What’s Up?
The San Diego IPT is turning into a love fest. Everyone is getting along great and everyone is learning a ton. On Monday, there were zero pelicans on the main cliff. We started off doing Western Gull pink/purple sky setting full moon-scapes. Then lots of California Sealions, Black Oystercatchers, and finally, some decent chances with the pelicans by the Bridge Club. We headed to Coronado for the afternoon and saw only two Heermann’s Gulls; in most years, there would be many dozens of that most handsome gulls at this location. We did well with Ring-billed and Western Gulls both on the beach and in flight, and ended with glorious sunset silhouettes of the gulls with colorful, streaked wet sand backgrounds. Then it was off to the AirBnB for dinner.
I was glad to learn that I sold my second Sony a-9 iii body and that Dane Johnson sold his Sony a-1 as well. He already has his a-1 ii. I will be selling at least one of my two remaining a-1 bodies. I will be purchasing a second a-1 ii today.
Speaking of today, it is Tuesday 14 January 2025. We will be headed out early in hopes of proper breeding plumage Pacfic race Brown Pelicans. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, we hope that you too choose to have a wondrously happy day.
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.
Should You Upgrade to or Purchase a Sony a-1 ii?
I will be purchasing my second a-1 ii today.
Aside from the improved ergonomics as compared to the a-1, other nice features include the fact that the rear screen tilts both ways. Pre-capture will surely prove to be a plus while in my option, the Speed Boost feature is a total waste for bird photography. In addition, the resolution on the rear monitor has been improved dramatically. Not to mention that Bird Face-Eye tracking on the a-1 ii is significantly better than on the a-1 and that the 51MP file are to die for. And don’t forget the Pre-Capture feature!
So, the big question is, is the a-1 ii “worth” a gear upgrade. Remembering that I can never know whether or not something is worth it to you, I can say that I was not floored when using my a-1 ii. The differences between the a-1 ii and the original a-1, are neither huge nor eye-opening. The huge difference between the new camera body and the a9 iii is, of course, the 51MP a-1 raw files (as compared to the 24MP files rendered by the a9 iii).
With the price of a new a-1 having recently dropped $1500.00 to $4,998.00, the decision for new Sony buyers is a very tough one. The a-1 ii sells new for $6,498.00. And the price of used a-1 bodies will continue to drop (but surely not as much as I had thought before using the a-1 ii).
If you do purchase an a-1 ii, be sure to use one of my two affiliate links so that you will receive my a-1 ii settings (in the form of a CAMSEa1ii.DAT file), the Buttons and Dials Guide, and an Info Sheet. Folks who do not purchase their new a-i using my B&H link or from Bedfords here and entering the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout will be able to purchase the a-1 ii guide for $227.43. If you are at all confused and do not want to screw up your order, please get in touch via e-mail.
Sony Alpha 1 (a-1) Mirrorless Camera Body (with Extras!)
Used Gear Page regular, IPT veteran, and BAA friend Dane Johnson is offering a rarely used Sony a-1 (ILCE-1) mirrorless camera body (Firmware v2.02) in like-new condition for a ridiculously low $3,798.00. The sale includes a like-new Really Right Stuff Modular L-plate set (a $215.00 value), a Sony 160GB CFexpress Type A TOUGH Memory Card (a $268.00 value), the original product boxes, the owner’s manual, the USA warranty card, the body cap, the camera strap, one battery and the charger, the cords, 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 Dane via e-mail or by phone at 559-593-0989 (Pacific time zone).
I have used Sony a-1 bodies as my workhorse cameras for three years. They produce stunning 51MP files with vivid natural colors. The AF system is science-fiction-like. They are rugged and dependable and 30 frames per second is nothing to sneeze at. If you are looking to get into bird photography with Sony, a used a-1 its the way to go! With a brand new a-1 ii going for $6498.00, you can save $2800.00 (plus the two great extras) by grabbing Dane’s pretty much as good as new copy ASAP Right now, B&H is offering a used a-1 in like-new condition for $4,397.00. That makes Dane’s body package an absolute steal. artie
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This image was created on 11 January on the 2025 San Diego IPT. Standing at full height I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and the The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 8:08:59am on a sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #1: Western Gull jumping up to a higher perch |
Sony a-1 ii/1.4X TC/300mm f/2.8 GM Rig
This lightweight combination is the deadliest setup I have ever had in my hands for photographing birds in flight and in action at fairly close range. Over the weeks, I have come to realize that the Bird Face-Eye tracking on the a-1 ii is vastly improved as compared with the a-1, especially with birds in flight. I love the larger body with more room on the grip for the fingers (of your gloved hand), I love the rear screen that tilts both ways, and the greatly improved in-camera body Optical Stabilization System (OSS).
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This image was created by Warren Robb on 13 January on the 2025 San Diego IPT. Standing at full height he used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000. 1/4000 second at f/4 (wide open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 9:24:26am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be dead solid perfect. Zone AF-C AF with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Brown Pelican sub-adult in flight |
Warren Robb
Warren Robb, retired US Navy fighter pilot, had us all on the edge of our seats at dinner in the AirBnB as he told the harrowing story of taking off and landing on his carrier in a driving rainstorm during the Vietnam War. The cockpit was drenched when he entered his aircraft (an A-7E) and got strapped in. Not surprisingly, he could not see the target for his load of ten 500 pound bombs. As you cannot land on a carrier with your bombs, he was told to jettison them over the jungle. None of several bomb release methods worked so he was ordered to fly 200 miles south, land at the airbase in Danang, and have the bombs off-loaded. He was surprised when they ordered him back to the USS Kitty Hawk as all the other planes had already been landed.
When he got to the ship, he couldn’t see a thing as the rain still poured down. During and instrument landing, the rule is that if you cannot see the carrier at 1/2 mile 200 feet, you must abort the landing. He told the landing officer that he could not see the ship. The guy told him to keep coming. So, on blind faith, he did after turning on his taxi light as instructed. The first things he saw were other planes on the deck as the plane’s hook caught the three wire!. Later, Warren thanked the guy and told him that having him turn on the taxi light was a great idea. The guy confessed that he had never seen the plane until it landed but that it sounded good!
Warren summed things up by saying that his scariest landing ever had been quite an e-ticket ride.
On Sunday, Warren borrowed my Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM lens to do the Brandt’s Cormorants. He liked it a lot. On Monday, he borrowed my Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and fell in love instantly. He will be ordering one when he sells his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS II lens here on the BAA blog (soon). “I can’t believe how light and easy it is to hand hold” he said after our morning session. If you might be interested in this lens, shoot me an e-mail.
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This image was also created by Warren Robb on 13 January on the 2025 San Diego IPT. Standing at full height he used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/4000 second at f/4 (wide open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 9:55:30am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be dead solid perfect. Zone AF-C AF with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Brown Pelican non-breeding adult head throw |
Right Response, Right Place, and Right Lens
We were past the bridge club doing flight, sea lions, and Black Oystercatchers and working hard to get anything decent. I had called “15 minute warning” at 9:45 but I decided that we should head back to the big SUV a bit earlier. I, of course, was the last to leave. Just as I took the 600 off the tripod, a pelican landed on a nice rock. I caught Warren’s attention and signaled to him to come quickly and bring the rest of the group. Just as he got on the bird, it did a lovely head throw.
You can see that we were a bit off sun angle. I explained why to the group:
1- We were square to the plane of the subject’s body.
2- We avoided a very ugly rocks and sealion background and exchanged for a Pacific Ocean background.
As I was at 840mm, I managed only some tight head and bill pouch images.
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For those who did not use my link to purchase their Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens, you can order your a copy here for $209.93. Click on the image to enlarge and to be able to read the fine print. |
The BAA Sony 300mm f/2.8 Lens Guide
Impressed by my (or Pat’s) Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images? Use either my Bedfords or B&H affiliate link to purchase your Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and shoot me your receipt via e-mail and request a copy of the first-ever BAA Lens Guide. I thought that it would take only minutes to create this guide, but I was dead wrong. In the process of creating it, I learned a ton about the lens. And even better, I discovered a simple yet potentially fatal flaw that was resulting in sporadically unsharp flight images. The set-up fix is simple. Just be sure to use one of my affiliate links and get the guide for free.
If not, you can purchase a copy here for $209.93. Yes, it never hurts to use my links and it never costs you one penny more. And if you contact me via e-mail before you make a major purchase, I can often save you some money.
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In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Warren, I thought I had some great head throw images, but that was spectacular!
That head throw is killer!