GB/32 GPU core/4TB SSD model, I cannot figure out what I would use it for. Because I travel in my Sprinter van, a laptop is not needed—I have a home office right in my van.

My travel machine is the 2019 iMac 5K*, safely stowed in the Gator Cases Creative Pro 27" iMac Carry Tote when driving, and powered by a 10kW battery lithium iron phosphate battery pack off a 2000W DC/AC inverter. And the 2019 iMac 5K is astonishingly power efficient given its included display (~45 watts while typing with the screen lit up) and I can run for 3-4 days on the power packs without recharging. Hunching over a laptop with a display with half the pixels and a fraction of the size would be a huge downgrade.

Nor would I use a laptop at home—terrible ergonomics used alone, so it would have to be a desktop computer hooked up to keyboard/mouse/displays with all the hassles of using up most of the ports to connect things. I’ve been down this 'road' before, and to this day my laptop is still a 2015 MacBook Pro Retina, which I hardly use.

If a laptop is to be used for (a lot of) travel and/or casual use in your kitchen or den or waiting in line at the DMV or a photo safari, then it makes perfect sense, of course it does. But you can also buy a $999 Apple MacBook Air to tide you over if such things are infrequent.

The screen size of a laptop and its body-ache-inducing ergonomics/haptics SUCK for anything but modest usage (an hour or less per day, IMO). Therefore, if a laptop is to be used as a desktop replacement for hours a day, you and I are far better off with the form factor of an iMac 5K. Your neck and back will thank you. But if you are willing to attach a display and keyboard and mouse, you can certainly pretend it is a full desktop computer—it is totally capable in that sense.

There is no 'M1 Max' CPU in an iMac 5K yet. And unless an “M1 Super Max” chip supports 128GB memory or more, any iMac 5K will be inadequate for my needs, as I regularly use more than 64GB memory. So I don’t know when Apple ARM technology will have any relevance to me.

Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM Aperture Series: Blue Water among Orange Streambed Boulders, Tenaya Canyon (Sony A1)

This series looks at near-to-far performance at 12mm of the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM from f/2.8 through f/11. For a near-far landscape scene, can f/11 get the depth of field 'job' done, or is a focus stack needed?

Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM Aperture Series: Blue Water among Orange Streambed Boulders, Tenaya Canyon

Includes images from f/2.8 through f/11 at up to full camera resolution (two focus positions for f/11), plus a 2-frame focus stack at f/11, plus crops.

Making an image this wide on Nikon mirrorless or Canon mirrorless or Fujifilm medium format or the Leica SL2 system is more troublesome. On Canon mirrorless, you can lens-adapter-on the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L. And you can adapt the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 DG HSM Art DSLR lens to Nikon mirrorless, again with a lens adapter. But so far, Sony is untouchable for ease and quality of extreme wide angle shooting.

Blue Water among Orange Streambed Boulders, Tenaya Canyon

f11 @ 1/20 sec electronic shutter focus stack 2 frames, ISO 100; 2021-09-28 17:35:51
Sony A1 + Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM @ 12mm
ENV: Tenaya Canyon, altitude 7600 ft / 2316 m, 60°F / 15°C
RAW: LACA corrected, vignetting corrected, +20 Whites, +20 Clarity, diffraction mitigating sharpening

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NEW: Voigtlander M 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar for Leica M, and Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar SL IIs for Nikon F-Mount

Cosina Japan: Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar for Nikon F-Mount.
Cosina Japan: Voigtlander M 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar for Leica M

Two new Voigtlander lenses will become available soon.

Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar SL IIs for Nikon AIS

Same optical design as the M-mount version, but in a quite different form factor and with the aperture ring close to the camera body, as per typical Nikon AIS fashion. Also, it uses a 9-blade aperture instead of 10 blades and the claim is not made of a true circular aperture. It does NOT include lens hood LH-90IIs.

