I'm a traditional photographer that has habits. I shoot with a camera that has lenses and process what comes out of them. It used to be film in a wet darkroom. Now it is Lightroom Classic because SD cards don't fit the tank reels very well. But, the workflow is familiar. My images are stored in computer folders, by date instead of sleeves by date. They are still stored by date. I have a screen with thumbnails instead of contact sheets. Instead of an enlarger, I have an inkjet printer.

A week ago I decided to step outside the box. I shot with a phone and let it store in the cloud. I wanted some arty, black and white prints of routine "parts" from my new retirement resort campus. Think valves, chains, locks, sculptures, benches, etc. They are for the next meeting of the photography club where I am the newest member. The assingment was to shoot the "inner workings" of the place.

The prints are so good that I'm pissed off. I don't want to use a phone. I don't want my images in the cloud. I don't want so much automatic processing. But I think the results are better than if I would have stuck to my old habits.

Am I too old to change? Too old to learn a new workflow? Do I mothball my cherished gear? Do I use the phone and pretend the results are from a camera?

My frustration is intense.

I felt the same way about Acadi. I thought it was great, but photographically nowhere near what I hoped for. But then, sometimes the time of year, or perhaps some limited areas I might visit play into it. I would go back, but not with an intense desire to photographic.

Most of the places in which I am disappointed are due to the crowds, not the scenery itself. Italy was a perfect example. This is not a great photo, but getting it was a mammoth undertaking because what you cannot see, are literally several hundred people crowded around it, some with feet in the water which is unquestionably against the law, in Italy. It took almost an hour to get a shot without ten or more people in the picture. In fact, not long after we left, there was legislation that I believe was ultimately ratified that provided for huge penalties for throwing money and other things into the pool around the fountain, or getting into the water, even minimally. There is nothing we can do about crowds; others have every right to be wherever we want to shoot. But it is disappointing, none-the-less.

It depends on your camera model. Research the topic ISO Invariance where the idea is that at 'base ISO', typically ISO-100 for most of the models with this feature, the RAW file can be modified in post processing without a negative impact on the image noise.

The capability of ISO Invariance is very a) model (brand) and b) software and c) situation specific. If you under-exposed by 5-stops to keep and image at ISO-100, compare for yourself whether you can edit an equivalent (or better) version of the image when brightened on your computer to the equivalent of ISO-3200 or higher. Experiments with your own unique camera and software combination may show that you should be fiddling with the ISO in the camera for low light situations to achieve the better final result.

Your low-light situation may also require a faster shutterspeed that can't be accomplished by just a wide aperture at the camera's base ISO. ISO Invariance may be a feature of your camera model, but still is not a solution for all your needs.

Well Christmas is over. My credit card is finished with Xmas gifts this year. I set a Xmas limit of $2700, and was able to treat myself out of that limit, to a new Nikon AF-P DX 10-20mm wide angle zoom lens. Price $277. I needed a wider zoom lens than my kit lens, an 18-55mm. I gave bottles of red and white wines to some of my friends, along with giving a half dozen SanDisk 64gb Ultra SD cards to them. Non photography gifts to close relatives were the bigger part of my budget. There are/were some good camera deals this year. The best one I saw, was the Canon 5D Mark 4 camera, selling Brand New for $2000, and the Nikon SB-700 flash unit selling for $296. Nikon and Canon had their customary entry-level, 2 lens kits. Nikon had D3500/D5600 two lens bundle kits. Sold mostly everywhere. What photography equipment did you treat yourself to this Xmas? I call it. From Me To Me Xmas Gifts.

I thought so but wanted to get confirmation. I'm a rookie (18 months) DSLR photographer but have done quite a bit of reading, watching videos, studying and loads of practice so I'm very familiar with the exposure triangle and different lighting situations; however, taking photos of groups is still a challenge for me at times. I think my problem is a lack of confidence so I tend to bump up the aperture in group settings to ensure sharpness but end up introducing noise from too hight of an ISO setting. I'll put in some much needed practice with this scenario to help boost my confidence.

Thanks a bunch.

The most likely scenario is a returned lens is verified with all packing material and put in a fresh box. There would be zero economic reason to add value to a product that is sold at less than the original sales price. Nikon will be the same as Canon. Here is Canon's explanation from their website. From Nikon I couldn't find a similar definition:

From digital cameras and lenses, to camcorders, printers, and more, our refurbished products showcase our dedication to product excellence. Shipped back to us as gently used or unboxed returns, our trained Canon technicians perform comprehensive quality assurance inspections, replacing any needed parts with genuine Canon equipment. Plus, all refurbished products are backed by our standard 1-Year limited warranty.

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/refurbished-products-information?&campaign=hd19&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgKXx9ZOw5gIVT_DACh2kJwJ3EAAYASAAEgJFGvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds