{"id":70607,"date":"2020-12-13T11:17:41","date_gmt":"2020-12-13T15:17:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/?p=70607"},"modified":"2025-03-07T11:43:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T15:43:19","slug":"operator-error-a-great-af-system-but-a-large-crop-and-not-too-bad-an-image-and-a-variable-aperture-zoom-lens-tip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/2020\/12\/13\/operator-error-a-great-af-system-but-a-large-crop-and-not-too-bad-an-image-and-a-variable-aperture-zoom-lens-tip\/","title":{"rendered":"Operator Error, a Great AF System — but …, a large Crop, and not too bad an image. And a variable aperture zoom lens tip!"},"content":{"rendered":"

What’s Up?<\/h3>\n

Saturday morning at DeSoto was totally different from Friday morning. When I left my hotel it was drizzly but quickly turned cloudy, then cloudy bright, then mostly sunny by 10am. Carl Page, who had signed up for the recently canceled San Diego IPT, who was attending a business meeting in Sarasota, joined me for a morning of instruction. He was like a kid in the proverbial candy store. In addition to the birds we had seen on Friday morning we added Red Knot and a pair of tame American Oystercatchers. As Joe Usewicz did on Friday morning, Carl learned a ton about bird photography in just three hours. Carl and I also got along great, and again I had a great time. Safely. With masks when close, social distancing, and wind. And sun \ud83d\ude42 My SONY 600 stayed in the back of my SUV for the entire weekend as I continued to use and learn more about my Canon loaner rig.<\/p>\n

Today is Sunday 13 December 2020. It is foggy at 7:15am but looks clear behind that … I will likely head down to the lake in a few minutes. <\/p>\n

Charlie Pride<\/h3>\n

Country singer Charlie Pride died yesterday at age 86. I am sending love, strength, and energy to his family and friends. Pride was one of three African-American members of the Grand Ole Opry — the others are DeFord Bailey and Darius Rucker. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. While preparing this blog post, I listened to his greatest hits here<\/a> on You Tube. My favorite is the little-known Streets of Baltimore (at the 34:09 mark). I hope that you got to kiss an angel this morning \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

From Wikipedia here<\/a>:<\/p>\n

When Pride was 14, his mother purchased his first guitar and he taught himself to play. Though he loved music, one of Pride’s lifelong dreams was to become a professional baseball player. In 1952, he pitched for the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro American League. In 1953, he signed a contract with the Boise Yankees, the Class C farm team of the New York Yankees. During that season, an injury caused him to lose the “mustard” on his fastball, and he was sent to the Yankees’ Class D team in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Later that season, while in the Negro leagues with the Louisville Clippers, two players \u2013 Pride and Jesse Mitchell \u2013 were traded to the Birmingham Black Barons for a team bus. “Jesse and I may have the distinction of being the only players in history to be traded for a used motor vehicle,” Pride mused in his 1994 autobiography.<\/em><\/p>\n

R5 Bodies Available Right Now!<\/h3>\n

Steve Elkins at Bedfords Camera still has a handful of R5 bodies ready to ship second day air with the 3% discount for using the BIRDSASART code at checkout. Not to mention a free copy of the Canon R5\/R6 AF e-Guide. Scroll down to get in touch with Steve. <\/p>\n

Canon R5\/R6 AF e-Guide Info<\/h3>\n

Yesterday, thirteen folks sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5\/R6 AF e-Guide. And twelve who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 e-mailed for their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide,<\/strong><\/strong> please LMK immediately via e-mail<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Two folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, they both back-tracked. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5\/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5\/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5\/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish. <\/p>\n

BAA Canon R5\/R6 Autofocus e-Guide<\/h3>\n

Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6. <\/p>\n

You will learn:<\/p>\n

1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight. <\/p>\n

2- How to set up your R5\/R6 AF Menus.<\/p>\n

3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.<\/p>\n

4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission. <\/p>\n

5- The only<\/em><\/strong> setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking. <\/p>\n

I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better. <\/p>\n

The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins\/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail<\/a>. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly. <\/p>\n

To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5\/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail. If you would like to receive your copy before Monday, please shoot me a copy of your PayPal transaction via e-mail<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.<\/p>\n

Canon R5\/R6 User’s e-Guide<\/h3>\n

I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5\/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount. <\/p>\n

Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5\/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP. <\/p>\n

The BAA Used Gear Page<\/em><\/h3>\n

The Used Gear page continues to be red hot! It is BAA Used Gear Page<\/a> is the<\/em><\/strong> place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past ten months at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n

Brand New Listing<\/h3>\n

Nikon AF-S 600mm f\/4 G ED VR Super-telephoto Lens (with extras)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

John Mosier is offering a Nikon AF-S 600mm f\/4 G ED VR lens in excellent plus to near-mint condition (with extras) for a very low $8596.95. The sale includes a LensCoat, the rear lens cap, the hood, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, the original lens foot, the Wimberley Replacement Foot for Nikon 600mm f\/4.0 AF-S, the product manual, 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. <\/p>\n

Please contact John via e-mail at john@fastforwardrentals.com or by phone at 1-337-739-0400 (Central time zone).<\/p>\n

In all systems, the 600 f\/4 lenses are the weapons of mass destruction when it comes to birds and wildlife. I loved my Nikon 600 both alone and with the 1.4X teleconverter. If you use Nikon gear and have been dreaming of moving up to the big leagues, do get in touch with John ASAP to save a very sweet $3,700.00; this lens sells new for $12,296.95. <\/em> artie<\/p>\n

Back in Stock<\/h3>\n

Three sold yesterday!<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

We now have fifteen of the hugely popular Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro<\/a> tripod heads in stock. Click on the preceding link to learn more about this amazing head, the ballhead that thinks it’s a gimbal head and — thanks to the amazing counter-balanced spring mechanism — works great with any rig from the longest, heaviest super-telephoto lens to a camera-body-mounted wide angle. The latter is possible because of the bi-directional clamp; it is no longer necessary to travel with a gimbal head for long lens photography and a ballhead for scenic photography. And after just a moment’s adjustment, the double ball enables you to ensure that every image you take is on the level. <\/p>\n

Please Remember<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

With income from IPTs approaching zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes can always help out by clicking here<\/a> if they see fit. <\/p>\n

New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!<\/h3>\n

You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.<\/p>\n

Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f\/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save. <\/p>\n

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Money Saving Reminder<\/h3>\n

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free overnight shipping, your best bet is to click here<\/a>, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail<\/a> or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time). Be sure to mention the 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 and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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126 sold to rave reviews.<\/p>\n

The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)<\/h3>\n

Click here<\/a> to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here<\/A> to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video. <\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here<\/A> to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.<\/h2>\n

Click here<\/a> to learn more about the SONY e-Guide. <\/p>\n


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Gear Questions and Advice<\/h3>\n

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN<\/a>, 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<\/a>. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and\/or lens choices and decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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This image was created on 11 December 2020 at Fort DeSoto Park during a morning session with old and new friend Joe Usewicz. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f\/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens<\/a> (at 500mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body.<\/a> ISO 500. Exposure determined by experience and luck and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1\/2500 sec. at f\/7.1 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:42am on sunny morning. <\/p>\n

Face Detection + Tracking\/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. <\/p>\n

Click on the image to see a larger version.<\/p>\n

Image #1: Photo Mechanic screen capture for the small-in-the-frame immature LBH in flight image\n