January 6th, 2020 Homer Bald Eagles …
I am returning to Homer for the Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPT at the end of February through the beginning of March 2020. My plan is to do a six-day (FEB 25 —26— 27 — 28 — 29 — MAR 1) trip followed by a day off and a five-day trip (MAR 3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7). As in the past, folks may wish to do both trips back-to-back. I do expect both trips to fill very quickly. If you are seriously interested, please contact me via e-mail. Complete details soon. Flight photography until your arms drop, most with a 70-200mm. We photograph from a chartered boat and make some landings as well.
See the Bald Eagle gallery here; most of the images are from Homer.
What’s Up?
I forgot to mention in the last post that Saturday morning with the pelicans was fantastic. On Sunday, we went to my duck spot morning and afternoon and could barely find a Wood Duck. In the morning I shot lots of drake Northern Shovelers at 1200mm (they are not friendly) using the a7R IV, all at 500mm. Most were not sharp due to motion blur as there are just too many pixels … The static portraits with this combo, however, are breathtakingly sharp. In the afternoon, we had two tame drake Gadwall with their two tame hens. This species is usually quite shy. Monte Brown got some nice stuff of the handsomer of the two drakes preening. On Monday morning Bill Schneider and Monte and I had a ball with dozens of gorgeous pelicans. And a. great brunch as usual at Vahik Cafe.
Not-too Smart
I was so proud of myself for hand holding the 600 for flight. Never again. I did a number on my left shoulder, the one that I damaged badly when I fell in my home about 1. 1/2 years ago. I slipped on a puddle that I created after getting out of the pool …
IPT Updates
Coming soon: one or two Spoonbill Boat IPTs, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
Do check out the Galapgos Gallery here.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. 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 here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. 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.
The Used Gear page has been very hot for the past month with the continuing price drops on both Canon and Nikon gear. And there have been some great buys on SONY stuff too. There are still lots of solid bargains right now on the Used Gear Page. In addition to the recent sales below, there are several pending sales.
Recent Sales
In addition to the recent sales noted below, there are many pending sales as well.
Joe Randle sold his Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $899.00 in mid-January 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his rarely used Canon EOS 5DS R in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $1599.00 (was $1799.00) in. early January 2010.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM telephoto lens (the “old five”) in excellent condition for $2399.00, his Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a very low $5,699.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a BIRDS AS ART record-low $1149.00, his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for only $849.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter) in very good condition for $199.00, his refurbished Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body in excellent condition for a ridiculously low $699.00, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens in excellent condition for $129.00, and a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in excellent condition for the BIRDS AS ART record-low-by-far price of $1549.00 all in December 2019.
Charlie Curry sold his lightly used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 IS II USM lens in like-new condition for only $3299.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, a. Canon Extender EF 2x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, his Canon Speedlight 600EXII-RT in new condition with the soft case for $249.00, a Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM lens in like-new condition for only $749.00, and a WH-200 Wimberley Head (the current version) in excellent condition with the Wimberley CK-100 Side-mount conversion clamp and the F-1 Flash Bracket for only $399.00 in December 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Sony a7r IV Mirrorless Digital camera body in absolutely like-new condition for only $2898.00 (was $3098.00) in early January 2020.
Top pro-Jim Zuckerman sold his Sony Alpha a7R Mirrorless Digital camera in excellent condition for $1399 in Late-December 2019.
Insane Price Drops!
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens
BAA record-low Price!
Insane Price Drop!
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller is offering a rarely used Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens in near-mint condition for the new BAA record-low price of $399.00 (was $499.00). The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens pouch, the lens hood ET-73, the warranty card, the CD, the Lens Guide, all original packaging including the product box, 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 Jim via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-445-5042 (Eastern time zone).
Denise Ippolito absolutely loves her Canon 100mm macro lens. And I did also. She used it handheld for the most part while I most-often used it on the tripod. (Note: the tripod collar requires a separate purchase.) artie
Canon 580 EX II Speedlite
Insane Price Drop!
