Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Picking Your Keepers: A Third Resting Brown Pelican Image Edit

Before you scroll down, watch the less-than 3-minute video and see if you can choose what I thought was the best of the five images. Then keep reading.

What’s Up?

Again. Not much. On Tuesday I finished the second edit of my October 2021 image folder. I began with 1774 raw files and got that down to 503 after deleting 1271. And the truth be told, things would be better if I cut the 503 by at least another 200 …

Today is Wednesday 10 November. I will be heading to Sebastian Inlet early on Thursday. If you would like to join me there, please get in touch asap via e-mail: $400 for three plus hours of in-the-field instruction with tame Wood Storks along with some terns, gulls, shorebirds, herons and egrets as back-up subjects (if need be). There is an option for a working lunch with image review and/or a (weather dependent) afternoon session as well. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about three hours to prepare (including the time creating the new YouTube video above).

Remember that 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 save 3% 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.

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. 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%. The minimum item price is $1000 (or less for a $50 flat-fee). If you are interested, please scroll down here to read the terms. 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.

If you would like to learn about selling your used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page, click here.

New Bedfords BAA Discount Info

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy free Overnight Fed-Ex Air shipping for orders over $1,000.00 and free Second Day Fed-Ex Air shipping for orders under $1,000.00.

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 free Fed-Ex Air shipping as above, 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 use it qualify for the free Fed-Ex Air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists 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 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 save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. 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 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.

This image was created at La Jolla, CA on 4 January 2020 while scouting for the 2020 San Diego IPT>. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 430mm) and the original AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body ISO 1250. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that this image was about 1/3 stop under; that info helps me to correctly adjust the Exposure slider during the raw conversion in ACR. AWB at 3:53pm on a sunny afternoon. Flexible Spot: M/ AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and worked just fine. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the hi-res version. Image #1: Brown Pelican resting on branch

And the Winner Was!

I thought that the fifth image was the strongest because the bird gave us a good look at its face in that one. I liked the one where we saw a bit of the red bill pouch, but we could not see either eye well. Which one did you choose?

Note that I executed a small crop from the left and from below and that I eliminated one of the nubs on the perch, the large one on the left just below the bird.

The Situation

I take pride in my ability to find a good image in seemingly impossible situations. At first glance, there seemed to be no chance to get a lens on this bird as there was a huge bush between where I stood on the sidewalk and the perched pelican. But with the lovely distant background — the dark water in the cove below, I was determined to find a way. By carefully examining the intervening greenery I was able to spot a small opening in the vegetation. With room for one person. By hand holding and getting as tall as possible, I was able to get a clear shot.

In situations like this on an IPT, I do my best to give everyone a chance to get the shot. When the bird is resting or sleeping, that is easy to do. By joining an IPT, you can learn to spot good, excellent, and great situations. And tons more ..

The ACR screen capture for the Brown Pelican resting on branch image

Big Improvements Begin During the Raw Conversion

Whether you do your raw conversions in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), in Capture One, in Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) 4, in Lightroom (again with ACR), or elsewhere, you can make dramatic improvements in your image during this process. No matter the program you use, the sliders are quite similar. It is best to make as many improvements as possible before the raw file is converted.

I was fine with the As Shot White Balance. Then, guided by the evaluation of the raw file in RawDigger, I began by moving the Exposure slider to the right to +0.35. Of note is that I had to move the Black slider to the right to open up the darker tones. With most images we need to move the Black slider to the left. Then I darkened the green water by (atypically) moving the Shadow slider to the left. But for increasing the Saturation to =5, the rest is pretty much by the book.

Remember that except for the Black and White sliders, most of the sliders are moved to your taste for each individual image and that you will be using different values for all except for images created in the same light in a given situation. For those you can hit Control + left click and select Apply Previous Settings from the dropdown menu.

You can learn the basics of making ACR raw conversions (and tons more) in BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The 2022 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPT. Monday 17 January thru the morning session on Friday 21 January 2022. Four full and one-half day: $2999.00. Deposit: $899.00. Limit: 8 photographers/Openings: 6

If you missed the San Diego: A Bird Photographer’s Paradise video on YouTube, be sure to check it out video here.

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting with eggs and possibly chicks) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions. And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or (relatively) healthy bread.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant. (Or two seconds with SONY zebras…) And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure is one of the great takeaways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well, often with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of all of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.

Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The San Diego Details

This IPT will include five three hour morning photo sessions, four one and one-half afternoon photo sessions, four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy day occasions, we may — at my discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

An $899 deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due right after you sign up.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late

On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.

