Blower Brush Sensor Cleaning Tip & New Used Photo Gear Listings

The Streak Continues: 285

This blog was published just before 7:00am from my home in Indian Lake Estates, FL. Yesterday I enjoyed another long, easy swim of just under a mile and another short nap. I spent another four solid hours working on the DPP 4.0 RAW Conversion eGuide, learning a ton as I go. This post, which took me about 4 hours to prepare, makes 285 in a row. 365 is well within sight….

As always, I would appreciate your using the BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases, using our Amazon logo-link for all of your household purchases, and visiting the BAA Online Store for your tripod, tripod head, LensCoat, miscellaneous, accessories, and eGuide purchases as well. Please remember, web orders only. 🙂

You can find the following items in the Store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Purchasing the items listed above from B&H actually hurts us :). Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and visiting the BAA Online store as well.

Great Used Photography Gear for Sale News

Mike Gotthelf’s 800mm f/5.6L IS and Walt Anderson’s EOS-1D Mark IV both sold this week. See more on selling your used photo gear through BAA below.

This image was created on the pool deck just outside my office door with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (tripod-mounted at 90mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/125 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the top of the camera and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Jim Litzenberg.

Blower Brush Sensor Cleaning Tip Before Position

A powerful blower brush like the Giottos Rocket-Air Super Blower Brush that we carry (in the BAA Online Store) and that I use on a regular basis can often be used to remove loose visible dust from the sensor. You are always better off removing as much dust as possible with a blower brush than you are having to use your Lens Pen Mini Pro. Most visible dust can by eliminated with a good blower brush and good technique. Note: small blower brushes that are 4-5 inches long are not powerful enough to be effective. My Delkin Sensor Scope is an integral part of my sensor cleaning ritual; it allows me to see all but the microscopic dust on the sensors of my two 1D-X and my just-repaired 5D Mark III camera bodies.

Once you have raised the mirror, steady the camera by holding gripping it as you normally would and firmly pressing the left side of the body firmly against the lower part of your sternum (as in the image above). Note: with perfect technique the camera will be facing straight down, with the camera body pretty much parallel to the floor. Now insert the tip of the blower brush well into the mirror box being careful not to touch anything. You are now good to go.

Giottos Rocket-Air SuperBlower Brush

After last week’s onslaught of Lens Pen Mini Pro orders, the Giottos Rocket-Air SuperBlower Brush are currently out of stock. We expect a large shipment very soon. To beat the coming $2.00 price increase, order yours now here. Once we take delivery we will fill all orders and then raise the price.

This image was also created on the pool deck just outside my office door with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (tripod-mounted at 90mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/15 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the top of the camera and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Jim Litzenberg. It took us a few tries to get the timing of the shutter release right to get the blurred effect that I was looking for. Jim did a great job. I brought the best blur into Photoshop, created a Quick Mask of my blurred hand, and accentuated the blur with a diagonal Filter > Blur > Motion Blur layer. As I learned in Denise Ippolito’s A Guide to Creative Filters and Effects.

The Blower Brush Sensor Cleaning Tip

Here is the tip that was taught to me by sensor cleaning expert Curt Fargo on last year’s Bosque del Apache Canon Destination Workshop (led by yours truly). Rather than simply holding the tip of the blower brush near the exposed sensor and squeezing the bulb firmly and repeatedly, perfect technique involves squeezing the bulb forcefully while violently pulling the blower brush down and away from the sensor. This action–it takes a bit of practice for some folks to get it down pat, actually sucks the dust off the sensor and out of the mirror box. That is much better option than simply blowing the dust around on the sensor…. I will usually execute this action 3-4 times before examining the sensor again with my sensor scope. Repeat as needed.

If, after several attempts, there is still a particle or two of visible dust stuck to the sensor (actually to the anti-aliasing filter that protects the sensor), then and only then do I go to my Lens Pen Mini Pro. You can learn more about the return of the Lens Pen by clicking here and scrolling down.

Please note that the purchase of a Lens Pen Mini Pro or one of our two Sensor Cleaning Bundles includes a detailed sensor cleaning tutorial that is sent via e-mail. You will learn to safely clean your camera’s sensor just as I have done thousands of times for the last decade.

First-ever BIRDS AS ART In-the-Field/Meetup Workshop Session (ITF/MWS): $50

Join me on the afternoon of October 10, 2014 for 3-hours of photographic instruction at Fort DeSoto Park. Beginners are welcome. Lenses of 300mm or longer are recommended but even those with 70-200s should get to make some nice images. Teleconverters are always a plus. Scroll down here for complete info.

Fort DeSoto Fall IPT/October 11-13, 2014. 3 FULL DAYs: $1099. Limit 8.

Tame shorebirds, herons, egrets, night-herons, terns and gulls plus tons of great instruction. Scroll down here for complete info. With one registrant, this trip is now a go. Join us.

Important Bosque Festival of the Cranes Event Registration Notice

Registration for all Festival of the Cranes workshops, seminars and programs is open. Please click here and read carefully to avoid missing out on several wonderful and inexpensive educational opportunities. Please do not tarry as we expect all of the BAA/A Creative Adventure sessions to sell out quickly, especially the early morning In-the-Field Workshops. You can click http://www.festivalofthecranes.com“>here to register.

