Another Sharp Boring Perfect Flight Image made with the new AF Area Selection Mode and settings ...

Stuff

On Day Three, the first San Diego IPT group had fog in the morning and fog in the afternoon. Both sessions turned out to be fantastic, especially for those who stuck it out in the afternoon when things were not looking too good … With the high tide and big surf, the morning session featured a zillion flying pelicans.

I was glad to learn on Wednesday that Karen Jordan sold her Canon EOS 7D Mark II digital camera body in near mint condition for $949 and her Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS Zoom Lens (the original 1-4) in excellent plus condition for the BAA record low price of $528 within days of their being listed in mid-January. Scroll down to see what she had to say about the experience of selling her used gear on the BAA Used Photo Gear page.

The 2nd San Diego IPT #2 is now a sell-out and there are only two slots left on the Spoonbill Boat IPT. The Master Classes will be announced soon.

The Streak

Today makes one hundred seventy-one days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about 90 minutes to prepare including the time spent optimizing the image. With all of my upcoming free time (or not …), the plan right now is to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

Booking.Com

Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Recent Used Gear Kudos

From Karen Jordan via e-mail

I just received full priced payment for both the 7dII and the 100-400L and shipped them both off to their respective new owners this afternoon. What a painless, pleasant and fast way to sell!!! Karen

List of recent Used Gear Page Sales

Sales of cameras and lenses have been through the roof recently with stuff selling at prices that thill the buyers and please the sellers.

Karen Jordan sold her Canon EOS 7D Mark II digital camera body in near mint condition for $949 and her Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS Zoom Lens (the original 1-4) in excellent plus condition for the BAA record low price of $528 within days of listing in mid-January.
Walt Anderson sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1299.00 and his new in the box Nikon SB-5000 AF Speedlight in new condition for $499.00, both in early January.
Rowland Jackson sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM super telephoto Lens (the “old five”) in near-mint condition for a fabulously low $3799 in early January.
Walt Anderson sold his Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens in like-new condition for $1799.00 just day after it was listed in late December.
Hisham A. sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark III in very good condition for the BAA record low price of $999 in mid January.
Hisham A. sold his Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens very good condition (with perfect glass and in perfect working order) for the BAA record low price of $999 and a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM lens in very good condition (with perfect glass and in perfect working order) for the BAA record low by far price of $549in early January.
Hisham A. sold a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter) in like-new good condition for $329 and the original Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in like-new condition for $449 in late December.
BAA friend Jim Roetzel sold his Xtrahand Vest, green — size XL — for $275 in December.
Mike Rust sold his Canon 600mm f/4L IS II ISM lens in near-mint condition for $9396.00 and his Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $699.00. Both on the first day of listing.
Mike Rust also sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II like-new condition for a BAA record-low, shock-the-world price of $3997.00, his Canon 400mm f/4 IS II DO USM lens in like-new condition for the amazing low price of $5999.00, his Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Lens in like-new condition for $1799.00, a 1.4X III and two 2X III TCs, all in like-new condition for $329 each, and a Wimberley V2 Tripod Head in excellent condition with extras for $399.
IPT veteran Carolyn Peterson sold her Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body in excellent condition for $1399 in mid-December.
Pradip Thachile sold his Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO lens (the original version) in excellent condition for the BAA record low price of $2097.00 in late December.
Joel Williams sold his Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens in like-new condition for $1199 right after it was listed in mid-December.
Mike Newman sold his Canon EF 100mm f2.8/L IS USM macro lens in like-new condition for only $599 in mid-December, right after it was listed.
Joel Williams sold a Fujifilm XF 1.4x TC WR teleconverter in like-new condition for $299 in mid-December, 2017.

New Listings

Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS II DO USM Lens

BPN Avian Moderator Arash Hazeghi is offering a Canon 400mm f/4 IS II DO USM lens in like-new condition but for a few tiny scratches on the lens foot the amazing low price of $5899.00. The sale includes a Lens Coat, the the lens trunk, the lens strap, the padded fabric front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the original box and everything that came in it, 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 Arash via e-mail.

