Lens hood should fit without the filter. Use the lens hood. Much better protection.

The ONLY situation in which I would use a clear filter would be in conditions where there is blowing sand and dirt that could damage the lens. And the lens hood will protect from that as well, to a certain extent.

Return the filter and adapter. The only filter I recommend is a circular polarizer, and it MUST be the same diameter as the lens so it will fit and not interfere with the hood.

Whoever suggested the filter/adapter combination should be ashamed!

Perhaps my description was not clear enough. The purpose of focusing on an anticipated location and then letting go of the BB is to have the camera ready without a lot of "hunting". Then when the bird is arriving at that area, whether flying or landing, I will press it again and attempt to keep the focus point[s] on the bird. I don't do a lot of BIF, but when I do that is my process. My reactions are not always swift enough for a lot of success, though!

Hopefully now that I have the 200-500mm lens, I will do more BIF as well as wildlife!

You don't say what lenses you have besides the 50mm. If you have a longer telephoto, like 70-300mm, you can use that for close-up shots. Not as good as with a true macro lens, but still get great magnification and bokeh.

I also like NewEgg. I bought components from them when upgrading my desktop computer. Prices good, and often discounted.

Only problem I had was when FedEx "lost" my package. It was from one of NewEgg's vendors. I got their contact information from NewEgg, called them, and I had a replacement within 2 days. When the first package finally showed up, I called them and got a return label to send it back!

The only thing I would caution anyone about is to have an idea of exactly what you want. So many items that are very similar have different specifications. A little research is often called for to make sure you are ordering the right one. It can be confusing if not prepared!

Customer service is great. I got good advice, and once even had questions answered that did not exactly relate to a purchase. Very helpful!

It is amazing what very small factors can interfere with a great photo! Keeps us trying to learn and take everything possible into account. And then comes along something we had not thought of before - like heat distortion.

I agree with the thought that to keep holding the BB can affect the focus. When taking photos of birds I will try to anticipate where they will fly or land, and focus on that area first. Then, when a bird arrives, I can shoot with some confidence in the focus. But I also will try to get my finger back on that BB and hold it while the lens is aimed at the bird! Hopefully the bird does not fly out of my focus point[s].

Perhaps you already have photos and a system by which you organize them. If you are happy with it, then no reason to change. The main thing, as OP have said, is for you to be able to find them.

I also use LR Classic CC, am not familiar with what Luminar will do. The Catalog system of LR Classic will let you arrange photos any way you like. It is quite adaptable - I have changed my Catalog system several times, now have one with which I am very happy.

Basically, unless you have reason to split up your images into different Catalogs, not connected to each other, having all images in one major/master Catalog is a good idea. Within the Catalog you can have multiple folders and sub-folders containing different categories of images.

How you designate the categories is up to you. Some like to use dates, such as date shot, date of a photoshoot, etc. Others like to use names, where photos from a certain place or of a certain subject are grouped together in a folder. That folder can then be sub-divided into different sub-topics, which in turn can be subdivided by years. I use the latter system, because it lets me keep all photos of a certain type together. For instance: Master Folder: LR Classic CC Photos; sub-folder: Vermont Pictures; sub-sub-folder: Lake Willoughby. Lake Willoughby is broken up into years.

As for work flow, after importing photos into LR, I then highlight and drag those that belong together to the appropriate folder. If not using LR, you will need to create that folder first. Using LR, I can highlight images, go to the topic, create a sub-folder and indicate that all highlighted images should be put into that folder. At first, I divide them up between images with promise in a folder called "In Progress", and rejects in a folder called "Outtakes". This clearly indicates how I currently view those images. The only ones I will delete initially are ones that are accidental or blurred. The rest I will look at later in case I missed good qualities with possibilities.

When editing photos, I go to the "In Progress" folder and proceed with editing. When I am satisfied, that image gets moved into the primary folder in which the sub-folders are found. Such as Lake Willoughby sub-folder 2017. No special title required. The original RAW and any intermediate stages for editing go into "Support Photos" and are stacked with the best on top. I sometimes do re-edits and if they are better than the first edit, the older edit will go into the "Support Photos" folder. If a new edit is using a different style or technique, for instance B&W, it can stay in the 2016 folder. In LR the images can be given color coded borders, and different colors can be used for "best" and "next best".

Organizing and workflow are strictly an individual choice. As you can see from the responses here, everyone has their own way that suits them. Professionals are more likely to use dates, and some non-professionals like that as well. Others of us like a mixture of names and dates. Some will either completely re-name images or add a prefix or suffix to the number out of the camera. I leave the numbers alone, because they can be useful in determining when taken if the metadata gets changed. I do add a pre-fix to indicate which camera, and a suffix if the image is something I want to indicate, such as HDR, Panorama, B&W.

Hope this helps.

All things considered, the D750 would be my choice. And the price fits your budget. Nikon has it at $1200, but if you wait a bit they have sales on refurbished gear which would bring it down. Factory refurbished is a lot better than dealer refurbished, and the camera should be at least as good as new.

I also started with the D7000 as my first DSLR. Over time I replaced DX lenses with FX lenses. My budget was a bit higher, and I bought the D810, which I love.

