If you are using a computer with a built in card reader, try using a plug in USB card reader and see if that reads the card.
Don't forget that you can buy great used lenses too. Buy from a reputable dealer that has a 30 day return policy, and do test the lens for focus, sharpness and all functions during those 30 days.
How full is you Hard Drive? If you don't store your RAW files on an external drive you may find the drive in the computer is getting full and slowing things down. Also, how many Applications do you have open at any one time?
We did a Whale Watch from Puerta Valarta, MX one February- it was fantastic. Two large males showing off for a female and her baby. It is unforgettable to see something that large fly out of the water maybe 50 feet from your boat- knowing it is 3 times the length of your boat!
To correct her statement- Mac computers do support Flash- it is an Adobe download. Mac IOS devices such as the iPad, iPod and iPhone Do Not support Flash. The reasons concerned security and memory issues.
Most likely it is soldered to the circuit board- not meant for replacement.
This was my favorite "available lens" optic in the 1970's to use with Tri-X and Acufine Developer. Great for portraits, too.
The only way to learn about the characteristics of light and how it effects photography is to take pictures at different times of the day and compare them. As you learn you will understand that you can use reflectors or fill flash to fill shadows if harsh mid day lighting is the condition you are stuck with, but first you have to learn the qualities of light.The light at dusk and dawn is called "sweet light" by car photographers because it is shadowless and the sheet metal of the vehicles photographs beautifully under this light.Do take photos under all lighting conditions and learn how to control the light and supplement it as needed to create the effect you desire. Mastery of light is the secret of good photography.
Set your lens to an open aperture for shallow depth of field-f2.8 or so; use aperture priority setting for exposure so the shutter speed will vary as needed- set a high enough ISO that camera shake won't be an issue. When you focus on the subject of the animal in the middle of the cage the wires of the cage close to the lens will be so diffused they'll disappear from view. Do have your lens right up against the cage, trying for an open area where the animal is. Good luck. This also works with fences if the subject is far enough away from then and your lens is right against the wire of the fence.
Sorry, they were lost in a break in of my home years ago- lost the camera kit,darkroom too. It must have been someone who knew I was into folk music and photography- they knew what to look for and where to look. I had insurance coverage on the equipment,but nothing on the negatives that were taken.
Lightroom 4 is great, but it does have a learning curve. l like the system for set up in the "Lightroom 4 for Digital Photographers" by Scott Kelby. It enables you to keep all your images in one transferable folder on your drive, and also on your back up drives. He offers several options on how to keynote and set up your files, copywrite, etc. The book also covers the Photoshop manipulations included in Lightroom.
Ah,memories. The trick was to hold the removable back between your left index and middle fingers while cradling the camera in your left hand, then you could insert and thread a new film cartridge in without the back touching ground or getting dirty. It was the first thing they fought you in Nikon School. I had two of these, with 28mm, 35mm 105mm and 200mm Nikkors. The 105 was my favorite available light lens at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when Bob Dilon got "Booed" on stage for appearing with an electric guitar. I added the Photomic T finder later when it became available.
My wife and I did a 2 week Mediteranian Cruise last September. I took my Nikon D300 with the 18 to 300mm Nikkor. The lens is image stabilized, which helped in churches and when hand holding the telephoto. I shot everything in RAW and was able to produce decent images from almost all situations. I could have used my 12 to 24 Nikkor in some churches, but have no regret about leaving it at home. I loved NOT having a backpack full of lenses to drag around. It gave me a lot more freedom to enjoy the experience and not feel like I was working a photo assignment.
I heard the Greenbriar has reopened.
From the content I'd guess most posters are not shooting professionally? A pro would automatically download from his card to some memory device via a card reader, then would save both the card and download until back at the studio. He(she)'d use a fresh, formatted card to continue capture if more photos needed to be taken. If someone was going on a trip, even if they relied on a cord or memory card they'd be wise to have a back up of each- you never know when something will fail- usually when you are miles from any supplier but in a area of many photographic opportunities. and yes, do all the formatting of the card in camera.