Four Favorites from a Great Morning, One From Each O'clock

The Sony 400-800

Since the storm surge died down and the sun came out, I have been heading out mornings and afternoons with just the 400-800. It is so, so versatile. With a Delkin Devices 960GB BLACK CFexpress Type A 4.0 Memory Card in my a-1 ii I head out with only a single extra battery in one pocket and my paint brush in the other (for removing sand from my gear). Best of all: no tripod ever! The f/8 aperture takes some getting used to but the 400-800 focal length versatility and 800mm at the long end are a tough combination to beat.

The BIRDS AS ART SONY 400-800mm f/6.3-9 G Super-telephoto Zoom Lens Guide

When I borrowed this lens from Sony, I assumed that at 5.45 pounds it was too heavy to handhold for long and that at f/8 at the long end (800mm,) it was too slow for most bird photography applications. In short, I did not want to like the lens. After months of using it, I cannot live without it. After returning the loaner, I was miraculously able to get my own from Bedfords on 16 April 2025. In this guide I share everything that I have learned about using the 400-800. For best results, you need to know exactly what you are doing to get the most out of this zoom lens. It would be best, therefore, to consider and study the material in the guide so that you can begin making great images with your new lens.

You will learn how to deal with the relatively show apertures: f/6.3, f/7.1, and f/8 when working in Manual mode.

You will learn how to ensure that you are working at the widest aperture by working in Shutter Priority mode with AUTO ISO.

If you are able to hand hold the lens, you will learn proper hand holding techniques.

If you can’t, you will learn when, why, and how to employ other options. Those include:

1- The knee-pod, heel-pod, and toe-pod techniques

2- Using the lens on a monopod.

3- The best lens plate and low foot for your 4-8.

4- The best tripod and head for the 4-8 and how best to utilize them.

5- How to use the lens from your vehicle while supporting it on a BLUBB (or not and why not).

6- Detailed instructions on how to set and use the lens controls and buttons:

a- AF/MF

b- DMF Switch

c- Limit Range Switch

d- OSS (Optical Steady Shot) Switch

e- OSS Mode Switch

f- Focus Hold Buttons

The guide also includes a Hand Holding Shutter Speed Primer and an illustrative, educational, and inspiring 67-image gallery.

Free to folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase their Sony 400-800 G lens. Otherwise, please click here to order yours or send a PayPal for $115.43 to birdsasart@verizon.net and include the words “400-800 Lens Guide” in your e-mail.

Your Call?

Here is today’s challenge: rank today’s four featured image by putting the strongest image first and the weakest last. Like this: 2, 1, 4, 3.

In the Last Blog Post

In the last post I asked folks to pick the two strongest and the two weakest. Here are my favorites: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10. Sorry, I could not get down to two. Though strong images, #s 9 and 11 were at the bottom of my list. One reader chose #9 as their favorite.

What’s Up?

Eighty-three year old multiple IPT veteran and friend Carlotta Grenier drove down from her home in Connecticut on Sunday morning. After leaving at about 4:15am, she met me in the Nickerson Beach parking lot at 5:45. Our morning began slowly but things heated up fabulously and we wound up photographing in partly cloudy conditions until well after ten. I cherry-picked 27 of fine images off her three flash cards. Each was made with her a-1 ii and her 200-600 G lens. I will be processing some of those and sharing the best of the best with you here soon. Along with a photo of Carlotta in action!

After coffee and brunch, she headed home with a brand new Delkin Devices 960GB BLACK CFexpress Type A 4.0 Memory Card. No more changing cards in the field for her. When I put a Delkin 960GB card in my a-1 ii the counter in the upper left corner of the viewfinder shows 9,999 images left –it cannot count beyond 4 digits. The most I’ve shot in a morning session had ben 4567 images. As I headed back to my vehicle I noted that the counter in the upper left corner of the viewfinder still showed 9,999 images left. It is difficult to fill one of those puppies!

Large flocks of skimmers have moved onto the beaches in front of the two colonies and massive blastoffs have become commonplace. Many hundreds of skimmer chicks survived the coastal flooding and many are fledged and flying. Significant numbers of small chicks and late eggs did of course perish.

Today is Monday 25 August 2025. The big blast-offs continued early. Then it clouded over for a bit before the sun broke through for good at 7:40am. I found a winter plumage female American Avocet in one of the large coastal flooding pools and then several juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipers and an adult White-rumped Sandpiper in a small pool that shrank down to nothing in less then an hour as I worked the birds, trying for one good one of each species. I will be heading out at about 7:00pm today for tern and skimmer flock blurs at sunset. Whatever you opt to do today, I hope that you chose to have fun and be happy.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

B&H Simplified

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B&H

Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1-ii from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1-ii Info and Updates Group, a roughly $225.00 value. But when I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.

Bedfords Simplified

Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Using either my affiliate links is greatly appreciated and will often earn you free guides or discounts.

Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can always use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase when your product ships. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or prior purchases.

You can visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

This image was created on 24 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Standing on the beach at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 495mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +2 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 125: 1/20 second at f/11 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 6:49:50am on a then cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: Black Skimmer flock blastoff Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Shutter Priority for Pre-Dawn and Cloudy Morning Blurs

When set up properly, updated Sony a-1 bodies and all a-1 ii bodies allow the user to quickly switch from Manual mode with ISO on the Thumb Wheel to Shutter Priority mode with AUTO ISO and Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Wheel. As noted here previously dozens of times, the latter set-up can be ideal for bird photography as long as you are working with backgrounds of relatively consistent tonalities. Before the sun rises and on cloudy mornings, the sky, the water, and the sand beaches are all light toned. Working at +2 or +2 1/3 stops will almost always produce excellent exposures with little to no chance of over-exposing any highlights.

I love this one because of the degree of blurring, the juxtaposition of the two flocks and the diagonal line of the front flock.

This image was also created on 24 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Seated low on damp sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2000: 1/4000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:30:53am on a then partly sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Ruddy Turnstone in fresh juvenal plumage Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

400-800 Ease of Maneuverability

You are 100 times more mobile with a telephoto zoom lens than you are with a 600mm f/4 lens and a tripod. I saw this bird working the sand just above the berm, moved into position, and got down on the ground with the 400-800 without having to touch the sand with my hands, praying all the while that the bird would stay on or close to sun angle.

I love this one because of the low perspective, the sweet light, the sharpness, and the fact that the bird posed right on sun angle.

This image was also created on 24 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Seated on damp sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 630mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 3200: 1/2500 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:35:10am on a then cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: Fledged and flying young Black Skimmer in fresh juvenal plumage Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

So, So Handsome

As the young skimmers continue to grow, they become quite handsome. As their wings lengthen, they become stronger, more adept fliers, attain a sleek, slim attenuated look, and bear small resemblance to their former stubby chubby selves.

As it clouded over, we set up near a practically unblemished stretch of clean sand, smoothed and scrubbed perfectly by coastal flooding. Several adult and young skimmers flew a short distance into the SW breeze and landed on our perfectly planned backdrop. This handsome youngster was the bomb. Moments after this image was created, it took flight. Thanks to Pre-capture I got several nice leaning forward/wings partially raised frames, but when it lifted off I did not zoom out quickly or wide enough and clipped a zillion wings.

I love this one because my plan paid off. And I love the super-clean background and the streamlined, sleek look of the very handsome your skimmer.

This image was also created on 24 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Seated on damp sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1600: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 9:25:29am on a then cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #4: Juvenile Laughing Gull beginning molt to first winter plumage Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Exit Strategy

Just before we got to the walkway to the parking lot, we spotted several gulls on one of the flooded beach pools. We opted to work the juvenile Laughing Gull. The three grey feathers on its back are the beginning of its molt to first winter plumage. In a month, the bird will sport a grey saddle of feathers on its upper back. I opted to go super low for this one so as to include the distant snow fence with some beach vegetation in the background.

I love this bird-scape because of the bird’s spiffy plumage and the clever image design that includes the out-of-focus snow fence and the beach vegetation.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.