I don't know of this adapter is available; Word of warning!!! I used the wire loop on the manfrotto quick release plate to clip my Black Rapid strap. Heavy lens and Canon 1DX was too much weight and the wire loop that looks heavy spread and I dropped the camera and lens in the street. Now I use the machined adapter that comes with the strap!!

Amfoto1's reply is comprehensive and very accurate.
Wish I could have said that!
Re: handholding a 600 f4 for BIF; I may be crazy and certainly not very strong. I am 74 years old and have had both shoulders rebuilt in surgery, but they are not great. The real deal is that for BIF I simply cannot move the camera/lens quick enough to get the shots even with a wimberly head. So the camera hangs on its' strap (actually on the lens) and I just pick it up long enough to shoot a few frames. Confession: actually the loon photos were on a tripod set in the bottom of a fishing boat.
Cheers!

[quote=Dds82]I have started using nik pro 2 to merge photos which are taken at different exposures using my camera bracketing feature in continuous mode shooting with or without tripod. I realize one of the purposes of bracketing/merging is to deal with the problem of high contrast like daytime shooting with a bright sky for example, which ruins so many of my photos.

My question is this: What am I "giving up" when using this technique? I end up with a better exposure BUT I'm I ending up with a "less sharp" photo due to merging/alignment process?
Well those are the issues most of us get with HDR. Try googling Tony Kuyper or go to goodlight.com (i think that is correct) and explore luminosity masking. You will be amazed!

I'l give you some examples of shots that have benefitted from micro focusing my lenses. All were shot hand held with 600mm f4 Canon lens. Fairly high ISO's from 1000 to 4000 except the bear; ISO was 400

Another comment: I did not read your note carefully; your focus target is similar to what I use with the diagonal scale; so enlarge the photo so that you can see where the sharpest place on the scale; then go to the microfocus area in your camera, and make an adjustment and shoot again; then have a look and keep doing that until the "0" is the sharpest. Easiest to start with lens wide open so you can see the sharpest area easily. Then check out different focal lengths. I don't know you camera, but most Canons will remember different focus adjustments for the same lens at different focal lengths.

Sorry that is birdsasart.com

I am not sure if that scale is on a slant so that some is closer to the camera and the back half further away. Go to birdsasart and check out his recommendations for micro focusing lenses. It is a very clear discussion. Don't be shocked that just putting the lens (which is a very good one) on the camera gives slightly out of focus results. I have a bag full of Canon "L" lenses and virtually none properly focus right out of the bag. I microfocus them all; the camera remembers all this so I never have to think of it again. I do repeat the micro focusing about every year, or before a major photo expedition. I guess that even with high end gear, there is enough variation in lens mounts or ?? that almost no lenses focus precisely out of the box. It boils down to to what extent are you willing to go to get the best out of your equipment? For me a $70 gadget and a couple hours time are worth getting super tack sharp photos.
Check out my bird photos on my website if you want examples. Good luck.

Black Rapid Sport model is great for me

You may know Doug Brown, but if you take his workshop at Bosque, there will be an afternoon of just shooting raptors. Check out his website at dougbrownphotography; he is one of the best BIF photographers

I just got back from shooting BIF at Bosque del Apache; the 7D mk ii was the talk of the place. one quote, "you get 75% of a 1DX for 30% of the price, plus a crop factor." I shoot a 1DX for BIF, but a 7D mk ii is on my wish list. Enjoy!

I like sean bagshaw's set of video tutorials - get from his website

Gene51 has excellent explanations for "softness" However, why don't any of these lists include (and I don't know what to call it) the problem of inaccuracy of matching the lens to the camera? I have found that the actual focus point on my (expensive) lenses frequently is off by 3 - 10 cm. Why do cameras offer in camera microfocus adjustments if the manufacturers did not recognize that? I shoot Canon, so you Nikon guys have another reason to feel smug - Canon is so crappy that the lenses don't focus in the right spot. Well a Nikon shooting buddy of mine came over and his focus point was so far off that it exceeded the scale on my focus pattern (more than 10cm) He was dismayed and surprised. In camera microfocusing is very important if you are picky

You can learn a lot from websites and their tutorials: check out birdsasart.com; deep green photography (Greg Basco's website) Google Kieth Bauer photography, Doug Brown photography, Tony Kuyper. Adorama has great little videos on "how to do". Lots of stuff on the internet. I took some classes on the internet on nature photography from PPSOP (perfect picture school of photography) that were worthwhile. There are ebooks as well. I like the one by Greg Basco - sold on his website, but there are many more.

MICROFOCUSING LENSES IS NECESSARY! As a serious shooter of 300 and 600 mm prime lenses, I was dismayed to initially get "soft" photos especially with the 600mm. Problem has been solved! Check out birdsasart.com and the section on micro focusing your lenses. Art (renouned bird photographer) microfocuses his lenses prior to every major trip. I microfocus at least once a year. It takes a couple of hours and a $70 gizmo that art sells on his website, but you will be amazed at the difference. For each of the prime lenses I also microfocus with a 1.4 and 2x extender. The cameras remember all these settings so you don't have to think about it once it is done. My 300 is pretty much dead on with out extenders, but the 600 (a $13K lens) is not sharp until microfocused in the camera. Even a 85mm f1.2 prime that cost about 2 grand, is soft until microfocus is set in camera. I just got back from NM where I shot about 3000 frames with the 600 with and without the extenders - all hand held for Birds in flight. If I got the focus point on the bird I got tack sharp photos.

I fly many times a year. I take all camera gear as carryons. I use two of the ThinkTank roller bags; they carry 2 - 3 bodies; 600 f4; 300 f2.8 and 4 smaller lenses; flash gear, my laptop, extra hard drives, and more.. My tripods go in a checked bag. I have been hassled once, but took both on board no problem. My experience: rental companies will not ship lenses to hotels.