Mis-named IPT? Canon 7D II/100-400II Rocks Northumberland. Hand Holding Freedom. And Lots of New Used Gear Listings.

Stuff

I am feeling pretty good with just a trace of congestion left from last week’s cold. I slept great on Monday night and got a lot done on Tuesday, just not sure what. I hope to get back in the pool tomorrow.

Coming in the next blog post: Why I Rarely Use Back Button Focus Anymore …

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5). The (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on is now part of the trip.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here is some great info on the July 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: I have finalized the cottage and vehicle rental arrangements. We have room for several additional folks, at least for a couple and single. And I am in position, as noted above, to offer a rather substantial late registration discount. Please call us at 863-692-0906 or get in touch via e-mail. Scroll down for additional details and our travel plans.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of 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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major and minor 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 BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

Important Mongoose Notice

I received this e-mail on Tuesday from Dennis Zaebst

Hi Artie, I bought a Mongoose 3.6 tripod head last year and, although I like many of its features, I had a problem recently. The problem occurred when I placed my tripod with the head attached in the back of a pickup truck with the tripod and head laying flat on the floor of the steel bed. We were driving over very rough gravel roads in Namibia, Africa. When I retrieved the tripod and tripod head, I discovered the head had fallen apart; i.e. the two screws which hold the parts of the head together had vibrated out of the head and were lost. I searched for the two screws, but could not find them. They must have fallen out on the road somewhere. The tripod head of course was useless without the two long screws.

Fortunately, I had a beanbag with me, and was able to use that for the rest of the trip. But I was planning on some photos of stars there (very dark skies), and couldn’t do that. I was wondering if you have had this happen or heard of someone who had this happen. If I am the first to report this happening, then perhaps I can save someone else from a similar fate. I sent the head back to 4GD, and when I did finally talk to someone there, he told me they will put a sticky substance on the screws to keep them tight under severe vibration. The substance will still allow the head to be disassembled when necessary. Best regards, Dennis​

Comments are welcome. How would you respond to Dennis’s e-mail?

BIRDS AS ART June 3-4 Gatorland In-the Field Instructional Meet-Up Sessions

Last of the Season!

Join me in Kissimmee, FL for all or part of the weekend of June 3-4, 2017. We should get to photograph several species of nesting herons and egrets as well as Wood Stork, American Alligator (captive), and more. We should get to make lots of head portraits of all the bird species and to photograph both small chicks and fledged young. Learn to see, find, and make the shot in cluttered settings. Learn exposure and how to handle WHITEs. All of the birds are free and wild. These inexpensive sessions are designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to see you there.

June 3-4, 2017 Schedule

• Saturday June 3 Meet-up Morning (early entry): 7:30 till 10:30am: $99.
• Lunch and Image Review: $99.
• Saturday afternoon till closing (late stay): $99.
• Sunday June 4 Meet-up Morning, (early entry): 7:30 till 10am: $90.

Cheap Canon lens rentals available: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, or 200-400.

To pay for one or more sessions in full via credit card, call Jim or Jen in the office weekdays at 863-692-0906. You will be responsible for the cost of your Gatorland Photographer’s pass or passes. Please shoot me an e-mail with questions.

Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few months, we have sold just about everything in sight. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar above.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Gerry Keshka

Hi Artie, I wanted to share how much I appreciate your Used Gear “service.” You have posted how you help sellers, but the other side of the equations is how much this service helps buyers. I have purchased three lenses (Canon 200-400, 500 f4 II, and 70-200 f/2.8) all lovely experiences and I saved almost $5K over retail. Each of the sellers was delightful, willing to help me assess if the purchase was right for me by sharing their experience with the lens. Each lens was in the condition advertised (or better), and typically included several “add-ons” that would have cost several hundred dollars.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Sandra Calderbank

Hi Artie, I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you. I have sold two camera bodies on your BAA used gear site. Your friendly expertise and knowledgeable, trustworthy buyers have made this an extremely satisfying experience. Selling on BAA Used Gear page is the best transaction experience I have ever encountered. Thank you for all you do for our photography community. Sincerely, Sandra

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Tom Phillips

Artie, Thanks so much. I sent your check via my online banking. I never expected the 400 DO II and the 1DX II to sell within minutes of your posting the ad! I know that the 300 f/2.8 II is still up, but still, the results have been amazing. Another plus is that James McGrew is a professional artist and photographer and he was really looking and wanting that combo and is appreciative and excited to be able to find a great deal. Tom.

