...latest group in process...will eventually be 20+ groups, show in Rochester NY over Labor Day weekend:
http://photos.drumcorpsplanet.com/Drum-Corps-DCA/2015-DCA-Prelims

The way I shoot pageantry nowadays is *not* "spray and pray," although I do have my D4 set on slow burst and do shoot quite a few doubles/triples so as to get a tossed implement (flag, baton, rifle) both in the air and the catch...my finger is pretty educated to get one shot at a time for the remainder. Of course there are exceptions where I just may burst more than two or three. Overall, I reject maybe 25%, most of them being duplicates but certainly focus issues too...keepers are plentiful and the moms and dads are generally pleased with the results. It surely isn't anything other than a variant on sports photography...

No. But, then, I'm a journalism major... ;0)

Well, I dunno if it'll set any records, but my personal "best" is 8600, but commonly I'll get 6,000 plus. I shoot pageantry and the days get pretty long sometimes, depending on the number of groups. Indoor color guards account for the greatest amounts, there may be 60+ groups at 7 minutes of action a pop!

Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps

I have two Sigmas: the 15mm f2.8 Fisheye and the workhorse 24-70 f2,8...both are fine lenses. A friend got the 150-600 and his stuff is *really* good...all my other lenses are Nikkor (16-28 f4, 70-200 f2.8 vII, and my 200-400 f4) but I see no need to fill the gaps with Nikon...Sigma is great!

...I don't *think* it makes a difference, other than reformatting in-camera is very fast and the other way would be...uh...very slow? I'm in the habit (verified Nikon "good" habit) of formatting in-camera...you know that even though you've "formatted" the shots you've just made go away are still there, right? Most of the good card manufacturers have data recovery software available...for those times when you get in an "...OH NO!" situation and need to get those formatted images back...I've had to do it and, whew, what a relief. But if you *start* shooting on the card data will be lost, covered by the new...sorry to go off topic, but it seemed appropriate...

...all major updates (not the incremental kind like, 6.1 to 6.2) require that you reinstall your plugins and added software. I just had to do the same thing...yes, pain, but the more you do it, less trouble it becomes as time marches on...

Eye-Fi is out for me...I shoot thousands of pix in a shoot (pageantry groups...I've shot 8500 shots in a day, whew) so I'm just in that workflow. Long ago I was tethering the camera body to my 'puter and mentioned that to a tech at a good camera shop hereabouts...he yakked up a furrball. What you are doing (according to this tech) is putting the internals of the camera body at risk. So, that made alot of sense to me and I've done the card-in-out thing ever since. 10 years, *never* a problem with my CF, SD, or XQD cards not meshing or whatever. Speed for me is paramount, I use 64 gig cards (both of my bodies have dual slots...D4 and D800) and sometimes pack 'em pretty good, so downloading into my 'puters, even with the speediest cards, takes awhile!

I'm with you, mostly...I think *experience* is the ultimate trump card. As an adjunct of time-in-trade is the ability to work *quickly* and efficiently. I was just at a theater performance with a bunch of graduating seniors...at the end of the show we herded (you gotta know how *that* goes with teens lol) them into a spot picked beforehand...I had 30 seconds, max. Came out of there thinking "...maybe I'm starting to get this!" Until, of course, the next situation where my experience doesn't quite match up to the circumstances!

...use the time you gain from *not* trying to fix it (only to break again) to go out shooting...or gaining insight into some software...or lights...or...or... ;0)

...hey Boone, as an aside, nice lighting on your profile portrait!

I shoot alot of moving, sports-type events, and have experimented with VR turned on or off several times. My year old 70-200 f2.8 VII started making a weird vibration during one of these shoots, a little groan accompanied the condition. Well, I needed to have my D4 cleaned so took both items to Nikon here in LA to have the work done. (If you live in the LA area this shop is user friendly and, of course, expert in their service). Upon pick-up I was informed that they'd replaced the VR motor in the lens! Simply, I was informed that the VR function is designed for when the camera is pretty much stable, whether hand-held or on a 'pod, to lessen camera shake (I coulda sworn the tech wanted to shake his finger at me!)...*not* intended for use in, for want of a better term, sportish photography. Pros I know had always advised "turn it off" when discussing VR and now I know why...of course they knew what kind of shooting I do, too. Heh, I've learned that VR is, indeed, a tool and has its place in my kit and I won't be burning out any more VR motors anytime soon!

This! (...and Marshal McLuhan: "The Medium is the Message"...)

..take some of these suggestions and rent! I know *I* wouldn't blindly take advice without trying the equipment...that said, I use a D800 and 16-35 f4 and love 'em...but *you* are the end-user.

Agree. I have the same bodies, lens, and 2.0 TC..also have used the 1.4 quite a bit and *it* is as good as it gets. It doesn't make sense to not use Nikon/Nikon gear, IMO...