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller is offering a Canon 580 EX II Speedlite in excellent condition for only $99.00 (was $199.00). The sale includes the manual, the warranty card, the case, the stand, the original packaging including product box, 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 Jim via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-445-5042 (Eastern time zone).
This is Canon’s second most powerful flash; I owned several of them and used them often when I was using Canon. artie
Canon 430 EX II Speedlite
Beyond-Insane Price Drop!
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller is offering a rarely-used, refurbished Canon Speedlite 430EX II (flash) in near-mint condition for $49.00 (was $99.00). The sale includes the case, the stand, the manual, the original packaging including the generic Canon refurbished product box, 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 Jim via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-445-5042 (Eastern time zone).
A basic Canon flash at a giving-it-away price. artie
Canon Extender EF 1.4X II (teleconverter)
Insane Price Drop!
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller is offering a Canon Extender EF 1.4X II (teleconverter) in very good condition for $99.00 (was $169.00). The sale includes the front lens cap, the rear lens cap, the warranty card, the guide, the LP811 case, the original packing including the product box, 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 Jim via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-445-5042 (Eastern time zone).
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM L Zoom Lens
BAA record-low Price!
Insane Price Drop!
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller is offering a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM L zoom lens in excellent condition for a BAA record-low $349.00 (was $449.00). The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the EW-83H lens hood, 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 unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Jim via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-445-5042 (Eastern time zone).
The 24-105mm focal length is my all-time favorite for B-roll stuff: bird-scapes, quasi-macros, photographers and people, scenics, and just about everything else on the planet. Whenever I would decide to leave it in the car I would not get far before I was wishing that I had taken it along for the ride. artie
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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Nikon D850 Users e-Guide & Video<
Purchase here.
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Nikon D850 Users e-Guide & Video
$50 via download
This great new guide includes 15 pages of text, a 46-image gallery, and a comprehensive camera handling video.
The text covers all of the menu item settings that I used on my two D850 bodies and each gallery image has a legendary BIRDS AS ART educational caption. The emphasis is two-fold:
1- getting your camera set-up so that it is optimized for bird photography.
2- sharing everything that I know about the Nikon AF system so that you can create consistently sharp images of static subjects, and most especially, of birds in flight and in action.
Though this guide is designed for the D850 nearly all of it applies to the D5 and to the D500 as well.
You can purchase your copy in the BAA On-line Store here. Both files are large so you will need a good internet connection to download them.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
January 5th, 2020 What’s Up?
San Diego is fantastic. Repeat private-client Bill Schneider and I have been having a great time. I pick up good-friend and multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown at the airport after today’s (SUN 5 JAN) morning session. Afternoons at a somewhat atypical location have been great and Saturday afternoon was astoundingly good, probably the best-ever. I still have about 2500 images from Saturday to edit …
Your Favorite?
Consider taking a moment to leave a comment letting folks know which of today’s four featured images you like best and why. All comments on the images are welcome.
IPT Updates
Coming soon: one or two Spoonbill Boat IPTs, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
Do check out the Galapgos Gallery here.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. 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 here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. 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.
The Used Gear page has been very hot for the past month with the continuing price drops on both Canon and Nikon gear. And there have been some great buys on SONY stuff too. There are still lots of solid bargains right now on the Used Gear Page. In addition to the recent sales below, there are several pending sales.
Recent Sales
In addition to the recent sales noted below, there are many pending sales as well.
Jim Lewis sold his Fujinon XF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS lens in excellent condition for $899.00, his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in like-new condition for a very low $3077.00 (was $3,198.00), a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III and a Canon Extender EF 2X III, both in like-new condition for only $223.00, all in mid-December 2019.
IPT veteran Dane Johnson sold his Canon EOS-1D X in like-new condition (with a low shutter count of < 7,100) along with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens in mint condition for the crazy low price of only $2,095.00 (was $2,599.00) in mid-December 2019.
