What’s Up?
I now have everything I need for Macro Plan B Part II. I used the new rig to photograph wildflowers on the past two mornings but a good breeze made things challenging. Details soon. I will be headed out early today, Friday 24 JULY 2020. Thursday morning was my first photo-ride with the new SUV!
Please Remember
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so will not cost you a single penny and if you use Bedfords, you will save at least $50.00 on all orders greater than $1000.00. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and will be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
Wanted to Buy
If you are looking to sell a Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens, please get in touch with me via e-mail. I have a potential buyer.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Past Sales list at the bottom of the page.
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.
How to Carry a Long Lens On a Tripod. Or Not?
When walking long distances, I suggest that carrying your super-telephoto lens in one hand and your tripod in the other is best for long-term shoulder health. In this 15-minute video, I show you the best way to carry your tripod-mounted big lens on your shoulder while minimizing the damage to your shoulders.
We demonstrate the technique using the best tripod heads known to mankind.
You will also learn why I have been using and loving my super-sturdy, very tall Gitzo 404L more and more when I am working close to my vehicle …
As promised in the video, here are the weights of each of those heads:
FlexShooter Mini: 1 lb., 1.5 ozs. Ideal for the intermediate telephoto lenses that we all love.
FlexShooter Pro: 1 lb, 8.9 ozs. The new standard. A versatile ballhead that acts like a gimbal head.
Levered Clamp FlexShooter Pro: 1 lb., 9.9 ozs. As above, but perfect for folks with weak hands and fingers.
FlexShooter Extreme: 2 lbs., 9 ozs. The perfect FlexShooter head for those needing maximum rigidity.
Wimberley V-2 Head: 3 lbs., 3.4 ozs. Preferred by old school folks who want the ability to almost completely lock down their head. I say “almost completely” because their is always some play in every long lens rig no matter the head.
Original Wimberley Head: 4 lbs., 2.6 oz. As above but taller. Ideal in situations where you need your lens as high as possible. Two used available. Cheap. Please inquire.
The Mongoose 3.6.1 Action Head: 1 lb., 6.1 ozs. I used and depended on this head for more than a decade with great success. It is not as versatile as a FlexShooter heads. It cannot be used to mount a camera body with a short lens and cannot be used from a vehicle. IAC, I can’t believe that I left the Mongoose out of the video. You would carry it as detailed in the video.
Questions?
If you have a question on tripods, tripod heads, or carrying a big tripod-mounted lens in the field, please leave a comment below.
Induro Tripods
Please understand that Gitzo went down the drain about five years ago. If you need advice as to the best tripod for you, please shoot me an e-mail and include your height and info on your longest lens. And please, please, pretty please purchase your Induro tripod here and only here. Many tanks!
The Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro
The Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro is now sold out. We will be getting our second shipment next week. If your fingers are not as strong as they used to be, it is recommended that you place a phone order (863-692-0906) now to ensure getting one from our that shipment; your card will not be charged until your head is shipped.
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. Please understand that e-Bay prices are bogus. And the same is true of the prices of used gear including my dear friends at B&H and the other mega-outfits. They offer you pennies and then try to sell the stuff to ignorant folks for ridiculously high prices. With their huge international exposure, they occasionally find someone …
The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells. With the pandemic and the down economy, the market had been somewhat depressed, but sales have been brisk for the past few weeks. And over the past year, we have sold many many hundreds of items. Do know that prices the used prices of many items have been dropping steadily. The prices garnered for used Canon gear has tanked completely as demand has dropped tremendously. It is ironic that for decades Canon gear had very strong resale value … Recently, however, the Canon used gear market has shown some signs of life. Prices on used Nikon gear have also dropped as well. You can see all the current bargains here on the Used Gear Page.
Note: all BAA Used Gear sales include insured ground shipping via UPS to lower 48 US addresses only. Others who live elsewhere are invited to e-mail the seller for shipping surcharge info. Sellers should charge you only the difference between shipping to the farthest US location from their home and the charge to a non-lower-48 address.
Recent Sales
Long-ago IPT veteran Art Leyenberger sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto lens in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $2349.00and a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM zoom lens in near-mint condition for a BIRDS AS ART record low $449.00 both soon after listing them in mid-July.
Jamie Baker was offering a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/4D ED-IF lens in excellent condition for $2500.00 (was $2750.00) but decided to withdraw the listing and kindly offered to send me a check for 4% of the original asking price as detailed in the Items for Sale Info e-mail. Multiple IPT veteran Patricia Fishburne sold a Canon EF Extender 2X II (teleconverter) in near-mint condition for a very low $129.00 and another Canon EF Extender 2X II (teleconverter), this one in excellent condition, for a BAA record-low $99.00, both on the first day of listing in early JULY 2020.
Long-time friend Alan Levine — Alan and Sara knew Elaine! — sold their Canon Macro EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro Lens in like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $799.00 in early July 2020.
Patrick Hogue sold his Nikon D500 DSLR Kit in excellent condition and a 16mm-80mm F2.8-4.0 VR Nikkor zoom lens in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $985.00 and a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens in near-mint condition for a very low $3195.00 (was $3450.00), both in mid-JUNE 2020.
Anita North sold her Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens in excellent plus condition for a BAA record-low $3045.95 (was $3095.95) in early JUNE 2020.
Arthur Morris sold his Nikon D850 DSLR Camera (Body Only) in excellent plus to like-new condition for a BAA record-low $1,795.95 (was $1995.95) in early JUNE 2020.
Patrick Hogue sold his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens in excellent plus condition for $850.00 (was $896.95) and a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV Digital Camera in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $998.00, both soon after being listed in late-MAY 2020.
Carol Anderson, wife of the late Walt Anderson — inventor of the Better Beamer, sold a Canon 200-400 f/4L IS USM lens with internal 1.4X Extender in excellent plus condition for $4998.00 and a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II camera body in like-new condition for $2798.00, both soon after they were listed in early June 2020.
Anita North sold her Nikon D500 DSLR in excellent plus to near-mint condition for a BAA record-low price of $895.95 in mid-June 2020.
New Listings
Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens
BIRDS AS ART Record-low Price!
Charlie Curry is offering a Canon 11-24mm f/4 L lens in like-new condition for a BAA record low $1499.00. The glass is immaculate and there are no signs that the lens was ever used. The sale includes the product box, the soft case, the front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, 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.
Please contact Charlie via e-mail or by phone at 1-407-448-7797 (Eastern time zone).
The 11-24 is a truly versatile ultra wide-angle zoom lens that features an advanced optical design and constant f/4 maximum aperture. It is a member of the esteemed L-series of lenses designed for full-frame EOS DSLRs. One Super UD element and one UD element offer a significant reduction in chromatic aberration while four aspherical elements help to minimize distortion throughout the zoom range and provide consistent edge-to-edge sharpness. Both SWC and ASC coatings have been applied to the elements in order to reduce lens flare and ghosting for increased contrast and color accuracy. Ideally suited for landscape and architectural photography, this lens covers ultra-wide to wide-angle perspectives and backs up its versatile zoom range with sophisticated optical components and intuitive handling. The lens is both water and dust-resistant, and fluorine coatings have also been applied to the front and rear elements to protect against fingerprints and smudges from affecting image quality. I loved my Canon 11-24 especially for huge stormy skies. artie & B&H
Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto Lens (with lots of extras!)
BIRDS AS ART Record-low Price!
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto lens in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $2348.00. There are no dings, dents, cracks, scratches, blemishes, or signs of wear. The sale includes the front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the Canon PL-C 52 Drop-in Circular Polarizing filter, a RRS Lens Plate 63A, a LensCoat neoprene lens cover, and insured ground shipping via Fed-Ex Ground to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
The 500mm f/4 lenses have been the world’s most popular telephoto lenses for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. I owned and used and loved my “old five” for many years. If you use Canon and don’t have the cash for a 500 II and can handle the additional 1 1/2 pounds, then this is your best super-telephoto option. Most everyone can produce sharp images with this lens and a 1.4X TC. Folks with good to excellent sharpness techniques can do the same with a 2X TC. A new 500 II sells right now for $8,999.00 so you can save an amazing $6,651.00 by grabbing Bob’s original version 500mm f/4 IS lens (the “old five”) right now. artie
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II USM Zoom Lens
Sale Pending first day of listing!!