There is still lots of room in the seminar and the free program. With just a single opening the Thursday In-the-Field Workshop (ITF-W) is almost sold out. Friday and Sunday are close to a sell-out. Somewhat inexplicably Saturday has only 2 folks signed up…. The seminar and the ITF-Workshops represent a chance to learn a ton cheap.

2015 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT): FEB 1 thru the morning of FEB 5, 2015: $1799 (Limit: 8/Openings: 4)

Meet and Greet after dinner on your own at 7:00pm on JAN 31

Just 4 slots left on this great IPT. Old friend, oft-published, and skilled hawk-in-flight photographer Ned Harris will be joining us.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20% plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few months, we have sold just about everything in sight.

Used Gear Caution

Though I am not in a position to post images of gear for sale here or elsewhere, prospective buyers are encouraged to request for photos of the gear that they are interested in purchasing via e-mail. Doing so will help to avoid any misunderstandings as to the condition of the gear.

New Listings

Used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS Lens

This Lens Sold in Two Hours!

BAA friend and multiple IPT veteran Brent Bridges is offering a used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS lens in very good to excellent condition for $4900. The sale includes: the original lens trunk, the lens hood, carrying case, the front lens cover, the rear dust cap, the lens instructions, the original Canon USA Warranty Card, the original foot, a Mongoose 3.6-compatible low foot, a LensCoat, and insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears.

Please contact Brent via e-mail or by phone at 1-770-565-5012.

The 500 f/4s have long been the world’s most popular super-telephotos for folks who photograph birds and wildlife. Brent recently upgraded to the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM /Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM combo.

Used Canon EF 1.4XII and 2XII Teleconverters

BAA friend and multiple IPT veteran Brent Bridges is also offering, no, actually he is practically giving away a used Canon EF 1.4XII Teleconverter and a used 2XII Teleconverter, both in excellent condition with original box for $100 each. Nuf said. The sale includes both the front and rear dust caps and insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears.

Please contact Brent via e-mail or by phone at 1-770-565-5012.

The 1.4XII TC is optically identical to the 1.4X III TC. The 2X II TC is slightly less sharp in the corners than the 2X III TC. I used both my 1.4X II and my 2X II TCs for years to produce hundreds of professionally sharp, saleable images.

Used Gitzo GT3450XLS 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod

Erik Hagstrom is offering a Gitzo GT3450XLS 6X carbon tripod (without adjustable center column as artie recommends) for $549. The tripod is in good condition, very clean with no major gouges or chips. There are as expected some normal use marks on the rubber feet. The sale includes a security plate, the fabric tripod sack, and the original box. Shipping terms: the buyer pays for shipping. Calculated at time of sale. Shipping weight is 6lbs. The tripod will ship in the original Gitzo box (6x6x29″).

Please contact Erik via e-mail or by phone at 1-206-999-1507 (9am – 5pm Pacific time).

The Gitzo GT3450XLS 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod is ideal for tall folks. It has been replaced by the virtually identical Gitzo GT3542XLS Tripod that sells new for $999.

Existing Listings

Used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS Lens

Bruce Boswell is offering a used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS lens in very good condition for $999 plus insured shipping via UPS Ground to US Continental addresses only. The tripod and zoom rings have a few minor blemishes. The sale includes: the original case, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, and the lens manual. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears.

Please contact Bruce via e-mail or by phone at (309) 451-1506 or (309) 530-8493 (cell) (Central).

The 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. I’ve sold 100s of images made with a 1-4 and denise loved hers for many years forsaking it only recently for the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. Bruce’s 100-400 is priced to sell.

Used Canon 300mm f/4L IS USM Lens

Chris Callahan is offering a used Canon 300mm f/4L IS USM Lens in good to very good condition for $900. There is some wear on the finish. The sale includes the heavy duty fabric carrying case that is moderately worn, the tripod ring (tripod collar), and the rear cap. The seller will pay insured UPS shipping within continental US. The lens will ship after the check clears.

Please contact Chris via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-516-7155 (eastern time).

The Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens is still in production; it sells for $1449 new from B&H; buy Chris’s lens today and save $549! I have long recommended this lens as the best Canon bird photography starter lens, a clear choice over my old “toy lens,” the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L. Why? It is faster at f/4. It has IS. And it autofocuses with a 7D (or other pro-sumer body) and a 1.4X teleconverter. The 300 f/4 L IS offers a minimum focusing distance of only 1.5 meters (less than 5 feet). This makes it a great lens for for frogs, butterflies, medium-sized and large flowers, and large insects like dragonflies. It is a great flight lens either alone or with the 1.4X TC. It is deadly sharp and great on a tripod with the Mongoose M3.6.

Used Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Michael Zajac is offering a Canon EOS-1D Mark III professional digital camera body in Excellent condition for $1250. The sale includes the battery charger, one battery, the original paperwork, the camera strap, the original box, and shipping to the continental US.

Please contact Michael via e-mail or by phone at 732-979 -6644. Photos are available upon request.

Some EOS-1D Mark III bodies originally had AF problems. Michael’s did not. I have seen his great flight images made with this camera. This body features a 1.3X crop factor sensor and is a great step-up for someone who wants to take a big step up from a 7D. It’s powerful battery drives AF much faster than the pro-sumer bodies especially with either a 1.4X or 2X teleconverter in place.

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