BPN friend Ravi Hirekatur sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS lens (the original 1-4) in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00 in mid-December.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a BIRDS AS ART record-low $1149.00, his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM telephoto lens (the “old five”) in excellent condition for $2399.00, a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens in excellent condition (with some paint scrapes on the bottom of lens foot where it meets mounting plate) for a very low $5,699.00, a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent condition (there are some tiny paint chips here and there) for only $849.00, his refurbished Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body in excellent condition with a few small, faint rubs on the body for a ridiculously low $699.00, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens in excellent condition for $129.00, and a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter) in very good condition for $199.00, all within days of their being listed in mid-December, 2019.
Ken Siegel sold his Sony a7r III in mint condition for only $1949.00 (was $2049.00) in early December 2019.
IPT veteran Joe Randle sold a Canon 500mm f4L IS USM Super Telephoto lens (the "old five") in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $2499.00 and his Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $899.00 both in early December 2019.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created on January 3, 2020. I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 3200. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:36pm in the shade of the tall buildings.
WIDE Continuous/tracking (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Image #1: Brown Pelican in flight: downstroke<
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My Arrival Afternoon
My MCO to SAN flight landed on time on Friday afternoon and thought that I would get to my AirBNB, take the afternoon off, and unpack slowly. I called Patrick Sparkman expecting him to be at work but he was already at LaJolla. So I dumped my bags and got to LaJolla (through the expected traffic) ASAP. Seeing Patrick hand holding his SONY 600mm f/4 inspired me to try doing the same thing. In 36 years I have hand held one of my 600 f/4 lenses only a handful of times, and never for an extended flight photography session. I did much better than I expected hand holding the big SONY GM lens — the lightest 600mm f/4 lens on the planet BTW, in large part due to its superb balance with most of the weight to the rear. Buoyed by my success on Friday afternoon, I did the same thing on Saturday afternoon and glimpsing at my results, I did even better. What they say about practice is doubly true when it comes to any type of flight photography.
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This image was created on January 3, 2020. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 3200. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:38pm in the shade of the cliffs.
WIDE Continuous/tracking (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Image #2: Brown Pelican juvenile in flight: against cliff<
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SONY a9 II AF Performance
Using WIDE or center ZONE AF with Animal Eye AF turned on is the most accurate AF system I have ever used for birds in flight. Of the about 3,000 or so flight images I have created on this trip so far, more than 99% have been razor-sharp on the eye. And once the system is locked it stays locked no matter if you are working against backgrounds-other-than-sky (BOTS). Those include the Pacific Ocean as in Images #1 & 3 and sandstone cliffs as in Image #2. Canon AF has huge problems with BOTS and while Nikon is much better, a9 II AF is science-fiction-like. Not to mention consistently accurate.
A Great SONY AF Tip
Trying to acquire focus on birds in flight at close range in low light/low contrast situations can be problematic with SONY. The solution is to focus on something relatively distant. In. most cases, the system will then acquire quickly even when working incoming birds in flight at close range in low light/low contrast situations.
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This image was created on January 3, 2020. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 3200. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:50pm in the shade of the cliffs.
WIDE Continuous/tracking (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Image #3: Brown Pelican in flight: downstroke<
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Top-Shots
This great afternoon location offers lots of chances for creating top shots, images that show the dorsal surfaces of the bird’s wings. I just love creating them and each ocean background is unique. I forgot to mention that the actual 15 frames-per-second frame-rate of the a9 II gives you lots of frames to choose from. Lastly, with no mirror blackout– be sure you are using the Electronic Shutter — your panning skills will improve rapidly as you can see the bird in the viewfinder finder as you track it.
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This image was created on January 3, 2020. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 6400. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AWB at 6:00pm in the pink western sky.
WIDE Continuous/tracking (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Image #4: Brandt’s Cormorant at sunset
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Yup!
Yes sir, the sky color in this image is quite accurate. To get there, after exposing well to the right, I used the Color Editor in Capture One during the RAW conversion.
WIDE AF
One of the great advantages of using WIDE AF for birds in flight is that you can position small-in-the-frame subjects anywhere you like.
The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video
If you own a high-end SONY camera body, there is absolutely no reason that you should not be getting a perfect exposure every time with every image even in the most difficult situations — white birds, dark backgrounds, dark birds against white skies, simply pick your shutter speed and aperture and then adjust the ISO on the Control Wheel until you see faint blinkies. It’s that simple. Learn how in the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video. To order your copy, please send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net for $30. Please state in the Paypal that the payment is for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video.
Alternatively, you can place a phone order for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 MON to THURS and most FRI mornings.
Folks who have purchased a SONY lens and/or a SONY body using either my B&H affiliate links or from Steve Elkins at Bedfords will enjoy a $20 discount. If you qualify, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
Folks who have purchased the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens using my links will receive the file for free. If you qualify for a free copy, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
After I confirm your discount, you can either call Jim or send us a Paypal (as above).
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
January 3rd, 2020 What’s Up?
I am en route to the airport. It’s hard to believe that in about 26 hours I will be spending the morning with the beautiful Pacific-race Brown Pelicans in La Jolla, CA. It is one of my very favorite bird photography spots on the planet. Private client and friend Bill Schneider will be with me this weekend. I will be staying for an additional six days to do some exploring on the central California coast just south of and including Morro Bay.
IPT Updates
Coming soon: one or two Spoonbill Boat IPTs, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
Do check out the Galapgos Gallery here.
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. 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 here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. 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.
The Used Gear page has been very hot for the past month with the continuing price drops on both Canon and Nikon gear. And there have been some great buys on SONY stuff too. There are still lots of solid bargains right now on the Used Gear Page. In addition to the recent sales below, there are several pending sales.
Recent Sales
In addition to the recent sales noted below, there are many pending sales as well.
Jim Lewis sold his Fujinon XF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS lens in excellent condition for $899.00, his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in like-new condition for a very low $3077.00 (was $3,198.00), a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III and a Canon Extender EF 2X III, both in like-new condition for only $223.00, all in mid-December 2019.
IPT veteran Dane Johnson sold his Canon EOS-1D X in like-new condition (with a low shutter count of < 7,100) along with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens in mint condition for the crazy low price of only $2,095.00 (was $2,599.00) in mid-December 2019.
BPN friend Ravi Hirekatur sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS lens (the original 1-4) in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00 in mid-December.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a BIRDS AS ART record-low $1149.00, his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM telephoto lens (the “old five”) in excellent condition for $2399.00, a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens in excellent condition (with some paint scrapes on the bottom of lens foot where it meets mounting plate) for a very low $5,699.00, a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent condition (there are some tiny paint chips here and there) for only $849.00, his refurbished Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body in excellent condition with a few small, faint rubs on the body for a ridiculously low $699.00, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens in excellent condition for $129.00, and a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter) in very good condition for $199.00, all within days of their being listed in mid-December, 2019.
Ken Siegel sold his Sony a7r III in mint condition for only $1949.00 (was $2049.00) in early December 2019.
IPT veteran Joe Randle sold a Canon 500mm f4L IS USM Super Telephoto lens (the "old five") in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $2499.00 and his Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $899.00 both in early December 2019.
New Listing
Canon Macro EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro Lens
BAA Record-low Price!
IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L Macro Lens in near-mint condition for the crazy low price of only $649.00. There are no scratches, scuffs, or marks of any kind on the glass, lens or hood. The only sign of age is a slight graying of the rubber on the focusing ring. The sale includes the lens, front and rear lens caps, tripod collar, Lens Hood ET-78II, Canon’s fabric Lens Case, lens case shoulder strap, original user documents, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US lower 48 addresses only. Photos are available upon request. Your lens will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Dane via e-mail or by phone at 1-559-593-0989.