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II USM in near-mint condition for $1399.00. The lens is in perfect working order with no dings, dents, cracks, scratches, blemishes, or signs of wear. The sale includes the original box, the LZ1324 zippered Lens Case, the front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens hood, and insured ground shipping via Fed-Ex Ground to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
This incredibly versatile zoom lens — with its .98 meter close focus — was my favorite Canon telephoto lens. By far. It sells new for $2,199.00 so you can save a very nice $800.00 by grabbing Bob’s lens. artie
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L Zoom Lens USM (I)
BIRDS AS ART Record-low Price!
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L lens USM (the original version) in excellent condition for a BAA record-low $398.00. The sale includes the front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the hood, the lens bag, and insured ground shipping via Fed-Ex Ground to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
The 24-105 was my never-leave-home-without-it all-purpose mid-range zoom lens. I made a zillion sale-able images with mine. artie
Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens
BIRDS AS ART Record-low Price!
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $299.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, the lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via Fed-Ex Ground to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
I owned and used this fun lens for many year when I shot Canon. Best advice: use it on cloudy days or in very soft light. artie
Canon EF Extender 1.4X III (teleconverter)
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for a very low $229.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
Regular readers know that I have long depended on both teleconverters for much of my bird photography. The series III TCs are designed to improve AF with the series II & III super-telephoto lenses. artie
Canon EF Extender 1.4X III (teleconverter)
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a second Canon EF Extender 1.4X III, this one in excellent condition for a very low $199.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
Regular readers know that I have long depended on both teleconverters for much of my bird photography. The series III TCs are designed to improve AF with the series II & III super-telephoto lenses. artie
Canon EF Extender 1.4X teleconverter (version I)
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a Canon EF Extender 1.4X (version I — designed for the older IS lenses –such as the 500mmm listed above) in very good condition for a very low $119.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
Regular readers know that I have long depended on both teleconverters for much of my bird photography. The series III TCs were designed for the series II super-telephoto lenses but if you have an older lens (like Bob’s lens above), the series I TCs will perform well for you. artie
Canon EF Extender 2X teleconverter (version I)
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a Canon EF Extender 2x I (version I, designed for the older IS lenses) in very good condition for a very low $89.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
Regular readers know that I have long depended on both teleconverters for much of my bird photography. The series III TCs were designed for the series II super-telephoto lenses but if you have an older lens (like Bob’s lens above), the series I TCs will perform well for you. artie
Kenko C-AF 1.4X Teleplus Pro 300 Extender (white body teleconverter) for Canon EOS EF-S and EF lenses
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a Kenko C-AF 1.4X Teleplus Pro 300 (white body) Extender for Canon EOS EF-S and EF lenses in very good condition for a very low $59.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
An older model, this one works best with pre–2015 EF lenses. I owned and used one of these at one point and was amazed by the sharpness and the way it functioned perfectly with my Canon super-telephoto lenses. artie
Kenko C-AF 1.4X Teleplus Pro 300 Extender (black body teleconverter) for Canon EOS EF-S and EF lenses
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a Kenko C-AF 1.4X Teleplus Pro 300 (black body) Extender for Canon EOS EF-S and EF lenses in very good condition for a very low $59.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
An older model, this one works best with pre–2015 EF lenses. I owned and used one of these at one point and was amazed by the sharpness and the way it functioned perfectly with my Canon super-telephoto lenses. artie
Canon EF Extension Tube Set
Sale Pending/first day of listing!
