I am a firm believer that one should never need more than 4 articles of clothing... a shirt, shorts, a flip and a flop.

alx

It is tempting to ignore, but it is also addictive.

To throw in my $.02. I can't see castigating a dealer over a lens that hasn't even been seen yet. As long as B&H is willing to stand by the lens with their own warranty and repair it if needed, the ongoing quibbling is childish. As for the gray market warranty implications, I've been buying Nikon lenses since the early 70's and I've yet to need one repaired, let alone under warranty. A Nikon lens is a Nikon lens (a damned good piece of equipment as a rule). The lenses shipped to the US are identical to the lenses sold in Japan or elsewhere under the same model specification, and here is where paying attention to all of those strung out IF, ED, VS, etc. model qualifiers IS important and comes into play. Don't look at a "sample picture" - READ the exact model number you are about to buy. If that is not the model you receive, that indeed is grounds to complain and return.

Remember that travelers have been buying Nikon equipment while abroad for decades and returning to the US not worrying about the US Warranty. The quality of the product is why Nikons and not just US-Nikons have been valued the world over.

Personally, if it were me, I'd look at the lens when it arrived, test it carefully and then decide if it performed up to my expectations. If so, I'd be happy at a good deal and go out and enjoy the lens expecting it to serve me well for a good long time.

"Post processing", like "Bokeh" is a 21st century invented word for something that has been a part of photography since the 2nd dawn of photography. "Post" processing actually started out as processing itself the first time a photographer started playing with developer formulas, times and temperatures to manipulate the contrast to better capture the range that was missing due to subject, lighting or circumstance to produce a better photograph to capture his vision of what the final product should look like. The first enlarger bought with it the expanded capabilities of cropping, dodging, burning as a whole new set of artistic manipulations to expand the repertoire of the photographer.

Technology steadily advanced with broader ranges of films, developers, papers with different contrast ranges, variable contrast papers and on and on.

The prints on the museum walls were not just captured in the camera. They were the careful application of all of the above and then some to produce the desired outcome. Those prints were not just auto-processed in a machine; they were pulled out of the soup under a safelight at just the right moment based on judgement and hope. How many were trashed and started again because they could be better with just a little more [fill in the blank]?

Post processing after the snap of the shutter is far from new. Photoshop et.al. merely make it more affordable in terms of time and materials.

Be thankful for all the new possibilities as Photography, the art of making an image, lives, breathes and grows.

alx

Thank you for the sympathy, but I think I have enough lenses left to get by for now. I'm enjoying the auto focus since my eye isn't as good as when I used the old Type E focusing screens and never needed to worry about my focus.

I wish I knew what to tell you. There are no words to really cover the pain. All I can say is that this thread brought tears back to my eyes all these years after losing my Nikki. The only comfort is the painful memory that even after 37 years the bond is still there. A true friend will always be there in the heart.

I've enjoyed following this topic, especially now that I've committed to moving on from my old days with film with a new D850 in the hopes of returning to my photographic soul after 35 years of sql accounting programming. (And the photographic world has changed.)

Back when I did photography full time, my kit was all primes: 24mm f2.8, 2x45mm f2.8 GN*, 50mm f1.4*, 55mm f1.2, 55mm f3.5 Micro, 105mm f2.5, 105mm f4 Micro*, 135mm f3.5*, 120mm f2.8, 200mm f4* and a 500mm f8 Reflex. Lenses marked * went to my ex-wife and I still have the rest which I've already tested and programmed into the new camera.

With the D850 I added a 50mm f1.4 and 24mm-70 f2.8, both AF.

Looking forward to adding a few more AF as I settle in and find my new visual interests. This has been very informative.

Most definitely. I have some great shots on a tripod on Waikiki beach that stretched for many minutes and were amazing how well the camera read the scene. You could trust that camera.

The FE with motor was a beautifully balanced combination. An excellent complement to my F2S at airshows in the day. Ate a LOT of film with a pair of those and the F2S in an afternoon. The FE was also great for grabbing low light night shots on auto with a tripod or just crammed against a cooperative tree. With the motor stripped off and a 24mm, a nice, light carry camera.

Makes me long for the smell of Jet fuel.

An interesting collection - almost as if you are capturing, not the person, but their souls.

Some of my favorite pictures have had shutter speeds measured in long minutes where the people are mere faded streaks and all that remains is that which is real.

alx

But did anyone actually pay attention to the part that said to "Obey all posted Speed Limits"?

Maybe they aren't related?

I'd definitely go with Samsung - their cloning software is simple and direct. The only time I've ever seen it fail is when the original hard drive went bad with too many bad sectors for a reliable copy. As always, go with the biggest that fits your budget. I'd also go with a reliable HDD for backup and storage after you are done with your edits. You don't need speed for long term storage.

I'll go along with the Olympus Tough. I've had the TG-3 and TG-5. Handy to have and always can use in warmer water.