Stuff
Lots of walking. Lots of putting. And on Monday afternoon, I actually played a few holes. Thanks to Amy. Speaking of Amy, she visited a friend in Sarasota recently and shared some really nice sunrise/sunset land-/sea-scape images in her most recent blog post here.
I started this post from scratch early on Tuesday morning. It took a shade under two hours to create. In my last blog post, everyone who commented on what bugged me about the Western Gull in flight image was correct: it was that the bill lined up with the bird’s right leg. Marvin T. Smith was the first to answer correctly. Had the bill been centered between the bird’s legs, the image would have been a lot stronger for me. I hate merges of any kind …
PHOTOEXPO 2018
If you missed the PHOTOEXPO 2018 announcement and live anywhere within driving or flying distance of Memphis, TN, click here for the info. I have rides to Beale Street for both nights. If you are attending, please stop by the BAA table for a handshake and a hug.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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 Sales
Bill Ketterer sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for the lowest ever BAA price of $3399.00 in early June.
Jim Keener sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II in near-mint condition for $3,999.00 the first day it was listed.
Ray Maynard sold his Canon 1.4X III teleconverter in near-mint condition for the low price of $299.00 in late June, 2018.
Randall Ennis sold his Canon EOS-1D Mark IV in excellent condition for $849.00 in late June.
Joel Williams sold his Sony Vario-Tessar T FE 16-35 f/4 ZA OSS lens in like-new condition for $629 (was $749) in late June, 2018.
Joel Williams also sold his Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR lens in like-new condition for $749 (was $949) in April 2018.
Pierre Williot sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition for a very fair $848.00 in late June, 2018.
Top BAA used gear seller Jim Keener sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1349.00 the first day it was listed in late June.
Jim Keener sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark III body in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $999.00 (was $1149.00) in mid-June.
Jim Keener sold a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1099.00 in Early June.
Steve Traudt sold an Xtrahand Vest, the Khumbu model, size XL, in very good condition for the BAA record-low price of $179.
Jim Brennan sold a used Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens in good condition for $249.00 in late May.
Larry Padgett sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III body in excellent condition for $1160 soon after it was listed in late May.
Charlie Curry sold his Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens in mint condition for a BAA record-low price of $750.00 on the first day of listing in late May, 2018.
New Listings
Be sure to check out the two new listings in the main text of today’s blog post.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!
Via e-mail from Gary Meyer
Thanks for posting instructions on where to get the Nikon D850 quickly. Bedford shipped mine the same day. Wow, you sure got good connections!
Booking.Com
Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for there Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. 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 photographers 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.
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This image was created on the 2015 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime IPT with the tripod/Mongoose-mounted Canon 200-400mm f/L IS with Internal 1.4X teleconverter and and external 1.4X teleconverter as well (at 784mm) with the EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering minus 2/3 stop: 1/60 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Image #1: Sally Lightfoot portrait |
Sally Lightfoot Crabs
With their bright colors, especially those brilliant sky blues, Sally Lightfoot Crabs are among my very favorite subjects in the Galapagos. I need a minimum of ten folks to run what may very well be my last trip to the bucket list of all archipelagos; two folks are already on board. If you are interested in joining me on the world’s best Galapagos photographic cruise, please shoot me an e-mail. Details here soon.
To learn more about Sally Lightfoot Crabs, click here.
Consider the EXIF …
As you read the image captions, do note the great range of focal lengths used to create images of the same subject. Note that the exposure compensations range from +1 to -2/3. And note that some of the images were made in Av mode and some in Manual mode. Along the way, be sure to ask yourself “Why?”
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This image was created on the 2015 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II lens (at 230mm) and the EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering plus one stop: 1/80 sec. at f/16 in Av mode. Image #2: Sally Lightfoot Crab/part of a carcass with legs on sand |
Image Questions
Why +1 EC? Why f/16?
Missing the Canon 100-400 II
The thing that I miss the most about leaving the Canon system behind is the remarkable close focus (.98 meters or 3.2 feet) of the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. I took advantage of this feature almost every day that I took the lens into the field, that being almost every day that I was in the field.
Canon EF Canon 100-400 L IS II USM Lens
I am offering a used Canon 100-400 L IS II in very good plus (almost excellent) condition and in perfect working order — I had to send it to Canon twice to restore smooth zooming — for $1399.00. The sale includes the original product box, the front and rear lens caps, the carrying case and strap, the manual, and insured ground shipping via UPS to US addresses. Your new lens will not ship until your check clears.
Please get in touch with artie via e-mail or on his cell phone at 863-221-2372 (Eastern time). Please leave a message if no answer.
Y’all know how much I loved and now miss this amazingly versatile lens. I expect it to sell very quickly. artie
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This image was also created on the 2015 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II lens (at 312mm) and the EOS-7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering minus 2/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/6.3 in Av mode. Image #3: Sally Lightfoot Crab, juvenile |
Nikon Extension Tubes …
If you know of any off-brand extension tubes that work with the Nikon system while retaining Autofocus (AF) and metering (AE), please leave a comment below. The crab in the image above was only about 1 1/2 inches across the shell (at most). The magnification of the Canon 100-400 II is an amazing 0.31X. With the Nikon 80-400 VR the magnification is 0.2X; the minimum focusing distance is 5.74 feet, nearly double that of the Canon 100-400 II. Adding a Nikon-compatible 25mm extension tube to my 80-400 would allow me to focus a lot closer.
