the 18-300FX would capture all the photos decently, which may be better than my DX 18-300 I replaced my 18-2003.5-5.6 with and not happy. I have a lens belt I like to carry for my 12-24 Tokina 2.8, 50 Nikkor 1.8 and Nikkor 80-200mm 2.8 (yes 80-200mm tank not 70-200mm) that I bought to shoot a wedding - grab and go insta-ready. Tamron 150-600 for long shots but never past 525mm as lens' with that much focal length are rarely good at either end - sharpness falls off after 535mm.

They make a dual sling harness that hangs under each armpit where I can carry two cameras ready for anything or carry the 18-300 mounted camera with my 150-600 5/6.3 on the other attach point by itself or mounted to another camera body if I am expecting wildlife/long shots or 12-24mm for canyon/landscape.

If you are going when it is cold - charge, charge, charge batteries and keep spares warm in your pockets because the cold drains very fast and you will miss THE shot you want if you leave batteries in your bag or car where it's cold - found this out in Bryce canyon/zion during snow. Bryce, zion, grand canyon you can get with 18-300 but a F4 or 2.8 like my 12-24 Tokina did amazing when compared to my Nikkor 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 at sunrise Bryce canyon. Definite circular Polarizer and maybe 2 Neutral Density filters or just post-process everything which takes longer and loses some detail.

Can you do it with 18-300 FX full-frame D7500 - heck yeah! Most people will never do it with anything but a cell phone these days which have vastly improved - remember have a good time capturing what most dream about. No shot worth life or limb and stay in the car because the bison may have you medium rare with a side of the horn through the ribcage.

The dual crossover shoulder strap and photo belt are great - for your trip I would say photo belt with 3 or 4 lens pockets. Some birders and wildlife people like to carry the long and shorter cameras already set up and you can sling it right up to use on either side - not necessary, more specialized venture.

It can get serious with lighting, settings, should i use a prime, what about my filter selection, do I have confidence in manual exposures, should i bracket this shot, I should have been here later for the waterfall, I should have been here earlier for the waterfall.

18-300, D750, Circular Polarizer (allot of blue skies and some blue skies with snow-covered landscape), warm batteries, good people and have fun while doing it, my friend!

Be thankful for what you have because no matter how bad you have it, you are living someone's dream. I would take the 18-300mm FX and leave Keen @ home where I am not sure he/she's living anybody else's dream on this planet. He/she really doesn't deserve the attention I just gave him/her or whatever identity they prescribe to so we are not offending anyone in this less abrasive, kid gloves world.


Stay strong and not feeble or lazy of mind = while you're big Pimpin whatever equipment you are poor enough to afford to take on your amazing trip.

I have tried doing the moon with my D200 and my 80-200 2.8 and my 400mm 3.5 lens'
I am not getting sharp images - it seems I have to run the ISO up, but maybe I am running the fstop to low to collect light to be sharp?
Anyway besides the sharpness - even with my 400mm the moon doesn't look very big in the photo?

1) if I run the ISO up - do I still use like F11? I think I have been using wide open?
2) To get sharpness - how with low light, higher ISO and F11 and shorter shutter speed? Both lens' are pretty high quality - I probably need a better photographer, not a better camera.

I haven't really read anything on taking shots of the moon, but I am an expert on the subject - I now know exactly what not to do to get an excellent picture?

My questions might be answered by FAQ on shooting the moon but not having a very big moon all by itself sucks when you have a 400mm - I guess the next thing is remote, mirror lockup, tripod, extender - I have used remote and tripod to get other pictures that sucked and the moon wasn't big? Then you use extender and throws all kinds of wrenches in the mix?

Rick

I would like to take a decent non award winning photo of the moon I wouldn't mind showing someone?

Thanx for the feedback on the pen, i love the sensor klear loupe and the ability to adjust up and down and focus on exactly where the dust is - i think i will buy the pen for the firled too, i always have the loupe in case somebody needs to figure out dust.
I dont like the rocket blower - i have gotten material up inside the camera on the mirror and such so to me it seems to creat more work then just lightly using the cleaner and correct swab. check with my loupe and then done.
Had a lens pen i used on my filters, lens i'd i had to and my rifle scope and it worked well.

