Bedfords FE Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lenses in Stock!
Steve Elkins asked me to let y’all know that Bedfords has two Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lenses in stock and that one of them has your name on it. If you are ready to enter a whole new world, get in touch with him ASAP. You can visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592. See more below on how to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air FedEx shipping.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
What’s Up?
The IPT group had a great morning with lots of spoonbills flying right at us into an east wind and dozens of pelicans brining sticks to their nests. The big excitement occurred when I spotted an adult pelican with a red bill pouch. It must have followed me home from San Diego. Captain Froggie (AKA James Shadle) had seen a few birds with some Pacific-race blood d in them at Alafia Banks over the decades. The afternoon was unexpectedly terrible.
Though I like both of yesterday’s featured images, my favorite was Image #1 created in the soft pre-sunrise light. Why? The light was magical, the background color sublime, there were no shadows — and the bird’s eye, nailed by Sony’s Bird Face/Eye Detection AF/C — was super-sharp.
Today is Thursday 16 February 2023. The forecast for Alafia Banks is for partly cloudy skies with a breeze from the southeast. All in all, pretty good. This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes three hundred twenty-four days in a row with a new educational post written just for you. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Please, please, pretty please remember to use m B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases. If you use B&H, please be sure to click on any B&H link in the blog to start your search. Or simply start with this link. There is always the option of e-mailing me for gear advice and for the correct links.
The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then posting every other day.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) 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 who, like me, 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 when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so, works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
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, 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 earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Induro GIT 304L Tripod
Price reduced $50.00 on 16 FEB 2023
Out of production for more than two years, BAA sold its last one in December. The good news? We have two more new-in-the-box tripods. They are now available for only $649.00 (were $699.00). The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now by clicking here to avoid being disappointed.
Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex 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 check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists 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 a 1, 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.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
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. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
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This image was created by Mike De Rosa on 15 February 2023 on a 1 1/2-day Spoonbill IPT. We were at Alafia Banks in Tampa Bay aboard James Shadle’s customized pontoon boat, the Hooptie Deux. Mike used the held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:39:54am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Zone with Bird Face/Eye Detection AF/C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Brown Pelican in flight
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Mike De Rosa
Michael De Rosa, of Italian and Puerto Rican Heritage, was born in Spanish Harlem in NYC. He is eighty years old. He was a chemistry teacher in the USA and Venezuela for forty-six years and retired as a Professor Emeritus at Penn State Brandywine. Two years ago, he e-mailed me stating that he was befuddled by his Sony a1. I convinced him that he could become a much better bird photographer by attending a Jacksonville IPT after purchasing a Sony 200-600 lens. I was so sure that I could help him that I purchased a brand new 200-600 to loan to him at JAX. He bought the lens from me and continues to improve his bird photography skills while attending several IPTs.
You can read more about Mike and see some of his JAX images in the blog post here. Or take a peek at his great juvie Little Blue Heron taking flight in the blog post here.
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This image was also created by Mike De Rosa on 15 February 2023 on a 1-1/2 day Spoonbill IPT. We were at Alafia Banks in Tampa Bay aboard James Shadle’s customized pontoon boat, the Hooptie Deux. Mike used the held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 419mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1250. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:42:54am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Zone with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Roseate Spoonbill in flight
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Zooming or Not Zooming
Kudos to Mike here for zooming from 600mm out to 419mm as the bird flew right by the right side of the boat. With most systems, zooming in or out while creating a burst of images will destroy the autofocus accuracy. But not with Sony. With its internal zoom mechanism, the Sony 200-600 does not change in length when you zoom in or out. This is a huge advantage over lenses that do as it makes the lens much easier to use. Zooming in or out with this lens is fast and smooth (unlike with the Sony 100-400 or the Canon RF 100-500, both of which feature clunky zooming and get shorter of longer as you struggle to zoom in or out. Sorry, Charlie — those are the facts.
The Sony 200-600
As I have been illustrating here for more than two years, the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens can server as great auxiliary lens for those who own either a 400 f/2.8 or a 600mm f/4, or a workhorse lens for those who cannot afford big glass. It is relatively light, versatile, and deadly on birds. In addition, it does well on static subjects with the 1.4X TC. Change your life: go Sony!
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This image was also created by Mike De Rosa on 15 February 2023 on a 1-1/2 day Spoonbill IPT. We were at Alafia Banks in Tampa Bay aboard James Shadle’s customized pontoon boat, the Hooptie Deux. Mike used the held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:54:004am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Zone with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Roseate Spoonbill in flight
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Staying on the Boat
For the first time, everyone stayed on the boat for the first two hours to take advantage of the wind and the spoonbills’ flight pattern. We had many chances with birds flying with at us. And with the wind directly behind us, the boat was amazingly stable. I generally do not like images of birds flying at more than 35 degrees of elevation. This one is right at that limit, but the perfect wings up pose with the near underwing perfectly lit made it a winner in my book.
Speaking of wing position, we spent a solid hour reviewing images during brunch with the prime topic being the fine points of flight poses, wing position, and the importance of sun angle in flight photography. That after long-ago Homer IPT veteran Gary Chappel asked, “How do you pick the best image out of many hundreds of sharp flight shots?”
Your Call?
Which of Mike’s images is the strongest? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.
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Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action. Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points! |
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. By June 1, 2022, the group was up to an astounding 131 lucky and blessed folks. (More than a few folks own two or more a1 bodies!) Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that everyone in the group receives an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. Your entry into the group includes a consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE. New a1 folks will now receive six e-mails instead of the previous 28! You will receive new e-mails as they are published. Simply put, this e-mail guide is an incredible resource for anyone with an a1.
All who purchased their Alpha 1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link — B&H or Bedfords — will receive a free Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up Guide and free entry into the Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.). Others can purchase their guide here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
All three images Brown Pelican in flight and Roseate Spoonbill in flight are good and cute and interesting!
All are wonderful images. My favorite is #2 with the bird so beautifully lit and separated from the background, which adds lovely, subtle texture as well as a sense of place. But #3 is also gorgeous with the beautiful feathers against the blue sky.
Glad that the IPT is going well and kudos to Mike for making satisfying captures. On my monitor, the photos, especially the first couple appear a tad over-sharpened.
I like the two images of flying spoonbills. I think I would have cropped them a bit tighter, especially image 3.
In my opinion, image #2 is the strongest. The light is spectacular.