The F-mount version carries additional interesting in that it is very compact and could be mounted on any mirrorless camera using an appropriate lens adapter, for a highly compact 90mm lens for travel, hiking, etc.

At about $699 (available in silver or black finish), its price is a no brainer for anyone liking this type of lens design and open to manual focus.

CLICK TO VIEW: Voigtlander Lenses for Nikon AIS

Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar for Nikon AIS

The 90mm f/2.8 SLIIs Apo-Skopar from Voigtlander is a manual focus medium telephoto lens with a Nikon AIS F-mount and is optimized for full-frame image sensors. The newly designed optical system uses Abnormal Partial Dispersion glass for five out of seven elements in seven groups to make images rich, three dimensional in character, and extremely sharp. It has an apochromatic design that makes axial chromatic aberration as close to zero as possible. The manual focus lens is designed for use with SLR-type digital and film cameras and has a precision helicoid for smooth precise focusing action. The shortest shooting distance is 3', making it well suited to portraiture. 

The SLIIs is compatible with Nikon AIS-type bodies with a built-in CPU. Equipped with an AI coupler, it can be used with a variety of bodies from classic film SLR cameras to the latest digital SLR cameras. The nine-blade diaphragm help provide a creamy bokeh suitable for portraiture. The focus and aperture rings are made entirely of metal and feature heavy finger indents with a precise machine knurling for a beautiful appearance reminiscent of vintage lenses, with functionality that enhances the feel of modern manual operation today.

• Apochromatic design that eliminates chromatic aberration
• Optical design optimized for digital image sensors
• Highly rigid and durable full-metal lens barrel
• Manual focus for reliable focus operation
• 9 aperture blades
• Nikon F AIS lens mount Full-size image circle
• LH-90IIs lens hood available separately

Voigtlander VM 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar SL IIs

With an f/2.8 aperture, this light and compact lens promises high grade color correction. And at about $799 (available in silver or black finish), it has a distinctly friendly price about 1/7 that of Leica offerings.

CLICK TO VIEW: Voigtlander Lenses for Leica M

Voigtlander M 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar

The 90mm f/2.8 Apo-Skopar from Voigtlander is a manual focus medium telephoto lens optimized for full-frame M-mount image sensors. The newly designed optical system uses Abnormal Partial Dispersion glass for five out of seven elements in seven groups to make images rich, three dimensional in character, and extremely sharp. It has an apochromatic design that makes axial chromatic aberration as close to zero as possible. The manual focus lens is designed for use with rangefinder-linked digital and film cameras and has a precision helicoid for smooth precise focusing action. The shortest shooting distance linked to the rangefinder is 3' (depending on the camera used). 

The 10 diaphragm blades help provide a creamy bokeh suitable for portraiture. In addition, the aperture adopts a special circular shape not only at the fully-open f/2.8, but also at f/4 and f/22. This circular shape can create the cinematic flares known as "ball blur" by pointing toward a point light source.

This compact and lightweight lens does not protrude into the viewfinder frame when used on a rangefinder camera.

• Apochromatic design that eliminates chromatic aberration
• Optical design optimized for digital image sensors
• Highly rigid and durable full-metal lens barrel
• Manual focus for reliable focus operation
• 10 apertures that become circular at open, f/4, and f/22
• Bayonet type VM mount
• High-precision rangefinder interlocking mechanism
• Full-size image circle
• Included lens hood can be reverse mounted for easy storage

Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM Aperture Series: Colorful Autumn Forest, Tenaya Canyon Streamside (Sony A1)

I continue to be very pleased with the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM. One lens to cover 12-24mm... can it deliver imaging performance that both impresses and rivals that of a prime lens?

Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM Aperture Series: Colorful Autumn Forest, Tenaya Canyon Streamside

Includes images up to full camera resolution from f/2.8 through f/11, plus crops.

Colorful Autumn Forest, Tenaya Canyon Streamside

f5.6 @ 1/50 sec electronic shutter, ISO 100; 2021-09-28 15:47:03
Sony A1 + Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM @ 24mm
ENV: Tenaya Canyon, altitude 7600 ft / 2316 m, 70°F / 21°C
RAW: LACA corrected

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NEW Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II Available for Pre-Order Oct 14

The Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II is an all-new design with an impressive reduction in the element count (now 17, down from 23), which results in a 29% reduction in weight from 1480g ==> 1045g! That’s a difference which is easily felt, and it makes the new design much more portable and practical as an all-around shooter.

Whether it raises the performance game to state of the art is unclear. While the element count is way down from 23 to 17, the same number of XA and aspherical and special-glass elements remains the same. But clearly something has changed in a major way that allows 5 lens elements to be eliminated.

As a practical matter and especially with ultra-high speed cameras like the Sony A1, focusing speed and accuracy are critical for a lens of this type, and for that Sony has included 4 high-performance XD linear AF motors. This should leave the old design feeling super clunky by comparison and deliver state of the art performance as good or better than anything else on the market.

Four high-thrust XD Linear Motors and advanced control technology deliver up to 4x faster AF than the SEL70200GM. Focus tracking capability while zooming is improved by approximately 30% compared to the SEL70200GM.

Also of practical note for video usage that is also excellent for stills, “the latest lens design technology reduces focus breathing, focus shift when zooming, and axis shift when zooming”

Available for pre-order October 14 at 10 AM Pacific Time. As always, it helps me if you order using the links on this page and/or from my Sony wishlist, so I get credit at B&H—thank you!

Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II

Portable SSDs for Travel Storage and Especially Backup

As a photographer, I travel 4-5 months of the year in my Sprinter van for photography. My travel machine is the 2019 iMac 5K*, safely stowd in the Gator Cases Creative Pro 27" iMac Carry Tote when driving, and powered by a 10kW battery lithium iron phosphate battery pack off a 2000W DC/AC inverter. The 2019 iMac 5K is astonishingly power efficient given its included display and I can run for 3-4 days on the power packs without recharging.

Anyway, a key thing I do after every day’s shoot is to download my images and make several backups. Ditto after working in the van some days, after I have organized and published stuff.

* Laptops are a very poor and hopelessly inefficient solution for the work I need to do—very small screens, terrible ergonomics to ruin your posture and nag your neck, godawful keyboard and a mouse is essential too.

Best SSDs for travel and backup

Over the past few years I’ve worked with 4 or 5 different SSDs while traveling. There are multiple considerations:

• SSD speed is important, though only to a point. Still, if it’s a big shoot and it was an all day hike and I want to get to sleep, backup speed can be an irritatant if not fast enough.
• I like to take one SSD with me on hikes as a precaution against break-in/theft. A larger/heavier SSD is a nuisance and poorly suited for my hikes.
• Durability—over time things can fail.
• Compatibility: it is very helpful to be able to plug a drive into my laptop (older one), which requires USB-C. A Thunderbolt SSD is incompatible with my older Thunderbolt-2 lapto.

Samsung T5 I have used for several years (not a fan of the "dog" Samsung T7) . One of my four T5’s a bad connector now, but still works. I like them for their compact size and light weight, but they are half the speed of the slowest of the OWC offerings. OTOH, they offer hardware encryption, which has its uses if theft while traveling is a concern.

OWC Envoy Pro Elektron (240GB to 2TB capacities) is my all-around favorite for travel: extremely solid built, twice the speed of the Samsung T5, and still very compact. Up to 2TB capacities make it hard to beat.

OWC Envoy Pro SX and OWC Envoy Pro FX are both superb—the very best performance. These are the drives to get for speed. But being solidly-built enough for a truck to run over them, they feel like solid hunks of metal and they do not fit into a pants pocket, unlike the OWC Envoy Pro Elektron.

