What’s Up?
I am feeling a bit better each day. I still have a very long to-do list….
Selling Your Used 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. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the right side of the menu bar above.
After somewhat of a lull, things have been heating up on the Used Gear page recently.
- Kenton Rowe sold his Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS lens with Internal 1.4X Extender in early December for $9799.
- Brent Bridges sold his Canon 600 II for the full asking price, $9799,in early December 2015.
- David Bell sold his Canon 400mm f/5.6L lens yesterday for the full asking price, $699, on the day it was listed!
- Alan and Sara Levine sold their old 300 f/2.8L IS lens in early December for $3175.
- Two Canon 500mm f/4L IS lenses (two) were sold by Pat & Stokes Fishburne for $3799 each in late November, 2015.
- A Canon EOS-1D Mark IV Camera Body was sold by Alice Garland for $1350 in mid-November, 2015.
- Mike Ederegger sold his AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F/4 G ED VR II in excellent condition for $ 5199 right after it was listed.
- Alan and Sara Levine sold their old five, the Canon 500mm f/4 L IS for $4200 in late August, 2015.
New Listings
Canon 500mm f/4L IS II Lens
Good friend and multiple IPT veteran Michael Gotthelf is offering a near-mint Canon 500mm f/4L IS II lens for yet another BAA record-low price: $7799.00. The sale includes a LensCoat, the lens trunk, the leather front hood, the rear lens cap and strap, and insured shipping via either UPS or FED-EX Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mike by e-mail or by phone at 978-407-0679 (eastern time).
I have used various versions of the 500mm f/4 for more than two decades. They are the world’s most popular super-telephoto lenses. I owned the Series II 500 and regret selling it as the 600 II is so much heavier and bulkier…. With good sharpness techniques most folks should be able to learn to make razor sharp images with this lens and the 2X III TC. It is light enough so that many folks can hand hold it easily both for flight and general bird photography. artie
Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS II Zoom Lens with Internal 1.4X Extender
Good friend and IPT veteran George Golumbeski is offering a used Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS zoom lens with Internal 1.4X Extender in excellent plus to near-mint condition with several extras, for $9450.00. The sale includes all of the original items supplied by Canon including the lens trunk, the lens strap, the Canon E-145C Lens Cap (actually a lens hood made of tough synthetic fabric), the rear lens cap, the ET-120 Lens Hood, a 4th Generation Design CRX-5 replacement foot, the the original Canon foot and screws, a LensCoat (in digital camo), a Don Zeck front lens cover, and insured shipping via UPS Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact George via e-mail or by phone at 1-973 216 3832 (Eastern time zone).
The 200-400 is a killer lens when you are working with tame birds or large mammals; can you say the Galapagos, Africa, South Georgia and the rest of the great Southern Ocean locations, Florida, or La Jolla? I have owned and used this lens since its release. artie
Canon 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L IS Zoom Lens
Doug Rogers is offering a used Canon 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L IS zoom lens (the old 1-4) in excellent condition for yet another record-low price: $649. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps and insured shipping via UPS Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Doug via e-mail or by phone at 1-434-973-7634 or 1-434-409-8156 (Eastern time zone).
The old 100-400 was and is superb. I made hundreds of sale-able images with mine including the image used on the front cover of Scott Weidensaul’s “Return to Wild America”. Contrary to reports by the internet idiots the lens is–in competent hands–sharp at all focal lengths. It is extremely versatile and would make a great starter lens for those interested in bird, wildlife, and general nature photography. artie
Price Drops!
Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO Lens
Another Lowest-ever BAA Price!
Price Reduced $500 on DEC 7, 2015.
Good friend and multiple IPT veteran Michael Gotthelf is offering a used, super-sharp copy of the Canon 400 mm f/4 IS DO lens in excellent condition (with just a bit of paint wear), now for only $2750.00. The sale includes the lens trunk and key, the leather front lens cover, the rear lens cap and strap, and a RRS lens plate. The sale also includes insured shipping via either UPS or FED-EX Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mike by e-mail or by phone at 978-407-0679 (eastern time).
I used this lens for several years with great success, especially for birds in flight and while working from various type of water craft. In addition, it would make a great prime super-telephoto lens for folks with a 7D II. Gannets in Love was created with the 400 DO. You can see that one and 13 other killer images that I made with my old 400 DO here. The title of that blog post is “The Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO Lens: Fourteen Images that Prove that the Internet Experts are Idiots.” Mike’s lens is priced to sell. artie
Canon EF 70-200 2.8 L IS II USM Lens
Yet Another Lowest-ever BAA Price!