I own the 400 DO II and find a way to take it on most trips. I take it to Scotland and Nickerson Beach and San Diego. It has served as my big gun in the Galapagos and on Southern Ocean (the Falklands and South Georgia) trips. It is a killer for flight with or without the 1.4X III TC. I used it most recently in San Diego for the ducks and the White Pelicans with both the 1.4X and the 2X III TCs. And I am planning on using it as my big gun and ship photography lens on next October’s hoped for Emperor Penguin chicks trip … No guarantees there. And really skilled folks have had amazing success hand holding it for flight and for action. With this lens in high demand and new ones selling for $6899, Arash’s lens is a great buy that will save you a smooth a grand!. artie

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (with extras)

Sold in one day!

BPN Avian Moderator Arash Hazeghi is also offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in mint condition for $2499. The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it including the front lens cap and the strap along with an extra Canon LPE6N battery, an extra 3rd party battery, a 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro CF card, and insured Fed Ex groups shipping to continental US addresses only.

Please contact Arash via e-mail.

What can I say. The 5D IV is my favorite ever digital dSLR. I own and use three of them. If you have been dreaming of a 5D IV, grab Ivan’s camera body right now and save a cool $800. artie

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Lens (the “old five”) with extras!

Greg Morris is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens in very good plus condition for $3700. The lens was cleaned and checked by Canon in December 2017 and the lens mount was replaced. The sale includes a Canon Extender EF 1.4X II, a Canon Extender EF 2X II (both in like new condition with caps and pouches), the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the leather front lens cover, 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 Greg via or e-mail by phone at 1-580-678-5929 (Central time).

The 500mm f/4 lenses have been the world’s most popular telephoto lenses for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. I owned and used and loved my “old five” for many years. If you don’t have the cash for the 500 II and can handle the additional 1 1/2 pounds, then this is your best super-telephoto option. Most everyone can produce sharp images with this lens and a 1.4X TC. Folks with good to excellent sharpness techniques can do the same with a 2X TC. With the new 500 II selling for $8,999 you can save a neat $5299.00 by grabbing Greg’s lens (plus the two TCs!) artie

ps: The Series II TCs work perfectly well with the older super telephoto lenses; the series III TCs are best when working with the newer Series II lenses.

Canon Canon EOS 7D Mark II

BAA Record-low Price

Martin Mikulas is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $799. The shutter count is under 15,000. The sale includes the front lens cap, the strap, the battery, the original box and everything that came in it, and insured ground shipping to US addresses via major courier to US addresses only.

Please contact Martin via e-mail or by phone at 1-757-356-1529 (Eastern time.)

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about two years ago when we both committed to using full frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. One thing is for sure: the 7D Mark II is the greatest value ever in a digital camera body. With a new one going for $1499 you can save a cool $700 by grabbing Martin’s lens. artie

Featured Item

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

BAA Record-Low, Shock-the-world priced

Walt Anderson is offering a barely used EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in mint to like-new condition with extras for the BAA record low price of $9395.00. The sale includes the LensCoat that has protected his 600 since day one, a RRS stuff foot (installed), the original foot, the lens trunk, the original box and everything that came in it: front cover, rear cap, manuals, & the rest, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your personal of certified check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Walt via e-mail or by phone at 1-847-721-8319 (Central time).

WMD: Weapon of Mass Destruction!

Walt, a long time BAA friend and an IPT veteran as well, is the inventor of the Better Beamer Flash Extender, the very first BAA mail order item. When it comes to taking care of his gear, Walt is fastidious.
The 600 II is the state of the art super-telephoto for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports. If I can get it to a location, it is my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new one going for $11,499, you can save a cool $2,005.00 by grabbing Walt’s might-as-well-be-new lens right now. artie

ps: I used my 600 II to create today’s featured image.

