The Pro dot shutter release was a great idea: soft plastic disc to fit on top of shutter release with many tiny 'dot' projections on top, and glue on the bottom to stick to shutter release button. I have now had 4 Pro dot buttons over a year: after cleaning the shutter release top surface with alcohol each time, I attached the Prodot. After several weeks of use, with the 'dot' softening the shutter release pressure and probably camera motion, the dots would fall off due to poor glue, doubtless aggravated by hot weather and/or my perspiration. Pro dot sent me a second set of buttons free, when I wrote them but the problem recurred. when handholding I use the shutter release button, and when on a tripod I use the remote release. I try to use Nikon VR lenses which helps.

In the old days I had a soft shutter release trigger screwed into the shutter button housing. This allowed me to fire off the camera without my finger hitting the body of my camera and NOT causing any body shake -- Result sharper pictures at all speeds. The current crop of Nikon DSLR's have the shutter button just slightly higher above the body which means that the finger will always hit the camera in taking a picture. Is there anything out there similar to the old soft shutter release????? And I don't mean remote releases, mirror lockup and what ever just something to prevent camera shake.

I am in the market for a "medium quality" tripod. I am not a pro. Since I rather rarely work with a tripod, I am reluctant to follow the (no doubt) good advice that I should save up for a really high quality product, which dominate previous tripod commentaries on this site. My needs are relatively simple:

1. The camera most used would be a Sony HX 300 Bridge camera weighing less than 2 pounds.
2. Prefer something at least 65" in height, though I will not be using a tripod for long spans of time so bending down a bit is OK.
3. Prefer to spend under $100 and happier at less.
4. Weight of the tripod is not much of an issue since I have a little travel pod and this one would not need to fit into travel plans.
5. Will want a pan head, level optional.

There are lots of cheap ones ($30 and under) out there, and I would like to bump up enough to gain a bit of added stability and higher quality materials/durability.

Good Day All,

I have had a Nikon Equipment for years. Beautiful D300s. In the beginning it was simply a toss
of the coin on which camera line. The problem I am having is that I am always
comparing my photos against Cannon Photos. It always, and I do mean always feels to me
that Cannon has more vibrant and clear photos. I feel like Nikon is a softer, less dynamic
photo. I am never satisfied with my photos. Maybe I just have the "buy something new" bug.
I was wondering if I am the only one on the planet that does this?

Please tell me I am normal, lol...