Price Reduced $150 on DEC 7, 2015.
Nigel Boon is offering a used Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM lens in Like-new condition (he has hardly used this lens), now for only $1599.00. The sale includes soft case, lens hood, tripod ring, a Wimberley P-20 plate (a $52 value that is perfect for this lens), the front and rear caps, all original packaging and box, and insured shipping via UPS Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.
Please contact Nigel by e-mail or by phone at 571 216 7465 (until 11pm EST).
The 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens is amazingly versatile. I have owned and used one for years and made zillions of great images with it. It works well with both the 1.4X II and the 2X III TCs, even with the 7D II! artie
Canon 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens
Yet Another Lowest-ever BAA Price!
Price Reduced $140 on DEC 7, 2015.
Nigel Boon is also offering a used Canon 85mm 1.2 L II USM lens in like-new condition, now for only $1459.00. The sale includes the front and rear caps, the lens hood, all original packaging and box, and insured shipping via UPS Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.
Please contact Nigel by e-mail or by phone at 571 216 7465 (until 11pm EST).
The EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens from Canon is a fast, short-medium telephoto lens that delivers superb optical performance. A maximum aperture of f/1.2 makes it the professional’s choice for shooting without flash in low light conditions. The large aperture also provides fine control over depth of field for compelling portrait photography. A floating optical system and high precision aspherical lens element reduce aberrations and contributes to excellent imaging performance even at the maximum aperture. Super Spectra lens coatings minimize reflections, reducing flare and ghosting. It sells new for $1899. B&H
Featured Item
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body
Friend and multiple IPT veteran Larry Master is offering a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body in excellent condition for $1399. The sale includes the original box, the camera manual, the front cap, all cables and CDs, and insured shipping by UPS Ground to US addresses only. Personal checks only; your camera will be shipped only after your check clears.
Interested folks may contact Larry on his cell phone at 518-645-1545 or via e-mail.
Two rugged 1D Mark IVs served as my workhorse professional bodies for several years. artie
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This image was created on one of my very favorite South Georgia landings, Fortuna Bay, with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. Center AF point (Manual selection)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected AF point fall between the right side of the bird’s beak and its right eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. South Georgia Pipit waiting in the snow to be fed |
Belligerent Little Bugger: Fledgling South Georgia Pipit
The near-threatened South Georgia Pipit is a rare passerine species that nests on South Georgia and small adjacent islands. It is the southernmost breeding songbird in the world. The major threat is the Norway brown rat that eats both its eggs and its chicks. The South Georgia Pipit Heritage Trust recently completed a five-year rat eradication project on South Georgia that was at least five times larger than any other rodent eradication area ever tackled worldwide. Results were quite excellent; the South Georgia government and the Heritage Trust believe that the eradication was 100% successful and will monitor the island for a second year to check for any sign of mice or rats.
If the operation was completely successful, the island could be rodent-free for the first time in more than 200 years. That is good news for the South Georgia Pipits and for other Tussock grass-nesting species such as South Georgia Pintail. The rats do not go after any penguin eggs or young but they are death on all the burrow nesting petrels and they may have had a negative impact on albatross as well. We expect everything from White-chinned Petrels on down to grow substantially in numbers. (Ted Cheeseman/personal comment.)
The Image
Cheesemans’ has a slew of great staff leaders on their Southern Ocean expeditions. I met Joe Kaplan several years ago on a CES voyage and we became fast friends. He is an expert birder, has tremendous enthusiasm for seabirds along with his running mate Dave Shoch, and is a skilled zodiac driver, one of my favorites. Joe found this fledgling pipit, searched me out, brought me to the area, found the bird for me, explained its behavior, and positioned me perfectly to get some good images without disturbing the bird.
How good does it get?
On five previous visits to South Georgia I had never gotten even a single lousy image of this rare species.
Fledgling songbirds often look belligerent because of their gapes which give them a thick-lipped look. No worries, they are shy and timid. Thanks a stack to Joe for his kindnesses over the years.
Why such a high shutter speed? The wind was howling. When I made this image I was just a bit more than a meter from the subject; the close focusing ability of the 100-400 II is simply amazing. I stand by my statement that it would be possible to do a Southern Ocean trip with only the new 1-4 and a 7D II. Along with a 1.4C III TC in your Xtrahand vest pocket….