Thanks a again,

Rick

Before you send in your camera or anytime your going to do a job or important pictures:

Put a lens on your camera, you can change lens later and repeat if you think it might be lens.

set focus to infinity - some like out of focus you can try both?

Aperature priority at least F22

set exposure compensation to +1 optional

Set camera on Tripod and lock down

Find White paper, beige wall, white wall or blue sky - these need uniform color and lighting.

Focus in - or out of focus because your not interested in the actual paper but where the spots show up. Both work.

Take shot - Got Spots?

If you have dust.

{At wider apertures (F8 or below) the dust may be undetectable. Smaller aperatures (F22) will show all}

Increase your contrast to exagerate spots and zoom in to see spots - you can zoom in on some LCD's on the camera but computer is much better.

Your spots on the shot - will be located opposite on the sensor since it flips the picture - that will get you on the location faster.

here are references:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/sensorclean.html
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Photography-Tips/Sensor-Cleaning.aspx
http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/methods.html
http://www.photosol.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=4&idcategory=2


You can do it yourself -

there are many different products but as mentioned before it can move dirt around until you have used 2 or 3 sensors?

If you use the bulb it can also blow dust around on the mirror and all over the inside of the camera as well.

NIKON uses dust off reference photo which you can apply to the recent pictures you took or future pics till sensor is cleaned. Canon may have similar called different but its supposed to work good.

If you send it to factory its usually 70-80 bucks but they do run diagnostics and tell you if somethings wrong - i had a resistor or something bad on my camera they fixed while it was into Nikon.

ther is the artic butterfly - spinning brush thats used to swipe the sensor and by spinning its supposed to create static electricty to pick up loose dust. We used on my wifes 40D and it made more of a mess than it fixed - our friend paid 169.00.

If you get swabs to do it -

you need the proper size for your sensor

DO NOT SOAK swabs and DO NOT put any kind of pressure on the sensor (its actually a filter over the top of the sensor and you are not touching the sensor) at all. TOO much liquid and it goes under the filter and get onto the sensor and can ruin it - light fluid. Putting too much pressure can scrape the filter on the sensor and possibly damage areas on the sensor.

I have a SensorKlearLoupe - but didnt get the sensorklear lens pen because i wasnt sure and couldnt find reviews on it. The loupe is lighted and you can see the dust and where its located for sure. You have to remember where you see it is opposite of where it will show on the picture. I have been using the eclipse sensor fluid cleaner and their swabs, if you buy the pec pads and keep the rubber bands on the swab - you replace the used pads with cut out pec pads and put them back onto swab folded like they were and it costs allot less than continually buying swabs - just make sure when you cut them and remount on plastic swab there is nothing hanging from cuts to put stuff back onto your sensor.

Nikon and Canon can both look at your sensor because they can get HOT SPOTs or dead spots (if your camera is newer it probably is dust which can become welded t filter and difficult to remove) which they can disable those spots from showing up in your photos.

My D200 is getting old now and i think i will send in to look for hot spots as well as cleaning - might have to buy the D700 while it is in the shop and use D200 for backup but once you get used to the older camera you know everything very well - new camera means different stuff albeit better usually.

If your not comfortable - find local camera shop that has cleaned somebody elses sensor you know, so you dont spend 70 bucks and your sensor still isnt clean. Or send in to manufacturer if you got the time and money.

Some have the money but need the camera now - this is where cleaning your own with correct knowledge will save you or your customer.

Again your not actually cleaning the sensor - the low pass filter and another filter i cant remember. When and if you load up the sensor swab, you could possibly reach the sensor behind the filters ----- that is why its important to never use more than 2 or 3 tiny drops.

The manufacturer can replace the filters but if your careful all should go well.

I like my sensorklear loupe because i put it on, run it up or down to get close and i know how good or bad it is and where it is on the sensor instead of - dot on upper right, would that be lower left or upper left. I may try the lens pen if i can find reviews - people on here should know and i would apprecaite if somebody has udes the sensorklear lens pen