The Canon 180 Macro was my mainstay macro lens for more than a decade. I loved the extra reach that it provides over the various 100mm macro lenses. And, assuming that you will be working on a tripod, the Canon EF Extender 1.4X is perfectly compatible. The lens is great for flowers, bugs, butterflies, frogs, toads, and snakes among lots more. This lens — still in production — sells new for $1,399.00. You can save a smooth $750.00 on Dane’s practically new lens. artie
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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Capture One Screen Capture for today’s featured image: Great Blue Heron braking to land
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Being Lucky is Not Enough …
You’ve Got to Be Prepared and Be Quick!
I spotted this bird flying toward us. Harry was down at the shoreline photographing some White Pelicans resting on the sandbar. I was well up on the beach. When I saw. the bird. coming I called out, “Here comes a great blue right at us.” As I had been set for the very white pelicans in manual mode at ISO 800, 1/2000 second at f/5.6 and knew that the GBH would need more light I simply upped the ISO by turning the Control Wheel clockwise two clicks to raise the ISO to 1250. The exposure was dead-solid perfect; in RAW Digger it showed 0% overexposure and 0%. underexposure! Sometimes you do not have time to check for the Zebras but a good basic understanding of exposure theory will almost always save the day. Remember: WHITEs need less light to be properly exposed than MIDDLE TONEs and BLACKs and. DARK TONEs need more light than MIDDLE TONES.
Learn Exposure Theory in the chapter on Exposure in the original The Art of Bird Photography.. Or save some bucks and enjoy a complete bird photography education by purchasing the two-book bundle here.
I love the underwing detail in this image and I got very lucky with the background and the positioning of the bird’s head against white sand in the background. But the main point of this post is that no matter how lucky you are to be in the right place at the right time, you need to have mastered the fundamentals and the operation of your camera and lens in order to meet success.
The SONY 600mm/1.4XTC/a9 II for Flight
I created about 15 images of the incoming heron. All were razor-sharp on the eye. WIDE is simply amazing, even. with the 14X TC in place. As you can see in the screen capture that opened this blog post, I kept only three. At the start of the series, I had been panning a bit too slowly and the bird was too far to my right in the frame. (Universal advice for better flight photography: pan faster!) Even when I am shooting flight off a tripod, my biggest problem is simply keeping the bird centered in the frame. And the situation is worse when I am handholding. Folks scoff when I write that I am not a very good flight photographer but my hand-eye coordination, strength, and stamina (for handholding especially) have never been great.
I am falling more in love with my SONY gear every day that I use it and the a9 II tops the list … Patrick Sparkman and I will be working on a comprehensive SONY Camera User’s Guide while I am in California. It will be the best camera user’s guide that I have ever created in part because the SONY menus are so complex and offer so, so many options, some of them useful. And we have learned by experience that some of the default settings can cause serious problems …For folks who have not used my B&H affiliate links or purchased their gear from Bedfords, this guide will be priced oppressively.
The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video
If you own a high-end SONY camera body, there is absolutely no reason that you should not be getting a perfect exposure every time with every image even in the most difficult situations — white birds, dark backgrounds, dark birds against white skies, simply pick your shutter speed and aperture and then adjust the ISO on the Control Wheel until you see faint blinkies. It’s that simple. Learn how in the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video. To order your copy, please send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net for $30. Please state in the Paypal that the payment is for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video.
Alternatively, you can place a phone order for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 MON to THURS and most FRI mornings.
Folks who have purchased a SONY lens and/or a SONY body using either my B&H affiliate links or from Steve Elkins at Bedfords will enjoy a $20 discount. If you qualify, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
Folks who have purchased the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens using my links will receive the file for free. If you qualify for a free copy, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
After I confirm your discount, you can either call Jim or send us a Paypal (as above).
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
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Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
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