January 16th, 2013

BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #429

  • Short-handed
  • Fort DeSoto Morning In-the-Field Workshop
  • Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II vs Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS: And the Winner Is!
  • Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour
  • Canon Live Learning/Birds of the Everglades/Destination Photography Workshop
  • Barnegat Jetty IPT II
  • Used Camera Gear
  • IPT Info

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This beyond spectacular American Kestrel flight shot was created by Arash Harzeghi with the hand held Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens,
the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) w/FREE Bonus Item – $446.45 Value! [expires soon]!. ISO 3200. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6.

Central sensor Expand/AI Servo/Shutter Button AF active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Arash Harzeghi. Note the incredible high ISO performance of the 1D X. Arash does all of his RAW conversions with Digital Photo Professional; that’s why I wrote the DPP (Digital Photo Professional) RAW Conversion Guide with Arash’s help. Consider also Arash’s Professional Guide to Noise Reduction.

Be sure to see the “Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II vs Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS: And the Winner Is!” below.

Short-handed

We are a bit short-handed at BAA this week. Jim is away on family business until Monday, January 28. Jennifer will be in most days or every day this week usually between 11am and 2pm. If you call and nobody answers, please leave a message and Jennifer will get back to you at the earliest possible moment. Please be just a bit patient with us this week 🙂

On a related note, BAA is a family run business. Note: after so many years of great and reliable service Jim Litzenberg is considered a family member. If you place an order on Friday afternoon please understand that it will be sent as early as possible on the following Monday. Sending 6 angry e-mails over the weekend will not get your MP4 Photoshop Tutorial Video or your Site Guide or Digital Basics or Camera User’s Guide to you any faster. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

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This Yellow-crowned Night-Heron image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus lens and the Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR . ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/800 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Central sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Most visits to Fort DeSoto turn up a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. If you cannot make the In-the-Field Workshop on February 25 (see immediately below) you will want to get yourself a copy of our Fort DeSoto Site Guide.

Fort DeSoto Morning In-the-Field Workshop

Fort DeSoto In-the-field Workshop: FEB 25. Pre-dawn -10:30am. Limit 16/openings: 12. Includes a great lunch: $275.

On Monday morning, February 25, Denise Ippolito and I will be leading a morning In-the-field Workshop at Fort DeSoto, south of St. Petersburg, FL. We should get to photograph a variety of very tame herons, egrets, gulls, terns, and shorebirds. Spoonbills possible. There will be lots of individual and small group instruction. We will cover exposure and histograms, seeing the situation, creating sharp images, and lots more. Each registrant will have a personalized gear and set-up check. The more questions you ask, the more you will learn.

A great working lunch at the Sea Porch Café on St. Petersburg Beach is included. All are invited to bring a laptop along for image sharing at lunch. After the workshop, all are invited to send us three 1024 wide or 800 tall JPEGs for critiquing. Call 1-863-692-0906 to register or send us a Paypal. Either way, be sure to note Fort DeSoto I-T-F.

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Note: the bird in this image is actually an adult Neotropic Cormorant. Thanks to Rasta-man Faraaz Abdul for opening my eyes to that.

This Double-crested Cormorant image was created by Patrick Sparkman with the hand held Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) w/FREE Bonus Item – $446.45 Value! [expires soon]!. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/100 sec. at f/8 in Av Mode.

The 1/100 sec. shutter speed is not a typo. Getting sharp results at 1000mm (20X maginification) hand held at 1/100 sec. is a testament to Patrick’s strength, skill, and sharpness techniques and to the remarkable 4-stop Image Stabilization technology that was first introduced with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens.

Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper version.

Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Patrick Sparkman.

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II vs Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS

This article, with a different collection of spectacular images, was published on the blog here.

I announced in the blog post here that I would soon be selling my beloved 800mm f/5.6L IS lens. Many were astounded that I would be going from the 800 down to the 600. Melissa Groo commented, “600mm plus full frame? Can’t wait to hear your explanation.”

First we need to consider that on page 6 of “The Art f Bird Photography II” (ABP II: 916 pages on CD only) I wrote, “… it is routine for me to use either the 500 or 600mm IS lenses with the 2X II teleconverter and produce razor-sharp images consistently at shutter speeds of 1/60 sec. and—at times—with shutter speeds even slower than that.” And that was before Series III TCs and before 4-stop Image Stabilization.

Reach

With the above in mind, let’s take a look at the maximum effective focal length of the two lens with a professional digital camera body.

800mm f/5.6 with the 1.4XIII TC (at f/8): 1120mm.
600mm f/4L IS II with the 2XIII TC (at f/8): 1200mm.

By a small margin, the edge when considering reach goes to the 600II. In effect, competent photographers actually have a longer lens when they are using the 600II than when they are using the 800. Note: 1200mm is longer than 1120mm 🙂

Advantage: 600II.

Do realize that when using a 1.6 crop factor camera like the EOS-7D that the edge again goes to the 600II as follows: 840mm (at f/5.6 with the 1.4X III TC) is greater than 800mm (at f/5.6).

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This Brown Pelican flight shot was created by Patrick Sparkman with the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) w/FREE Bonus Item – $446.45 Value! [expires soon]!. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop off the blue sky: 1/5000 sec. at f/5.6.

Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Patrick Sparkman. I love the position of the breaking wave. Simply getting the bird in the frame with 1200mm effective focal length is a huge challenge for most folks including me. Keeping the sensor on the bird’s eye, face, or neck is even more difficult.

Weight

800mm f/5.6: 9.86 lbs or 4.47 kgs.
600mm f/4L IS II: 8.65 lbs or 3.92 kgs.

By a healthy margin, the edge when considering weight goes to the 600II. For the younger and the stronger among us (like Patrick and Arash!), hand holding the 600II for an entire photography session is a reality. At 66, I have trouble hand holding the 500II for an extended time. I could easily hand hold the 600II in a pinch for a few minutes. One thing that I have forgotten to mention is that the weight of the 600II (and the 500 and 400II lenses as well) is concentrated towards the rear of the lens. This makes these lenses seem even lighter than they are.

Advantage: 600II.

lens weight/lbs wt./kgs mfd/feet mfd/m magnif filter year
Canon EF 600mm f/4.0 L IS II 8.65 lbs 3.92 kg 14.77 ft 4.5 m 0.15x 52mm
drop-in
2012
Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS 9.86 lbs 4.47 kg 19.68 ft 6 m 0.12x 52mm
drop-in
2008

Canon Telephoto Lens Specs Chart

The info above is excerpted from the comprehensive chart here. All are advised to bookmark the page.

Versatility

800mm f/5.6: with a pro body you have two focal lengths to choose from: 800 and 1120. With a 1.6 crop factor camera you have access to only one focal length: 800mm.
600mm f/4L IS II: with a pro body, you have three focal lengths to choose from: 600mm, 840mm, and 1200mm. With a 1.6 crop factor camera you have access to two focal lengths: 600mm and 840mm.

Add to the above the fact that with either a pro body or a 1.6 crop factor body you can often be too close at places like Gatorland and the St. Augustine Alligator Farm where you simply cannot move away from your subject.

By a huge margin, the edge when considering versatility goes to the 600II.

Advantage: 600II.

Close Focus and Magnification

Do note that close focus and magnification are very closely intertwined.

800mm f/5.6: the minimum focusing distance of the 800 is 19.68 feet (or 6 meters) which yields a magnification of only .12X.

600mm f/4L IS II: the minimum focusing distance of the 600II is a very impressive 14.77 feet (or 4.5 meters) which yields a magnification of .15X.

Again by a huge margin, the edge when considering close focus and magnification goes to the 600II. In fact, the 600II blows the 800 out of the water in this category. When working with birds at close range the 600II will enable you to make images with the subject taking up a well larger portion of the frame.

Advantage: 600II.

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This unsharpened test image is courtesy of and copyright 2013: Patrick Sparkman. Clicking to enlarge is recommended.