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All images on the card were created on the 2015 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition. From top left clockwise to center: King Penguin resting on Snow, Fortuna Bay; Macaroni Penguin in snow, Cooper Island; Grey-headed Albatross, Elsehul; King Penguin neck abstract, Godthul; Northern Giant Petrel, Undine Harbor; adult Wandering Albatross, Prion Island; Elephant Seal, Undine Harbor; South Georgia Pipit fledgling/thanks Joe Kaplan! Fortuna Bay; high key King Penguins in snow, Fortuna Bay. Card design and all images copyright 2015: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART |
The Cheesemans’ 2016 OCT/NOV South Georgia/Falklands Expedition
If reading Saturday’s blog post here put a thought in your mind about joining the BIRDS AS ART group on the Cheesemans’ 2016 OCT/NOV South Georgia/Falklands Expedition, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Cheesemans’ Last South Georgia Expedition” cut and pasted into the Subject Line with any questions or if you wish to receive additional inspiration. This will surely be my last ship-based trip to the Southern Ocean as well.
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All of the images on this card were created in the Falklands on the 2014 Cheesemans’ Southern Oceans Expedition. From top left clockwise to center: Black-browed Albatross tending chick, Steeple Jason Island; Black-browed Albatross courting pair, New Island; the Black-browed Albatross colony at Steeple Jason Island; Black-browed Albatross landing, New Island; King Cormorant head portrait, New Island; hull detail/derelict minesweeper, New Island; Rockhopper Penguin head portrait in bright sun, New Island; Striated Caracara, Steeple Jason Island; Magellanic Snipe chick, Sea Lion Island. |
An Expedition Overview
Experience the vibrant spring of South Georgia, a true Antarctic wildlife paradise. Observe and photograph wildlife behaviors seldom seen beneath the towering, snow blanketed mountains that dominate the island’s landscape. Southern Elephant Seal bulls fight for breeding rights while females nurse young, overlook vast colonies of loafing King Penguins, watch Macaroni Penguins cavort in the snow, photograph handsome Gray-headed Albatrosses in flight or attending to their cliffside nests and awkward Wandering Albatrosses attempting first flight. The itinerary includes six landing days on South Georgia and three landing days in the Falklands to observe too cute Rockhopper Penguins, Magellanic Penguins standing watch at their nesting burrows, and more Black-browed Albatrosses than you could ever imagine. To commemorate Shackleton’s famous self-rescue crossing South Georgia, CES also offers an optional trek retracing his steps. With Cheesemans’ twenty years of experience in the Antarctic region, they commit to an in-depth exploration of one of the densest wildlife spectacles found anywhere in the world, and with only 100 passengers, they routinely give you the opportunity to completely immerse yourself on each landing.
Two of the scheduled Falklands’ landings, New Island and especially Steeple Jason Island, rival the best locations on South Georgia. Those will likely include Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay, Elsehul, Fortuna Bay, and either Cooper Island or Hercules Bay (for Macaroni Penguins).
Why Sign Up Through BIRDS AS ART?
If you have been thinking and dreaming of finally visiting South Georgia, this is the trip for you. There will likely never be another trip like this as the best outfit in the Southern Oceans business will not be returning after 2016…. Quit dreaming and act now. Though I will not be an expedition staff member on this trip, those who have traveled with me know that I cannot help but teach. And I will be doing a introductory photography program for the entire ship on our crossing to South Georgia. All who sign up via BAA will receive a free copy the new Southern Ocean Photography Guide (a $100 value) that I am currently working on. It will include pre-trip gear and clothing recommendations and a ton of info that you will find to be invaluable.
I will hold informal pre-landing briefings aboard ship so that when you land you know exactly what to expect and where to go. I will be available on the ship to review your images, answer your questions, and conduct informal over-the shoulder Photoshop sessions. And best of all, everyone who signs up under the auspices of BAA are invited to tag along with me on the landings where I will be glad to offer invaluable in-the-field advice. And the same goes for the shipboard birds in flight and marine mammal photographic sessions.
Again, if you would like to join me on what will truly be a once in a lifetime opportunity to a wondrous place, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Cheesemans’ Last South Georgia Expedition” cut and pasted into the Subject Line.
You can learn more about the trip here. If you sign up on your own be sure to mention that you would like to be part of the BAA Group. I’d be glad to answer any and all question via e-mail or by phone at 863-692-0906.
Important Notes
#1: If you fail to e-mail me as noted directly above, and register directly with CES you MUST let them know that you would like to be part of the BIRDS AS ART group.
#2: Joining the BIRDS AS ART group as above will not cost you one penny.
For additional details on the trip and the ship, see Saturday’s blog post here.
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack!
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right 🙂
