Lot's More Great Canon Used Gear. A Strange Morning at Lakeland. And New-Computer Photoshop Help Needed

This Just In!

2:13pm

Thanks to kind, knowledgeable, and helpful readers all of the computer problems below no longer exist.

What’s Up?

I enjoyed a nice Thursday morning photographing at Lakeland with friends. See the A Strange Morning at Lakeland item below. Also, below, I need some help with Photoshop on the new MacBook Pro M1.

I’ve been watching lots of Short Track Speed Skating and have been amazed at how many skaters have been penalized so that Chinese skaters could advance (and win gold medals). In the worst case, a Chinese skater who was behind grabbed the lead skater with two hands right at the finish line but still could not pass him. To the amazement of the announcers, the Hungarian skater who had been leading was disqualified!!!

Today is Friday 11 February 2022. The forecast for this morning at ILE is for cloudy with a breeze from the northeast. I will head down to the lake to check on the baby eagle when I finish this blog post. Then it will be back to work on the new laptop. I have downloaded and installed Topaz DeNoise and Sharpen AI as well as RawDigger. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes 90 days in a row with a new one.

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

An e-mail conversation with Lynn Stone

Lynn’s excellent photographs in Birder’s World magazine more than 40 years ago inspired me to get started with bird photography.

AM: Hi Lynn, Thanks for taking the time to get in touch. Re:

LS: I know it’s business, but I wanted you to know that I appreciate your hosting the Used Gear Page.

AM: I am glad for that, and thanks for your kindness.

LS: My experience has been that buyers and sellers alike can profit by utilizing your listings.

AM: I agree. And thanks of course for realizing that. I strive to come up with prices that will leave the seller satisfied and the buyer very happy. That of course, is a very fine line. With love, artie

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 on items priced at $1,000 or more. With items less than $1000, there is a $50 flat-fee. 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%. If you are interested, please click here, read everything carefully, and do what it says. To avoid any misunderstandings, please read the whole thing very carefully. If you agree to the terms, please state so clearly via e-mail and include the template or templates, one for each item you wish to sell. Then we can work together to get your stuff priced and listed.

Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice only to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past years, we have sold many hundreds of items. Do know that prices for used gear only go in one direction. Down. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with Extras!

BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price

Steve Zarate is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (with extras) in excellent condition for a BAA record-low $1296.00. The camera shows some signs of wear. It recently underwent the 18-point Canon maintenance service at 82,000 actuations. The sale includes the front lens cap, the strap, the original and one extra battery, the charger, four 32GB compact flash cards, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve via e-mail or by phone at 949 697-8194 (Pacific time zone).

What can I say? The 5D IV was my favorite-ever Canon digital dSLR. I owned and used three of them while my 1DX II sat on the shelf in my garage for the most part. A new 5D Mark IV, with its 30.4MP full-frame CMOS sensor, sell new for $2399.00. If you have been dreaming of a 5D IV, grab Steve’s camera body right now and save well more than $1,103.00! artie

Canon EOS 7D Mark II with Extras!

Sold on DAY 1

Steve Zarate is offering an EOS 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $449.00 The camera shows some signs of wear. It recently underwent the 18-point Canon maintenance service at 82,000 actuations. The sale includes the front lens cap, the strap, the original and one extra battery, the charger, four 32GB compact flash cards, a LensCoat BodyBag, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve via e-mail or by phone at 949 697-8194 (Pacific time zone).

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about two years ago when we both committed to using full-frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. The 7D Mark II is one of the greatest-ever values in a digital camera body. artie

Canon EOS 7D Mark II with Extras!

Steve Zarate is offering an EOS 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $399.00 The camera shows some signs of wear. It recently underwent the 18-point Canon maintenance service at 175,000 actuations. The sale includes the front lens cap, the strap, the original and one extra battery, the charger, four 32GB compact flash cards, a LensCoat BodyBag, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve via e-mail or by phone at 949 697-8194 (Pacific time zone).

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about two years ago when we both committed to using full-frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. The 7D Mark II is one of the greatest-ever values in a digital camera body. artie

Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II Zoom Lens

Steve Zarate is offering a Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II zoom lens in like-new condition for $599.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens pouch, the lens shade, an 82mm Hoya UV filter, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve via e-mail or by phone at 949 697-8194 (Pacific time zone).

This workhorse wide-angle zoom lens is beloved by many serious landscape shooters. The version III sells new for $2,199.00! artie

Canon EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM II Zoom Lens

Sold on DAY 1

Steve Zarate is offering a Canon 24-105mm f4L IS USM II zoom lens in near-mint condition for $649.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens pouch, the lens shade, a 77mm Hoya UV filter, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve via e-mail or by phone at 949 697-8194 (Pacific time zone).

When I shot Canon, the original version of this lens was my never-leave-home-without-it all purpose zoom lens. Whenever I would leave it in the car I would get 50 yards away and wished that I had had it with me. It sells new for $1299.00 and is back-ordered in most places. artie

Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II Zoom Lens with Extras

BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Sold on DAY 1

Steve Zarate is offering a Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II Zoom Lens in excellent condition for a BAA record-low $649.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens case, the lens shade, a 77mm B&W UV filter, a Wimberley P-20 plate (a more than $50.00 value), and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve via e-mail or by phone at 949 697-8194 (Pacific time zone).

The versatile 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses have long been big favorites of many nature photographers. They are great for landscapes especially with fall color peaking in many areas. I have used this lens with Canon and Nikon and SONY. I used my Canon version to photograph granddaughter Maya’s dance recitals and to create bird-scapes and pre-dawn blast-off blurs at Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico. They are fast and sharp and have 1000 uses. The 70-200 f/2.8 lenses are a specialty lens for bird photographers. Like the bad little child, when they are good, they are really, really good! I’ve used mine mostly for flight photography at point blank range where their performance is unmatched, especially in low light. I’ve killed with these lenses on the gannet boat in the UK, in Homer for eagles, for pre-dawn and blizzard blast-offs at Bosque, and at Merritt Island on feeding sprees right next to the road. Lenses in this class are easily hand holdable by just about everyone. artie

ps: To see what the 70-200 zoom lenses can do, see the blog post here.

Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM Zoom Lens with Extra

BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price

Steve Zarate is offering a Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM zoom lens in excellent condition with a nice extra for BAA record-low $1,199.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens case, the lens shade, a 77mm B&W UV filter, a RRS LCF 54 foot (a more than $100.00 value), and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve via e-mail or by phone at 949 697-8194 (Pacific time zone).

This incredibly versatile zoom lens — with its amazing .98 meter close focus — was my favorite Canon telephoto zoom lens ever. By far. It is easy to hand hold, great for tight portraits, for birds in flight, for quasi-macro stuff, and lots more. For flight, it is fabulous with an R5! The lens sells new for $2399.00 so you can save an even $1,200.00 by grabbing Steve’s copy now. artie

Canon EF 400mm f4L DO II Lens with Extra

BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Sold on DAY 1

Steve Zarate is offering a Canon EF 400mm f4L DO II lens with a nice extra in excellent condition for a BAA record low $3498.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens case, the lens shade, a 77mm B&W UV filter, a RRS LCF 52 foot (a more than $100.00 value), and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve via e-mail or by phone at 949 697-8194 (Pacific time zone).

I owned and used and loved the 400 DO II when I shot with Canon and found a way to take it on most trips. I took it to Scotland and Nickerson Beach and San Diego. It served me well as my (lighter!) big gun on several Galapagos and Southern Ocean (the Falklands and South Georgia) trips. It is a killer for flight photography with or without the 1.4X III TC. It is razor-sharp with the 2X on static subjects and skilled folks have had amazing success hand holding it with the 2X III TC for flight and for action. artie

Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (1.4X III Teleconverter)

Sold on DAY 1

Steve Zarate is offering a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (1.4X III Teleconverter) in excellent condition for a very low $229.00. The sale includes the front and rear caps, the lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve via e-mail or by phone at 949 697-8194 (Pacific time zone).