Sharpness

Thanks to Patrick Sparkman for sharing his composite comparative sharpness test above. The results above are unsharpened. Both Patrick and I agreed on our analysis of the results. As expected sharpness at the edge of the frame with all combos is less than in the middle of the frame. Unexpected was that the 600II alone was perceptibly sharper than the 800 alone, that the 600II with the 1.4X TC was sharper than 800 alone, and that the 600II with the 2X III was at least as sharp as the 800 alone. Considering that the 800 is the sharpest long lens that either of us have ever used the sharpness of the 600II with and without TCs is astounding.

By a large margin, the edge when considering sharpness goes to the 600II. Again, the 600II blows the 800 out of the water in this category.

Advantage: 600II.

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This sharpened test image is courtesy of and copyright 2013: Patrick Sparkman. Clicking to enlarge is recommended.

Reality Check

At this point some folks might be thinking that the 800mm f/5.6L IS is a real pile of junk. But just a glance at the sharpened test results reveals the that 800 with and without the 1.4X III TC is fully capable of creating sharp images like those you have been seeing on the blog and in Bulletins for the past few years. The 600II is just that much sharper….

Price New

Right now, you can purchase a new Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens from B&H for $12,799.00 (in your shopping cart). Please note: the listed price is reduced only after you put the item in your cart.

And you can purchase the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS lens for $13,249.00 (in your shopping cart). Please note: the listed price is reduced only after you put the item in your cart.

Here the lower price of the 600II is easily quantified: $450.

Advantage: 600II.

Price Used

Right now finding a used 600II would be akin to finding a needle in a thousand haystacks. Heck, it is nearly impossible to find a new one to buy. It is very likely that more and more used 800s will come onto the market. Right now they are going for about $11,000 in excellent condition, about $9,500 in good to very good condition.

For folks who would like to move into the true super-telephoto arena while saving several thousands dollars the 800mm f/5.6L IS lens is a more than viable option.

Large Advantage: 800.

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This White-tailed Kite flight shot was created by Arash Harzeghi with the hand held Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens,
the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) w/FREE Bonus Item – $446.45 Value! [expires soon]!. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6.

Central sensor Expand/AI Servo/Shutter Button AF active at the moment of exposure.Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Arash Harzeghi.

Patrick and Arash

Thanks a stack to both Patrick Sparkman and Arash Harzeghi for allowing me to use their great images here. As an aside, I am pretty sure that Arash, with his great concern for extremely sharp fine detail, would rarely if ever use the 2X III TC with his 600II while Patrick often reaches for his 2X. I will be in Patrick’s camp on the 2X.

To see a spectacular larger version of Arash’s White-tailed Kite image, click here. The sharpness and image quality at ISO 1600 border on the unbelievable. That’s why I wrote the DPP (Digital Photo Professional) RAW Conversion Guide with Arash’s help. Consider also Arash’s Professional Guide to Noise Reduction.

Conclusions

And the Winner Is!

As the 600mm f/4L IS II is lighter, sharper, less expensive, more versatile, and, surprise, effectively longer than the 800mm f/5.6 L IS, it is, for folks for whom cost is not an issue, clearly the best choice. As stated above, a used 800 is a viable option for folks with budgetary constraints. I guess that the only folks who will be buying new 800s are those who have their heads stuck in the sand with regards to using the 1.4X III and the 2X III teleconverters.

As for me, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new 600II.

Questions or comments on the 600II vs 800 article; click here.

Coming ASAP

Within a week or two I hope to be addressing 500II vs 600II considerations on the blog.

Announcing the Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour

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All images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Denise Ippolito. Click for a larger version.

A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour, September 11-15, 2013: 5 FULL DAYS: $1649

Join Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris at the Swan Island Dahlia Farm in Canby Oregon (just south of Portland) for a great learning and photography experience. Swan Island features more than 40 acres with over 350 varieties of dahlias in a plethora of colors, shapes and sizes, making it one of the largest growers in the United States.

