They are old and set in their ways.

Auto ISO, shutter priority - Set arperture to control depth of field, usually wide open, set shutter for what you are trying to accomplish, freeze action, pan and blur background and remember you don't want to freeze wheel movement as it shows speed. Start with 1/125th sec.

I have been rotating two nikon and 2 wasabi batteries for my D850 for four years and have never noticed a difference. I basically did the same for my D800 and D300 before that.

Why not sell it to the “Used“ department at Adorama or B&H? You won’t get retail but 1/2 retail is better than a bird in the bush.

I wonder what it would look like at sunrise or sunset.

I have been using it since the beginning. When my account was set up somehow the "pay balance in full" option wasn't initiated and my visa was only paying the minimum. They fixed it and forgave the interest on the unpaid balance.

I'm not quite sure what you are doing but you might try watching a couple of YouTube videos.

What was the bracket set for? If the "under" image is too far under, it could generate noise.

It's a photograph, something has to be in focus!

I have 2 SB800 and 1 SB900 flashes that I tried to use with the godox radio system. TTL never worked, adjusting exposure +- worked occaisionally. You have to be careful about the order for turning on the various pieces of equipment. It was very frustrating and embarassing in front of a client. I tried to contact customer service (China) by email and there was no response. The manuals are useless. Eventually, I gave the Godox crap away (I still suffer from pangs of guilt), decided line of sight was fine for what I do and bought a Nikon SU-800 commander for use with my D850. I'm very happy now. Read more reviews before investing in any more of their junk. If you have a Nikon with a popup use it as the commander. Inside, with light colored walls, reflections get you around many corners.

So does exposure compensation. Spot meter a black bear and you get a grey bear, fix it with exposure compensation. Spot meter white snow and you get grey snow, fix it with exposure compensation.

Nope, it works just fine!

You spend $2-3,000 for a camera and don't use the meter because it makes mistakes; maybe it is the operator making the mistakes.

Wow, Thanks!!! That says it all.

Sorry for your loss but what you are doing is a nice tribute. I use Frame Destination and have bought over 100 custom sized frames and mats over the years. Excellent service and straightforward ordering and sizing. https://www.framedestination.com/

I pay about $80 for a complete frame with mat and glass for a custom size 22X26 metal frame. They also have wood frames and standard sizes are cheaper.