Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
May 23rd, 2018

The Army Corps of Engineers Cranes. Lots of of new Used Gear listings. And Nikon & Canon AF Tip for Tight Action

Stuff

Here is the blog problem short story. Thanks to Rick Tuley and his son we learned the some large DNS servers were no longer routing traffic to three of my websites, most importantly the blog. Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and Quad9 (9.9.9.9) had dropped my sites and sent return messages stating that the server could no longer be found. Best of all they knew why: the domain for the name servers had lapsed. Once we investigated that things got strange. The domain was bird-photographers.net. While I do own birdphotographers.net I had no idea where the extra hyphen had come from. After many hours on the phone with Network Solutions and many hours of online chatting with URL Jet on Saturday, we were assigned two new name servers. But when we tried to change from the old name servers to the new name servers it stated that the new ones were not valid. After another few hours chatting with URL Jet on Sunday the guy who had been helping us on Saturday asked, “Did you register the two new name servers with Network Solutions? I said, “Huh?” Then I gave him my Network Solutions log-in info and password and he registered them. At 8:30pm on Sunday was I successfully able to load the two new name servers. I would be remiss in not mentioning that James Shadle’s son Blake worked hand in hand with us all weekend long and was finally able to load the new name servers onto the Bird Photographers.Net domain dashboard at Domain/Dotster.com which hosts BPN.

From whatsmyDNS.Net

We were told from the get-go that once the new name servers were in place it would take two to 72 hours for them to propagate, to be recognized by the large DNS servers. The screen capture above is from From whatsmyDNS.Net at 6:53am on Wednesday. The strange thing to me is that both the locations and the green checks and the red X-s change every few minutes. A location that shows a green check mark one minute might show a red-X the next. I was told that this is normal due to fluctuation in the propagation. But that does not make sense to me. How can a DNS server recognize a new name server and then un-recognize it? The proof will be in the pudding tonight (Wednesday, May 23, 2018) at 8:40pm, the 72 hour mark. In an ideal world all locations should show green check marks at that time …

The good news is that nearly all the folks who had not been able to access the blog are now able to.

Please remember that you can help support my efforts here on the blog simply by clicking on the Amazon logo-link on the right for even the smallest purchases; make it a habit! And do understand that it works just fine with your Amazon Prime account.

This Just In: Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR Lens Available!

The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR is a difficult lens to find. Most folks have to wait months to purchase. If you would like to save a few bucks, please contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) immediately and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order.

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 old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Nikon 600mm f/4 G IF-ED VR & TC-E14II

Todd Meyer is offering a used Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR lens in excellent condition for the BAA record low price of $5595. The sale includes a LensCoat, a Wimberley low foot, the rear lens caps, the travel case, both hoods, a TC-E14 II, and insured shipping via UPS Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Todd via e-mail.

The 600 f/4 lenses are ideal for those who do birds and wildlife. The newer lighter version, the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens (designated by “E” rather than “G” after the f/4) weighs 8.4 pounds but costs $12,296.95. Thus, Todd’s lens is a great buy for someone young and relatively strong who would like to save either a large chunk of money. artie

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Jim Keener is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark III body in excellent condition for the great low price of $1149.00. The sale includes the front body cap, the charger, the original battery, and insured ground shipping via to continental US addresses only. The package will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact Jim via e-mail or by phone at 310-741-7435 (9am-9pm Mountain time).Carl via e-mail.

I owned and used this superb, full frame, 22mp digital body for several years. It was always my first choice for scenic, Urbex (urban exploration), and flower photography until I fell in love for a while with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). Then I switched to the 5D IV body. In addition, I loved my 5D III body for birds with my big lenses and both TCs. I used mine to create many dozens of high quality images. Then I switched to Nikon. Jim’s body can be yours for a bargain price. artie

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens

Jim Keener is also offering a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1099.00. The sale includes a RRS Arca-Swiss plate, the soft lens case, the front and rear lens caps, the tripod collar, the hood, the original box, and insured ground shipping via to continental US addresses only. The package will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact Jim via e-mail or by phone at 310-741-7435 (9am-9pm Mountain time).Carl via e-mail.

