What’s Up?
Today is Thursday 17 December 2020. It is cloudy-dark here at 8:18am as I type. This blog post is almost done. When it is finished, I will get into the pool for an early 1/2 mile swim.
I will be heading over to DeSoto at about 11:30am and staying two nights. It is supposed to be cloudy with a NW wind this afternoon so I will be headed out. Friday (sunny) and Saturday (mostly sunny) mornings look great with north/northeast winds in the forecast. Right now I am client-less 🙂 If you’d like to change that, you can e-mail or call or shoot me a text at 1-863-221-2372.
Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instructional Sessions (Limit two)
As above, the weather is looking excellent (again) for this coming Friday and Saturday, If you would like to join me for one or two morning sessions (and possibly for a Friday afternoon session as well), please contact me via e-mail to learn the low rates or call or shoot me a text at 1-863-221-2372.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past ten months at the bottom of the page.
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR Lens
Lonnie Vance is offering a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 VR lens in like-new condition for a very low $475.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the original box, the lens hood, the lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Lonnie via email e-mail or on his mobile phone at 1-248-953-0695 (Central time zone). Please leave a message or send a text if there is no answer.
I loved my versatile, all purpose, don’t-leave-home-without-it, mid-range 24-120 zoom lens when I used Nikon. I felt it was much sharper than all versions of the Canon 24-105 lenses. And the VR allowed me to create sharp images handheld at silly-low shutter speeds like 1/8 second. This one sells new for $1,096.95 so you can save a very cool $621.95 by purchasing Lonnie’s lens. artie
SONY a7r iii Mirrorless Digital Camera Body(with SONY battery grip!)
Mansoor Assadi is offering a SONY a7r iii Mirrorless digital camera body in excellent condition for a very low $1198.00. The sale includes a Sony VG-C3EM Vertical Grip (a $348.00 value), only the original battery, the original box, the front body cap, the strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).
The 7r iii performed superbly as my workhorse camera body on the 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. The image files are superb and it was not bad at all for flight photography. As this body with the SONY grip sells new for $2,346.00, you can save a handsome $1,148.00 by grabbing Mansoor’s a7r iii (with the SONY grip!) right now. artie
SONY a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body
Mansoor Assadi is offering a SONY a9 Mirrorless digital camera body in like-new condition for a BAA record-low $2,297.00. The sale includes an off-brand (Green Extreme) battery grip, only the original battery, the original box, the front body cap, the strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).
I was sold on SONY five minutes after trying my SONY a9 on the Brandt’s Cormorants at La Jolla, CA. The AF system is identical to the AF system on the more expensive a9 ii which costs $4,498.00. The a9 ii body is about 1/8 inch thicker than the a9. If you do not have large hands, or if you like the feel of a smaller body, you will love the a9. And if you like the feel of $1,101.00 in your pocket — the a9 sells for $3,398.00 — get in touch with Mansoor ASAP. artie
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 40 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 21 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free overnight shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order o save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
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 at Fort DeSoto Park on 2 October 2020 with the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 690mm), and the blazingly fast AF king, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 2500. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1000 sec. at f/11 was confirmed as perfect by RawDigger. AWB at 9:11am on a cloudy morning. Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Great Blue Heron juvenile from directly below |
Looking Up at Herons and Egrets
Creating fun images like this is usually easy at Fort DeSoto, especially if you know where to find the right situation. Join me on Friday or Saturday and I will teach you the basics as far as perspective, exposure, AF, and aperture are concerned. Remember that I am conversant with all three major camera systems: SONY, Canon, and Nikon. Last week, Joe Usewicz and Carl Page had a ton of fun and learned more than they thought possible in just three hours.
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Be sure to click on the image to view it larger. Image #2A: Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the Great Blue Heron adult from below image at 100% |
Topaz DeNoise AI on the Great Blue Heron juvenile from directly below image
With this mega-exposed to the right image (thanks to Zebras and RawDigger) ISO 2500, there was not much noise to being with. Click on the screen capture to see what a good job that Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto did with non-destructively sharpening the feathers right above the bird’s eye.
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This image was created on 12 December 2020 at Fort DeSoto Park during a morning session with new friend Carl Page. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 400mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 500. Exposure determined by experience and luck and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/800 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:36am on a partly sunny morning. Face Detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection; the active AF point tracked and nailed the bird’s eye. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Great Blue Heron adult from below |
It Depends on the Wind and the Light
On sunny days, the wind determines whether you will be able to photograph the birds head from below with them looking right down the lens barrel or from the side. On cloudy days you have a lot more freedom when choosing your perspective as there is no need to stay on sun angle when there are no shadows.
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Be sure to click on the image to view it larger. Image #2A: Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the Great Blue Heron adult from below image at 100% |
Topaz DeNoise AI on the Great Blue Heron adult from below image
With this image, Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto has taken a pretty much perfect, nearly noise-free image and made it just a little bit cleaner and a little bit sharper. I run DeNoise on virtually every image that I process.
Typos
Feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :). with love, artie
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