What’s Up?
As noted yesterday, when I woke up in the recovery room I asked, “When are they going to do my surgery?” All I felt was small pinch in my lower right abdomen. By Thursday evening I was still feeling fabulous.
Thanks a huge stack for the outpouring of good wishes and get-well-soons!
later and love, artie
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of the folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
The Streak: 329!
Bad on all those folks that thought a little surgery would bring The Streak to an end. Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 329 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major gear purchases. For best results use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens
Another Weapon of Mass Destruction!
IPT veteran Mark Overgaard is offering a Canon EF600 f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for $9,495. The sale includes a LensCoat, the rear lens cap, the front lens cover, the lens trunk, the monopod mount, and both the lens and lens trunk straps, the lens manual and warranty card–the latter included for record-keeping purposes only since the warranty is expired, and insured ground shipping via either FEDEX or UPS to US addresses only.
The lens just underwent an 11-point clean and check service from Canon Professional Services.
The lens will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Mark via e-mail or by phone at 831-438-1565 (Pacific time).
As y’all know, the 600 II has been my go-to long lens since its introduction several years ago. Recently, as a concession to age, I have been using the 500 II as my big lens. It is that much lighter and offers that much more reach. If you are young and strong and photograph birds that are on the skittish side, the 600 mm f/4L IS lens just might be perfect for you as it was for me for so many years…. It is relatively lightweight and super-sharp. It goes great with the 1.4X III TC and with a bit of practice and good sharpness techniques, you should be able to make sharp images with the 2X III TC down to 1/60 sec. As a new one goes for $11,499 you can save a nice $2005 by grabbing Mark’s lens right now. artie
|
|
|
This image was created at Fort DeSoto at 7:08am on my September 25, 2016 scouting trip with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC engaged at 560mm) with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 5000. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/20 sec. at f/6.3. AWB. I selected the AF point two up from the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as originally framed; AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the bird’s neck. Reddish Egret in surf |
5D Mark IV Magic
ISO 5000. Not a typo. 1/20 second. Not a typo. I made three images at 1/20 second at 560mm and only one was sharp.
RAW conversion Noise Reduction in DPP 4. Post-processing noise reduction via NeatImage using the techniques detailed in the Professional Guide to Post Processing.
Your Thoughts?
Please do share your thoughts on this ISO 5000 image created at 1/20 second at 560mm…
Image Design Question
Why did I get as high as possible when creating this image?
Just So You Know…
On my last two Fort DeSoto photo trips, I created more than 5,000 images with my two 5D IV bodies and a grand total of zero images with my 1D X Mark II (which sat in my SUV untouched).
If…
If you have been inspired to purchase a 5D Mark IV body by what you read here today or recently please consider clicking on this link: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV or on the logo link above. Doing so won’t cost you one penny and is the best way to thank me for my efforts here on the blog and the time that I spend answering dozens of gear- and photo-related questions via e-mail each week.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack!
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right 🙂
ISO 5000 doesn’t shock me, the 5Dm3 is good in that range and the 5Dm3 is supposed to be better, but 1/20, now that is amazing. Your high vantage point kept the horizon from cutting through the bird.
What the others said about the horizon and the bird’s head. I assume you meant 1/20 second and not 1/2. Lovely image. I think I’d use the Mark IV at the expense of the 1DX II as well.
Hey, I got it right 11 out of 12 times. Thanks for the catch. It has been fixed.
a
I am glad that your surgery went well and you are on the way to recovery. But going to South America on Wednesday might be pushing it a bit
Or not! I am here to live life. If the wbc count is not elevated I am gone!
love you, a
Looks like the breaking waves/blue lines in the background would have cut through the egret’s head if you were at his eye level. Glad to hear surgery went well!
If you were lower the dark blue line would have cut thru birds head/neck.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
This image has an almost painterly look to it. Very nice. I agree with the others. You went high to better position the background above the bird’s head.
Thanks Ron and correct. I hope to meet you soon.
a
Lucky you are over 6 ft. Use shorties would have to carry a stool. Obviously you did not want to cut the birds head/neck with the horizon. Did you do much flight stuff at DeSoto? If so, would you have been tempted to go for the 1Dx II? Once again, very impressive at 1/20th and HIGH ISO.
Very happy for you that the surgery went well and very fortunate this happened before you headed south!
Used to be six foot. And could touch the rim! Now 5′ 10 1/2″ and shrinking fast. I may catch up to you!
We did not have much flight photography on the fall IPT. I am loving my 5D IV and not loving my 1DX II.
later and much love, a
Glad to read you’re doing well. Rest up and take it easy.
Artie, so glad that your surgery went well and hoping for a speedy recovery. As for today’s image question, you got high in order to keep the horizon line above the bird’s head for a consistent background.