I’ve been to Mexico half a dozen times and never had a problem. Use the same care you would anywhere else and enjoy yourself.

[quote=cmaxi]Sorry, just not my experience. Does a perfect job. It's not solid like pumice. The sandblasting analogy does not apply. As one person said, it's foam. As far as taking the finish off of furniture, I don't see how that it would be possible.

If you read the link, it explains how it can be foamlike and abrasive at the very same time. They liken it to a light grit sandpaper. As to taking the finish off of a wood countertop, I was there, I saw it, it happened. You can choose to believe me or not.

I assume with very light pressure it won’t damage a camera’s finish but I also think folks should be aware of the risk.

They look like foam but are actually fairly abrasive (see link). Someone in our office used one on a wood countertop and it took the finish off. I know OP says they work but I would not use them on my cameras.

https://home.howstuffworks.com/magic-eraser1.htm

I do it all the time. But, I always collapse the monopod first. I keep the camera strap around my neck or shoulder while holding the monopod leg in my hand. Since I use the monopod only with long lenses it’s always the lens that’s attached to it rather than the body. So I’m supporting the body via the strap and the lens via the monopod leg thereby reducing the stress on the lens mount.

Can anyone suggest a good tour company?? I am perfectly willing to drive over to Everglades city or elsewhere. My daughter is interested in seeing some Manatees[/quote]

I’ve been on airboat rides but can’t really recommend one operator over any other. However, if your daughter wants to see manatees there are better places than the Everglades to see them. In addition to the sites listed in the following link, FPL has a viewing area in West Palm Beach. You can also snorkel with them in Crystal River.

https://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/things-to-do/outdoors-nature/places-to-see-swim-florida-manatees.html

No. Under agreement with the manufacturer, Olympus USA will perform warranty service on a camera that is purchased overseas. To the best of my knowledge, every authorized importer does the same. It is only when a camera is imported through an entity other than the authorized importer that it is considered grey market in the country in which it is sold. Even then, you still have a warranty but you’d have to send the camera back to the manufacturer in the country of origin.

It refers to movie film Kodak made years ago that was specifically intended for making positive prints from the original negative. It actually did have a faint blue base which is why it came to be known as lavender. So your suspicion is correct. The base color was very subtle and not really noticeable but the film was very fine grain and excellent quality.

No chimping and not even video playback in those days. If you screwed up you didn’t know until you saw the dailies and the cost to redo a day’s shooting meant you didn’t get to screw up too often. And, while the timer could adjust exposure when printing from the neg, you couldn’t dodge and burn a movie print.

You’re welcome. Great to find others who love the film as much as I do. So many people today have never even heard of it.

You’re absolutely correct, Andy. It’s easily one of my top 3 favorite films for all the reasons you cited. It was interesting tonight to hear Ben Mankiewicz on TCM admit that it deserved the best picture Oscar over All About Eve which was directed by his great uncle. He was right.

Me too. Those are just a few shots from my tv. I’ve probably watched this film 15 times and, even though I have it on DVD, I still watch it whenever it’s on TV. Years ago I had the pleasure of seeing a pristine lavender print of it in film school.

If you’re of a certain age, you’ll recognize these screen shots. If not and you’re a fan of B&W photography, I’d urge you to watch “The Third Man”, the 1949 British classic written by Graham Greene, directed by Carol Reed with Acadamy Award winning cinematography by Robert Krasker. Long before digital manipulation, the cinematographers of that age were not only great artists, they were master craftsmen.

As others have said, it’s difficult to comment on your specific issues with the examples given. But I will say that I have the G2 version of that lens and a Nikon 810 and I too have issues with focus being erratic even under conditions with plenty of light and contrast.

Mine is not gray market and I will be sending it back for service or replacement; I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

I use a Sirui t-004x as a travel tripod. I have put a full frame dslr on it with a Tammy 150-600, which is considerably heavier than what you want to use, and it has never failed me. Of course, I would not walk away from it on a windy day but note that I used it succefully in Iceland, one of the windiest countries in the world.

They do make carbon fiber versions as well but, in my opinion, I don’t think the small reduction in weight justifies the big jump in price.

Some will point out that a cf tripod transmits less vibration than an aluminum one and testing with sophisticated equipment demonstrates that. But, again in my opinion, I think that is a distinction that makes no meaningful difference in the real world.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1243741-REG/sirui_sut004rx_t_004x_aluminum_tripod_with.html

I have used them for prints as large as 20x30 and panoramas as well. I am consistently amazed at the quality of their prints especially considering the absurdly low prices.

The attached is an iPhone photo of a framed 20x30 print so it will not tell you all that much about the quality but may give you an idea. I donated it to a charity auction and it sold for $145.

(Download)