I find that BBF with focus tracking (for moving subjects) works well on the Z6ii and Z7ii. For focus tracking I use the assigned FN1 button up front to activate.

hmmmm...I'm from Brooklyn, but not sure if I am a hipster...I probably have some film DNA in me.... :))))

I would say the only advantage to analog photography is if you can keep the whole process analog. That is, no digital scanning to make prints, just like in the old days. Once you scan the images, what's the point? Of course, to show your work online, you have to have digital images. Are there any labs which make prints via optical enlargement and printing? I do have three OM film cameras and three rolls of color film to use this summer, just as a lark. We'll see....

Or, if this were Logan's Run, "We've got a runner in sector G..."

Probably the best choice is the Z 180-600 if money is not an issue, otherwise a used Tamron 150-600 **G2** lens will work on the Z7ii (I have both via the FTZii). HOWEVER, you should also get the Tap-In console to make sure the firmware is updated in the lens - also make sure the Z7ii has the latest firmware too. The F 200-500 lens is excellent too.

That represents the maximum risk to the buyer, especially for overseas items (I do like lenses from Japan usually). However, on the flip side, returns are uncommon if you deal with buyers who have a good rep, plus you can't get many items at B&H or retail used merchants like KEH. eBay offers more choices for the buyer. I've had good success with used lenses from KEH, although I had to return one lens because it was described as AF-S (Nikkor) when it was an older AF lens (incorrect inventory labelling).

1. How do you know the item is actually as described? Only consider items that have clear pics of the item from every possible angle. If it's a lens you want a shot looking down the barrel with the lens caps off and held up to bright light. The description should agree with the photos. Be aware of stock photos - you want photos of the actual item and you can verify that with a pic of the serial number - make sure that the item you receive has the same serial number and the condition appears the same as in the pics and descriptions.

2. If necessary, is there a way to send the item back and get a refund? That depends on the seller - only deal with sellers who have a high rating 98%++ with 100 or more ratings, AND, they offer a return period (14 or 30 days is typical). The buyer pays return shipping which is customary. I avoid sellers who don't have a return policy. However keep in mind if there are inaccuracies in the description (e.g., item is described as "mint" and when you receive it is all scratched up and dented), ebay can enforce a return/refund regardless of their return policy.


3. Are there any possible problems in dealing with E-Bay? Usually more for the seller than the buyer. Sometimes you will be contacted by scammers who claim to be the seller or buyer (whichever is applicable). Make sure your delivery address is correct and current. Sellers are only protected if they send the item to the registered address of the buyer. Some scammers pretend to be the buyer, offering to ship the item to an alternate address since they recently moved which is BS. If you follow the above advice, for the buyer there is very little to worry about.

4. If so, how avoid them? Only deal with sellers offering a return policy, have detailed descriptions and clear pics from many angles, and have higher ratings of 98% or more with 100 sales or more. Don't deal with scammers who try to DM you - only communicate through the ebay back office.

Yeah but hackers are lazy too and they rely more on the low hanging fruits first (don't be the low hanging fruit!) - it's very easy for them to intercept wifi data streams with a laptop and a network card on the USB port. Most people don't have secure connections and even though session data is encrypted at one level, it is used to directly access accounts which is the real problem - it's convenient not having to re-login every time but it's also like leaving the keys to your house on a Starbucks table with a note "come rob me at 123 Main St".

They also use social engineering and security weaknesses at the mobile companies for SIM swapping hacks - that is the other technique that is popular these days. They call the mobile company pretending to be you and enable a new SIM card on their device using YOUR number.

Rarely will they use the "brute force" code cracking as you see in the movie Swordfish (good one if you haven't). Most hackers don't have the computing resources to crack a 23+ character password, or even break into a bank's network. Even the NSA doesn't have those resources, but they use other means which are even easier if they want to but they usually exploit something that is "low hanging". You should still use super long passwords, 2FA/MFA, multiple back up emails, but just don't make the mistake of leaving your keys on the table, so to speak.

Some PayPal tips to prevent financial disaster - only link bank accounts that have low balances with NO OVERDRAFT to the PayPal account. Have two bank accounts (or more, at several banks) - one where you store the funds, and the other linked to PayPal. You never share the primary account with anyone, and don't write any checks against it, or have any debit cards. You use the secondary account to transfer funds to as needed, or transfer into the main account for a store of funds, or use a debit card with. For credit cards, don't link high balance credit cards to PP. These tips will also prevent PP from getting stupid with any "fines" or "penalties" as was talked about in the news last year. Even if a hacker cracks into your PP, they will have access to only limited funds.