The 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II is an amazingly versatile lens; I made a zillion great images with it when I was using Canon. It works well with both the 1.4X III and the 2X III TCs, even with the 7D II! It is easily hand holdable. It is great for tame birds, landscapes, urbex, indoor stuff likes concerts and recitals, and just about anything you want to photograph. A new 70-200 II currently sells for $1,949 so you can save a cool $850 by buying Jim’s lens at a great low price. artie

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Larry Padgett is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark III body in excellent condition for the $1224.00 The sale includes the front body cap, the charger, the strap, original battery, everything else that came in the box, and insured ground shipping via to continental US addresses only. The package will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact Larry via e-mail or by phone at 1-520.444.9818 Pacific time).

I owned and used this superb, full frame, 22mp digital body for several years. It was always my first choice for scenic, Urbex (urban exploration), and flower photography until I fell in love for a while with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). Then I switched to the 5D IV body. In addition, I loved my 5D III body for birds with my big lenses and both TCs. I used mine to create many dozens of high quality images. Then I switched to Nikon. Jim’s body can be yours for a bargain price. artie

Canon 24-105mm L IS Lens

Charlie Curry is offering a Canon 24-105mm L IS lens in near-mint condition for the great low price of $424.00. The sale includes the front and rear caps, the lens hood, and insured ground shipping via major courier to continental US addresses only. Your lens will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact Charlie via e-mail or by phone at 1-407-448-7797 (Eastern time).

When I shot Canon, I rarely made a trip or headed out to the beach without my 24-105 in my Xtra-hand vest. Whenever I’d leave this amazingly versatile B-roll lens behind, I’d wind up regretting it. I use it for bird-scapes, photographer-scapes, landscapes, mini-macro scenes that included bird feathers, dead birds, and nests with eggs (the latter only when and if the nest can be photographed without jeopardizing it), and just about anything else that catches my eye. While I am nowhere near as good as Denise Ippolito is with this lens, I have made lots of good and saleable images with mine, the old version. artie

Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens

Charlie Curry is also offering a Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens in mint condition for a BAA record-low $795.00. The sale includes the front and back lens covers, the soft case, the EW-88 lens hood, and insured ground shipping via major courier to continental US addresses only.

Please contact Charlie via e-mail or by phone at 1-407-448-7797 (Eastern time).

The 16-35 II is a superb landscape lens that can be used on occasion to create some stunning bird-scapes as well. The practically identical version III of this lens sells for $1999 new; purchase Charlie’s s lens and save $1205.00 on the cost of a new Series III model. 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, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!



Booking.Com

Several folks on the DeSoto IPT used the Booking.Com link below, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.


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.

This image was created on May 18, 2018 down by the lake near my home with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 90mm) and the Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about -1 2/3 stops as framed: 1/200 sec. at f/10. AUTO1 WB at 7:50am on a cloudy morning.

A single AF point about one up and three to the right of the center AF point was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was right on the two eggs. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5.

Image #1: Two eggs in new Sandhill Crane nest

The Discovery

I discovered this nest on my first walk down by the lake in several weeks. I was walking out on the pier with the 200-500 and the D5. The pier is the longest fresh water pier in the state of Florida. Anyhoo, when I saw a crane sitting on a nest on a tiny grassy peninsula right along the shore I realized instantly that it was the same pair that had lost a floating nest right offshore of the same location during the big storm on the Sunday of the DeSoto IPT. It is likely that when I found the nest it was only a few days old as it was flimsy at best.

This image was created on May 19, 2018 down by the lake near my home with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. ISO 800. Matrix metering +2/3 stop; 1/640 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. SUNNY WB at 10:23am on a cloudy day.

3D tracking//Shutter Button/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The system selected and AF point on the back of the crane’s head roughly on the same plane as its eye.

Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +4.