Recent Successful Used Gear Sales
The Big Ticket Items Continue to Sell Like Hotcakes on the Used Gear Page in May!

• The sale of Philip Laing’s Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for $7299 is pending.
• IPT veteran Kerry Morris sold a used Used Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO lens (the old 400 DO) in very good plus condition for the record low BAA price of $2099 in mid-May.
• David Ramirez sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III in near-mint condition for $1449 in late-May.
• The sales of multiple IPT veteran Dr. Gil Moe’s Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, his 1.4X III TC, and his Xtrahand vest were all pending as of the first day of listing.
• Hisham A. sold his Wimberley WH-200 Tripod Head in excellent condition for $449 in early May.
• Larry Peavler sold a Canon Extender EF 2X III in like-new condition for $299 within days of posting it in mid-May.
• Tom Phillips sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II (Premium Kit) in near-mint condition for $4499 and his Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO II USM lens in like-new condition for $5,798 both within hours of listing them in mid-May.
• Ron Paulk sold his Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II USM zoom lens in excellent condition for $1100 and the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT & Canon ST-E3-RT Transmitter/package for $425 on May 14, 2017, the day after it was listed.
• Larry Peavler sold a Canon EF 100-400 zoom f/4.5 – 5.6 L IS Telephoto Zoom lens, the old 1-4, in excellent condition for $549 soon after it was listed.
• Ron Paulk sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens in excellent condition for $999and his Canon EF 100mm Macro f/2.8L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $549 the day they were listed.
• Ron Paulk sold a Canon EOS-1D X Professional Digital Camera Body in excellent condition for $2699 and a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens in mid-May before they were listed and is kindly sending me a check for the 2 1/2%.

New Listings

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Sale pending after one day!

Brooke Miller is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark III in excellent condition for $1399. The sale includes the front cap, the camera strap, one battery, the charger, the original product box, the manual, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Brooke via e-mail.

I owned and used this superb, full frame, 22mp digital body for several years. It was always my first choice for scenic, Urbex, and flower photography until I fell in love with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). artie

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens

Brooke Miller is also offering a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the shock-the-world, BAA record low price of $1398. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the zippered lens case with strap, a LensCoat, the original product box, the manual, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Brooke via e-mail.

The 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens is amazingly versatile. I still own one and have made zillions of great images with it. It works well with both the 1.4X III and the 2X III TCs, even with the 7D II! It is easily hand holdable. It is great for tame birds, landscapes, urbex, indoor stuff likes concerts and recitals, and just about anything you want to photograph. artie

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens

Sale pending after one day!

Brooke Miller is also offering a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM lens (the old 100-400) in excellent condition for the going rate of $549. The sale include the front and rear lens caps, the zippered lens case with strap, the original product box, the manual, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

The old 100-400 was and is a superb lens. I made hundreds of sale-able images with mine including the one used on the front cover of Scott Weidensaul’s “Return to Wild America”. Contrary to reports by the internet idiots the lens is -– in competent hands -– sharp at all focal lengths and it is sharp wide open. It is extremely versatile and would make a great starter lens for those interested in bird, wildlife, and general nature photography. artie

Please contact Brooke via e-mail.

Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS (optical stabilizer) Lens for Canon AF

Brooke Miller is also offering a Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS (optical stabilizer) lens for Canon AF in like-new condition for the giving-it-away price of $749. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens case with strap, a LensCoat, the original product box, the manual, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Brooke via e-mail.