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 :).

My Used Canon EOS R5

If you purchased my Canon EOS R5, please get in touch with me via e-mail. I have lost track of that sale. 🙁

What’s Up?

Not much. On Sunday, it dawned cold and clear, a crisp 52 degrees. The pool was down five degrees overnight. Can winter in Florida be far behind? I worked on a few old images and lots of Used Gear listings. And I watched lots of NFL games on Tivo.

All are invited to leave a comment letting us know which of today’s two featured images is their favorite, and why.

So what’s with the title of today’s blog post? The Used Gear Page has been going great guns. I learned yesterday that David Rice sold all of his Nikon gear to a single buyer just two days after it was listed. And there are lots more great Nikon and Sony bargains below. I dug up two very fine images from my 2019 Galapagos trip, one made with the Nikon 500 PF, and one with the Sony a7R III, the 1.4X TC, and the FE 100-400mm. A used copy of each of those items is available for sale below. Running good images made with the gear for sale often results in a quick sale. Thus the “snake oil salesman” reference.

A bit more on the Used Gear page: in a somewhat volatile market, with many folks abandoning Canon and Nikon like rats from a sinking ship, I pride myself in being able to price stuff to sell fairly quickly while at the same time getting close to maximum fair value for the seller. More than ninety-nine times out of a hundred, you will get substantially more selling your used gear on on the BAA Used Gear Page than you would by selling it to the big boys or trading it in to your local camera store …

Today is Monday 8 November 2021. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took a long time to prepare, probably well more than five hours.

This Just In!

I woke early on Monday to learn that many of the items that were slated to be listed today, had sold overnight, most to a single buyer. But there are still lots of great Nikon bargains below. If you are looking for a specific item, please shoot me an e-mail with Wanted to Buy as the Subject line and I will let you know how that works.

Remember that 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 save 3% 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.

New Bedfords BAA Discount Info

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy free Overnight Fed-Ex Air shipping for orders over $1,000.00 and free Second Day Fed-Ex Air shipping for orders under $1,000.00.

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 free Fed-Ex Air shipping as above, 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 use it qualify for the free Fed-Ex Air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists 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.

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. 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%. The minimum item price is $1000 (or less for a $50 flat-fee). If you are interested, please scroll down here to read the terms. 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.

If you would like to learn about selling your used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page, click here.

New Nikon Listings

Nikon D850 dSLR & MB-D-18 Battery Pack

Sale Pending within one hour of listing

BAA friend Fred Innamorato is offering a Nikon D850 dSLR in near-mint condition with tons of extras for an incredibly, ridiculously low $2096.95. The sale includes the original box, the front body cap, the strap, the USB cord, the battery charger, the manuals, a Nikon MB-D-18 Multi Power Battery Pack (a $396.95 value), the BL-5 Battery Chamber Cover (a $26.95 value), the original EL 15 (and three extra) batteries (a $218.85 value), the original charger, two (2) Nikon EL 18C batteries (a $339.90 value), the Watson Dual Charger (a $99.00 value), and insured Fed Ex Ground (signature required) shipping. Your item will not ship until your check has cleared unless otherwise arranged.

Please contact Fred via e-mail or by phone at 1-216-978-6369 (Eastern time).

When I shot Nikon, I used and loved my two D850 bodies while my D5 sat on a shelf in the garage, unused. In addition, I used the MB-D-18 Battery Pack that served as a vertical grip. As the D850 sells new for $2,996.95, and the battery grip extras total $1299.60 (if my math is correct), you can save $2,199.60! Thus, Fred’s package represents an amazing value. artie

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Lens

Sale Pending within one hour of listing

BAA friend Fred Innamorato is offering a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens in near-mint condition for a very low $2796.95. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps, the lens strap, and insured Fed Ex Ground (signature required) shipping. Your item will not ship until your check has cleared unless otherwise arranged.

Please contact Fred via e-mail or by phone at 1-216-978-6369 (Eastern time).

Taking exceptionally long reach and giving it a hand-holdable form factor, this 500mm prime utilizes a unique Phase Fresnel element to greatly reduce the size and weight compared to previous versions of the focal length.