Here is one way to help with the decision: Go to Nikon's website and do a compare of refurbished cameras. I did that just now, putting the D810 in just for comparison. This will let you know most of the factors that differentiate them from each other. As a point of interest, the D750 and the D810 share a lot of characteristics. The D500 has features that do make it better if you are capturing fast action, but it also has a smaller sensor size and less effective pixels. There are some D500 specifications that do offer greater numbers than both the D750 and the D810, which are part of what make it great for capturing fast action. But if that is not important to you, not something that needs to affect your decision. It is a question of which features will make a difference in YOUR photography.

Also, if you do want to go to a fast-moving competition, you can adjust the settings to fit the situation. I have used my D810 to successfully capture action shots of football, baseball, and horse jumping competitions with no problem.

My D7000 is now my backup camera.

Actually, those "bells and whistles" should be seen as planning for the future, not overkill! Getting features that are more than you currently need will prevent the necessity for upgrading later when your needs change.

You might like looking that the Puget Systems website. They build custom computers, and their website has a lot of excellent information on recommended components and discussion of why those were chosen. Of course, you don't have to go with exactly what they are using, but it makes a good guideline.

https://www.pugetsystems.com/

I did some upgrades to my desktop computer last year and Puget's website was a big help.

The SSD should be no less than 500GB, and this is where you will store your operating system and all other programs that you use on your system. Your internal HDD should be at least 4TB so that you are not likely to run out of space any time soon. This is where all your documents and photos will be stored.
The HDDs need to be good quality, such as the HGST Ultrastar, which has a 5 year warranty. I also use another 4TB HGST Ultrastar as an external drive for backing up photos and documents, installed in a case with a fan. It is easy to do, just insert the drive and plug it in! More than one backup drive is recommended - I have another 4TB WD My Book for backups. I use a Dell Monitor 27" and I like the size very well. I also have space limitations! The one I use is an UltraSharp IPS monitor.

Additional things to consider: Adequate size power supply, dedicated graphics/video card, motherboard.
The nice thing about a desktop is you can have more than just 2 internal drives if you want. The most important thing is compatibility of components. When I did the upgrades, I was limited to choosing components that were compatible with my motherboard, which I was not replacing. Eventually it will get replaced as well, because it is older, and then I may also end up having to also replace the RAM, depending on the motherboard I will install.

I have never used canvas or metal, partly because of the added expense, and partly because it isn't clear to me which images would look best on either of them!

That said, I choose papers based on what I feel is the best surface for each image. As an amateur, I do not use a lot of the more expensive papers. Sometimes I do "test prints" to help with deciding on which paper. My favorite is Lustre, although I also use Satin more because it is less expensive and almost as nice. After that, I like the metallic paper, which is somewhat glossy and adds to the feeling of depth of perspective and color in a photo. In general, I am not fond of matte paper, but have been experimenting with Red River Paper's Fine Art paper in Natural, which I like for its warming effect on, for example, black and white.

Like you, I like colors in a photo to "pop" without being overly saturated. The metallic and lustre papers are good for that.

As for longevity, good framing and protective glass seem to be the best way to to display them that will keep them looking good. Another protective measure that also will make the images present better is Museum Glass, which shows the image off very well with no reflections! I have recently been thinking about the use of a protective coating, but have not yet investigated its use and application.

Glad I could be of help. Any new purchase can be intimidating, which is why doing some research is the way to start. You don't have to spend as much as the RRS tripod would cost, but you won't get the quality that will last without spending $400-$500. Check out the Feisol models Gene recommends.

Thank you Gene! One thing I forgot to mention about the center column: it changes the dynamic of the camera/lens/tripod balance. The most stable place for the camera and lens is close to the apex of the tripod legs! Not 6" or a foot above it...

A center column is your choice, but be aware that you sacrifice stability and are more likely to get unwanted vibrations to blur your images. Can't blame that on a bird flying by too fast!

See Gene51's most recent post for the solution in tight spaces. My tripod has different "clicks" so the legs can be spread less or more and still be stable. And no center column! If truly worried about the footprint, a monopod would be another alternative.

Sounds like a wonderful, ambitious trip! I hope you schedule in extra time to account for unplanned side trips and stops. This is an adventure to savor and enjoy!

Have fun!

Whether amateur or pro, it is best to get the best you can afford. Even though your gear is not that heavy, you may eventually end up getting something heavier. Here are some things to consider:

Carbon Fiber - less transmission of vibrations let you get sharper images
Leg diameter - no less than 32" diameter for stability
- also, each leg should be able to move independently of each other
Center column - not recommended - it decreases the stability and increases the chances of motion
- you don't need it - just get the right height tripod for you
Tripod height - the basic requirement is that you should be able to stand comfortably to look through the
viewfinder, but it should also have the capability for leg extension so you can also point
it up and not have to stand or crouch in an uncomfortable position - leg extension is
also important to getting a level camera on uneven ground
Tripod weight capacity - important that it should support your gear, but also important is having a
broad enough base for stability
Tripod leg sections - in general, 3 sections are typical and more sections not recommended unless you are
purchasing one of the high end tripods with a design that prevents stability compromise
Tripod head - there are many types, but typically the basic head is considered to be the ball head
- other heads are more specialized, depending on what you are doing
- the head's weight capacity should be sufficient for the heaviest lens/camera combination
you may own, now or in the future

Here is a link to a run-down of the factors to consider. You may find their prices way beyond your budget, but the information provided will apply to any tripod you are considering.

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/tripod-guide