What’s Up?
On Thurdsay morning, November 21, I headed down to the lake before I even started packing for Bosque. Though the wind waswest of north, I did quite well with Black Vultures in flight with the a9 II/600 f/4 GM combination. It took Jim about 3 hours to get us up to Orlando because of horrific traffic. We enjoyed a nice dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse and then Jim dropped me off at my Ramada. I was on the 4:30am shuttle, arrived in Dallas at 8:10am Central time, and landed at Albequerque before 11am Mountain time.
I picked up first-timer Bill Schneider and after a few stops, we made the crane pool for some late-in-the day photography. With the Festival of the Cranes in progress there are about 250 photographers lined up at the crane pool. When we arrived, two of them were in the right place, while 248 of them were totally out of position … Once we joined them there are four folks in the right place. General rule: move so as to place the birds between you and the brightest sky color ..
Saturday morning at Bosque did not suck. There were more cranes than geese and lots to photograph …
You Guessed It …
Please leave a comment and let us know which of today’s three Bosque First Blood images is your favorite. And why. I have a very clear favorite.
IPT Updates
- The 2020 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) WED JAN 8, 2020 thru and including the morning session on SUN JAN 12: 4 1/2 days: $2099.(Limit: 8/Openings: 5)
Click here for complete IPT info and details.
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 hot for the past two months with the continuing price drops on Canon and Nikon gear. There are still lots of great buys right now on the Used Gear Page. In addition to the recent sales below, there are many pending sales.
Recent Sales
Ken Siegel sold a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $3299.00 in mid-November soon after listing.
Jerry Barrack sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Digital Camera Body in near-mint condition for $ 1,999.00, a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $5,799.00, a Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera body in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $648.00 in early November, 2019.
BAA friend and multiple IPT veteran Paul Reinstein sold his Canon EOS-1D X Mark II body with a shutter count of 40,759 in near-mint condition for $3,599.00 in mid-November 2019.
I sold my SONY a9 in near-mint condition for $2,597.00 on November 11, 2019.
Jerry Barrack sold his Canon Extender EF 1.4X III teleconverter in near-mint condition and his Canon Extender EF 2X III teleconverter also in near-mint condition, both for a very low $224.00 in early Novemeber.
Jerry Barrack also sold a Wimberley WH-101 Gimbal Head w/QR C-30 clamp (the original) and a heavy-duty Gitzo 410 tripod for the silly low price of $399.00.
Peter Noyes sold his Sony Alpha A7R III Mirrorless Digital Camera body in like-new condition with a shutter count of less than 1,000 for $1998.00 the first day it was listed in early November.
Canon EOS-1D X Professional Digital Camera Body & Canon 24-105mm Kit
IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a 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 $2,599.00 (with extras!). The sale includes the front body cap, a RRS B1DX-L L-plate (a $250 value), an extra LP-E4N battery (a $165 value), the charger, the original product box with user documents and all cables, the front and rear caps, the original box for the lens along with the EW-83H lens hood, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US lower 48 addresses only.
Please contact Dane via e-mail.
Several rugged 1D X bodies served as my workhorse cameras for about four years. I made many hundreds of family jewels in all types of weather all around the world. And the Canon 24-105mm was great 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. Joe’s kit is a great value for the money. artie
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Multiple IPT veteran Jake Levin is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II in excellent plus condition for $648.00. The sale includes the Canon battery grip, an extra Canon battery, two 32GB Lexar cards, the front lens cap, the strap, and insured UPS ground shipping to both Canadian and lower-48 US addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears, unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Jake via e-mail or by phone at 1-514-601-9544 (Eastern time zone).
Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II for many years when we both used Canon. 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
Price Drops!
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Price Reduced $150 on 11-21-19!
BAA friend and multiple IPT veteran Paul Reinstein is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in near-mint condition (shutter count 40,054) for the lowest-ever-by-a mile priceof $1749.00 (was $1899.00). The camera recently underwent the 18-point digital dSLR maintenance service (clean and check) at a Canon factory service center. There are a very few tiny scuffs/paint chips. Photos are available upon request. The sale includes two batteries, the battery charger, the front cap, a 64GB compact flash card, the camera strap, the USB-C cable and cable protector, the instruction manuals, the CDs, the warranty card, the original product box, an extra eye cup, a Hoodman eye hood, 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 Paul via e-mail or by phone at 1-310-946-9031 (Pacific time zone).