Image #2: Sandhill Crane gathering nesting material

Hard at Work

For the next two mornings the two adults worked furiously at shoring up the nest with reeds, roots, mud, and rotting grasses. As their motions were relatively fast when I was working tight I went with 3D tracking AF in hopes of getting a few sharp ones in a very difficult situation. With Canon I would have likely gone to Center Large Zone.

This image was created on May 21, 2018 down by the lake near my home with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 125mm) and the Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering +1 2/3 stops as framed: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6. AUTO1 WB at 8:30am on a rainy morning.

A single AF point two up from the center AF point was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was right on the crane’s face. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5.

Image #3: Sandhill Crane on the shored up nest

Army Corps of Engineers Cranes

Compare the size and bulk of the nest in Image 3 with the size and bulk of the nest in image #1. Those cranes were very busy. I am hoping against hope that the nest hatches before I head to Toronto and Finland and Norway on the 28th.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

May 21st, 2018

Need Your Help. Just Fledged Osprey in Flight. So What Makes a Good Flight Image? If you are not able to open this blog post via the link, please try again in five minutes. If you are still unable to open it, please contact us via e-mail to samandmayasgrandpa@att.net. Most of the problems that have plagued the blog for the past two weeks have been solved. Details soon.

Stuff

Once I am confident that all who receive their blog notices can access the blog I will share the details of the many Catch-22 rabbit holes that we encountered …

On Saturday it was cloudy bright, perfect for finishing my long lens AF Fine-tuning outdoors with the lights. It has been raining since then. On Sunday I finished up AF Fine-tuning my new Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR lens (purchased just for the gannet boat trips!) and my versatile Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR. I have been hand holding the latter to photograph the wonderful Sandhill Crane nest that I discovered only four days ago. I have nick-named the pair the “Army Corps of Engineers cranes” for the work they have done fortifying their nest with two eggs. Lots of photos soon.

Please remember that you can help support my efforts here on the blog simply by clicking on the Amazon logo-link on the right for even the smallest purchases; make it a habit! And do understand that it works just fine with your Amazon Prime account.

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 old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

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, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!



Booking.Com

Several folks on the DeSoto IPT used the Booking.Com link below, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.


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.

This image was created on May 17, 2018 down by the lake near my home with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 500mm) and the blazingly fast autofocus king, the Nikon D5 with Dual XQD Slots. ISO 800. Matrix metering plus about 1 2/3 stops off the sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3. AUTO1 WB at 9:37am on a cloudy morning.

One down and one to the right of the center Group (grp) AF point/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. As originally framed, the left-most of the four AF points was right on the bird’s face. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +3.

Recently fledged young Osprey returning to nest

A Walk By the Lake

For my first visit to the lake in the past few weeks, I decided to head down without the 600. I took the 200-500 with the D5. I tend to go with the D5 over one of my two D850 bodies in pure flight situations (though I am not sure that this is the best tack …) There were a zillion Ospreys flying around but good situations were scarce. I made about 40 images and all but one or two were razor sharp on the bird’s eye or eyes. Yet I kept only this one …

So What Makes a Good Flight Image?

Many folk think that any sharp flight image is a good image. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, if an image is not at least acceptably sharp it will wind up in the trash on the first edit. Here are the additional factors that determine the success of a given flight image:

  • 1-Wing position. Wings fully up or fully down are ideal. Flat wing positions only work if a bird is angling toward you or is directly overhead, the latter ideal if the bird is soaring. In addition, there are many interesting take-off and landing poses.
  • 2-The orientation of the bird to the imaging sensor. If a bird is flying even slightly away from you most flight images will be failures (unless you get a nice look-back head angle).
  • 3-The quality of the light. Making a great flight image when the sun is out at full strength is extremely difficult due to shadows. Your best chance in those conditions is to try to capture a wings fully up pose with the bird slightly angling toward you in flight. My great preference for flight photography is for cloudy or cloudy-bright skies.
  • 4-Head angle. Many otherwise perfect flight images are ruined because the bird’s head is turned away …
  • 5-On rare occasion, skilled folks may be able to capture sharp images featuring unusual and/or dramatic poses: top shots, bank shots, birds turning in flight, birds landing with talons out-stretched, birds diving, or mid-air prey captures. Even more rare are interactions between two birds in flight.

