Your Calls
Autofocus-wise, which of today’s six featured images do you think is the most amazing? Separate question: which is your favorite image? Why? for both.
What’s Up?
Bob Eastman and I are having fun every day at Sebastian Inlet. On Thursday afternoon we spent lots of time with the very cooperative white morph Reddish Egret along with Wood Storks and a variety of other wading birds. It drizzled on Friday morning so we spent a productive 45 minutes working a flock of about 800 Sanderlings as the flew in formation over the waves, alternating turning to show us their white bellies and an instant later, their flashing white wing stripes. Oh, to be a shorebird.
In the last blog post here, I too loved Bob’s Snowy Egret. But I would not trade it for my Osprey trying to lift off — Image #2. Did you not notice the fish???
Today is Saturday 2 November 2024. We will be headed back to Sebastian early again. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, we hope that you too choose to have a wondrous day.
Be sure to click on each image to enlarge is and check out the amazing autofocus capabilities of the Sony a9 iii, 120 frames per second with 0.5 second pre-capture. Be sure also to check out Karen McCormick’s like new a9 iii below.
Please remember to use the B&H 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!
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.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.
Sony a-9 iii Mirrorless Camera Body
Used Gear Page regular Karen McCormick is offering a Sony a9iii Mirrorless camera in like-new condition for a ridiculously low $4,798.00. The sale includes the original product box, the body cap, the battery charger, one battery, the strap, 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.
Your purchase will also include my two a9 iii Set-up e-mails and any future updates.
Please contact Karen via e-mail.
I’ve loved my a9 iii so much for flight and action that I sold two of my a-1 bodies to purchase a second a9 iii. Working at 120fps gives you four times as many wing positions and flight poses as any other mirrorless camera body. Most every single image will be sharp on the eye. And the raw files can stand up to decent crops. A new one sells at B&H for $5,998.00. B&H does not have a single used one in stock. KEHs, is offering a like-new a9iii for $5823.00! If you have been thinking of an a9 iii, grab Karen’s a9 iii right now and save $1,200.00. artie
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This image was created on 8 March 2024 at Stick Marsh, Fellsmere, FL Seated on a two pillows, I used the hand held a href=”https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1746375-REG/sony_fe_300mm_f_2_8_gm.html/BI/6633/KBID/7226/kw/SO30028GM/DFF/d10-v2-t1-xSO30028GM” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1200: 1/3200 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:06:24am with some clouds in the low eastern sky. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Roseate Spoonbill braking to land |
Made for Stick Marsh
The Sony 300mm f/2.8 is perfect for the incoming spoonbills at Stick Marsh. And for pelican and Brandt’s Cormorant flight at La Jolla. And for the Bald Eagles at Homer. And as I am getting older every single day, I am loving and more often than not using this versatile lens bare or with either teleconverter as my go-to walk-around rig. As you will see with Images #2 and #3 below, the AF is ridiculous even with the 2X at f/5.6.
The a9 iii gave me four perfect frames of this incoming spoonbill, each razor sharp on the eye, and each with a significantly different wing position. Bob Eastman helped me pick this one out as my favorite.
The AirBnB that I rented for mid-late March/early April 2025 is close to being sold out. If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me there next spring, please get in touch via e-mail.
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This image was created on 31 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Walking on the pier, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:08:42am on a very cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Boat-tailed Grackle males chasing |
My Hand-holdable 600mm f/5.6 Rig With Science-fiction-like Autofocus
The Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera rig is superb for those who like to walk around without a tripod and concentrate on both flight & action and general bird photography.
Again, the incredible frame rate of the a9 iii produced four spectacular, almost identical frames. And again, East Bobman helped me select the cream of the crop.
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This image was created on 31 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on a pillow on the beach left of the pier, I used the hand held a href=”https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1746375-REG/sony_fe_300mm_f_2_8_gm.html/BI/6633/KBID/7226/kw/SO30028GM/DFF/d10-v2-t1-xSO30028GM” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:11:45am on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Black-bellied Whistling Duck braking to land |
Hand holding Forever
The 300 f/2.8 is so small and light that most folks can hand hold it comfortably for hours on end. And that includes me at age 78 with a bum right shoulder. In our first three days at Sebastian I used the 300 most often with the 1.4X TC more than 50% of the time. With the dark skies this morning I went to the 400mm f/2.8. Hand held. Also with ease.
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This image was created on 8 October 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Walking on the pier, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 420mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 5000: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be 1/6 stop short of perfect. AWB at 9:10:22am on a cloudy morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #4: Boat-tailed Grackle female taking flight |
Pre-Capture on This One!
There is no doubt about it, setting and using 0.5 second pre-capture was 100% responsible for creating this image. Humans, especially old ones with slow reflexes, are just not quick enough to press the shutter button soon enough to catch liftoff. I have Pre-capture on My Menu so that I can turn it on when shooting flight and action. As long as you are actively focusing, the camera will save the 30 images prior to your pressing the shutter button (belatedly!)
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Those who did not use my link to purchase their Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens, can order their a copy here for $209.93. Click on the image to enlarge and to be able to read the fine print. |
The BAA Sony 300mm f/2.8 Lens Guide
Impressed by my Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images? Use either my Bedfords or B&H affiliate link to purchase your Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and shoot me your receipt via e-mail and request a copy of the first-ever BAA Lens Guide. I thought that it would take only minutes to create this guide, but I was dead wrong. In the process of creating it, I learned a ton about the lens. And even better, I discovered a simple yet potentially fatal flaw that was resulting in sporadically unsharp flight images. The set-up fix is simple. Just be sure to use one of my affiliate links and get the guide for free.
If not, you can purchase a copy here for $209.93. Yes, it never hurts to use my links and it never costs you one penny more. And if you contact me via e-mail before you make a major purchase, I can often save you some money.
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This image was created on 15 October 2024. Working from the front seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2000. 1/1000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:48:52am early on a sunny morning. Tracking: (upper left) Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Red-shouldered Hawk adult on The Perch II |
a9 iii Raw File Color Tip
Huge thanks to Anita North, currently on in the middle of a six-month African safari to multiple countries by herself!. On a rare phone call recently, I mentioned that I was less than thrilled with the somewhat boring color of most a9 iii raw files. She told me to set Adobe Vivid as the Color Profile during the raw conversion in Adobe Camera Raw. Wow! The results are gorgeous. For this one I actually decreased the Vibrance a bit before hitting “Open.”
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This image was created on 28 October 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 185mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500: 1/2000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:13:10am on a then very cloudy morning. Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #6: Sandhill Crane adult throwing dried grasses |
Cranes Getting Frisky
Before Bob and I headed to Sebastian Inlet, the cranes were beginning their courtship behaviors. Those the grass tossing that almost always results in jumping, dancing, bowing, and running. I’d expect to have a few chances on copulating cranes when we get back to ILE.
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BIRDS AS ART SONY A9 iii Images |
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I did sell two of my three a1 bodies.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up), a Buttons and Dials Guide, and an a9 iii Info Sheet.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
The two male grackles chasing each other is my choice both in terms of auto-focus and the one I like the best. I loved the way you captured the wings of the bird in front — spectacular! And I loved the fact that the capture included two birds in very sharp focus.