Regular readers know teleconverters are so important to what I do that I travel with back-ups for each one. I actually bring three 1.4X TCs on every trip! artie

Canon Extender EF 2X III (2X III Teleconverter)

Sold on DAY 1

Steve Zarate is offering a Canon Extender EF 2X III (2X III teleconverter) in near-mint condition for a very low $239.00. The sale includes the front and rear caps, the lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve via e-mail or by phone at 949 697-8194 (Pacific time zone).

Regular readers know teleconverters are so important to what I do that I travel with back-ups for each one. artie

This image was created on 10 February 2022 at Lakeland, FL. Standing at full height, I used the no-longer available GIT 304L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 500. The exposure was determined perfectly by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1000 sec. at f/10 (stopped down two clicks — 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:38:11am on a sunny morning. Tracking: SPOT S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. American White Pelican tight face portrait

A Strange Morning at Lakeland

I met David Pugsley and his friend Alan Gambrell in Lakeland before the sun came up on Thursday morning. There were several dozens pelicans well to the east of their usual haunts. A very loud Lakeland street sweeper vehicle circled often. Many of the birds flew off each time it drove by, and those that remained were unusually skittish. We had a few chances for pre-dawn head shots with nice yellow reflections in the background, and then the street sweeper came by again.

With all the pelicans gone, we worked the lakeshore. We had a very nice female Anhinga and a handsome, tame Great Blue Heron. The great blue was in a perfect spot and depending on the perspective, offered a nice variety of backgrounds. The problem was that the bird had its head turned away from us 99% of the time. And when I am working low off the rear monitor it is difficult for me to see the head angle (even when I have my glasses on as I did yesterday). I made 100 images and kept two with the head barely square to the imaging sensor.

Then we noticed that some pelicans had climbed up on their favorite bulkhead farther to the west. They turned out to be very accepting. Since there were about six photographers there, I opted to stay back and work at 1200mm. That said, I was the closest one to the birds and did so without even meriting a look from the birds. I headed home to get some work done exactly at 9am. Note that framing an image this tight requires great care to avoid clipping the feathers about the top of the bird’s head.

New Computer Photoshop Help Needed

The MacBook Pro M1 setup frustrations continue. Late yesterday I was unable to activate the two Topaz plug-ins that I had installed. Kath Prashaw, Support Specialist for Topaz Labs solved those problems via e-mail early this morning.

I had planned to optimize three American White Pelican images for this blog post but I could not get Topaz DeNoise up and running (as noted above), and worse, I tried to grab my Actions, Keyboard Shortcuts, and Workspaces from my old computer and get them in place on the new computer. First I tried many solutions offered by Google and the Adobe website. Then I called Adobe directly and got to technical support. I could barely understand the guy because of his accent. When I was able to get him to understand the problem, he tried to do a screen share but the setup file that I downloaded was corrupted. Then he sent that to me via an e-mail that never arrived. Yes, frustrating. So I said, “Talk to you tomorrow.” I will follow up unless someone on the blog can help.

I tried several of the seemingly relevant approaches suggested by the Adobe Help website here. By carefully following the instructions under Export and import presets, I was able to get my Workspaces into Photoshop on the new computer. The problem was that when the Preset Export list appeared, my Actions and my Keyboard Shortcuts were not on the list :(. If you can help, please get in touch via e-mail or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

When I followed the instructions under Save and load presets, only Contours and Tools appeared at the Preset Type dropdown menu. Again, my Actions and my Keyboard Shortcuts did were not on the list? Please help as above.

When I tried the stuff under Manually copy settings last night, I was able to find the user name in Finder, but the Library folder did not appear … This morning I could not even find my user name in Finder. Regressing. And of course, somewhat frustrated.

Again, if you can help, please get in touch via e-mail or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.