If I left anything out, feel free to leave a comment.

Remember: sharpness is not nearly enough …

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

May 19th, 2018

Blackened Sidelighting! And Micro-adjusting (Canon) and AF Fine-Tune (Nikon) Tips and Tidbits

Stuff

I am still feeling great and still thinking about packing for my big 7-week trip to Europe at the end of the month. I went down to the lake and was thrilled to find a gorgeous Sandhill Crane nest with two eggs right next to the shore. I am hoping against hope that it will hatch before I head out of town on the 28th. Please remember that you can help support my efforts here on the blog simply by clicking on the Amazon logo-link on the right for even the smallest purchases; make it a habit! And do understand that it works just fine with your Amazon Prime account.

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 old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

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, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!



Booking.Com

Several folks on the DeSoto IPT used the Booking.Com link below, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.


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.

This image was created on the DeSoto IPT on April 18, 2018. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering minus about 1 2/3 stops as framed: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3. AUTO1 WB at 7:20am on a clear morning.

Center Group (grp) AF point/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the bird’s face.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +4.

Great Egret, sidelit flight

Blacked Sidelight!

The morning began with silhouettes of the dancing Reddish Egret (see the Always in a Hurry blog post here). After I trekked back through the mud to the spit there was not a whole lot going on. As we were deciding whether or not to make a wiggle I spotted a Great Egret flying right at us. Even though it was 90 degrees off sun angle I figgered what the hay, acquired focus easily, and ripped off 12 frames. Once they made it to my Macbook Pro, I was glad to see that every frame was razor sharp on the eye. I wound up keeping five from the series. You gotta love Group AF.

Nikon AF Fine-tune Excel Spreadsheet

Keep an Excel Spreadsheet!

Whether you are shooting Canon or Nikon it is imperative that you keep a record of your hard-earned results (as above). Here are a few words of explanation on the spreadsheet above:

  • Five dots indicate that I have opted not to test a combination because it is unlikely that I will be using it.
  • Blank boxes indicate tests that I need to get completed before the big trip.
  • AFT indicates that I went with the results of the Automatic Fine-tune test.
  • AFC indicates that I ran an Automatic Fine-tune test and then fine-tune those results with a FocusTune AFC test.
  • All D850 tests were done using the Focus Peaking Fine-tune techniques.
  • The two highlighted boxed marked r-chk indicate that I want to re-run the Focus Peaking test as I did them outdoors (with the lights) and it was a bit breezy. I am fully confident that I am within a point or two from the perfect value at most.

Nikon users can learn to do Automatic Fine-tuning and D850 Focus Peaking Fine-tuning in the The Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide. Canon Users and Nikon folks who want to learn to run FocusTune AutoFocus Consistency (AFC) tests will need The LensAlign/FocusTune Micro-Adjusting Tutorial e-Guide. Everyone will need the LensAlign Mark II hardware. Those who wish to purchase only the LensAlign Mark II unit can do so by clicking here. I strongly recommend that almost everyone purchase the LensAlign MK II with FocusTune so that they can learn to run the FocusTune AutoFocus Consistency (AFC) tests. Folks who own and use only D850 bodies do not need to purchase FocusTune as the results with Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune are quite accurate.

Micro-adjusting and AF Fine-Tune Tips and Tidbits

Recently I had one of my two Nikon D850 bodies replaced due to the recurrence of the AF problem that I wrote about a few weeks ago where the AF point that I set with d-9 or d-25 kept moving up and down when I tried to focus (when working in vertical format). So I have been doing lots of AF Fine-tuning and still have lots more to do to get ready for the arctic Norway trip.