The high-megapixel 5D Mark IV was my favorite Canon camera body. The AF system was superb and the files large, detailed and luscious. I used mine with all of my favorite Canon lenses including the 100-400 II, the 500 f/4L IS II, and the 600 f/4L IS II. With the two super-telephotos, I consistently made sharp images with both the 1.4X III and the 2X III TCs. A new 5D IV currently sells for $2,799.00; you can save a very nice $900.00 by grabbing this one. artie
Sony Alpha a9 (ILCE 9) Mirrorless Digital Camera Body
Price Reduced $100.00 on 11-21-19
Ken Siegel is offering a Sony A9 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body in mint condition for $2598.00 (was $2698.00). Photos are available upon request. The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it, a SONY A9 Modular Plate (L-bracket — a $200 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 Ken via e-mail e-mail or by phone at 1-(864) 680-5921 (Eastern time zone).
Simply put, the SONY a9 has the best AF system of any camera that I have ever used. And Patrick Sparkman agrees 100%. SONY is getting hotter every day. The a9 sells for $3,498.00 and the new a9 II sells for $4498.00. Either way, you can do the math as far as how much you will be saving. artie
Sony Alpha a7r III Mirrorless Digital Camera Body
Price Reduced $100.00 on 11-21-19
Ken Siegel is also offering a Sony a7r III in mint condition for only $1949.00 (was $2049.00). Photos are available upon request. The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it, a SONY A7r III Modular Plate (L-bracket — a $200 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 Ken via e-mail e-mail or by phone at 1-(864) 680-5921 (Eastern time zone).
You’ve seen my great Galapagos images … I made tons of great stuff with the 7r III and the SONY 100-400 with and without the 1.4X TC. Simply put, the a7r iii is a great camera body. It is selling new right now at B&H for $2498.0 and the new a7r iv is going for $3,498.00! You can save a very cool $500.00 by grabbing Ken’s a7r III right now. artie
Please contact Ken via e-mail e-mail or by phone at 1-(864) 680-5921 (Eastern time zone).
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.
My Bosque Gear Bag
The Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens will be my workhorse lens at Bosque. I will use it often with both the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter and the Sony FE 2.0x teleconverter. I will do lots of flight photography with the a9 II but will use the a7R IV for pre-dawn and sunset blurs and possibly for geese and cranes on the ground and in the ponds. In addition, I hope to do some flight with the 600 GM/a7r IV combo.
At times, I will have either the 100-400 or the 200-600 on the iduro GIT 304L with the
If the flocks are relatively close, I will have the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens on my shoulder via a Black Rapid Curve Breathe Strap. If the flocks are more distant, I will replace that with the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens. If I have a situation where the birds are point-blank and the wind is behind me, I will go to the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 lens , again with the rig on the Black Rapid Curve Breathe Strap.
I thought about getting one of the SONY 70-200s for this trip, but with the lenses that I have in my kit, all focal lengths from 24mm to 600mm are covered. That said, you can do great things with a 70-200mm focal at Bosque. The faster, heavier Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (77mm filter size) offers an additional stop of light, while the one-stop slower, smaller (72mm filter size), slightly lighter (3.02 lbs. vs. 3.3 lbs.) Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lens is a bit easier to handle.
Xtrahand Magnum Vest
I always take my Xtrahand vest when I may need to carry small lenses or other accessories into the field. Most often at Bosque that is a 24-105mm in a woolen watch cap. I can easily swap that with the 100-400 when I need to get wide. Vested Interest gave up the ghost a few years ago. There are great buys on two smaller sized Xtrahand Vests below.
Camera Bodies
I am of course, taking both of my SONY bodies. I will be using the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera in all flight situations when I wish to create sharp images (as opposed to pleasing blurs. I am planning to use the 61-MP Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only) for everything else.
The ossibilities at Bosque are so varied that while I’m getting ready to head out for my first morning, I am already wishing that I had a third SONY body … I have often run three rigs at once at Bosque; one on the tripod, one on my shoulder, and one on the ground — usually a short zoom or a fish-eye — resting on an extra coat or sweatshirt. For experienced photographer’s sky conditons and wind strength and direction will always be the deciding factors when choosing lens for a given situation.
Induro Tripods
On some mornings in some situations I love setting up two tripods at the refuge while waiting for a big blast off. Ninety-nine percent of the time I will be set up for blurs. I thought about taking the GIT 304L and the lighter GIT 204 for either the tripod-mounted 100-400 or the 200-600. But then I realized the danger with that scenario: it would be very easy for the 204 to get knocked over … I decided, therefore, to take the larger, taller, heavier and sturdier GIT 404 and the 304L. I’ll put the FlexShooter Pro on the 404 and the Mini on the 304L using the latter with one of the two intermediate telephotos. As there is not much walking involved when photographing at Bosque del Apache NWR, I will have no problems with the extra weight of the 404.
Important request: please use this link and only this link to order your Induro tripod after e-mailing me your height and your big lens info. Before ordering your tripod using my B&H link please consider two things:
1-I am only pennies on you B&H tripod order and do much much better with your OPG order. And Chris often has the Induros on sale.
2- This blog post took more than five hours to prepare.
FYI, here are the weights of the three tripods:
Induro GIT 204 — 4lbs, 0.1 oz..
Induro 304L — 4lbs, 10.7 oz.
Induro 404 — 5lbs, 12.2 oz
Singh-Ray Filters
I took the 77mm Warming Circular Polarizer, the 77mm 5-stop ND, and my brand-new 95mm George Lepp Solid 3-stop Neutral Density filter. The polarizer in hopes of a rainbow or two and the NDs so that I can create pleasing blurs in full sun. To save 10% when purhcasing your Singh-Ray filters click here and be sure to enter and apply the discount code ARTIE10 at checkout.
Think Tank Rolling Bags
All of my SONY lenses, camera bodies, and TCs noted above along with my fileters and spare batteries and my Delkin CF Memory tote fit easily into the larger of my two Think Tank rolling bags, the Airport Security. Fully packed the bag weighed in at a relatively svelte 35 1/4 pounds, well below the US legal carry-on limit of 40 pounds. When traveling first with my Canon and then with mt Nikon gear,
When I travel without my 600 f/4, the smaller, lighter Airport International suffices.
lenses, camera bodies, and TCs noted above along with spare batteries and my Delkin CF Memory tote fit easily into the smaller of my two Think Tank rolling bags, the Airport International™ V3.0. Fully packed the bag weighed a relatively svelte 32 1/4 pounds, well below the US legal carry-on limit of 40 pounds. When I travel with the 600, I need the larger of my two Think Tank bags, the Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag.
Please click on my Think Tank affiliate link here or on the Think Tank logo-link in the right column of each blog post page to earn a free gift when you purchase any Think Tank product.
Think Tank Urban Disguise Laptop Shoulder Bag
I love this amazing bag as it has tons of room and enables me to pack tons of extra stuff (including and especially my laptop, all the cords, my insulin and frozen gel packs, and my blood sugar meter.
Please click on my Think Tank affiliate link here or on the Think Tank logo-link in the right column of each blog post page to earn a free gift when you purchase any Think Tank product.
Relevant Used Gear Re-runs
Sony FE 70-200 f/4 G OSS Lens
Price dropped $150 on 17 MAR 2018
Joel Williams is also offering a Sony FE 70-200 f/4 G OSS lens in like-new condition for only $829 (was $979). The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it and insured ground shipping via UPS to US addresses only. The lens will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Joel via e-mail.
Capture more distant subjects while keeping your kit lightweight with the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS Lens from Sony. This full-frame lens is designed for use with mirrorless E-mount cameras where it delivers an excellent telephoto zoom range. It also uses a maximum aperture of f/4 to keep size and weight down. Incorporated into the optical design are a series of specialized elements to ensure aberrations are suppressed, this includes two extra-low dispersion elements, one super extra-low dispersion element, two advanced aspherical elements, and one aspherical element. Along with these capabilities, a Nano AR coating will help minimize the appearance of flare and ghosting. The lens sells new for $1498.00 B&H
Navy blue (woman’s small) Xtrahand Magnum Vest
John Lowin is offering a navy blue (woman’s small) Xtrahand Magnum vest by Vested Interest for $199.00. The vest is in like-new condition. The sale also includes insured ground shipping by major courier to mainland US addresses only (unless other shipping arrangements are made). Please contact John via e-mail or by phone at 1-262-242-3559. Central time.