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This image was also created on the 2010 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime IPT. I used the tripod/Mongoose-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS II lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 50. The exposure was set to yield just a very few blinkies on a breaking wave: 1/30 sec. at f/9 in Av mode. Image #4: Sally Lightfoot Crab, wave blur |
The Canon 800mm
Checking out the EXIF for this image put a smile on my face as it brought back memories of the EF 800mm f/5.6L IS. I used this great lens as my workhorse telephoto for about five years, most often with the 1.4X teleconverter. A great number of images in The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100 were created with the EF 800. This e-book is available either on CD or via download.
Image Question
Why ISO 50?
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This image was created on the 2010 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime IPT with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens and the 2X II teleconverter (at 280mm) with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Image #5: Sally Lightfoot crab on seaweed |
Your Favorite?
Which of today’s featured images do you like best? Be sure to let us know why you made your choice.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens
Bill Wingfield is offering a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM lens in excellent to near-mint condition for $1049.00. The sale includes the zippered lens case, the front and rear lens caps, 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 Bill via e-mail or by phone at 1-843-729-6670 (Eastern time zone).
I owned and used this incredibly versatile lens for birds and wildlife and landscapes and Urbex for many years with both the 1.4X and the 2X teleconverters. It was great indoors for events like granddaughter Maya’s dance recitals. artie
Help Support the Blog
Please help support my 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.
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 :).
Hi, Artie. The wave-blur pone is by far my favorite of all these superb images. That is in part because I recently spent 10 days trying to get good images of those crabs, but I never got anything like your wave-blur image; and partly because it’s such a wonderful image. (By the way, my favorite image of my own also has the crab on a diagonal.) I also love the immatures, shiny black with light spots.
That is a typo above; I meant “wave-blur one.” IMage # 4.
#1 easily . I remember first seeing it on your laptop durning a lunch break in Socorro it blew me away then and still looks great on here but not to the level it did in person full screen.
Hey Arthur, +1 to compensate for the overcast light, f16 because you were pretty close. ISO 50 will give you the least amount of noise on those dark rocks and also allow a slower shutter speed without stopping down anymore. Image #4 is my favorite love the sense of motion and how the crab is tucked back into the rocks.
great pictures as always thanks for sharing
Many tanks and YAW>
with love, artie
Nice pictures! Wow — Sally Lightfoot has 10 legs?
Thanks. Looks like two sets of five including the pincers.
with love, artie
Hi Artie,
Kenko DG Extension Tube works well. Yes they retain Autofocus and Metering. I have been using them from last couple of years with all my Nikon lenses and have no issues with the same.
Great and thanks.
a
Your image of the Sally Lightfoot in the waves was one of the major inspirations for my signing up for your Galapagos trip last summer. Needless to say, my fav of the bunch. I got mine and Nature’s Best thinks it’s good enough to be considered in the finals to be announced in September. Thanks for the inspiration.
Great news and good luck. As you likely know, mine was inspired by an Andy Rouse image.
with love, artie
Juan said he taught you how to get that image. I’m pretty sure he was teasing. He is a great leader. It’s tough to say that your next trip to the Galapagos will be your last but my prediction is that you will go again. Pleased to hear you have a golf club back in your hands.
Be good and as always appreciate your ongoing efforts on the Blog.
PS: We finally made the move to Tubac, south of Tuscon about 40 minutes. Unpacking will take us several days but after that I am eager to get out and explore for birding opportunities. If you have ever done any shooting down here, I would love to hear of any suggestions.
I believe the Kenco extension tubes have all the functions.
Thanks. Do you use them? Can anyone confirm that you get AF and AE?
with love, artie
Yes, I use them a lot with all of my Nikon gear and they still allow AF and AE. The only thing I sometimes have a problem with, is stacking up to three along with a 2x teleconverter to get extreme magnification. At that point, they start to bend, and unless you’re supporting all of this, the contacts may not connect at times. Obviously, you’re probably not going to stack together that many…
Thanks. At that point, we both need a macro lens 🙂
with love, artie
I’ll third the kenko extension tubes. They do maintain af and exposure, at least on Canon.
ISO 50 lets you get the shutter speed you want for motion blur while keeping the aperture open for DOF and minimization of diffraction.
Good. But you have left my most important reason for the low ISO off my list.
with love, artie
Hmm, only other things I can think of is so you don’t need an ND filter or for less noise. However, being a non-base ISO, I don’t know that you actually get less noise.
I like the first one, the Sally Lightfoot on a diagonal! Most pictures of Sally Lightfoot are the traditional head on images — like the last one.
Thanks Pat. Incorporating diagonals often adds interest to an image.
with love to you and Stokes, artie