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering the Extension Tube Set, the EF 12 II and EF 25 II, in excellent plus condition for $124.90. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
As regular readers know, I used extension tubes often to reduce the minimum focusing distances of my two Canon macro lenses and my super-telephotos. I used them behind a TC to focus closer with AF and at times, in front of a TC to get even closer while having to use manual focus). The pair sells for $224.90 so you can save an even $100.00 by grabbing the pair. artie
Lowepro Large Nature Trekker AW Photo Backpack in Black & Green
BAA friend, California botany expert Bob “BugBob” Allen, is offering a Lowepro AW Large Photo Backpack in excellent condition for $99.00. Bob used this pack to carry his 500mm f/4 L IS lens into the field. The bag is 24” tall x 16” wide x 12“ deep. The sale includes the adjustable hip belt, an ergonomic harness, thee sternum strap, the load adjustment straps, the quick release bungees, the tripod pocket, & rain cover, and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail and please include the item name or names in the subject line and be sure to include your full name.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the 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 or Bedfords, 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 or Bedfords 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 regularly visit 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 :).
Artie, could you explain why you think Ebay prices are “bogus”?
Hi Steve,
Here is one example: I just did a search on eBay for a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II. There were many. The last two sold on the BAA Used Gear page for $2798.00 and $2698.00. On eBay, there is one with less than 1700 actuations listed for $1700.00. With zero bids. There are about 50 listed for somewhere between $3,000 and $4,499.00. About 15 of those are listed for more than $4,000.00.
Now refine your search by checking the box for Completed Items. “eBay Completed Listings are listings that have run their course and ended either with a sale or as unsold. … Before listing items on eBay, and to get the most money for an item you are selling, it is a good practice to research completed listings and price accordingly.”
There are at least 60 bodies — I gave up counting — listed as Completed Items. The prices range from $1900.00 to a high of $4299.00. Oh, and there is one listed for 99 cents. Of interest is one listed for $3250.00 with 15 bids as high as $2375.00. The listing was removed. About half of the completed listings showed zero bids.
Now refine your search to Sold. The first listing is one that supposedly sold for $3,312.00 on July 24, 2020. I say supposedly because the exact same camera had been listed for several days for $1700 (with zero bids). Another was listed as sold on May 20 for US $4,050.00 while just below that one was listed as sold for $1700.00 just two days before …
Does anything seem fishy to you?
artie
Hi Guru. Canon itself has lowered the prices of its EF lenses considerably. They have proudly announced that they are placing all the emphasis on mirrorless systems. I have never heard of a brand relinquishing its top position in the market in lieu of an indefinite future. More so when a giant like Sony is calling the shots on that turf.
However, as per the observers; Sony is miles ahead in that area. IMO, Canon and Nikon will never be able to catch up.
In the mean time, Pentax has announced that they will stick to development of DSLRs. May be they will build up a niche for their models soon.
It seems both DSLRs and mirrorless might coexist for the foreseeable future. Therefore, quitting one of these might not be a wise move. What do u say Guru?
Best regards.
I say that I am using SONY 🙂
a
Brilliant video and as a physician, I can attest to the cumulative effects of traditional loading on the rotator cuff. Sure, a buff, twenty-something year old can get away with it, but the effects are devastating for those of us who are 50+ . Appreciated the comedic element of the garbage truck and it gave me a well needed chuckle. My Flexshooter Pro is on the way and am anxious to give it a whirl.
Thanks, Adam. Folks who photograph once a month can probably handle it but several days a week for two or three decades can be brutal …
with love, artie
Artie,
Thanks for the video explaining how you carry a large telephoto lens when you have to walk a fair distance. It was very helpful.
I enjoyed seeing that Murphy’s Law of nature, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, effects someone else besides me. The garbage truck segment in the middle of the video was priceless.
Best Regards,
Ivan
:). Glad that you liked the video; thanks for inspiriing it!
with love, artie
Artie – Another great instructional video. Check out the Sony article here.
In part: From the Associated Press:
Sony Electronics Inc., a global leader in imaging, and The Associated Press, the trusted global news organization, announced today a new collaboration that will make Sony the exclusive imaging products and support provider for AP news photographers and video journalists around the world.
Thanks, CJ. Sounds like a great gig if you can get it. I am working hard to try and become a SONY Artisan …
with love, a
ps: glad that you liked the video!