I have seen many sharp images made with this popular lens on several IPTs. This item sells new for $1659 at B&H so you can save more than $900 by grabbing Brooke’s lens. artie

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens Lens

Larry Peavler is offering a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition with only a few tiny scratches on the lens hood for $499. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the hood, the lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via UPS to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Larry via e-mail by phone at 1-317-908-0729 (Eastern time.)

I rarely make a trip or head out to the beach without my 24-105 in my Xtra-hand vest. Whenever I leave this versatile B-roll lens behind, I wind up regretting it. I use it for bird-scapes, photographer-scapes, landscapes, mini macro scenes like bird feathers, dead birds, and nests with eggs (the latter only when and if the nest can be photographed without jeopardizing it) and just about anything else that catches my eye. While I am nowhere near as good as Denise Ippolito with this lens, I have made lots of good and saleable images with mine, the old version. artie

Canon EF Extender 1.4X

Philip Laing is offering a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the LP811 pouch, the original box, the instruction sheet, the USA warranty card and insured ground shipping via UPS to U.S. addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Phillip via e-mail or by phone at 208-983-2390 (Pacific time).

As regular readers know the 1.4X III TC is so important to what I do that I routinely travel with three of them. artie

Canon EF Extender 2X

Philip Laing is offering a Canon EF Extender 2X III in near-mint condition for $329. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the LP811 pouch, the original box, the instruction sheet, the USA warranty card and insured ground shipping via UPS to U.S. addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Phillip via e-mail or by phone at 208-983-2390 (Pacific time).

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

IPT veteran Stuart Hahn is offering a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV in very good plus condition for $1300. The body is in perfect mechanical condition but does show signs of use: some scratches on the finish. The LCD screens have been covered with protectors since day one so they are without scratches. Photos available upon request. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it and insured ground shipping via UPS to U.S. addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Stuart via e-mail or by phone at 916-485-1630 (Pacific time).

Two dependable, rugged 1D Mark IVs served as my workhorse professional bodies for several years. artie

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II Lens + RRS lens plate

IPT veteran Stuart Hahn is offering a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens in mint condition for $1549. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the zippered lens case with strap, the original product box, the manual, a RRS 97L-C lens plate, and insured ground shipping via UPS to U.S. addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Stuart via e-mail or by phone at 916-485-1630 (Pacific time).

The 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens is amazingly versatile. I still own one and have made zillions of great images with it. It works well with both the 1.4X III and the 2X III TCs, even with the 7D II! It is easily hand holdable. It is great for tame birds, landscapes, urbex, indoor stuff likes concerts and recitals, and just about anything you want to photograph. artie

This image was created on a UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 330mm) and the world’s best value in a digital camera body, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/640 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: 0. Two AF points to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Arctic Tern screaming head portrait

Mis-named IPT?

It is quite possible that the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT should have been named the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets and Arctic Terns IPT. Why? On our afternoon landings we get to photograph adult Arctic Terns, Arctic Terns on their nests with eggs and young, Arctic Tern chicks of all ages, Arctic Tern in flight, and Arctic Terns landing at their nests with fish. And with the 2017 trip being a bit later than usual, there is an excellent chance that we will get to photograph the incredibly handsome fledged juveniles of this species.

Arctic Terns are next to impossible to photograph in the US and difficult to photograph anywhere in the world. But on Inner Farnes where the are completely acclimated to visitors, the are about as easy as can be. If you’d like to join me on the UK IPT this July, scroll down for details and then take advantage of the late registration discount.

7D II/100-400II Rocks Northumberland

Since I went 100% to full frame about two years ago I often forget how good the 7D II was and is. This 1.6X crop factor body opened up bird photography to the masses; you easily hand holdable 400mm lens becomes an easily hand holdable (effective) 640mm lens. Add the 1.4X III TC and you are up to 896mm. The 7D II shines in either sunny or cloudy bright conditions. It is 100% conceivable that someone could do the entire UK IPT with only this wonderful combo. And don’t forget that when I am working at 1000 or 1200mm I will often be dead in the water when it comes to photographing action and behavior …

Why f/10?

Why did I stop down almost 2 full stops to f/10 to create this image?

This image was also created on a UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (this one at 278mm) with the world’s best value in a digital camera body, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/500 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: 0. Two AF points up and two to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the chick’s neck directly below the eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Arctic Tern chick begging

Hand Holding Freedom

Hand holding allows you to get into position, to get the best perspective, to get higher or especially lower, a lot faster than if you are working with a tripod. This freedom will yield exponential increases in your creativity. For this image, I was able to set on a path without bugging anyone; if I have been on a tripod I would surely have blocked the way for some folks. Score another one for hand holding. And the great four-stop IS systems on the newer Canon lenses work even better than advertised. In the past year I have found myself enjoying the freedom of hand holding more and more every month.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5).
All who register will be required to join the (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on. See below for details.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here are the plans: take a red eye from the east coast of the US on July 2 and arrive in Edinburgh, Scotland on the morning of Monday July 3 no later than 10am (or simply meet us then at the Edinburgh Airport–EDI, or later in the day at our cottages if you are driving your own vehicle either from the UK or from somewhere in Europe). Stay 7 nights in one of two gorgeous modern country cottages.

There are five days of planned puffin/seabird trips and one morning of gannet photography, all weather permitting of course. In three years we have yet to miss an entire day because of weather… In addition, we will enjoy several sessions of photographing nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes at eye level.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

The Details

We will get to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet; Arctic, Sandwich, and Common Terns, the former with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks. We will be staying in upscale country-side lodging that are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The shared rooms are decent-sized, each with a private bathroom. See the limited single supplement info below.

All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included. All 5 puffins boat lunches will need to be prepared by you in advance, taken with, and consumed at your leisure. I usually eat mine on the short boat trip from one island to the other. Also included is a restaurant lunch on the gannet boat day.

If you wish to fly home on the morning of Monday July 10 we will get you to the airport. Please, however, consider the following tentative plans: enjoy a second Gannet boat trip on the afternoon of Monday July 10 and book your hotel room in Dunbar. If all goes as planned, those who stay on for the two extra days will make a morning landing at Bass Rock, one of the world’s largest gannetries. We will get everyone to the airport on the morning of Wednesday July 12.

Great News on the UK Puffins and Gannets/Bass Rock Extension

On the morning of Jul 10, 2017, we will sleep late and head up to Dunbar Harbor for lunch and an afternoon Gannet boat chumming trip: flight photography until you cannot lift your camera. One gannet boat trip is included in the IPT but everyone always wants more.

Then, as a possible mega bonus — we are scheduled to make a Bass Rock landing on the morning of Tuesday July 12, 2017. I am hoping to go two for two! If not, we do another chumming trip for flying gannets.

Included will be two nights lodging at the wonderful Dunsmuir hotel, two fine dining meals there, any additional meals, all boat, guide, and landing fees, and all transportation including the early morning transfer to the Edinburg Airport on the morning of WED July 12.

So far all five sign-ups are maximizing their travel dollars by signing up for the extension in part because I priced it so cheaply at $1499 despite my greatly increased costs.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version. Scroll down to join us in the UK in 2016.

Deposit Info

If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome–please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on March 29, 2017. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please shoot me an e-mail if you are good to go or if you have any questions.

Single Supplement Deposit Info

Single supplement rooms are available on a limited basis. To ensure yours, please register early. The single supplement fee is $1575. If you would like your own room, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement; your single supplement deposit check should be for $3,575. As we will need to commit to renting the extra space, single supplement deposits are non-refundable so please be sure that check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check of running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print careful even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

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 please remember that I am 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, 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.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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 :).