As most of you know, I use and depend on my (Magnum) Xtrahand Vest extensively both in the field and for air travel; it has saved my butt many times when traveling on small planes and puddle jumpers when they want to check or gate-check your roll aboard. At spots in the Southern Ocean and in the Galapagos archipelago, it is absolutely indispensable as it allows me to carry the extra lenses that I might need, along with water, food, and extra clothing. Without a backpack! As Vested Interest has gone out of business, this represents a rare chance to get yourself an Xtrahand Vest at a greatly reduced price. artie
Xtrahand Vest, by Vested Interest: Size Small/Medium
Kevin Hice is offering a green Xtrahand Vest, size Small/Medium, for $250. The vest is in like-new condition with the thick shoulder pads, two large and two small front pockets, the large rear pocket, the rear tripod pocket, and insured ground shipping via UPS or FEDEX to U.S. addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Kevin via e-mail or by phone at 701- 460- 6112 (Central time).
As most of you know, I use and depend on my (Magnum) Xtrahand Vest extensively both in the field and for air travel; it has saved my butt many times when traveling on small planes and puddle jumpers when they want to check or gate-check your roll aboard. At spots in the Southern Ocean and in the Galapagos archipelago, it is absolutely indispensable as it allows me to carry the extra lenses that I might need, along with water, food, and extra clothing. Without a backpack! As Vested Interest has gone out of business, this represents a rare chance to get yourself an Xtrahand Vest at a greatly reduced price. artie
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens
BAA Record-low Price!
Price reduced $50.00 11-15-19
Regular Used Gear page seller John Bowden is offering a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lnes in excellent-plus condition for a BIRDS AS ART record-low $548.00 (was $598.00). The sale includes the rear lens cap, the front lens cap, the lens pouch, the lens shade (hood), the original 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 John Bowden via e-mail e-mail or by phone at 1-919-358-5717 EST.
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
Bosque First Blood
I was thrilled to visit an old favorite pre-dawn spot and enjoy a half-way decent goose fly-in in the pre-dawn. Right after I made this image I was in the car and on the move. Though lots of things have changed over the years the advice in the Bosque Site Guide is still right on target.
The a9 II
Considering my successful vulutre flight session at ILE and my limited time work with it at 840mm this morning, it is looking as if the a9 II will more than live up to its high expectations. Stay tuned.
One negative with the SONY bodies is that it is difficult working with them with gloves on due to their small size …
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This image was also created on November 23, 2019 on my first Bosque IPT Scouting Morning. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm with the 61-MP monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera body. . A 95mm George Lepp Solid 3-stop Neutral Density Singh-Ray filter was screwed to the front element of the 200-600 so that I could get to a relatively slow shutter speed without having to stop down to f/32 … ISO 160. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/15 sec. at f/14 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:19am on a clear day.
Fall Blackbird Flock Blur
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The SONY 200-600 at Bosque
It was quite evident that the relatively new 200-600 will prove to be incredibly useful at Bosque. By adding the 95mm George Lepp Solid 3-stop Neutral Density Singh-Ray filter I am able to create pleasing blurs in full sun. And I am pretty sure that when the right situation arises I will be able to make some great images with the 200-600 a9 II combination.
A Guide to Pleasing Blurs
Learn everything there is to know about creating pleasingly blurred images in A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. This 20,585 word, 271 page PDF is illustrated with 144 different, exciting, and artistic images. The guide covers the basics of creating pleasingly blurred images, the factors that influence the degree of blurring, the use of filters in creating pleasing blurs, and a great variety of both in-the-field and Photoshop techniques that can be used to create pleasingly blurred images.
Artie and Denise teach you many different ways to move your lens during the exposure to create a variety of pleasingly blurred images of flowers and trees and water and landscapes. They will teach you to recognize situations where subject movement can be used to your advantage to create pan blurs, wind blurs, and moving water blurs. They will teach you to create zoom-blurs both in the field and during post-processing. Artie shares the techniques that he has used and developed for making blurred images of flocks of geese in flight at his beloved Bosque del Apache and Denise shares her flower blur magic as well as a variety of creative Photoshop techniques that she has developed.
With the advent of digital capture creating blurred images has become a great and inexpensive way to go out with your camera and have fun. And while many folks think that making successful blurred images is the result of being a sloppy photographer, nothing could be further from the truth. In “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs” Artie and Denise will help you to unleash your creative self.
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 :).
