Canon R5 (Sump) Scores in the Right Hands!

What’s Up?

Well, there were a zillion Royal Tern chicks of all ages out on the beach on the first afternoon of the JAX IPT. But classic wind against sun conditions — clear skies with a 15 knot wind from the southeast — made photography just about impossible. With an east wind scheduled for this morning, we are looking forward to several hours of outstanding shooting.

Today is Thursday 15 July 2021. Wish us luck! Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, We hope that you too have a great day.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks like me, who spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And it works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

This blog post took less than an hour to prepare and makes 200 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords and is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.

Please Remember

With income from IPTs now close to 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, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

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 second-day air 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 to 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.

Brian Sump created this image on July 3 in Denver, Colorado with the handheld Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, the Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, and the highly-touted Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera body. ISO 1250. Exposure determined by test exposure & histogram and blinkies evaluation: 1/3200 sec. at f/10. AWB at about 7:00am on a sunny afternoon. Face Detection plus Tracking AI Servo AF performed perfectly. Image #1: Spotted Sandpiper in breeding plumage on mullein Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Brian Sump Photography.

Spotty on a Stick!

I came across this wonderful image in the Avian Gallery on BPN. You can see what others thought of this image by clicking here where Brian wrote, I was blessed to view a couple Spotted Sandpipers near their breeding area (nest) when this one popped up on a Mullein stalk to peer over the reeds, unannounced. It was quite a neat interaction as they traditionally stick to the ground near the water.

Interesting to Note

It is interesting to note that Brian does not hesitate to raise the ISO for a bit of extra depth-of-field (as in Image #1) or for a bit of extra shutter speed (as in Image #2).

Brian Sump created this image on June 2 with the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 324mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined via test image and blinkies evaluation: 1/5000 sec. at f/7.1 (wide open) in Manual (M) mode. AWB at abut 4pm on a sunny afternoon. Face Detection plus Tracking AI Servo AF performed perfectly (as detailed in the R5 e-Guide) was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Brian Sump Photography Image #2: Least Tern banking in flight

Winner, Winner

As above, I came across this wonderful image in the Avian Gallery on BPN. I love the pose and that the bird seems to be glowing, lit from below by light reflected off the white sand beach. This image was cropped from a vertical original; with the R5’s stunning 45MP CR.3 raw files, image quality is maintained. You can see what others though of this image by clicking here. In his post, Brian wrote:

A Least Tern in Colorado?? ….. not very often.

This one was actually taken in Mexico. My wife and I rented a Jeep and drove to the east shoreline on Cozumel. As we cruised down the coast to the south, I noticed a flock of smaller white terns. She was gracious enough to let me pull over and shoot for a bit. I believe there was a colony there so I stood on the shoulder of the road and watched them take off, bank at the horizon, and return to their nests. It was super-fun for me as I don’t get to shoot beach birds very often.

Hope you enjoy.

Thanks!

Huge thanks to Sump Scores for allowing me to share his images with you here today, and for using Bedfords and the BIRDSASART discount code to purchase his R5 and his (new) 100-500 RF.

Cover Image courtesy of and Copyright 2021 Brian Sump (Sump scores!) The BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide

The BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide: $75.00

The guide is 82 pages long: 21,458 words. More than 50 DPP 4 Autofocus-depicting screen captures. And a 31 minute 44 second educational video. This guide took three and a half months of hard work and a ton of help from at least seventeen very helpful and generous folks.

The guide covers — in great detail — all Menu Items that are relevant to bird, nature, and wildlife photography. It does not cover video. The section on AF methods and the AF Gallery has been expanded from the R5/R6 AF e-guide. It remains the one of the great strengths of this guide. I share my thoughts on what I am sure is the single best AF Method for photographing birds in flight. As most of you know, the guide includes a simple and easy way to change AF Methods that was introduced to me by Geoff Newhouse. In the AF Gallery you will see exactly how Face Detection plus Tracking AF works. In the Educational R5 Gallery video, I share my favorite R5 images along with dozens of bird photography tips and techniques.

In addition, I teach you how to get the best exposures with your R5. Detailed instructions on using the great In-camera HDR and Multiple Exposure features will be appreciated by creative folks who like to have fun. The three shutter modes are explained in detail as well. Bruce Dudek solved the can’t-get-to-Auto ISO problem that had stumped everyone at Canon. This information is of course shared in the guide. You will learn how to set up your EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) and Screen toggle options. Not to mention that the mysterious performance of the Q Button is revealed and simplified. Brian Sump’s images reveal how well you can do when using the R5 with EF lenses using one of the three Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapters (as Donna did with Image #1 below). You will learn how I use Customize Dials to put either ISO or EC on the Thumb Dial and how to set up and save Custom Shooting Modes (C1-C3) that can remember both your Customize Dial and Customize Button settings! That is something that none of the SONY bodies do. 🙁 Near the end of the guide I share my all-important MY MENU items with you.

Like all BAA educational materials, the R5 guide is written in my informal, easy-to-follow style. I am quite proud of this guide and look forward to hearing your thoughts on our hard work.

You can purchase your copy of the BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide for $75.00 here in the BAA Online Store or by calling Jim in the office weekday afternoons at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.