Two Amazing Items ... And My Finland Lekking IPT Gear Bag

What’s Up?

So, we get to the gate for the short flight to Kuusamo on a pretty good-sized Embrear jet. Anita North, who was at the gate early, gives us the bad news: we will need to gate check our Think Tank bags, not because they were too large for the overhead, but because they were all far too heavy. Mine was 44 1/2 pounds. The limit is 8kg, 17.6 pounds … Mike Gotthelf asked if he could board early with his camera gear and the gate agent said “Yes.” I asked Mike if he mentioned the weight of his rolling bag and somewhat sheepishly he answered, “No.”

So, following my own advice in the Air Travel With Big Lenses: Dealing With Puddle Jumpers blog post here, I approached the gate agent. “Good morning. We need your help. There are four of us traveling on holiday with lots of expensive camera gear. Our carry-ons are way above the legal weight limit. If we gate check the bags there is a chance that some or all of our gear might be badly damaged and if that happened our trip would be ruined. Some of the gear is quite expensive; the stuff in my bag alone costs close to $40,000 US.

He said, “I will take you for early boarding. I have spoken to the folks on board and they will see if they can get your photo gear in the closet (crew locker). “Wow, I said, that would be wonderful. Kiitos.”

Big smiles all around. He did what he said he would do and the flight crew was beyond helpful. More proof that the Universe is kind.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

Amazing Item #1

While working on the LensAlign Mark II/FocusTune Micro-adjusting tutorial before I left, I was having trouble producing really tight clusters working on the Mongoose with the Induro GIT 304L so I went to the Wimberley V2 head on the heavier duty Induro GIT 404L. I was able to lock down the Wimberley head much more securely than the Mongoose; play was greatly reduced so that it was much easier to keep the AF point right on the line on the skinny, vertical rectangular black and white target. I was able to produce much tighter clusters with the Wimberley than with my beloved Mongoose.

As we will be in blinds throughout the trip I brought both the Mongoose and the Wimberley head to Finland. As I do 98% of my photography in the field without locking down the tripod head, I will continue to use the Mongoose M3.6 as my main tripod head to enjoy its lighter weight. The Wimberley weighs in at 3 lbs. 3.5 ounces, the Mongoose M3.6 is 1 lb 9.2 ounces. That makes the Wimberley 1 lb 10.3 ounces heavier, just a bit more than twice as heavy as a Mongoose …

Amazing Item #2

I packed the following in my Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag:

600 II, 200-400 with internal 1.4X TC, 70-200mm f/4L IS, two 5D Mark IV bodies, one 1DX Mark II body, three 1.4X TCs, two 2X III TCs, three spare 5D IV batteries, and my Delkin flash card tote.

As I said, amazing. And only 44.5 pounds. I finished this blog post up in the Helsinki Airport where I am about to be forced to gate check my rolling bag for the flight to Kuusamo.

My Finland Lekking IPT Gear Bag: With One Surprising Omission …

What’s in the bag?

Two Canon 5D Mark IV Bodies

One of my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR bodies has a battery grip, the other does not. The one with the grip will serve as my primary body, the other as a back up. The 5D Mark IV offers large, high quality image files with mind-boggling dynamic range and its full frame sensor offers complete wide and super wide angle coverage.

One Canon EOS-1DX Mark II Body

I decided at the last moment to take the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II in case we get lucky with dancing and fighting Ruffs when its faster frame rate will likely pay big dividends.

Weapon of Mass Destruction: Canon 600m f/4L IS II Lens

The Canon Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens will serve as my workhorse telephoto lens on this trip. Often with either the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III or the Canon Extender EF 2X III. When you need a fast lens with maximum reach, the 600 II is the way to go.

Mr. Versatile: Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender

Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender. I am bringing the 2-4 as my understanding is that in some of the blinds the grouse will be very close. Why not the amazing Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens that I love and use most every day? On this trip we will spend four nights sleeping in the blinds for at least part of the night. That means that we will be doing lots of low light photography in the early mornings. So the 1-stop faster 200-400 with Internal Extender was the obvious choice though it will — along with the 600 II — present some air travel challenges.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM Lens

I am taking the lightweight Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens and leaving the faster, heavier Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens at home. I have the tripod ring (extra purchase required) with me in case I need the lens for some scenics. The Wimberley P-20 plate is perfect for most intermediate telephoto lenses and works perfectly with all Arca-Swiss compatible tripod heads (and clamps).

I have three Canon Extenders EF 1.4X III and two Canon Extender EF 2X III in my Think Tank rolling bag. Teleconverters are an integral part of my approach to photography and I cannot afford to be without the ones I need due to accident or malfunction. All are micro-adjusted with each camera body/lens combo. That makes for a lot of work.

A while back I sold my 24-105 and purchased the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens but recently I sold the 24-70 II and got myself a new copy of the amazingly versatile Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens for several reasons:

1-it is image stabilized.
2-the 77mm filter size is much more convenient for me.
3-it is a perfect fit with the 11-24 and a pretty good fit with the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II lens. Note how perfectly the 70-200 meshes with the 200-400.

I have my beloved Mongoose M3.6 tripod head along for use with the 600 II, the 200-400, and the 70-200 f/4. Both big lenses are equipped with the CRX-5 Low Foot mounted so that the lens is centered right over the tripod. This prevents the lens torquing in the wind or when the tripod is set up slightly off kilter.

