Thanks, Chuck. I just wish their hours were longer. 8-4:30 this time of year means no low angle sunlit pictures. I'm also surprised by the relative scarcity of wildlife. Hence, the bug pics.

My first post of photos here. Hope I did it correctly. Took these this morning. All shot with a Nikon D810. The landscape is with a Nikon 16-35 F4. The two bug pics are with a Tamron 70-200 F2.8 and are very extreme crops.

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I know Costco isn't "high end" but cost doesn't always equate to quality. I've used many labs in my lifetime including some very high end ones that cater to pros and I have to tell you that the prints I get at Costco are as good as any I've gotten anywhere. They are insanely inexpensive and ready the next day. Maybe it's just my local Costco that is that good but I would absolutely encourage you to give them a try before dismissing them out of hand. They print very large sizes and on various media including canvas and metal. The only complaint I have is their paper choices are limited to glossy and lustre. I wish they had a true untextured matte finish.

I am originally from Philly and remember the day when we had many fine shops, Willoughby-Peerless, Mid-City and even Ritz Camera where I worked back in the 70s. The advent of good point and shoots which didn't generate accessory sales and then digital that hurt the in-store mini-labs which, in many cases was the last thing keeping those stores alive, all contributed to their decline.

Even before Amazon, there was an active mail order business out of NY and we had lots of "customers" come in to learn from us and then order from them. I vividly recall one guy who'd come in often and stay for an hour or more asking questions and looking at stuff without ever buying a thing. We worked out a code for him and others like him that we could use for a new, unsuspecting salesperson to warn them to cut him off. One of us would interrupt the sp to ask if a film pack adapter recently ordered had arrived. A film pack adapter was a real thing but it was the initials that were the tell: FPA, think about it (hint: the last word is ass).

Anyhow, I now live in South Florida and am fortunate to have The Pro Shop for Photographers in West Palm where I get expert advice and service. I bought a D810 there, a used Nikon 16-35, a new Tammy 70-200 and a Think Tank bag plus filters, memory cards etc. In some cases I paid a little more than I could have, in others, the prices are fixed. But the point is, nothing is for free. If we want to have a store where we can get good advice and services, we need to be willing to pay the premium to keep them in business. Nothing makes me crazier when I see people here or elsewhere complain that an in-store price is higher than Amazon. Of course it is and it should be.

I concur that the 810 is the better choice BUT you're deciding between a NEW 750 and a USED 810. That's a tougher decision and would depend on your comfort re the condition of the 810, the number of shutter actuations and if you are getting any kind of warranty.

As for the lens, I just bought the Tamron 70-200 G2 for my 810 and it is an excellent lens that gets great reviews. A new one has a 6 year warranty vs a used Nikon lens that may have none.

But as someone else said, that lens is $1299, not $1399. I bought mine from a local dealer just last week. If you get it online be very certain you are getting an authorized US import. The lens appears to be in short supply and a number of sellers seem to be selling gray market at or near the $1299 list price.

Clif. I just bought a Dell xps 13 laptop w/ i7 6560u processor w/16gb ram and 512 SSD and a very hi-res display. It runs LR with no problem. The 13in screen is usable for LR but challenging so at home I will be buying a larger monitor. I bought the 13 cause I travel a lot and it fits in my camera bag. The machine is super thin and only 2.9 pounds. It's very fast and half the price of a comparably equipped MacBook Pro which still uses the i5 processors.

Between cheap external drives and cloud storage I wouldn't get too concerned about the size of the hard drive.

Costco has the machine online for $1299 BUT when I called my local store to see if they had it in stock I was told they had one for only $999. It's a different Costco item number (1073323) than the one online (1131821) but the same machine. Even the Costco people were confused by that but I and they confirmed that the specs are identical. In fact if you search their site for the 1073323 it takes you to the 1131821. Different stores have it for different prices based, it appears, on how many they have left.

I've had it only a few days but, so far, I couldn't be happier with it.

I hook it up to the Samsung 4K 26" monitor using a standard video cable. (edit- HDMI) The bottom line is the computer works just fine with the 26" monitor. No issues.


Exactly what I needed to know. Thank you.

Thanks everyone for their replies. I picked up the xps 13 at Costco today for $999. I7 6560u processor (not the latest 7560u which was $400 more), 16gb ram and 512gb ssd. Loaded LR and it runs fast with no problems. However, the 13in screen, while fine for travel, is really too small for home use so I'll be adding an external monitor soon and will repost with my experience.

I have thougt about a desktop and realize I can get far more capability for far less $$. But, I spend a fair amount of time at a second home where I take a lot of pictures so portability is really important. I'm figuring if the XPS gets me what I need in the way of processing power for LR and I can overcome the small screen with a monitor at home where I'll use it most that's a better option.

Sounds like you got a great deal. The 13 I'm looking at is on sale at my local Costco for $1000 and, if I get an external monitor for home use, the extra size, weight and cost of the 15 doesn't make sense for me. Question: how did you connect your monitor? The 13 does not have a video out port so you have to connect from the USB-C (thunderbolt) to HDMI input on the monitor. I'm wondering how well that works.

Jerry. Thanks for your response. The xps13 is a laptop and the one I'm considering has a 512gb SSD.

Thank you, Bob. The xps I'm considering has an i7 dual core processor and 16gb of ram. I'm not concerned about watching videos; I just want a bigger screen with good res for post production.

Hi, all. This is my first post. I'm a lifelong Nikon user starting in the 70's and recently upgraded from a Dx Nikon to the D810. Now I find I need to get a new computer for Lightroom. I travel a lot and really want a small laptop. But I also want a larger display for home use. I've looked closely at the xps vs the MacBook Pro and have read the earlier threads about them and have decided to go with the Dell. As I understand it, it will support a 4k monitor through the thunderbolt port. Does anyone here use that combination and, if so, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance.