Dichotomy
di·chot·o·my (/dīˈkädəmē/)
noun: 1. a contrast between two things that are, or are represented as, being entirely different.
Save $500 on a Sony a-1 ii
If you have a high end Sony mirrorless camera body you can trade it in, get paid for it, and receive an additional $500 off when you purchase an a-1 ii. This offer is good only until 31 December so you need to act quickly. Please e-mail for complete details.
Your Call?
Which image do you like best? Why? Ties allowed 🙂
In the Last Blog Post
Thanks for all the comments at the The Ancient, Little, Brown, (Cute), Silently-Diving Fluff Balls here. I and only one other person liked the colors of the grebes in the shade; everyone else preferred sun on those sweet earth tones. My favorite image by a mile was #4, Pied-billed Grebe flapping after dive. I was sure that that would everyone’s first pick. Nobody, however, placed it first but me. Lots of folks loved the juxtaposition.
What’s Up?
I had a very nice foggy sunrise on Friday — fog-scape here soon. On Saturday, I joined my son-in-law Erik Egensteiner (married to older daughter Jennifer) on the Ridge Audubon Christmas Count. We covered two territories, saw 51 species, and had fun. Out of curiosity, we poked our nose into a small housing development, found a small pond, and counted an astounding 450 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (approximately) loafing on the banks of the tiny lake. We birded for eight hours. I had no nap. The after-the-count-dinner was greatly appreciated.
I completed Volume IV of the Digital Basics IV Video Series. . It will be send to all subscribers on Monday and featured in the next blog post.
Today is Sunday 28 December 2025. The end is near! It was totally foggy when I headed down to the lake at 7:30am. Using the 70-200mm I spend an hour doing quasi-macro backlit dewy spider webs and lily pad pattern shots. Then a few birds. The fog actually thickened as the sun rose and tried to break through. It was a magical, mystical morning with sublime diffused light. The sun finally came out at 9:45 so I headed home. I have 2479 raw files to go through; as is usual, I am hoping for at least one good one. After I hit Publish on this one I will do my sun walk and swim and then watch the slate of NFL games. I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful and productive day and that you have fun too. Do remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com.
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.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but using my affiliate links is greatly appreciated. And, with B&H, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 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. To receive a free guide or free entry into a Sony Set-up and Info Notes e-Mail group, you need to shoot me your receipt via e-mail. The B&H receipts need to include the order number.
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.
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This image was created on 11 November 2025 at Sebastian Inlet, FL. Standing on the side walk that leads to the North Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +1.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 2500: 1/5000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. AWB at 8:24:38am on a stormy, cloudy morning. Lower Left Tracking Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Osprey with fish on stormy morning |
North by Northwest Winds at 22mph with Higher Gusts
We covered this basic rule a while back more than once: strive to have the wind at your back. Doing that led us to the north side. The large waves off the end of the North Jetty caught my eye. Fascinated by heavy seas and the layers of color in the Atlantic I saw this image before I made it. As the birds were quite distant, I went to the 2X TC. I used Lower Left Tracking Zone/AF-C so that I could place the bird in the lower left corner of the frame. I love this one.
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This image was created on 23 November 2025 at Sebastian Inlet, FL. Standing on the beach north of the South Jetty I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and the Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +1.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 3200: 1/3200 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode.AWB at 6:57:51am just after sunrise with some fog on the eastern horizon. Wide: Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #2: Osprey about to strike a fish on the surface of a very calm ocean |
Zero Wind with a Bit of Fog
Same ocean. Same species. Different day. Warm colors as opposed to the cold colors in Image #1. And a lot calmer to say the least. In fact, it was absolutely dead calm with some nice color as the sun peeked through the light fog bank. There was not a lot going on so I took a walk on the beach looking for something to silhouette. When this Osprey dove on its prey, I fired off a fairly long sequence, about 20 frames or so. It missed. When I saw the fish in my favorite frame I was astounded that this dive was not successful. Handholding the 300m f/2.8 GM with either TC is child’s play for most folks.
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Composite #1: All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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The a-1 ii for General Bird Photography
I have found that eye-tracking for general bird photography with the a-1 ii is far, far better than with the original Sony a-1. It grabs the eye and tracks it faster and far more consistently and focus is rarely lost, even with backgrounds other than sky.
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Composite #2: All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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The a-1 ii for Birds in Flight
For birds in flight, the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body has no equal. As Arash Hazeghi says, “It is better than the a-1.” When I am late getting on a bird in flight, I have consistently been amazed at how often the AF system of the a-1 ii finds and tracks the bird’s eye.
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Composite #3: All the result of using Pre-Capture with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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Pre-Capture with the Sony a-1 ii
When it comes to Pre-Capture with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body, Arash and I agree 100%. And with my slower reflexes, Pre-Capture is more important for me than it is for Arash. Understand that in each of the images in Composite #3, I did not push the shutter button until after the bird took flight!
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All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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Purchasing or Upgrading to a Sony a-1 ii
The Sony a-1 ii e-Mail Set-up and Info Guide
I now own and use two Sony a-1 ii bodies. Every day that I use them, the more I am amazed by speed and accuracy of the Bird Face-Eye tracking in AF-C and the overall performance of the camera.
Aside from the improved ergonomics as compared to the a-1, other nice features include the fact that the rear screen tilts both ways — the lack of a tilting rear screen on the original a-1 always ticked me off. Pre-capture has proven to be a huge plus almost exclusively for take-off flight images. In my opinion, the Speed Boost feature is a total waste for bird photography because you should always be utilizing the maximum frame rate. In addition, the resolution on the rear monitor has been improved dramatically. I must mention again that Bird Face-Eye tracking on the a-1 ii is vastly improved as compared to both the a-1 and the a9 iii and that the 51MP files are to die for.
So, the big question is, is the a-1 ii “worth” a gear upgrade. Remembering that I can never know whether or not something is worth it to you, I can say that I was not floored when first using my a-1 ii. The differences between the a-1 ii and the original a-1, seemed to be neither huge nor eye-opening. But over time, I have come to realize that I was 100% wrong. The huge difference between the new camera body and the a9 iii is, of course, the 51MP a-1 raw files (as compared to the 24MP files rendered by the a9 iii).
The price of a new a-1 is $5,898.00. The price of a new a-1 ii is $1,100.00 more: $6,998.00. As the a-1 ii is clearly far superior for bird photography to the original a-1, the choice for folks new to Sony or for those upgrading from lesser Sony camera bodies is an easy one. Prices for used a-1 bodies has not dropped drastically as I anticipated. At this point, a-1 folks who like showing flight and action and can afford an a-1 ii, are advised to purchase an a-1 ii. Please remember that life is short; we only get one ride on the merry-go-round.
If you do purchase an a-1 ii, be sure to use one of my two affiliate links so that you will receive my a-1 ii settings (in the form of a CAMSEa1ii.DAT file), the Buttons and Dials Guide, and an Info Sheet for free. Using my links will never cost you one penny and may actually save you some money. Folks who do not purchase their new a-i using my B&H link or from Bedfords here and entering the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout will be able to purchase the a-1 ii guide for $244.93. If you are at all confused and do not want to screw up your order, please get in touch via e-mail. If you would like to chat about upgrading, shoot me a text to 863-221-2372 and LMK a good time to call you.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Happy new year, Artie. I slightly prefer image #1 mainly because I enjoy rough seas and photos of rough seas. What made the green color? As for happiness being a choice, I understand the point, but there are situations in which happiness is very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. I know you have experienced situations where, at least for me, it would be very difficult to be happy. With love, Dr Fish