What’s Up?
I did not have much photographic success on Friday morning but will try again today — Saturday 29 AUGUST 2020. I took the whole day off from exercising yesterday but will be back in the pool and on the StairMaster today. Patrick Sparkman will be reviewing the RawDigger e-Guide this weekend so it should be available for purchase this coming week.
I hope that you and yours are safe and have a great day.
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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.
Two Nikon Super-Telephotos!
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR Lens
BAA Record-low Price!
Price Dropped $300.00 on 8/21!
Angie Birmingham is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR in like-new condition for $7696.95 (was $7,996.95). The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only.
Your item will not ship until your payment clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Angie via e-mail or by phone at 1-361-815-8852 (Central time zone).
This, the lightest, latest/greatest version of the Nikon 400mm f/2.8 lenses, is superb for large mammals in low light and birds at close range. It is superbly sharp alone or with the TC-14E III. It offers the world’s sweetest Bokeh. As a new goes for $11,196.95 right, you can save a very smooth $3,500 by grabbing Angie’s lens. artie
This super telephoto prime is designed for FX-format Nikon F-mount cameras; however, it can also be used with DX models where it will provide a 600mm equivalent focal length. Its impressively bright f/2.8 maximum aperture excels in difficult lighting conditions and also enables extensive control over depth of field for isolating subjects using selective focus techniques. Two fluorite and two extra-low dispersion lens elements work to reduce chromatic aberrations, improve overall image sharpness, clarity, and color fidelity; and help to minimize the overall weight of the lens. Vibration Reduction image stabilization helps to reduce the appearance of camera shake by up to four shutter speed stops, benefiting this lens’s use in low-light conditions. Additionally, a designated Sport Mode is well-suited to working in fast-paced conditions and a Tripod Mode helps to suppress subtle ground vibrations when working atop a support system. The Silent Wave Motor affords quick, quiet, and precise autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus override. An internal focusing design is also used, where only the internal lens groups are moved during focusing, to maintain the overall length of the lens during use and to promote faster focusing speeds. Dust- and moisture-resistant magnesium-alloy lens barrel benefits the lens’ use in inclement conditions. A removable tripod collar is included with the lens for well-balanced support when working from a monopod or tripod. The collar ring also incorporates ball bearings for smooth transitions between horizontal and vertical shooting orientations. Specialized electromagnetic aperture mechanism provides greater exposure control stability that is especially beneficial when working with fast continuous shooting rates. This 400 f/2.8 is compatible with optional AF-S Teleconverter TC-14, TC-17, and TC-20 teleconverters. B&H
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR Lens (with extras)
BAA friend and skilled photographer Dr. Greg Gulbransen is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens in like-new condition (with extras) for a very handsome $9296.95. As the lens was only used six times and Greg take great care of his gear, the front element is immaculate as is the entire lens. This one is a gem. The sale includes the original product box, the lens trunk, the strap, the front cover, the rear lens cap, the original lens foot, a RRS LCF-18 Replacement Foot for NIKON AF-S 500mm & 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lenses (a $120.00 value — installed), 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 Greg via e-mail. Photos are available upon request.
In all systems, the 600 f/4 lenses are the weapons of mass destruction when it comes to birds and wildlife. I loved my Nikon 600 both alone and with the 1.4X teleconverter. If you use Nikon gear and have been dreaming of moving up to the big leagues, do get in touch with Greg ASAP to save #3,000.00; this lens sells new for $12,296.95. artie
BIRDS AS ART
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SONY e-Guide Discount Program
Purchase a (new) qualifying SONY camera body (a7r iii, a7r iv, a9, a9 ii) from Bedfords or using a BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate link, and you will receive a $40 discount on the SONY e-guide. Purchase a (new) SONY 200-600mm G lens from Bedfords or using a BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate link, and you will receive a $25 discount on the SONY e-guide. Purchase a (new) SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens from Bedfords or using a BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate link, and you will receive a free SONY e-guide with one or two videos.
Please send your Bedford’s or B&H receipts to me via e-mail to receive your discount and your ordering instructions. Folks purchasing from Bedfords and using the BIRDSASART code will save $50. Folks sending their B&H receipts may need to wait a few days to have their purchases confirmed. Folks using Bedfords will have their purchases confirmed immediately.
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107 sold to rave reviews. The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris |
The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)
Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.
Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.
Click here to learn more about the SONY e-Guide.
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 of more than $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.
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This image was created on Thursday 27 August 2020 at Indian Lake Estates. Working from my SUV, I used the Levered Clamp FlexShooter Pro/Induro/GIT 204-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter, and the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 400. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/800 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. The exposure was confirmed as perfect by RawDigger. ABW at 7:59:53am on a mostly sunny morning. Upper Right Zone Continuous AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed miraculously well. Click on the composite to see a larger version. A seven-frame sequence in the same second: Sandhill Crane adult flapping rapidly in place |
Spray and Pray!
In Avian Moderator Gail Bisson’s BPN Semipalmated Plover preening post here, she wrote, I love this particular pose and always “spray and pray” when I see them do this. She got a wonderful frame with the bird preening a tiny feather in its tiny bill. It is a fine image and well worth a click.