Yes PayPal is not foolproof, so hacks like this can occur, but they are usually done with weaknesses outside of PayPal - for example, using public WiFi (or other unsecured WiFi) is very dangerous especially without a VPN. In these cases, they intercept the session cookies (aka "persistent cookies" or cached session data) which allows them to gain access to your account on another device without even knowing a password or user id (with this hack 2FA, MFA and strong passwords are irrelevant). Once they gain access they can spend, transfer money, change passwords, add their own emails, etc. One way to avoid this hack is to avoid public or insecure WiFi like the plague. Many of these hacks happen at Starbucks, cafes, public libraries and airports. I am usually against VPNs on the PC at home, but on mobile devices they are more critical if you use public networks on mobile devices/laptops. Better to use your own portable WiFi device, with a VPN, and secure WiFi passwords. Also, never select "stay logged in" on mobile devices - that places a persistent cookie on your app that can last up to 30 days! Always completely log off when done using the app. These hacks happen with bank accounts too all the time.

What some folks do is have TWO mobile devices - one to connect to the net, and the other, usually a SIM-less smartphone, that connects via your own WiFi. This is a more secure setup, especially with a VPN which is recommended in these mobile cases. For voice calls they can use Skype or other similar messenger service (may cost a few bucks $$$).

I would suggest macro photography, if she is house bound, and especially if she has a backyard, and maybe bird photography if that is the case. There are oodles of tutorial videos on YT and forums here on UHH.

Depends how you're selling the equipment - in person, ebay, UHH, etc. If you have a bank account, you can open up a free PayPal account, but of course they take a percentage of the amount sent to you, so factor that into the pricing. Most buyers are more comfortable with PayPal, if you are dealing with them remotely. Even if you meet in person with a cash sale, you have to be careful they don't run away with the equipment without paying - I've heard those horror stories. If you sell on ebay, ebay holds the funds until you ship the item and it is received via the tracking number. There may be additional hold time for other reasons. But once the hold period is over, the money is direct deposited to your bank account - ebay takes a hefty 12-15% of the sale. If you are selling directly via Craigslist or UHH PayPal is usually preferred. You can accept money orders if you want, but I would avoid personal checks at all costs, otherwise you will have to wait for it to clear which could take up to a few days.Verify with your bank that the check did clear.

I doubt it is an issue for the short amount of time the event happens. Sensor/shutter damage is more likely than coating damage. Some eclipse photogs will place cardboard over the lens when not exposing, or use the lens cap.

Nice shots,especially the diamond ring "money shot". Seeing those sun flares is awesome!

I think too much is made about that. Even with identical cameras, lenses, exposure, settings, a pixel peeper will probably find some difference in the images, but not significant enough to worry about, and probably caused by differences in the calibrations of the two cameras. I always shoot RAW, so I can pretty much tweak anything related to exposure, WB, and effects - I just concern myself about "getting it in the ballpark". The JPG outputs of the various cameras will produce varying results depending on applied settings and the manufacturers' internal DSP handling to produce JPG outputs. ALL images are approximations of our reality, what we see with our eyes, and in many cases there are variations in color perception or color blindness - our eyes are the ultimate cameras and lenses (let's all too, not forget about variations in monitors and calibrated monitors). There are many considerations here besides the capturing equipment too.

Me too, but realize no media that we know of can last tens of thousands of years, except that written in stone, and eventually those will erode away too - it's a question of when not if. Ask yourself, suppose I want people 10,000 or 100,000 years to see the images I have taken? Anything printed on paper, unless it's stored in a controlled environment, and it's kept controlled, will eventually disintegrate. Metals oxidize and degrade too, as with very old coins. Film, slides or negatives, will eventually rot and turn acidic. All current digital media has limited lifespans, whether it's flash, SSD, CDs, DVD, BD, M-DISC, hard drives (even in a RAID),tape (LTO tapes up to 30 years), etc. The other problem with any type of media, digital or analog, is the availability of a device to read it. Eventually electronics will fail too. At the very least, flash memory used in processors and local storage will degrade too. (Old home computers from the 1970s for example, need to have their EPROMs refreshed or replaced.) The best we can do is preserve digital media via generational copies on the most reliable media we have. This is the strategy used by many large media and entertainment companies with LTO tape - upgrading the drives and tapes every 2-3 generations, as well as diversifying on multiple types of media such a proprietary disc formats.

Until a super durable medium is invented (>200-1000 years), the generation copy system is all we have. Holographic storage media with ECC may be on the horizon someday, promising super dense and super reliable storage. Again, the device to read it must be as reliable and durable too.