Daily Photo Schedule

We will enjoy four morning (7:00am till 10:30am) and five afternoon (3:30pm till 6pm) photography sessions. While we will do most of our photography at the Swan Island Dahlia Farm, we will also visit the Portland Rose Garden and/or the Portland Japanese Garden on this IPT. The in-the-field instruction will include seeing the situation, the use of selective focus, creative use of depth of field, histogram and exposure guidance, designing creative images, choosing your background, isolating your subject, lens options, and the use of reflectors and diffusers. Our field sessions will include challenging photography assignments geared to make you think creatively. Both personalized and small group instruction will be provided. All times are tentative and subject to change based on the weather and on local conditions.

Seminar Morning: Friday, September 13: 8:30am till 12:30pm

Denise will begin by presenting her “Bloomin’ Ideas” program, an overview of the in-the-field and post-processing techniques that she has used and developed over the past few years to create her signature look. Artie will follow with a Photoshop session that will be geared towards all levels. He’ll be sharing some of his favorite techniques and tips while working on images from the first two days of the IPT. Denise will conclude the seminar portion of the IPT with a Photoshop demo; she will share her creative workflow using a variety of Photoshop filters and effects. The entire morning is designed to give you a peek into the minds of two very skilled and creative folks.

The group will have lunch together daily. All are invited to bring their laptops for image sharing. We hope that you can join us for an intense five days of learning and some of the best flower photography to be had in North America.

Deposit Info and Cancellation Policies:

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance is due 5 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. We will be short-handed in the office until January 21 so please leave a message and we will call you back. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail

Canon Live Learning/Birds of the Everglades/Destination Photography Workshop

Join me in the Everglades for a long weekend of great photography and instruction: February 8-10, 2013, based in Homestead, FL. Click here for more information or to register. Click here for the complete schedule.

Last year a great time was had by all. Denise Ippolito will again be along to help out and share her incredible creativity with the group. Having been so busy with travel, photography, teaching, and family, I have been remiss as far as announcing this event; my understanding is that there are still a very few openings. If you are seriously interested in joining us, do not tarry.

BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Barnegat Jetty II IPT

BIRDS AS ART/Barnegat Jetty IPT II, Barnegat Light, NJ: 2 1/2 DAYS. JAN 18 (1:30pm), 19, and 20, 2012: $999. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Includes 5 photo-sessions, both lunches, introductory slide program, image review, sharing, editing, and Photoshop.

Note: On cloudy days we grab a quick lunch and spend most of the day photographing. If you can’t make the whole thing, you can join what will likely be a small group as follows: Full Day with lunch: $400. Afternoon (1:30-dusk): $250. Call to arrange: 1-863-692-0906. Weekends OK. For more info, click here and scroll down.

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Weekend Creative Nature Photography Seminar, Tampa, FL: February 23 & 24, 2013: $149 Limit: 50/Openings: 7

Join Denise Ippolito and me on the weekend of February 23-24 on the outskirts of Tampa, FL for a great weekend of fun and learning. Learn to improve your photography skills, your skill at designing images in the field, your creative vision, and your image optimization skills. Sunday critiquing session. Click here for additional details and the complete schedule.

Best to register soon as the seminar is filling up nicely.

Used Camera Gear Including Some Great New Items

Ramona Boone

Ramona is offering the following used items for sale:

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS lens with its trunk, leather cover, hood, rear lens cap, drop in filter holder, forest green Lens Coat, strap, and 4th generation NP 51 low foot. All in very good condition. Just serviced by Canon: $5900.

Please contact Ramona with any questions: 1-719 231 5874 or via e-mail.

Mary Dillon

Mary is offering a used Canon (USA) EF 400mm DO-IS f/4.0 (USM) lens for sale for $5,300.00, firm. No taxes or buyers fees plus free shipping to anywhere in USA. The lens, used only twice, is in like-new condition. Purchase includes lens hood, strap, protective cover, manual and storage case – plus tripod collar and Wimberley Arca-Swiss P-20 Lens Plate. (No key for the carrying case but can get from Canon USA if this is a problem.)