Four portable SSDs, USB-C and Thunderbolt.
Car keys to show size/scale

Site Outage Monday Oct 11, Should Now be Resolved

Gorgeous fall day, if windy and cold (extremely hazardous fire potential).

Lloyd inside Sunnyvale data center not enjoying the weather...

Memory Fails in Web Server, with Sporadic Problems Making the Cause Mysterious, Until Today

diglloydTools MemoryTester Finds Bad Memory in Server Today

Sony A1 Examples: Glacier Canyon, Mt Dana

This page looks at Sony A1 image quality as used for landscape photography on a hike up Mt Dana’s Glacier Canyon on as clear an autumn day as I’ve ever seen—a feast for the eyes with the relatively gentle sunlight of early October. Indeed, the conditions were perhaps the best I’d ever had the luck of having (hyper-clear air, minimal wind), though two days later things disappeared in smoke.

Sony A1 Examples: a Hike up Glacier Canyon, Mt Dana

Includes images up to full camera resolution, mostly from the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM.

Dana Creek, Glacier Canyon

f9 @ 1/160 sec handheld IBIS=on electronic shutter, ISO 100; 2021-09-30 10:23:55
Sony A1 + Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM @ 12mm
ENV: Glacier Canyon, altitude 11000 ft / 3353 m, 60°F / 15°C
RAW: LACA corrected, vignetting corrected, +20 Whites, +10 Clarity, diffraction mitigating sharpening

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Dana Lake #4, view to Mt Dana

f11 @ 1/80 sec handheld IBIS=on electronic shutter, ISO 100; 2021-09-30 11:46:30
Sony A1 + Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM @ 12mm
ENV: Glacier Canyon, altitude 11500 ft / 3505 m, 60°F / 15°C
RAW: LACA corrected, vignetting corrected, +20 Whites, +10 Clarity

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Rebuying the Fujifilm GFX100S as It Becomes Feasible

Readers might recall that I sold my Fujifilm GFX100S to a friend back in June, thinking I could rebuy it a few months later. But I did not anticipate that supply and demand would remain so tightly constrained even here in October, 4 months later. But so it is.

My take on it for my type of landscape work is to go with the Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5 as the #1 lens, and the Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 as the #2 lens. The 50mm in particular is so darn useful for so many things. And the 23mm is IMO essential for canyons and such.

Anway, I am trying to finagle one, and since I cannot obtain a suitable Canon EOS R5 system either, I am pondering what to look at next.

Fujifilm Medium Format System

Fujifilm Medium Format wish list • Deals on Fujifilm

$9999 FUJIFILM GFX 100 Medium Format Camera in Cameras: Medium Format	$5999 FUJIFILM GFX 100S Medium Format Camera in Cameras: Medium Format	$2599 FUJIFILM 23mm f/4 GF R LM WR in Lenses: Medium Format	$1699 FUJIFILM 30mm f/3.5 GF R WR in Lenses: Medium Format	$2299 FUJIFILM 32-64mm f/4 GF R LM WR in Lenses: Medium Format	$2299 FUJIFILM 45-100mm f/4 GF R LM OIS WR in Lenses: Medium Format	$999 FUJIFILM 50mm f/3.5 GF R LM WR in Lenses: Medium Format	$2299 FUJIFILM 80mm f/1.7 GF R WR in Lenses: Medium Format
$2799 FUJIFILM 110mm f/2 GF R LM WR in Lenses: Medium Format	$2699 FUJIFILM 120mm f/4 GF Macro R LM OIS WR in Lenses: Medium Format	$3299 FUJIFILM 250mm f/4 GF R LM OIS WR in Lenses: Medium Format	$69 FUJIFILM BC-W235 Dual Battery Charger in Accessories: Batteries and Power	$65 FUJIFILM NP-W235 Lithium-Ion Battery (7.2V, 2200mAh) in Accessories: Batteries and Power	$210 Sony 128GB SF-G Tough Series UHS-II SDXC Memory Card in Accessories: Memory Cards	$130 Sony 256GB SF-M Tough Series UHS-II SDXC Memory Card in Accessories: Memory Cards	$149 FUJIFILM MHG-GFX S Metal Hand Grip in Accessories: Photo Accessories

Review Status for Canon EOS R5 and Canon RF Lenses

I discussed wishing to review the Canon EOS R5 and various Canon RF Lenses back in August.

