March 2nd, 2022 Your Fave?
Which of today’s two featured images is your favorite? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice.
What’s Up?
Photography on the 2nd Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle continues to be excellent. On Tuesday afternoon, we got to photograph in a heavy snow squall. It has been so spectacular up here, that I will be doing three Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagles IPTs next season. Dates to be announced in about a week. We have not missed a single day due to bad weather. Even though I have been on the boat for ten straight days already, I am super-excited about going out today. I am planning on driving back to Anchorage on Thursday, but we may move that up because of the weather forecast.
Keep reading to learn how and why I am creating fewer flight images than anyone else on this trip. Even if you never make it to Homer, what you learn will help you become a much better flight photographer.
Today is Wednesday 2 March 2022 and the forecast is calling for temperatures just below freezing with light winds. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes 1 day in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on this page and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-gCoypNdvU
Ja Morant
If you are in any way a sports fan, and even if you’re not, you’ve just got to check out the antics of Ja Morant. Temetrius Jamel “Ja” Morant plays in the NBA for the Memphis Grizzlies. He played college basketball for the Murray State Racers, where he was a consensus first-team All-American as a sophomore in 2019. At 6′ 3″ and 174 pounds, he is relatively tiny as a professional basketball player, yet he is the most sensational, most athletic, and most explosive player I have ever seen. And he has a wicked cool hair-do that make his high-flying exploits even more dramatic.
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This image was created on 20 February 2022, the first day of the Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb wheel. ISO 1600: 1/1600 second at f/2.8 (wide open). AWB at 4:38.23pm on a then-cloudy bright afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Bald Eagle landing
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How (and Why) I Shoot the Fewest Eagle Flight Images
During most of our 3-4 hours sessions, the IPT crew of five creates 30,000 or 40,000 (or more!) Bald eagle images. As usual, I am always low hook, averaging about 3000 images (with a single day high of more than 7,000). Why so few? as I try to anticipate the good situations. On most fly-bys I created only from three to ten images while others are pounding the shutter button and creating 30 or 40 or 50 images. These are some of the principles that guide me:
- 1- I get on the bird early and wait until it fills one-third to one-half the frame before firing.
- 2- I only photograph eagles that are either banking or wheeling or upside down or those that are flying towards you.
- 3- I never make an image when the bird’s tail is closer to me than its head. I’ve yet to see a great or even very good eagle image where the bird is flying away from you.
- 4- Since we are feeding the birds cut-up, partially thawed herring, my personal decision is to never make images of birds carrying or eating chunks of fish.
- 5- When I know that the backgrounds will be butt-ugly, I do not even raise my lens.
In short, I am being selective.
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This image was created on 24 February 2022, the fourth day of the Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 244mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. Multi-Metering +2 1/3 stops in Shutter Priority Mode with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. AUTO ISO set ISO 2500: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 4:15:59pm on a very cloudy afternoon.
Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Bald Eagle beginning dive
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Z9 Shooter Warren Hatch
Long-ago IPT veteran Warren Hatch, like all diehard Nikon shooters, is thrilled — as they should be — with the AF performance of the Z9. He really loves the camera, and though he has had it for only two months, he has made many stunning images with it. On Monday, he sat with me as I went through some eagle flight images and was pretty much amazed by both the sharpness of the images and the seemingly perfect exposures frame after frame after frame (can you say Zebras?). And when I reviewed the images in A7INFO, he was stunned by what he saw with regards to the performance of Sony’s Bird-Eye/Face Detection autofocus.
I hope to be sharing some of Warren’s very fine images with you here soon.
The Amazing Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens
The hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with one of my three a1 bodies has been my workhorse rig in Homer. In extreme low light situations, I’ve been going with the lens alone unless I am attempting to create pleasing blurs in which case, I add the 1.4X TC. Why? When I am using slow shutter speeds I do not need to be concerned about using unduly high ISOs. In cloudy-bright conditions, I almost always go to the 1.4X to get some extra reach while keeping the ISO relatively low — usually below 1600 and almost always no greater than 3200. On sunny days I often go with “just” the 1.4x, but I always have the option of putting the 2X on the 70-200. I was forced to do that one day when I accidentally left all three of my 1.4X TCs in the room.
SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. The group is now up to an astounding 111 lucky and blessed folks. Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that all who wish, can request an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. I finally finished the consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE and distributed it yesterday. New a1 folks will now receive three e-mails instead of the previous 28! It is a lot easier on me and is an incredible resource for folks new to the a1.
All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info & Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
February 28th, 2022 What’s Up?
Saturday past, the first morning of the 2nd Homer/Kachemak Bay IPT, began with some frost, but quickly turned into another sunny summer’s day with a high of 41°! The photography was excellent. The afternoon was not great, but we all got some nice head portraits of a large, block-headed female Bald Eagle. Sunday morning started off slowly and then we enjoyed some fabulous flight photography. The afternoon was our best of the trip so far. We tried a new spot and enjoyed a unique situation with a variety of incredible lighting and background opportunities that included sunlit birds set against a low bank of fog one second and jet-black rocks the next. Moi, by far the most conservative shooter on the boat, created 7335 images. After deleting 6934 photos on the first edit, I was left with 401 images that included more than a few that you will see on the blog. The photography has been so spectacular that I will be doing three Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagles IPTs next season. Dates to be announced in about a week.
Speaking of IPTs, BAA-friend Paul Smith left this comment on a recent blog post:
I visited the Stick Marsh this morning. There were lots of birds and lots of activity. The construction work didn’t seem to bother the spoonbills at all! They are up to their usual magic.
Please scroll down for Stick Marsh IPT details.
Apologies for last night’s misfire; an unfinished post was published prematurely when I accidentally hit Publish instead of Save Draft.
Today is Monday 28 February and the forecast is calling for little wind with partly cloudy skies. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes 1 day in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on this page and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT.
And Please Remember
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.
Brand New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
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. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
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This image was created on 4 April 2021 at Stick Marsh in Fellsmere, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 474mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) Multi-metering +2 stops: 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AUTO ISO set ISO 1000. AWB at 7:58:59am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Roseate Spoonbill landing
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No Idea What I Was Doing, But It Worked, in Pink and Blue!
I was excited when I came across this image in the APRIL 2021 folder. I loved the soft pink and the soft blue tones. Not to mention the nearly frame-filling subject with the crossed toes. When I looked at the EXIF, however, I was very confused: Multi-Metering +2 stops with Auto ISO in Shutter Priority??? I have no idea what I was thinking, but was thrilled when RawDigger showed yet another dead-solid perfect exposure.
I have no idea as to why I was not in Manual mode, but I sure am glad that things worked out as they did.
Sony mirrorless bodies are far ahead of all competitors as they offer Zebra technology when shooting stills so that the user can determine and set the correct exposure while looking through the viewfinder; there is no need to take a test exposure. On the first IPT, Canon R3 user Kevin Hice had trouble getting the right exposure in changing light conditions, and on the second IPT, multiple IPT veteran and good friend Indranil Sircar is having the same problem. Once you learn to set and use Zebras properly, you are good to go as far as setting consistently good exposures quickly and easily.
Via e-mail from Morris Herstein
I never thought that I could make in-flight photos of birds successfully. That goal was accomplished during the recent workshop at Stick Marsh only because I listened to your advice and instructions. For the first time I realized how important sun angle was, teachings that you had been communicated for a long time. The result of two days shooting produced the most satisfying images of Roseate Spoonbills I ever could have imagined.
Stay well and safe. Thank you. Morris
Via e-mail from Joe Usewicz
Wow. So many photos to go through. Stick Marsh was a great learning experience. Positioning. Wind impact. Landing zones. Working on backgrounds. I clipped too many incredible reflections. Great fun. Just amazing opportunities.
Warmest Regards, Joe
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Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG.
Clockwise from upper left back around to the center: spoonbill with mangrove background; spoonbill head and shoulders portrait; spoonbill braking to land; spoonbill dramatic landing pose; adult Black-crowned Night-Heron; spoonbill with nesting material; Great Egret returning to nest; incoming spoonbill; and Limpkin landing.
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Stick Marsh IPT: #1: WED 9 March thru the morning of SUN 13 March 2022: $2,299.00. (Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5)
Stick Marsh IPT #2: MON 14 March thru the morning of FRI 18 March 2022: $2299.00 (Limit 6 photographers)
Do both IPTs back-to-back and enjoy a $200 discount: protect your travel and time investments against bad weather by signing up for both IPTs for $4398.00.
Stick Marsh, where the living is easy. Photograph incoming Roseate Spoonbills in flight at point blank range with intermediate telephoto zoom lenses. This year I will be trying the new Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, often with the 1.4X TC. Longer lenses either on a tripod or hand held are best for the green background stuff. There will be endless flight photography opportunities with a variety of species; in addition to the spoonbills, we should have some excellent chances on Limpkin, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Double-created Cormorant, Anhinga, Black and Turkey Vultures, and more. Folks with 500 and 600mm f/4 lenses will have lots of opportunities to hone their skills whether they are working on a tripod or hand holding.
There will be five morning photo sessions averaging four hours. We start in the pre-dawn. The first four morning sessions will be followed by a working brunch. The cost of brunch is included. There will be two after-brunch photo sessions on sunny days (averaging about an hour) to try for bathing spoonbills, usually centered around 1:30pm. There will be one after-brunch photo critique session (probably on DAY 3). And there will be one Image Processing session after brunch.
We will be based in or near Vero Beach. There are AirBnB possibilities for folks who register early. The deposit is $599.00. Call Jim at the office any weekday at 863-692-0906 to pay by credit card. Balances must be paid by check.
What You Will Learn on a Stick Marsh IPT
- 1- You will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button.
- 2- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you fear it.
- 3- You will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
- 4- You will learn the pro secrets that will help you to become a better flight photographer.
- 5- You will learn to zoom out in advance (because the birds are so close!) 🙂
- 6- You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
- 7- You will learn to spot the good and the great situations.
- 8- You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior.
- 9- You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
- 10- You will learn to choose the best perspective.
- 11- You will learn to see and control your backgrounds.
- 12- You will learn to see and understand the light.
- 12- You will learn to see and create pleasing blurs in pre-dawn situations.
- 12- You will learn to be ready for the most likely event at all times.
And the best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever you are and whenever you photograph.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
February 26th, 2022 What’s Up?
On Friday morning I met the group in the hotel restaurant just before 8:00am. The forecast was grim: rain with east winds at 21 gusting to 35mph. Looking out the large picture windows did not offer much hope. Except to me. The group met me with a unanimous “We are not going out today for sure!” I said, “Not so fast. There is one large cloud on the eastern horizon and in 45 minutes, the sun is gonna come out.” Everyone scoffed at me. A few minutes later our boat captain called and said, “I am heading down the hill and it looks pretty good. There are no whitecaps in the bay. Crossing will be on the rough side but once we get into China Poot, the photography will be spectacular with wind and sun together.” One of the participants decided to drive back to Anchorage a day early to look for Moose. The three remaining folks agreed to go out. I told the captain that we would be at the dock ready to go by 9:15. When we pulled into the lot and exited the GMC Yukon, one of the participants (who shall remain nameless), pointed to the clouds to the east and said, “It’s coming” (meaning bad weather), and decided to walk back to the hotel.
Crossing Kachemak Bay was a bit nasty, but I have sailed in a lot worse conditions on the same boat. Once in Poot Bay, the wind was so strong that we needed to break out the heavy anchor and use lots of scope. The sun shined and the wind roared right out of the east. It turned out to be one of the best days ever on an eagle boat. How good was it? Between the three of us, we created exactly 24,475 photographs in about 2 1/2 hours. If my math is correct, that averages to more than 55 images/minute for each of the three photographers. I was low hook at 3634 (plus nine flight videos) and BPN-friend Kevin Hice was top gun with 11,320 R5 raw files. He created more than 75 images every minute. The action literally was non-stop. Did I mention that eagles love the wind? Or that all but one of the other eagle boat trips cancelled? Or that we were the only boat out there for more than a solid hour?
Today is Saturday 25 February 2022. The forecast is for cloudy all day with very little wind. 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 1 day in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on this page and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT.
The Eagle-Over-the-Mountain Photo Contest
In Thursday’s The Eagle-Over-the-Mountain Photo Contest blog post here, Image #2 was created by Anita North. This very fine image garnered seven votes as best. I created Image #2 as stated emphatically by IPT veteran Sandra Calderbank (though I am not quite sure how she knew …) With nine votes, it has been declared the winner in this friendly competition. I love Anita’s very fine image a ton and would have preferred it over mine but for the areas of dirt on the mountain near the tail (that several folks thought were shadows). Thanks to Anita for allowing me to use her image in the contest, and special thanks to all who voted.
Your questions or comments on the two new RF super telephoto lenses are of course welcome.
SONY FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS Lens
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Price Reduced $150.00 on 26 February 2022
Anthony Ardito is offering a SONY FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS lens in like-new condition for a BAA record-low $1197.00 (was $1,347.00). Included are the original box and everything that came in it along with a RealTree MAX5 LensCoat (a $94 value) 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 Anthony e-mail.
The versatile 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses have long been big favorites of many nature photographers. They are great for landscapes. 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 1,000 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 single birds from huge feeding sprees right next to the road.