Shipping is first business day after funds are received via USPS, Priority with insurance and delivery confirmation. Accepted form of payment: PayPal (which includes credit cards). No money orders or money grams. Serious folks can contact Mary by phone/text at 512-366-0320 (CST) or via e-mail

I used and loved the 400 DO for years. It is a great flight lens, great from any type of watercraft, and, at only 4.28 pounds, makes a great super-telephoto prime for folks who cannot carry either 500mm f/4 L IS lens. It weighs less then 4 pounds with the removable tripod collar removed. Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II: 5.19 pounds–tripod collar not removable. Canon 500mm f/4L IS II lens: 7.04 pounds. Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens: 8.54 pounds. You can check out the weights and specs for all Canon telephoto lenses here.

Denise Ippolito

Denise Ippolito is offering a Canon EOS-5D Full Frame Sensor 12 mp Digital SLR Camera in excellent condition for $800.00. Please contact Denise via e-mail.

Steve Vige

Steve Vige is offering the following used gear for sale:

Canon 70-200 f4L IS lens (price reduced!) in excellent condition includes pouch and original Canon box: $899 buyer pays shipping.

Please contact Steve on his cell at 661-305-0307 or via e-mail. Note: I used this sharp, lightweight lens for about two years and loved it.

Shelly Goldstein/Price Reduction

Multiple IPT-veteran and all around nice guy Sheldon Goldstein is offering the following Canon lenses for sale; each of them has recently been checked and cleaned by Canon Jamesburg. Wire transfers preferred or wait until your check clears. All sales include shipping and insurance.

Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens in excellent condition with LensCoat, the RRS LCF-50 Arca style replacement foot, the original foot with all the screws, and all the original stuff including the lens trunk and leather hood. This one is an absolute steal at $6699.

Contact Shelly by phone at 1-646-423-0392 or via e-mail.

Typos

On all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

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12 comments to BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #429

  • avatar Faraaz

    Hey Artie, magnificent shots as always. This is a birder question – your cormorant looks very much like the neotropical cormorants we have here. How do you tell them apart? From my reading – things to look for include the shape of the gular, the longer tail of the neotropic, slender (neotropic) vs stocky (double-crested) etc.

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Thanks Rasta-man. Even young DCCOs like this bird have the bills yellow to the end. Young NECO has the distal half of the bill pretty much gray. The bill of NECO is proportionately shorter. The gular region of adult NECO has a white outline. All that from David Sibley’s The Sibley Guide to Birds

      • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

        Yikes. I thought that you were asking about the cormorant in a recent blog post. The bird in Patrick’s photo is indeed a Neotropical Cormorant. All I had to do was look! Thanks a stack. artie

        • avatar Faraaz Abdool

          No problem! I photo’d a cormorant while we were at Barnegat and that’s what started my whole quest to figure out the differences between the two.

  • avatar Mike Vanecek

    I did a search, just in case I missed it, for your analysis of 500mm vs 600mm and did not find it. Is that still on your “to-do list?”

    Mike

  • avatar Troy

    Artie, do you mind telling me what you are asking for the 800mm?

    Troy

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      It was listed in BAA Bulletin #430 as follows:

      Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS Lens

      I am offering my used Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS Lens in very good to excellent condition for a ridiculously low $9,500. The sale price includes a P-50 Wimberley Lens Plate and the lens trunk (carrying case). I will pay for insured UPS ground shipping anywhere in the US. This lens quickly became my all-time favorite super-telephoto lens and made a great many of the images that have appeared on the blog and in the bulletins for the past several years. If you are seriously interested please e-mail.

  • Another question. Some years ago you used the 400 DO lens. It was small and light. It seems to me the perfect lens for handheld photography. Why did you stop using it, not sharp enough ?

    Greetings Marius

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      It was sharp but the 300 f/2.8L IS blows it out of the water. I will do a blog post to address why in the next few weeks. artie

      ps: thanks for the good questions.

  • Hello Arthur
    Good test, I missed one thing and that is A.F. speed. 6oo+1,4X versus 800 bare and 600+2X versus 800+1,4X. I think the 800 will win. Am I correct ?

    Greetings Marius

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      I do not think that that will be the case. I asked Patrick and here is what he had to say, “My subjective tests say that the 600/1.4 is much quicker than the 800 bare.” I forgot to ask him about the 2X but am sure that it will be much fast than you or I expect. Not blazingly fast, but faster than expected.