Short and Sweet. And Advice On Selling Used Canon Gear

What’s Up?

I did well on my flights home. Door to door the journey took 25 hours as we left the hotel at 7am Alaska time and arrived at ILE at exactly 12 noon on Monday. I was able to sleep about 3 1/2 hours on the Seattle to Atlanta leg and another 45 minutes on the flight to Orlando. With last-minute aircraft and gate changes in ATL, one of my two checked bags did not make my Delta flight to MCO. It was delivered to my home at about 8pm the same day. I got into the pool on Monday afternoon and did a slow and chilly half-mile. And I slept well in my own bed on Monday and Tuesday nights. On Tuesday, I got a ton of work done on the Sony Camera e-Guide and Camera User’s Videos project. After eating too well and too much in Homer, I had gained 1 1/2 pounds. Today is Wednesday 11 MAR 2020 and I will continue working on the SONY e-Guide.

From Fred Innamorato via e-mail

Hi Artie,

I want to thank you for making the Sony e-Guide and videos available and for the work you put into the blog as well as for your books that teach us how to photograph birds and also for your camera User’s Guides. There is just no possible way I would have been able to get my Sony a9 ii camera settings so technically correct for doing birds in flight on my own without this guide. in my opinion, Sony should pay you for taking on the task of educating their customers. Sony has created an amazing camera but they fail to explain to their customers how to take full advantage of it. I appreciate that you know and have access to some very competent people with the technical backgrounds to assist you in your field experimentation to come up with the best and most practical and useful Menu Settings for bird photography. We all will benefit from your unique ability to pull this together. I am especially happy with your instructions on how to use the Zebra Settings for getting proper exposures. I really can’t thank you enough Artie for making my bird photography hobby so much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. My photography brings me great satisfaction. Sharing quality photographs with my family and friends has generated lots of interest in my hobby and why I do it. Life is good!

I highly recommend the purchase of your Sony e-Guide and Video(s). This information is just not available anywhere else. Even from Sony …

Fred Innamorato

The Sony Camera Videos and Pre-publication e-Guide Costs and Discount Info

The cost of the SONY e-Guide is $100.00 US and will include one of the camera set-up videos — we offer one video each for the a7r iii, the a7r iv, the a9, and the a9 ii — and the written guide with the galleries. The guide is now 98% done and you will — of course, receive the final version when it is completed. I sent out the third draft today to those who have purchased the Guide with or without the discount.

Folks who have used my B&H links or purchased their SONY gear from Bedfords will receive said discount based exactly on how much they spent. If you spent more than $10,000 you will receive one free video and the e-Guide. Additional camera videos are $25.00 each. If you spent $2400, you will receive a 24% discount, and so on and so forth. And again, additional camera videos will be $25.00 each.

I will need time to verify your B&H purchases so folks will need to send their receipts and then be a bit patient. It is much easier to verify Bedfords’ purchases but I need those receipts as well.

If you have not used BAA links, please do so in the future. If that is the case and you would like the e-Guide now, please send a Paypal for $100 US to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words “SONY Pre-publication Guide” in the Paypal e-mail along with the name of your camera or cameras so that you can receive the correct video or videos. Please add $25 for each additional camera video. Be sure to send a copy of the Paypal transaction to me via e-mail.

Folks who have used BAA links to purchase their SONY gear should send their receipts to me via e-mail asap and let me know which camera videos they need. I will verify their purchases as quickly as possible and send a quote to be paid via Paypal as above.

Thanks to all who have properly used my B&H links or gone through the fabulous Steve Elkins at Bedfords, and thanks to everyone for having faith in the information that I provide, knowing that it will be the best available anywhere.

Another SONY 600 GM Available

Steve Elkins asked me to let everyone know that he has a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens in stock right now with your name on it. His contact info is below. Grab the 600 GM right now and you earn a free copy of the new Sony e-Guide and Video.

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.

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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

On Selling Used Canon Gear

Craig Elson recently enlisted my help in selling his Canon gear while in the process of switching to SONY. I was glad to learn of the recent sales of his Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $5496.00 (was $5,996.00), a Canon 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for $5001.00 (was $5,299.00), a Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4X Extender in very good condition for a BAA record-low-by-far price of $4750.00 (was $5,699.00), and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with 14,004 actuations in excellent plus condition for $3,000.00 (was $3,299.00), all in late FEB/early MAR 2020.

Over a period of three-weeks, Craig sold the following items: a Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens, the Canon 500mm f/4L IS II lens, the Canon 200-400mm f/4 L IS with Internal Extender lens, a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II dSLR, his Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO II lens, the Canon 300mm f/4 L IS lens, a Canon Extender 1.4X III, a Canon Extender 2X III, a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, and a Canon EOS 7D Mark II. These items were originally listed for $26,938.00. After reducing the prices on all of the higher-ticket items, the entire gear bag brought in $25,488.00. He sent us a commission check for $1,346.90. That left him with $24,141.10 in his pocket. The B&H offer for the entire lot was $17,540.00. And my understanding is that when they get your stuff they almost always downgrade the condition and reduce their offer. IAC, Craig wound up with $6,601.10 (less a few hundred for his shipping costs) more in his pocket than if he would have garnered if he sold the stuff to B&H …

The Moral of the Story

The moral of the story for folks selling used Canon gear in the present market is that they should price it to sell asap because the prices are only going one way: down.

Big Price Reductions

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

Brand-new-in-the box/Incredible Low Price!
$600.00 Price Drop: 10 MAR 2020

Anthony Sakal is offering a brand-new-in-the-box Canon EOS-1D X Mark II body for an incredibly low price of $3099.00 (was $3,699.00). The camera is still in the unopened box along with everything that comes with a new camera. Why? Because it is brand-new! The sale includes 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.

Please contact Anthony via e-mail or by phone at at 1-516 902-6997) (Eastern time zone).

The EOS-1DX Mark II is Canon’s flagship professional camera body. I made many fine images with mine. It is rugged and fast and features Canon’s best AF system. The 1DX II sells new for $5499.00 so you can save a very cool $2,400.00 by grabbing Anthony’s new-in-the-box camera body. artie

Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4X Extender with Extras!

$1000.00 Price Drop on 11 MAR 2020!

Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master is offering a Canon 200-400 f/4L IS USM lens with internal 1.4X Extender in excellent condition for $4,999.00 (was $5999.00). The lens has very minor nicks and other blemishes on the finish and the lens foot. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the front lens cover, an Aquatech SoftCap, a Realtree Max4 LensCoat, an Arca-Swiss lens plate, the lens strap, the lens trunk, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Photos are available upon request. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Larry via e-mail or by phone at 1-518-645-1545 (Eastern time zone).

This is the world’s best lens for a trip to Africa. It kills also in the Galapagos and in South Georgia, the Falklands, and Antarctica. And I used mine a lot at Bosque and other dusty places where the built-in TC helps to keep your sensor clean. And I love it in the Palouse for its versatility. At one point, I found myself wishing that I had taken the 200-400 rather than my 500 II on the Bear Boat Cubs IPT. Many nature photographers use this lens as their workhorse telephoto as it offers 784mm at f/8 with an external 1.4X TC added. The lens sells new at B&H right now for $10,999; can save an amazing $6000.00 by grabbing Larry’s excellent lens along with all the great extras right now. artie