This PF element, along with three extra-low dispersion elements, also helps to virtually eliminate color fringing and chromatic aberrations in order to achieve a high degree of clarity, sharpness, and color fidelity. Complementing this advanced optical design, individual elements also feature both Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings to suppress flare and ghosting, as well as a protective fluorine coating to guard the optical system from dust and moisture. Nikon & B&H

The Nikon PF series telephoto lenses are tremendously popular as they are relatively small and light and offer great reach. Both do well with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III. On my bucket list trip for the Emperor Penguins I brought two D850 bodies, the 500 PF, and the Nikon 80-400 VR lenses! The 500 PF is still hard to come by and sells new for $3,596.95. At $2796.95, Fred’s lens is a steal! artie

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR Lens

Sale Pending within one hour of listing

BAA friend Fred Innamorato is offering a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4E PF ED VR lens in near-mint condition for a very low $1,396.95. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps, the lens strap, and insured Fed Ex Ground (signature required) shipping. Your item will not ship until your check has cleared unless otherwise arranged.

Please contact Fred via e-mail or by phone at 1-216-978-6369 (Eastern time).

Combining long reach and a portable form factor, the AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR from Nikon is a prime telephoto that features a unique Phase Fresnel element to greatly reduce the size and weight compared to other 300mm lenses. This element, along with one extra-low dispersion glass element, also helps to greatly reduce chromatic aberrations and color fringing for improved clarity and color accuracy. Individual elements also feature both Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings to suppress flare and ghosting, as well as a protective fluorine coating to guard the optical system from dust and moisture. Nikon & B&H

The Nikon PF series telephoto lenses are tremendously popular as they are relatively small and light. Both do well with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III. I never owned or use this lens but BAA-friend Anita North did and loved hers, especially when working with tame birds at close range and in Africa. The 300 PF is still hard to come by and sells new for $1,996.95. At $1,396.95, Fred’s lens is a great bargain. artie

Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III

Sale of two Pending within one hour of listing

BAA friend Fred Innamorato is offering a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III in like-new condition for a the BAA record-low price of $245.95. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear caps, the pouch, and insured Fed Ex Ground (signature required) shipping. Your item will not ship until your check has cleared unless otherwise arranged.

Please contact Fred via e-mail or by phone at 1-216-978-6369 (Eastern time).

As regular readers know, I always traveled with two or three teleconverters no matter which system I was using. This TC sells new for $496.95 so you can save a very nice $251.00 by grabbing this one today. artie

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR Lens

Used Gear Page regular Karen McCormick is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR lens in excellent condition a very low $6750.00. The sale includes the hard case, the front and rear lens caps, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Karen via e-mail e-mail.

I never had the pleasure of owning this lens, the latest/greatest version of Nikon 500mm f/4 lens, I never had the pleasure of owning this lens, the latest/greatest version of Nikon 500mm f/4 lens, but I loved all of my Canon 500mm f/4s. They were lighter, easier to travel with, and focused closer than the 600mm f/4s. As it sells new for $10,296.95, you can save a very nice $3546.95 by grabbing Karen’s lens asap.. artie

Nikon D850 dSLR

BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Sale Pending within two hours of listing

Used Gear Page regular Karen McCormick is offering a Nikon D850 in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $1750.00. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps, the lens case, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Karen via e-mail e-mail.

When I shot Nikon, I used and loved my two D850 bodies while my D5 sat on a shelf in the garage, unused … Still in production, the D850 sells new for $2,996.95. You can find several used copies on B&H for more than $2400.00, or you can save $1246.95 by opting to purchase from Karen. artie

Nikon Price Drop!

Nikkor 600mm AF-S F4 ED VR Lens

Price Reduced $550.00 on 8 NOV 2021

Used Gear Page regular William Dummitt is offering a Nikkor 600mm AF-S F4 ED VR lens in excellent condition for $4649.95 (was $5199.95). The lens would be excellent plus, but for the fact that the fully functional, Arca-Swiss compatible Kirk replacement low foot shows cosmetic wear. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original front lens cover, the manual, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. The original foot is not included. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Bill via e-mail or by phone at 1-314-918-0720 (Eastern time).

