I just read about how a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens weighs 2 pounds MORE than the 70-200mm f/4 Canon lens (both "L" models). It got me thinking about how huge, heavy and bulky most of today's DSLRs have become. Carrying around big, bulky cameras is certainly not conducive to good photography. Can't more camera makers produce cameras/lenses that are smaller and lighter, like the Leica models? I have quite a few Canon FD and EOS bodies and lenses, but frequently simply use my G10 because it's capabilities will cover 90% of the pictures I might want to take without needing a valet to carry my equipment. I really don't see thru-the-lens viewing as needed for most pictures most of us take, outside of where long telephotos or macro lenses are needed. No wonder so many people use only their cell phone camera and see no need for anything else. Does anyone else feel the same way?

The Zimmerman case was a simple one of self defense and idiot State Attorney Angela Corey should personally have to pay all the expenses. Corey herself has a most suspect history, including moving government funds around to ensure a huge retirement pension for herself and firing one of her top IT people who exposed alleged corruption in her office. Despite what the so-called national "news media" says, this was not a "stand your ground" or "castle doctrine" issue. It was simply George Zimmerman protecting his life from a thug who was beating his head into the cement. Anyone in any state would have been justified in doing exactly the same thing. Race was never an issue until race hustlers like Obama, Holder, Jackson and Sharpton moved in to further divide the country and demagogue the facts with the mostly-compliant "news media" not questioning any of their many lies.

I agree, but without an effective opposition party things can only continue to get worse. The GOP, in my view, is worse than the Dems because the Republicans are real opposition in name only. They should have leaders who give daily briefings on the failings and felonies of Bathhouse Barry, yet we hear little of any substance. The GOP has no leaders, no principles and nothing to recommend it. About 5% of the Congress might have read the Constitution, the other 95% apparently have never heard of it. I am glad I am not a 20 or 30-year-old coming up now, they are really going to have it bad. Unfortunately, though, since the loony Left runs most of the educational system, these "young heads full of mush" will mostly remain clueless as to why their country has gone down the sewer.

Anyone who thinks that passing draconian laws on the overwhelming majority of law-abiding people to control the actions of a tiny minority of crazies is living totally outside reality. Gun laws don't work, if they did Chicago would have the lowest murder rate in the country. Unfortunately, it appears that most of the murder capitals in the U.S.A. are big cities run by left-wing Democrats, wonder why that is?

Norway has among the strictest "gun control" laws extant....anyone who denies these obvious, incontrovertible facts is simply in denial. Had just one armed individual been at either site these events likely would have never happened. Why do crazies commit mayhem at schools? A: because they know there is no one armed there. The kids at Newtown were killed, in part at least, due to the idiocy of "gun control" laws which ensure no one can fight back against an aggressor. As to would they have been safe if there were no guns...the biggest school massacre in U.S. history was in 1927 in Michigan where 44 students and 6 adults were killed....with dynamite...no guns. People don't kill because they have a particular weapon....more are killed with bare hands than anything else.

If all guns disappeared tomorrow there would be no less murders or violent crime, crooks would simply use other weapons. In the Bible, Cain killed his brother with the jawbone of an ass and millions of people were killed long before gunpowder was ever dreamed of. "Gun control" really means people control, that's what it's all about. Remember, all the real massacres have been carried out by government, not armed individuals...fear the government that fears your gun

I stopped buying anything at Dick's after they decided to be politically correct and ban the sale of modern sporting rifles, such as the Armalite AR-15. Not only did they stop selling them, they reportedly would not even deliver them to people who had outstanding orders and deposits for them, offering only gift cards in return. There's no reason to give out any personal info to any clown who asks for it, for example, it states on my Social Security card that it's to be used for Social Security purposes only. If you give out your personal info you are likely to be a victim of identity theft which is now a nationwide major problem. You are the customer, if they don't want your money on your terms, go elsewhere....

you're supposed to be afraid of the big, bad Boogeyman and be willing to give up all your rights to the coming police state, IMHO. It's happening all over the world. Governments know that economic collapse is coming with the resulting riots/destruction and they want to gradually condition people to accept loss of their freedoms. Look at Greece, Spain, England....there's a reason there are cameras being set up all over to screen people and record their faces, a reason for NSA to intercept all communications, a reason for banning picture taking in public locations, a reason for the government to have all your health records in electronic form, a reason to have more "gun control," it's really all people control. As for the NFL my advice is don't go to their games or buy any of their products; if you do go to a game wear a photo or safari vest with a dozen pockets and take in whatever you can get by with.

18 is equal to about 28mm on most non-full-frame cameras so yes, it probably would be adequate for landscapes. However, since I love wide pix I feel that you can never have too wide a lens (you can always crop it)! I like lenses in the 14-16 mm range on a full frame camera.

Never tried those, but am quite happy with the Black Rapid straps. They are simple, but extremely well made and allow you to easily carry most any (or 2) DSLRs with big lenses and without breaking your neck.

Hey Jim! Rumours are that Canon will soon be coming out with an updated 7D...call it a 7d MkII or 8D....so, when that happens you should be able to get a better deal on a 7D than you could now. I purchased both a 7D and a 5D MkII thru the Canon customer loyalty program and got a terrific price on both....check it out. I also bought a second hand 5D and love it....as to whether or not you should dump yours and keep only a 7D, I guess it depends on a number of things: how much you need the $$ and what lenses you have. For example, if you have a number of Canon EF and/or "L" lenses and not so many EF-S lenses, I would definitely keep the 5D as only a FF body is going to use those lenses at their named focal length and the FF bodies won't accept any of the EF-S lenses. As to picture quality, unless you're making huge prints, any of these bodies will produce great results with the right lens. It's always amazed me that so many photographers have to have the latest and greatest camera body and then go out and put a less-than-first-quality lens on it whereas they would do much better with a first quality lens and a less-featured body. Oh well...that's one of my gripes, the 2nd is: why do all these DSLR bodies and lenses have to be so huge and heavy? My ideal camera (if I had the $$) would be a Leica digital with Leica lenses. Why? because not only is their quality the best, but they don't weigh much and are (comparatively) tiny! I can get pretty damn good pix with my iPhone camera...why do my Canons have to be so big and heavy??

the race hustlers, including Barry, can't make any political capital out of it....so you won't hear a peep from them, unless it's another plea for "gun control."