Her spray and pray comment got me thinking. I have written here often that when unexpected action occurs, folks should press and hold the shutter button. Spray and pray is pretty much the same idea. With both Gail’s image and my image there was no time to decide which is the best pose when you are in the moment. The human eye cannot see the individual poses and even if we could discern the ideal pose, our reaction-time is so slow that we would miss it be a mile every time. So the best option is to press the shutter button and hold it down while hoping that you get lucky with a great pose (assuming sharp focus and a perfect exposure) …
Learning from the Composite
I was creating some simple vertical head and shoulders portraits. The first frame in the sequence, 5466 suffers because the bird’s head is turned ever-so-slightly away from us. When the bird began to flap I fired off seven quick frames. The key was to trust the AF system and press and hold the shutter button down until the bird quit flapping. I adjust the silver knob on my a href=”https://birdsasart-shop.com/levered-clamp-flexshooter-pro/” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>Levered Clamp FlexShooter Pro so that I am able to move the lens fairly easily to re-compose as needed. Part of the beauty of the FlexShooter Pro heads is that because of the counter-balanced spring tension, you can do without having to worry about the big lens flopping down; it stays where you point it. But despite the ease of re-framing, note that the last three frames in the sequence — 5471, 5472, and 5473 were mis-framed with the back of the bird’s head and neck cut off by the frame-edge.
Amazingly, the eye was sharp in every single image. You gotta love a9 ii autofocus.
Which of the other frames would you keep? Why?
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This image was created on Thursday 27 August 2020 at Indian Lake Estates. Working from my SUV, I used the Levered Clamp FlexShooter Pro/Induro/GIT 204-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter, and the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 400. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/800 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. The exposure was confirmed as perfect by RawDigger. ABW at 7:59am on a mostly sunny morning. Upper Right Zone Continuous AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed miraculously well. Sandhill Crane adult flapping rapidly in place |
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!
As fate would have it, frame 5470, which featured the perfect orchestra-conductor pose, was the Family Jewel of the series. I wouldn’t change a single pixel and I even love the degree of blurring in the flapping wings. Note: the image as presented above is full frame. Again, it is important to understand that it would not have been possible to pre-visualize or even imagine the pose that would result in the winning image. In the same vein it would have been close to impossible to think that the autofocus system would have ignored those flapping wings and stay glued to the crane’s eye. Upper Right Zone Continuous AF was the key! Those who use SONY and own and have studied The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Video for one body) will be well versed as to which SONY AF Area Modes to activate and use in this or that situation. Those who do not own the guide might be amazed to learn at how Patrick Sparkman and I set Animal Eye AF with both our a9 and a7r series bodies for bird photography …
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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 :).
Hi Adam,
Thanks for your excellent comments.
“Spray and pray” is a bit of a pejorative
Had to look that one up — “expressing contempt or disapproval.”
I was about to disagree strongly with you till I looked up spray and pray — “Spray and pray is a derisive term for firing an automatic firearm towards an enemy in long bursts, without making an effort to line up each shot or burst of shots. This is especially prevalent amongst those without benefit of proper training.”
But, we are shooting aren’t we? And when we hold the shutter button down with an action shot it is best to pretty much do so without regards to framing carefully. So let’s call it a push.
and perhaps we should come up with a different term? Press and hold? I’m with you on all points and the greatest challenge now with all of these high FPS bodies is that a short press yields so many images that it becomes laborious to cull them.
The cranes flap took less than one second …
Of the remainder images, none of them really wow me as 70 is the money shot.
Agree.
Gail Bisson’s plover is pretty sweet and not only was she on eye level, had beautiful composition, bokeh, and razor thin DOF, it was a pretty unique image.
It is a wonderful image and I love shorebirds but as two folks pointed out, it is missing one thing …
Since picking up my R5 (through one of Artie’s sponsored dealers),
Everybody who deals with Steve Elkins at Bedford walks away very happy!
I’ve had to modify my “press and hold” technique to short taps. The 20 FPS of the ES rapidly fills the card and can easily saturate the buffer.
From were I sit, photographable action rarely lasts long. You will never see my holding the shutter down haphazardly. If anything, I tend to do the opposite … I have never hit the buffer with my a9, a9 ii, a7r iii, or a7r iv. It’s left-over from film days: “I’m Jewish and every time I press the shutter button it costs me 47 cents!” My brain does not forget …
Like the a9(II), I’ve been simply wowed by the number of in focus images as compared to even the top-flight DSLR’s of yesterday.
That is what I have been saying and that is why Arash switched …
Perhaps one significant advantage of the R5 over the a9(II) is the rapid wake up from sleep mode/image review.
If that is/was a problem then you did not read the big SONY e-Guide carefully enough; we use a setting that makes that a non-issue … The huge advantage of the R5 is the 42MP as compared to the 24MP of the a9 ii.
It’s much faster to the draw that way (I’ve been looking for a timed comparison). For example, yesterday I was walking by a pond and noticed an egret suddenly taking to flight. With my a7riv, it would have woken up sometime after the bird was already downrange and a high percentage of the images would have likely been OOF. The a9(II) would have likely captured a lot more photos and all of them would have been in focus though it would have started later than the R5.
Or not ….
27 images in that short burst and all were in focus.
Great. I am hoping to get my hands on an R5/RF 100-500 asap as a loaner …
with love, a
Looks like the crane is scheming to sneak up on your SUV and steal a Granola Bar or fish head!
Exquisite shot!!! Thanks you must have said the prayer just right and answered at the right time. God is Good!
# 70 is a unique fantastic image. Spray and pray is a wonderful rule. I like #68 too, except for the beak shadow on the wing. It’s unique too. But 70 is just superb! Composition is perfect too.
IMO, 5468 could also be kept as : «a right hand raised for a question».
Love it! Well worth it to hold that shutter button down!