The 600mm f/4 lenses have long been the weapons of mass destruction for bird photographers. Especially when paired with a 1.4X teleconverter. This identical lens in 8+ condition is being offered for 6,099.95 here at B&H. If you are on a budget and looking for a Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens, grab Bill’s lens now and save a very handsome $900.00 off the B&H used price. artie

The AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR Lens from Nikon is a high performance fast super telephoto prime lens for Nikon F mount cameras. It is compatible with both FX- and DX-format DSLRs and provides 900mm focal length equivalence on DX-format cameras. It is a robust and durable lens incorporating a magnesium die-cast barrel and professional-grade dust and moisture sealing allows it to be used in more rugged situations. It is extraordinarily long reaching and is effective for drawing in distant subjects and serves well those involved in sports and wildlife photography as well as other ultra-telephoto applications. This lens features the improved Vibration Reduction (VR II) image stabilization system that reduces the blur caused by camera shake, something particularly effective when shooting in dim light at such a long focal length. In addition, this lens also features the Tripod Detection mode, which reduces vibration that may occur due to shutter release, when mounted on a tripod. B&H and Nikon

New Sony Listings

FE Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens

Sold before listing!

Used Gear Page regular Karen McCormick is offering a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $1349.00. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps, the lens case, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Karen via e-mail e-mail.

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, pre-dawn and blizzard blast-offs at Bosque, and at Merritt Island on huge feeding sprees right next to the road.

This super-fast lens weighs only 3.26 pounds and is easily hand holdable by just about everyone. As it sells new right now for $2,298.00, you can save a cool $801 by grabbing Karen’s effectively new lens asap. artie

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

Sony FE 100-400mm, F4.5-5.6GM OSS Lens

Sold before listing!

Used Gear Page regular Karen McCormick is offering a Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6G M OSS lens in like-new condition for a BAA record-low $1298.00. The sale includes the original box, a LensCoat, the front and rear lens caps, the lens case, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Karen via e-mail e-mail.

This versatile, mega-close-focusing lens is easily hand holdable by most folks; it is much lighter than the 200-600 G lens. It is great for bird photography. I use mine often for flight photography, for head shots of silly-tame birds, and for large flowers, butterflies, frogs, and the like. It sells new for $2498.00 so you can save a handsome $1,1000.00 by grabbing Karen’s lens today. artie

Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera Body

Sold before listing!

Used Gear Page regular Karen McCormick is offering a Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera Body in like-new condition for BAA record-low $998.00. The sale includes the original product box, a protective screen saver, the front body cap, the strap, and nd insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Karen via e-mail e-mail.

I used an a7R III extensively on my 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise. It performed flawlessly. I learned later that it was better for birds in flight than its replacement, the a7R IV! This body sells new for $1998.00. Folks wishing to get started with Sony can do so while saving a very nice $1,000.00. artie

New Canon Listing

Canon EOS 7D Mark II dSLR with extras!

Sold before listing!

BAA-friend Doug Bolt is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II dSLR in excellent condition for $650.00. The sale includes the front body cap, one battery and the charger, the camera body manual, a RRS B7D2 base-plate, (a $45 value), a SanDisk Extreme Pro 16GB CF card, a ScanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB SD card, 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 Doug via e-mail.

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II for several years until 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. One thing is for sure: the 7D Mark II is the greatest value ever in a digital camera body. artie

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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.

This image was created at Darwin Bay, Tower Island, Galapagos, Ecuador on 24 July 2019. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 560mm) and the Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1000: 1/2500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 10:57am on a mostly sunny morning. Image #1: White-tailed Tropicbird in flight

The Forgotten Sony Body; the a7R III

While preparing the listing for Karen Karen McCormick’s a7R III, I remembered that this body had served as my main camera body on my 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise. As I viewed the images in the Galapagos 2019 folder, I was surprised to see that many of my favorite images had been made with he 7R III and my only Sony lens at the time, the FE 100-400 GM. I was even more surprised to see that many of those images — including lots of flight shots, had been made with the 1.4X TC in place.

Subject Placement Question

As presented above, Image #1 is a small crop from the left and below. I am not thrilled with the placement of the bird in the frame. Remembering that it is easy to add canvas with uniform backgrounds (if need be), where would you have placed the bird in the frame?

This image was created on 31 July 2019 at Punta Suarez — Espanola (Hood Island), Galapagos. I used the hand Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 500: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3. NATURAL AUTO WB at 3:23pm on a sunny afternoon. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Center Group (grp) AF point/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure and worked well. The image is perfectly sharp on the eye. Image #2: Waved Albatross in flight

Light and Deadly

At one point, I was using both Nikon and Sony gear. And that was the case on the 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise. When I needed reach, I went to the 500 PF with the battery grip. As you can see in the image above, the AF was pretty darned good. That same combo served as my long lens on my October 2019 bucket list trip to Snow Hill Island, Antarctica, to see and photograph the Emperor Penguins.

Typos

Feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment regarding any typos or errors in this blog post.