With Canon zoom lenses you micro-adjust at the long end <em>and at the short end and the system interpolates with in-between focal lengths. With Nikon zoom lenses you can only AF Fine-tune at a single focal length. Since I do bird photography I always Fine-tune at the long end, 500mm for the 200-500 VR and 400mm for the 80-400 VR. Advantage Canon. Note however the when working at the shorter focal lengths you generally gain some depth-of-field.

Canon camera bodies recognize each individual lens and more importantly, each individual teleconverter, by serial number. For serious photographers who regularly travel with a backup 1.4X teleconverter, for example, this is a Godsend. The Nikon bodies cannot identify individual teleconverters. This creates a real problem if you main 1.4X TC fails on a trip … Advantage Canon.

The Nikon D-5 along with the D-850 and the D-500 offer an Automatic AF Fine-tune feature. It is much faster than doing a micro-adjustments with Canon gear. As I was doing lots of AF Fine-tuning when I first got my Nikon stuff, I quickly learned to do the Automatic AF Fine-tuning. Out of curiosity I began doing AFC (Auto-focus Consistency) tests (see two of those below) in FocusTune. And while the Automatic Fine-tuning is fast I discovered that the AFC testing was more accurate. Today I run a complete Automatic Fine-Tune test on a new combination and then — using my results as a starting point — run an AFC test or two to fine-tune the results. I have found in nearly all cases that the Nikon Automatic Fine-tune value is 2-4 units off. This workflow is still much faster than having to do a complete micro-adjustment from scratch. Advantage: Nikon.

Though the D850 offers the Automatic AF Fine-tune feature I strongly advise folks against using it. Why? The D850 has an amazing Focus Peaking feature. Patrick Sparkman devised a way to use Focus Peaking to quickly come up with an accurate Fine-tune value. One I have set up the LensAlign Mark II and my gear set up correctly, it generally takes only a minute or two to come up with an accurate Fine-tune value. And best of all, when I run an AFC test to confirm, the results are almost always identical and never more than a single unit apart, in other words, negligible. The huge advantage here goes to Nikon.

FocusTune AFC Test

Confirming Fine-tune Values with an AFC Test

I have — though not very often — had instances where the Automatic Fine-tune feature yielded totally erratic results. I started the a test with the D5 and the 200-500 VR at 500mm; the first seven values were -6, -2, +11, +13, -7, +13, and +11. So I made a wild assed guess and tried an AFC test at +7 and noted that I needed to bring the focus forward a bit more. I ran the next one at +3 and as you can see above, the results above were dead-solid perfect.

Note that the relatively tiny grey circles (shot deviation) at the bottom of the AFC graph indicate tight AF clusters, consistently accurate autofocus. The poorer your technique the larger these circles will be. Note also that the circles will generally be larger as you go to longer effective focal lengths.

Another FocusTune AFC Test

Confirming Fine-tune Values with an AFC Test

The results with an Automatic Fine-tune run with the 200-500 and my “second” TC-E14 came up with a fairly consistent +13. I ran an AFC test at +13 and as noted above, I was not surprised when the graph showed some back focus. So I ran a second AFC test at +9 and again was thrilled with the near-perfect results.

Again, Nikon users can learn to do Automatic Fine-tuning and D850 Focus Peaking Fine-tuning in the The Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide. Canon Users and Nikon folks who want to learn to run FocusTune AutoFocus Consistency (AFC) tests will need The LensAlign/FocusTune Micro-Adjusting Tutorial e-Guide. Everyone will need the LensAlign Mark II hardware. Those who wish to purchase only the LensAlign Mark II unit can do so by clicking here. I strongly recommend that almost everyone purchase the LensAlign MK II with FocusTune so that they can learn to run the FocusTune AutoFocus Consistency (AFC) tests. Folks who own and use only D850 bodies do not need to purchase FocusTune as the results with Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune are quite accurate.

Questions Welcome

Any and all questions dealing with micro-adjusting and AF fine-tuning are of course more than welcome.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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. Tanks a stack.

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 :).