My Induro GIT 304L tripod is packed in one of my two checked bags. Those who are finally realizing that the Induro tripods are far superior to the more expensive Gitzo tripods are invited to contact me via e-mail; let me know how tall you are and I will let you know the perfect Induro tripod for you.

The Surprise Omission

My much loved Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens is completely counterfeited by the 200-400 with the internal TC. The latter gives me a stop more light and 784mm of full frame reach with an external TC added. That as compared to 560mm with the 1-4II and the 1.4X III TC.

Think Tank Rolling Bags

I will be using the larger of my two Think Tank rolling bags, the Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag. Everything above fit easily into my Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag on Saturday afternoon. It tipped the scales at 45 1/2 pounds for this trip; the legal limit for US flights is 40 pounds. Nearly all countries in the world give you slack as far as the 40 pounds goes on the way back to the US. As far as the extra 5 1/2 pounds, I have only been hassled for weight once in more than three decades of flying around the world. And never in Japan. I hope that I do not give myself a kine-ahora.

Please click on my Think Tank affiliate link here or on the Think Tank logo-link in the right column of each blog post page to earn a free gift when you purchase any Think Tank product.

Think Tank Urban Disguise Laptop Shoulder Bag

I love this amazing bag as it has tons of room and enables me to bring tons of extra stuff. If you are forced to gate check your roller you can get more than a few items in this bag, especially if you are not a diabetic.

Please click on my Think Tank affiliate link here or on the Think Tank logo-link in the right column of each blog post page to earn a free gift when you purchase any Think Tank product.

Delkin Flash Cards

As always, I will have a 128gb Delkin e-Film Pro Flash Card in each camera body so that I never have to change cards in the field thus reducing the risk of losing a card…. Please note the new lower prices here. I do have a few extra 32 and 64gb cards in a Delkin CF Memory Card Tote, mostly to protect against operator error.

Vested Interest Xtrahand Vest

Mu understanding is that John Storrie closed up shop … I have e-mailed him and report back on what I learn …

I use a custom-designed Vested Interest Xtrahand Magnum vest that John Storrie (of Vested Interest) knows as the BIRDS AS ART Big Lens Vest. It is based on their Magnum vest and then customized to fit my needs. In addition to carrying a ton of stuff comfortably in the field, it gives you a measure of protection should your roll aboard be gate-checked on a puddle jumper or on other flights.

If you do a search for “vest’ or “vested interest” on the blog it will take you to many mentions in both the blog and the Bulletins with lots of additional information. See especially here and here.

BIRDS AS ART May 13-14 Gatorland In-the Field Instructional Meet-Up Sessions

Join me in Kissimmee, FL for all or part of the weekend of May 13-14, 2017. We should get to photograph several species of nesting herons and egrets as well as Wood Stork, American Alligator (captive), and more. We should get to make lots of head portraits of all the bird species and to photograph chicks and fledged young. Learn to see, find, and make the shot in cluttered settings. Learn exposure and how to handle WHITEs. Learn fill flash and flash as main light. All of the birds are free and wild. These inexpensive sessions are designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to see you there.

May 13-14, 2017 Schedule

• Saturday May 13 Meet-up Morning (early entry): 7:30 till 10:30am: $99.
• Lunch and Image Review: $99.
• Saturday afternoon till closing (late stay): $99.
• Sunday May 14 Meet-up Morning, (early entry): 7:30 till 10am: $80.

Cheap Canon lens rentals available: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, or 200-400.

To pay for one or more sessions in full via credit card, call Jim or Jen in the office weekdays at 863-692-0906. You will be responsible for the cost of your Gatorland Photographer’s pass or passes. Please shoot me an e-mail with questions.

DeSoto in spring is rife with tame and attractive birds. From upper left clockwise to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph breeding plumage Reddish Egret displaying, breeding plumage Laughing Gull/front end vertical portrait, breeding plumage Laughing Gull with prey item, Laughing Gull on head of Brown Pelican, screaming Royal Tern in breeding plumage, Royal Terns/pre-copulatory stand, Laughing Gulls copulating, breeding plumage Laughing Gull/tight horizontal portrait, Sandwich Tern with fish, and a really rare one, White-rumped Sandpiper in breeding plumage, photographed at DeSoto in early May.

BIRDS AS ART May 20-21 Fort DeSoto In-the Field Instructional Meet-Up Sessions

Join me in Tierra Verde, FL for all or part of the weekend of May 20-21, 2017. 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. You will learn the basics of digital exposure and image design, autofocus basics, and how to get close to free and wild birds. We should get to photograph a variety of wading birds, shorebirds, terns, and gulls. These inexpensive sessions are designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.

May 20-21, 2017 Schedule

• Saturday May 20 Meet-up Morning: 6:30 till 10:00am: $99.
• Lunch and Image Review: $99.
• Saturday afternoon: 4pm till sunset: $99.
• Sunday May 21 Meet-up Morning, Meet-up Morning: 6:30 till 10:00am: $99.

Cheap Canon lens rentals available: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, or 200-400.

To pay for one or more sessions in full via credit card, call Jim or Jen in the office weekdays at 863-692-0906. You will be responsible for the cost of your Gatorland Photographer’s pass or passes. Please shoot me an e-mail with questions.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

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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 :).