Another amazing phenomenon of time speeding up is bringing the distant past seemingly closer to the present. Think about it.

Events, particularly those of historical significance, like the Civil War seemed like they happened eons ago when I learned about them in grade school. Now, as an adult, I get a sense of history as being much closer in time to my own birth than ever previously thought.

In today's time, a ten year old kid would need to imagine going back in time a total of ten lifetimes to touch Abraham Lincoln. A 75 year old adult would only need two lifetime spans to achieve the same feat. The past grows closer as it ages further away. Interesting.

I took an Alaskan cruise one year ago from Seattle. On my way to the ship I stopped at Costco and bought my D5300 with two kit lenses 18-55 and 55-300. Walked onboard with the box and little knowledge of what I was doing. Since then, I've acquired the same 35mm 1.8, the Tokina 11-16 and lots of new knowledge. I feel somewhat qualified to suggest the following:

The amount of time onboard the ship is much more than I expected (it's truly a long loooooooong trip). So be prepared to shoot within that environment. If you have a balcony or good access to exterior views you should see many incredible sights worth preserving. We saw many whales and waterfalls and gorgeous vistas along the way.

If you stop in Juneau, definitely try the whale watching boat ride there. We were quite lucky and saw many killer whales, humpback whales, sea lions and more. Wish I could go back there again and again.

Bald eagles are to Alaska what pigeons are to New York City. Just mind blowing! We were having dinner dockside in Juneau before departing and a bald eagle landed right on top of a pole barely 50 feet from us.

The "scale" of Alaska is something you likely will not expect. Things are much larger than as exists elsewhere and the distance between objects tends to be quite far.

Based upon all of the above, you will be well served to bring every one of your lenses. I'm quite sure you will be glad you did. You can leave all of your gear in your cabin and only bring what you anticipate needing for what's coming next.

Weather can be tricky, even in summertime. Be prepared for both wet and dry conditions. Highly recommend a monopod, not a tripod. Lastly, if you're traveling with a companion, bring along a second camera; preferably a long zoom bridge. It's a truly special trip with no do-overs.

Wishing you a wonderful adventure! Enjoy......

I spent many hours researching binoculars and settled upon the Nikon Monarch 7 series. They feature ED glass, which is a worthwhile benefit to have. I am very happy with my 8x42 model, which is not the highest magnification, but offers excellent field of view.

For a little more money you can buy the Zeiss Conquest series. I haven't personally used them, but I've read that Zeiss Conquest is a notch better than the Nikon Monarch 7 series.

Check the B&H website and Adorama for any sales. I've seen Steiner on sale quite often on the Woot.com site.

Best of luck!.....

This lens is available Brand New for under $200 on Groupon. If you want to sell something you need to be realistic.

In case you don't find a suitable prime lens, perhaps you would consider a zoom that is also fast. My Tokina 11-16 really works well. Very happy with it.

Hi Jim,

Gorgeous photos. Looks like they're right out of National Geographic!

I am pondering the purchase of the Tamron 90mm right now versus the Nikon 85 or 105. Could you offer me some of your thoughts please?

Much appreciated......

Mitch

Really good debate on this issue. Great points made on both sides of the equation.

Pros I know only use high quality filters, which they claim have little to no effect upon the final image quality. There is value in reducing the frequency of necessary cleaning to the front of the lens. Filter or lens cap seems well worth using. If distortion remains a concern, then just remove the filter before shooting. Seems pretty easy.

I agree that a filter only gives minimal protection against physical damage. The folks that espouse use of hoods are probably right about that issue.

There is just not a perfect solution that works for everyone. This topic also brings up another discussion that is intimately related: what are the effects of repeated cleanings to the front of lenses?

If you're a complete purist, don't use filters and just be prepared to clean a lot more and buy replacement lenses more often.

Is the SB700 for sale on its own or just bundled with the D610?

If the speed light is for sale independently, does it come with the same pieces packaged with it from Nikon (colored filters, diffuser, stand, etc...)?

Interested

Thanks!

Hi Jerry,

Speaking from personal experience, having been raised without any knowledge about food ingredients or quality (until adulthood). I gradually went from a very healthy slim young man to a fat unhealthy older man. When I finally decided to actively participate in solving my own health issues I spent countless hours researching many things, including food.

My well considered opinion is that diet is 80% of the solution (exercise 20%). After making the change to eating healthy ingredients I've reversed diabetes, slimmed down and lowered my blood pressure too.

Similarly, I used to criticize my fiancée for treating her dog Max so well; feeding him mostly human food that was practically an all meat diet. Max is almost 11 years old, incredibly slim and healthy. Anyone that first meets Max thinks he is 3 years old and truly stunned when they discover he's considered elderly.

I was truly impressed by the article you gave us here. Although there might be some politics at play, the article seemed to be quite legit. We're going to acquire some of the food that was approved and see how it goes. You might want to compare it to the Beneful and see if it makes a difference.

Thanks Jerry! Nice find.

Let's face it. Even our own "human" food supply has been badly compromised by unscrupulous mega companies like Monsanto. We're eating GMO foods and our domestic population is getting fat and sick.

All you need to do is travel to any country that has socialized medicine and you will see a healthier food supply. When the government pays for its citizens health care, that government pays attention to the quality of the food supply. I visited Australia in February and saw less than five fat people over the course of two entire weeks!

The article you've given us here talks about how our dogs have gotten increasingly fat over the years. So true. My vet recommended Hill's Science Diet, which surprisingly didn't make the cut.

At least one long lens. Alaska is going to reprogram your definition of scale. Things are very far away and lots of incredible wildlife.

If you're taking a cruise and have a balcony, then bring a tabletop small tripod or regular tripod.

Greetings to you and thanks for the well informed post.

I agree with your assessment, though also understand the hysteria caused by such a coincidence. I looked on a map and noticed that Oak Island is rather nearby to Myrtle Beach and many thousands of vacationing beach goers. What kind of shark issues exist there?

My kids will be there in a few weeks. Would like to advise them accordingly.

Much appreciated!

I only have the 18-55 and 55-300 and can say from some considerable experience that the longer reach of 300mm gets plenty of use. From what I've researched the 18-140 might have a slight overall edge in quality, but the other two kit lenses are honestly pretty good.

Having previously used a super zoom, you will very likely miss the long reach and wish you had it. My D5300 is very light and easy to carry. Your D5500 is even lighter. Right now Groupon is offering Nikon lenses at some nicely discounted prices. Good luck!

Groupon offers the same lens new for $220

Costco selling it as bundle with two lenses $1,250.