I called the National Park Service at Benbrook Lake yesterday (Ft. Worth, TX) and asked about driving there and buying an annual pass. She told me not to waste my time. They were out of passes and would not be getting anymore in. Same story at all the other offices in the DFW area. She said they were not prepared for the onslaught of requests and my only option was buying online and paying the extra $10 processing fee. It's still a bargain at $20.

And I thought I was the only one. Been using Irfan for many years on 3 different computers. It is one of the best free software programs available for photographers. Highly recommended.

It would be to Nikon's advantage to make a one-time goodwill repair in this case since the circumstances of the damage are in question.

Excellent photo. Thanks for posting.

Excellent photo. I love it.

In order of use, my preferences would be:
Sony 35mm 1.8
Sony 50mm 1.8
Sony 18-105mm f4
Sony 16-50mm kit lens
Sigma 30mm 2.8
Sigma 19mm 2.8
Sony 55-210mm

The Sony 35mm 1.8 is my favorite and would be the one I would keep if I could only have one. With it's 35mm focal range [50mm 35mm equivalency] focal range it is the best all-around lens for my use. It is also one of the sharpest lenses Sony makes and gets pretty good marks on the lens tests and reviews. I have no criticism of any of the lenses mentioned. They have all performed well. The Sigmas are among the sharpest lenses available and are probably the best bargain of them all. They don't have OSS but that would be their only downside.

If that is true, that would be a deal breaker for me. I would want factory service available if needed.

They probably paid the 3.22 million to make the "alleged charges" go away. Fighting a class action suit to dispute these charges would cost considerably more than that in a New York courtroom. As long as B&H continues to provide the products and customer service at the prices that they do, I will continue being a customer. I'm not particularly interested in their political or religious views.

The 5D MKII you are currently using is capable of producing fantastic images. I'm not sure if the 6D MKII would be a significant upgrade. Take a look at Elena Shumilova's website and see what your 5D MKII is capable of. She produces some of the most beautiful images I have ever seen with a 5D MKII and 2 lenses.

https://www.facebook.com/Elena-Shumilova-Photography-285437411618808/

https://iso.500px.com/interview-elena-shumilova-tells-us-about-her-magical-photos-of-her-family/

I use my index finger and thumb to ease it out. So far, no problems. I think it all depends on the size of your hands. Small tweezers with flat pads should work fine.

I would rather clean any dust, dirt, or oily finger marks off of a B&W or Hoya UV filter than off the surface of an expensive lens.

I agree with that. My Sony A6000 has a "Vivid" setting that you can adjust up or down in increments of +.1 or -.1 within the Vivid setting. I'll bet your Nikon cameras have the same option. Get into the menu and check it out. You can adjust your camera menu for any level of saturation/exposure that you prefer. I prefer letting the camera adjust the saturation/exposure rather than having to do a lot of post-processing.

I've had excellent service from Wasabi and use them in four different cameras. Only once did I have a Wasabi battery that wouldn't hold a charge. I sent an email to Customer Service and had a new battery in my mailbox 3 days later with no questions asked. Just an apology that I had one that wouldn't hold a charge. They work as well as the OEM batteries in my experience. I also use the Wasabi chargers with all my batteries with good results.

The D800 blows the D500 away on my monitor. No contest. Thanks for posting the comparison photos. Your point is made.

That's a like-new camera and a great price. I bought an A6000 from B&H recently that was an "Open Box" camera and it had 365 shutter actuation's when I got it. With a low count like 1039, I would consider it to be as-new.