Unfortunately, the situation has not changed and if anything is worse: it remains nearly impossible to get camera and lenses together in a mix suitable for a trip/review. Bummer.

Canon Pro lenses

Canon mirrorless wish list • Deals on Canon

$3899 Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless in Cameras: Mirrorless	$1699 Canon 14-35mm f/4 RF L IS USM in Lenses: Mirrorless	$2399 Canon 15-35mm f/2.8 RF L IS USM in Lenses: Mirrorless	$2399 Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 RF L IS USM in Lenses: Mirrorless	$3099 Canon 28-70mm f/2 RF L USM in Lenses: Mirrorless
$500 Canon 35mm f/1.8 RF IS Macro STM in Lenses: Mirrorless	$200 Canon 50mm f/1.8 RF STM in Lenses: Mirrorless	$2799 Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 RF L IS USM in Lenses: Mirrorless	$1599 Canon 70-200mm f/4 RF L IS USM in Lenses: Mirrorless	$600 Canon 85mm f/2 RF Macro IS STM in Lenses: Mirrorless
$1399 Canon 100mm f/2.8 RF L Macro IS USM in Lenses: Mirrorless

Sony FE 24-120mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Examples: Glacier Canyon, Mt Dana

Readers know that in general I am loathe to test entry-level lenses, though at about $1048, the Sony FE 24-120mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS strains the definition of entry-level.

Still, occassionally it is a good idea to check one’s premises and give a fair shot to a dubious offering. The findings leave no doubt that my inclinations are in tune with reality.

Sony FE 24-120mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Examples: Glacier Canyon, Mt Dana

Sony FE 24-120mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Aperture Series: Backlit Trail, Glacier Canyon

Sony FE 24-120mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Examples: Dana Lake, Mt Dana

Includes images over the 24-240mm zoom range at up to full camera resolution.

Split Waterfall

f11 @ 0.3 sec electronic shutter, ISO 100; 2021-09-30 08:43:20
Sony A1 + Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS @ 24mm
ENV: Dana Creek, altitude 10400 ft / 3170 m, 35°F / 1°C
RAW: LACA corrected, distortion corrected, vignetting corrected

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Hiking Glacier Canyon (Mt Dana) — Working on Examples

See my previous post on my recent hike but the smoke that forced me to leave two days later.

I’ve been distracted by catch-up stuff at home (backups, a macOS crash on my Mac Pro, some server maintenance), but I intend to show some examples from hiking soon.

I never did get to evaluate the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM for general purpose hiking use last year (due to my infirmity), but I can now say that the 12-24/2.8 GM is a fabulously useful lens for hiking, offering not only a super-wide end at 12-14mm (beating out every other mirrorless), but rivals or outperforms all prime lenses in its range that I have tested.

Dana Lake #3

f11 @ 1/80 sec handheld IS=on electronic shutter, ISO 100; 2021-09-30 12:39:06
Sony A1 + Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM @ 12mm
ENV: Dana Lake, altitude 11500 ft / 3505 m, 70°F / 21°C
RAW: LACA corrected, vignetting corrected, +20 Whites, +10 Clarity, diffraction mitigating sharpening

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Mt Dana summit, Dana Glacier

f5.6 @ 1/100 sec electronic shutter pixel shift, ISO 100; 2021-09-30 16:43:27
Sony A1 + Voigtlander FE APO-Lanthar 35mm f/2 Aspherical
ENV: Glacier Canyon,Mt Dana, altitude 11600 ft / 3536 m, 55°F / 12°C
RAW: vignetting corrected, push 0.3 stops, +72 Shadows, -59 Highlights, +20 Whites, +20 Dehaze, +15 Clarity

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Eastern Sierra Air Quality September 28/29/30: Stunningly Clear, but Oct 1 brings the Nasty Stuff

After enduring nearly a week in the western Nevada desert waiting-out the unhealthy thick smoky haze in the Eastern Sierra, a cold front blew it all away for other states to inhale, setting the stage for three days of stunningly clear air and perfect hiking temperatures. And I had both Tenaya Canyon and Glacier Canyon entirely to myself too, just the way I like it. Worth the wait!

But on Oct 1, a miles-high white pall loomed from the south by 11 AM, resulting in smoke so thick in Tuolumne Meadows that smoke was visible only 50 ft away—hazardously bad*, probably AQI 300 or so for 10 miles or so. I donned a P100 particulate respirator, closed my windows, put the A/C on recirculate and drove out of Yosemite into crummy but far better air, all the way home.

Below, I would have liked to have compared a good sample of the Leica 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-SL on the Leica SL2 to the Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO-Lanthar on the Sony A1. But the brand-new 50/2 APO-SL is/was badly swung, and it was out of the question (weight) to carry two systems. I opted for prudence and carried the lighter and more compact Sony A1, which also offers a far more enjoyable shooting experience, IMO.

As a huge bonus, I had regained enough strength for such hikes every other day (I sensed a change starting early September). Though carrying an extra 25 pounds of body fat plus camera gear is little different than a full backpacking load by comparison to my 2019 condition. But I am thrilled that after 18 months of major impairment, I seem to be on track to working myself back to full health and fitness, albeit with still high sleep demands some days (10+ hours). Paying close attention to avoid a recovery/relapse cycle this time, so I expect it will take another year to get back to 2019 condition, as I fear to try too much too soon.

* Sad to see the highway repair crew completely lacking in lung-protective gear. It should be an OSHA violation to subject workers to such unhealthy air conditions.

Glacier Canyon, abutting Mt Dana
Mt Conness is seen near top right

f4.5 @ 1/250 sec electronic shutter, ISO 100; 2021-09-30 14:13:36
Sony A1 + Voigtlander FE APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 Aspherical + polarizer Breakthrough Photography X4
ENV: Glacier Canyon, Mt Dana, altitude 11600 ft / 3536 m, 52°F / 11°C
RAW: LACA corrected

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Bellow, Dana Glacier (really just an ice field now). The very large gray moraine is seen below it, parted in the middle by some remaining bedrock; a human figure on it would just barely be visible. The picture was taken standing on a smaller but still quite large moraine that creates this large upper lake. Great ice skating for a few weeks in November if the snows do not cover it. The summit of Mt Dana is up and to the right, clipped off.

Dana Lake #1, Dana Glacier and its first moraine
Mt Conness is seen near top right

f5.6 @ 1/100 sec electronic shutter, ISO 100; 2021-09-30 13:56:55
Sony A1 + Voigtlander FE APO-Lanthar 35mm f/2 Aspherical
ENV: Glacier Canyon, Mt Dana, altitude 11600 ft / 3536 m, 52°F / 11°C
RAW: vignetting corrected

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Time to leave.

Tioga Pass entrance station with approaching heavy smoke, only a few miles from the images above

f2.8 @ 1/1500 sec, ISO 20; 2021-10-01 14:05:37
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 6.6 mm f/2.8 @ 57mm equiv (6.6mm)
ENV: Tioga Pass, altitude 9945 ft / 3031 m, 60°F / 15°C

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Road construction in Tuolumne Meadows, heavy smoke

f2.8 @ 1/500 sec, ISO 20; 2021-10-01 14:19:28
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 6.6 mm f/2.8 @ 57mm equiv (6.6mm)
ENV: Tuolumne Meadows, altitude 8584 ft / 2616 m, 65°F / 18°C

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