This image was created at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, AZ on morning of January 8. I used the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering + 2 1/3 stops off the gray sky: 1/2000 sec. at at f/5.6. AWB at 9:36am on an overcast morning. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -3. All AI Servo/Shutter button AF as originally framed. The additional AF info is classified. Great Egret Landing

Great Egret Landing

As I mentioned previously on the blog and above, on January 8, 2017 I came across a half-filled lake at Gilbert that hosted about 20 Great Egrets. They were fishing and catching. With my 1DX II set up as detailed in Arash Hazeghi’s Birds in Flight Photography Guide; Basics for Canon EOS Users –2017, I was excited to come across such an excellent opportunity to test both my skills and the new settings. The results — at least for me — were astounding. See more keepers below.

The next day the pond was filled to over-flowing with nary a bird in sight … Gilbert can be a tough place to photograph as the water levels often change dramatically from day to day.

Your Thoughts?

Please leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on this image, the good and the bad.

These images was created at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, AZ on morning of Thursday, January 18. I used the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering + 2 1/3 stops off the gray sky: 1/2000 sec. at at f/5.6. AWB on an overcast morning. The shutter speed for the GBH flight image was 1/1600 sec. it should have been 1/1250 sec. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -3. All AI Servo/Shutter button AF as originally framed. The additional AF info is classified. Click here to see the last version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see the spectacular larger version. My Dozen Favorite Keepers from that Morning

My Dozen Favorite Keepers from that Morning

All of the images in the composite above are razor sharp on the eye …

Birds in Flight Photography: Basics for Canon EOS Users/2017 edition

Birds in Flight Photography: Basics for Canon EOS Users/2017 edition: $55.00

If Arash’s guide helped me a ton, imagine what it could do for you. You can learn more or order your copy here. Please note that this guide will not be updated for future Canon bodies.

Arash Hazeghi

Arash Hazeghi, Ph.D. is an electron device engineer. He received his MS.c. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering in 2006 and 2011, from Stanford University, Stanford, California. His pioneering research on Carbon Nanotubes and quantum capacitance have been cited many times. He is currently focused on the development of cutting edge non-volatile memory technologies such as the ones used in imaging cards for DSLR cameras.

In his free time, Arash enjoys photographing avian species in their natural habitat and in flight: these are very challenging subjects. He has been working on hand held super-telephoto technique to capture dynamic, highly-detailed in-flight images of many different avian species. His birds in flight images, featured numerous times on the web, in printed media, as well as in prestigious museums and art galleries have inspired many photographers. Arash’s work was recently on display at the San Diego Natural History Museum for a period of 8 months. His work has also been featured many times in the annual publications of NANPA (North American Nature Photographer’s Association).

He is an Moderator in the Avian Forum on BirdPhotographers.Net and a premier photographer at 500px.com. He is the co-author of the Canon DPP 4 Raw Conversion Guide and the Post Processing Guide with Arthur Morris, which detail RAW conversion and post processing techniques for both professional and the enthusiast photographers. This guide is a result of extensive field experience in making in-flight images with various Canon equipment. The author wishes that every photographer finds this guide useful and effective in improving the quality of their photos.

I will add that Arash’s images of birds in flight amaze many. I will be sharing some of them here soon. For faster results, go to BPN and do a search for his name and follow his started threads … artie

The San Diego Site Guide

Whether you are visiting San Diego for photography for the first time or live in the area and have done the pelicans many dozens of times, you will learn a ton by studying the San Diego Site Guide. Why spend days stumbling around when you can know exactly where and when to be depending on the wind direction and sky conditions? In addition to the pelican primer, there is great info on the best beaches for the gorgeous gulls, on Marbled Godwit, on the lower cliffs, Lesser Scaup, and Wood and Ring-necked Ducks as well.

Learn more or purchase your copy here.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my (stupendous) efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

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.

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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 :).