Are you referring to the new Nikon AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm and its limited compatibility? If so, it is very disappointing, especially since they don't advertise that fact. I was about to buy that lens and discovered it didn't fully work with my D810 or D7200. Instead I bought the new Sigma 100-400mm and am really happy I did. It's a great lens, sharper than the older Nikon 70-300.

Thanks! Great tip!

I appreciate your question. I enjoy my photographs immensely. I think it's important to do what you do, find joy in your photos, your creations, that are uniquely you. Think about the fact that every image you create is a unique moment in time, a moment that you immortalized. I get inspiration from my work, inspiration that is otherwise hard to find elsewhere. I don't share them very much but I do enjoy an occasional complement. Mostly I shoot for myself. It is my passion and I love going back and looking at some of the photos I took 30-40 years ago. Yeah there are some that I have to laugh about, having once thought they were great, but mostly I still love them. I do also love the process of creating the images, from the click of the shutter to the final "save as" in Photoshop.

Aye god, Bill! It's simply fantastic! I have hundreds and hundreds of negs and transparencies from the seventies and eighties and have only managed to scan a few dozen. Nowadays they sit in a storage trailer fading away. You're my hero!

The best!

Yeah, these forums are dangerous because of the GAS. Gotta take some GAS-X when you come here or wind up spending a fortune.

Ha, ha! Is that all? Well, sure, those improvements would be great, seriously, and as you say there is always room for improvement. But will there ever be an end to it? And that's okay. The problem is every time there are these kind of great improvements you have to buy a new camera. For the busy pro who shoots thousands of images a week and wears out a body in 1-2 years it's just an operating expense. For me a camera like the D810 can easily last 6-7 years or more, so I'm not apt to buy a new one every couple years unless the improvements are truly spectacular. I simply can't afford it.

Better if you could send your camera in and for a nominal fee have it upgraded. Yeah, in a perfect world. Pass the hooch please.

I agree! What more can we possibly need?

Pardon my ignorance, but where is the classifieds section? Thanks.

Truer words were never spoken.

Yes, you can take great photos with a 3MP camera, but what you can do with them later is another question altogether. I'll make the argument that the main advantage of the D810 is the 36MP resolution. You can make HUGE prints that you cannot make from a 3MP or 5MP or 8MP file, especially if the original is a jpeg. It really depends on the final usage of the photo. If you're just posting on Farcebook it hardly matters, just use your phone (which nowadays takes great photos at 8MP or more).

Oh just a further comment. The Sigma 100-400mm is (of course) a lot smaller and lighter than it's bigger brother the 150-600. I would say that it is a bit heavier and bigger than the old Nikon 70-300mm, but I bought it mainly for its smaller size and lighter weight. It's much easier to take on a walkabout and the additional 100mm over the 70-300mm does make a difference. I bought a D7200 with the idea that this lens on a DX body would be ideal (being the equivalent of 600mm at its longest), and it would be except that I find there is still too much noise even at ISO 200. See the 100% crop of a pic I took a couple days ago. This was taken at ISO 200 f/8 @ 1/1600, with the Sigma 100-400 on the D7200. See the second photo a detail of the birdhouse (3rd photo) taken with the Sigma on the D810 for comparison, 100% crop, although not apples to apples it does show the sharpness of the Sigma, the excellent bokeh, and the lack of noise and dynamic range of the D810. ISO 100 f/6.3 @ 1/60, hand-held.

***BEWARE*** THE NEW NIKON AF-P 70-300 IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ALL NIKON BODIES.

I'm sorry I have no experience with it. I considered buying it instead of the Sigma, but I discovered that it is not fully compatible with my D810— I discovered this fine print on Nikon's site, and it is really important to be aware of:

The number of cameras compatible with this lens is limited. Even for compatible cameras, a firmware update may be required. Fully compatible models: D7500, D5600, D3400, D500.

Fully compatible models (without limitations) after available firmware update: D5, D750, D610, D600, D5500, D5300, D3300. Download firmware updates at: http://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/index.html

Regardless of firmware update, these models will still have some limitations*: D4, D4S, D3, D3X, D3S, D810, D810A, D800, D800E, Df, D700, D300, D300S, D7200, D7100, D7000, D5200.

*Because these models reset focus when reverting from standby status (timer off), pre-focus shooting is not available.

Incompatible models: D2 series, D1 series, D200, D100, D90, D80, D70 series, D60, D50, D40 series, D5100, D5000, D3200, D3100, D3000, film SLR cameras.

This isn't in reply to anyone in particular, just a last comment. I think everyone has different needs, different goals and intentions, different budgets and so on. I can only state what applies to me—the pursuit of perfection, the sharpest photos and the largest prints. A D810. There's no doubt that an 18MP Canon T4i is more than adequate for posting photos on websites or making small 4x6 in. prints or even 16x20 in. prints—and even 8MP will do just fine. As for composition, shooting with a DSLR one doesn't always have time to compose a frame, as when a fast moving hawk is passing overhead. Having the additional resolution and frame size helps when it comes to cropping later. Otherwise, like shooting 4x5 in. film on a tripod, you can take your time and compose a photo. But the other thing, that some have touched on here, is knowing how to use whatever camera one has. The more you know the more flexibility you have, the more tools for creativity. However, just knowing the basics is often enough to make great photos. The problem with digital is the overwhelming complexity of the process.

With 35mm film most cameras served a rather limited function, mainly shutter speed and metering and later automatic exposure and eventually autofocus. But, one camera was pretty much like many others and what really made a difference was not the camera but the lens and the film. Back in the day I owned Nikons for 35mm, an F2AS, FE2 and an FM. Shooting with one or another didn't make any difference when it came to quality, sharpness, grain, etc. It was all in the film and the lens, and of course one's skill in using those on the camera of choice. Nowadays, every camera may have different characteristics depending mostly on the sensor and the combination of body and lens. The same lens on two different bodies can be completely different when it comes to sharpness, light transmission and so on. That wasn't the case with film. I could put any one of my lenses on any one of my Nikon bodies and the result would be the same.

The innumerable user settings of our modern DSLRs are almost a joke. Only Ken Rockwell really knows how to use all of them, and he doesn't. Even he ignores many of the features. If there's anything a really good photographer doesn't need, its most of those features beyond shutter speed, aperture, and ISO setting. And really everything else can be adjusted or changed in post editing.

Some of you may not have been around for the first advent of APS (Advanced Photographic System) format. For film, and it was a complete joke. No one took it seriously. So now we have APS-C and I have to wonder why. Why not just make full-frame cameras? Who really needs a smaller sensor? And why? It doesn't necessarily make the camera that much smaller and lighter. In any case, it's not for me. Like I said, I am in the pursuit of perfection. Period.

It really depends on what you shoot and how you use the photos, i.e., online, publication print, or large format print. The big advantage of the D810 over other full-frame cameras is the increased resolution and the greater dynamic range afforded by shooting at ISO 64, both big advantages for making large pints. As for noise, the D610 is probably about as good, as is the Canon 6D.