Two New RF Super Telephoto Prime Lenses
Canon recently announced the introduction of two new super telephoto prime lenses for the EOS R mirrorless system. Further advancing lens design and capability, these L-series lenses are intended for the professional user looking for ultimate reach, performance and operability. The RF 800mm f5.6L IS USM lens and RF 1200mm f8L IS USM lens both offer extreme magnification, optical image stabilization (4.5- and 4-stops respectively), two focus presets as well as full AF compatibility with the 1.4x and 2x RF Extenders (teleconverters).
Relatively lightweight and compact, the RF 800mm f/5.6 lens weighs 6.9 pounds and measures only 17″long making it realistic to use atop a monopod or even handheld for short periods of time. The Minimum Focus Distance (MFD) is 8.5 feet. The list price is $16,999.00. Similarly, the RF 1200mm f/8 is relatively lightweight and compact, weighs 7.4 pounds, and measures 21.1″ long making it realistic to use atop a monopod or even handheld for short periods of time. The Minimum Focus Distance is 14.1 feet. The list price is $19,999.00.
My Thoughts
Several friends wrote this week asking me what I thought about the recent Canon announcement. I checked them out. Their small size and relatively light weight are impressive, as are the seemingly remarkable MFDs. At 6.9 pounds, the RF 800 weighs just a bit more than the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens (6.71 pounds). Speaking of 600mm f/4 lenses, the RF 600 III is nothing more than an EF 600 III with an RF adapter stuck onto the back of the lens. It is not a lens that was redesigned for mirrorless. As far as I understand, neither of the two new lenses were specifically engineered for Canon RF mirrorless. The 800 RF uses the lens elements from the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens, and the RF 1200mm uses the lens elements from the EF 600mm f/4L IS III. The elements from the RF 2X are at the rear of each of the new lenses. The latter explains the seemingly remarkable MFDs … Thanks to Indranil Sircar for his explanations of several of the fine points above; he gleaned from the Canon Japan website.
Practically speaking, I am thinking that Canon will not sell very many of either of these new lenses. While each lens accepts both RF teleconverters, working at extreme focal lengths such as 1120mm, 1600mm, 1680mm, 2400mm is a huge challenge for most folks. At such huge magnifications, hand holding or working on a monopod does not seem feasible to me. Many folks will have big problems even finding the bird in the viewfinder. Unsharpness caused by gear shake is multiplied by the square of the focal length. Another problem that comes with working at extreme focal lengths is the negative effect of heat shimmer (AKA atmospheric interference). The more air between you and the subject the more problems you will encounter.
Oh, did I forget to mention the price tags?
The 600mm III with an RF Adaptor and the RF 600mm, both in combination with the two TCs, offer much greater versatility than either of the two new RF super telephotos. That said, Canon did a great job of reducing the size and weight of the two new lenses. In the right hands, in the right situations, both lenses will surely prove to be extremely sharp and will be used to create some stellar images.
If you plan on pre-ordering one of the new lenses, please get in touch via e-mail before placing your order as I may be able to help you out.
One final thought here: while Canon has had and will continue to offer the strongest lens line-up in the game, the continuing massive superiority of the SONY Alpha 1 makes choosing the best system for photographing birds in flight an easy one. Why? The a1 offers Zebra technology for stills, gorgeous 51 MP files, and the world’s best AF system. During our great session yesterday morning, the light changed often as light clouds occasionally covered the sun. Kevin Hice complained rightly of the difficulty of getting the right exposure with his R5 while John Carelli and I simply spun the rear dial to change the ISO until we saw Zebras on the eagle’s while heads. Until Nikon or Canon mirrorless bodies offer Zebra technology for stills, the a1 is the no-contest choice when it comes to photographing birds, especially flying birds.
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This image was created on 25 February 2022, the last day of the first Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 189mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras. ISO 1600. 1/4000 second at f/4 (wide open). Raw Digger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 10:57:55am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Bald Eagles in tandem flight
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Two For the Price of One!
As stressed here often, one of the keys to creating very good or great images is to strive for something different. Over the six days of the first IPT we enjoyed banking, diving, and upside-down eagles. We all captured many dozens of excellent flight images depicting a great variety of poses and wing positions. Until yesterday morning’s amazing session, I had never seen two eagles flying in perfect tandem. I saw the two eagles, raised my lens to the left — to about one o’clock, fired off an eight-frame burst, and exclaimed, “Wow. I got two birds in flight on the same plane!”
I kept four very excellent images with today’s featured image being my favorite by a small margin.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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