I agree with EJMcD, that exposure has to be 1/30sec, not 30 sec. or the car would be completely blurred.
I am only repeating what has already been said here, a fast lens is one that has a large maximum aperture, usually f2.8. Fast AF only means that, the lens focus fast.
Your f11 lens is kind of slow AF due to the small aperture but it is also a slow lens, not fast.
Although there are excellent macro lenses out there by independent manufacturers I tend to use the lenses specifically made for the camera by the manufacturer.
I also recommend the 105mm f2.8 Micro Nikkor lens and as it has been said already the prices now in the second hand market are very reasonable.
Your emotion of photography most probably is shared by many here, including me. I tend to photograph what motivates me and when it is the subject a scenery the motivation is beauty.
I had to download the poem and enlarge it to be able to read it. It is very beautiful indeed and I enjoyed reading it.
Good luck with your future endeavors.
I wonder what you found wrong with the D7000. I have one and I have been entirely satisfied with it. The 7100 has 24 Mp. compared to the 16 I have (enough for my needs) in the D7000. Most probably the AF and buffer are better also.
Incidentally, I have a book by David Busch on the D7100 in like new condition if you are interested. Just shoot me a private mail.
Film is available at most stores. Be prepared for the expenses associated with film and I agree with bsprague, for the best of your negatives you want a darkroom.
I also agree with him that it makes no sense to scan negatives to edit digitally. If medium format is what you want then there are medium format digital bodies and backs. You will be better off.
Consider also that if the camera needs adjustments or repairs of some other kind it will not be very easy to find parts. I really do not know if Mamiya still exists.
You have gone through a lot and I sincerely hope that with your determination you will have a full recovery.
I am also sure that photography will help a lot to your wellbeing.
Longshadow wrote: "I have a 18-200 (12 years old next week) where, unless I lock it, if I walk around with the lens facing down, the inner barrel creeps out."
Creeping was a fact with the first generation of the 18-200. I also use the rubber band like you do.
I never carry the lens upside down and I always recheck while shooting to make sure it has not moved from the focal length I set on it.
The 18-200 is a very practical zoom that I use very often with my D7000. Many reviews online that find it "acceptable" but it has worked beautifully for me and has become one of my favorite lenses.
She leaves me also where I am. I am no photojournalist either.
I like those images.
The first one is a pattern of repetition, a very effective arrangement using visual design.
I like the third one also because you used leading lines toward the trees but they are all nice images.
No, I do not have experience with those flashes but I use a small Godox with my Olympus cameras and it works beautifully with them. I usually use it on the hot shoe and very often using a light modifier.
For traveling a zoom is very convenient and although I do not know what you are going or plan on shooting but I would say that your 24-105 should serve you well. After so many years traveling with my camera and lenses I have come to the conclusion that I would have been better off with only one lens, at the most two of them. Steve McCurry has traveled the world many times on assignment with only two lenses and I do not know now but one of his favorite was a 50mm lens.
Carl 1024, with all due respect, are you familiar with the basics of photography? You did not mention why you want to darken a photograph at the time of exposure but CHG-CANON gave you good advise.. I like using the lens cap to darken the exposure and that is a joke.
Understand beforehand that darkening an image on purpose before shooting will produce lots of noise besides the underexposure of the subject. I would say the image will not be very pleasant. Darkening in post is a different story.
It is a common practice to cut down exposure photographing night scenes because the exposure meter in camera is fooled producing overexposure. I used to do that but I do not do it anymore because I have found that for my images I prefer to darken, if necessary, after I make the exposure using an editor.
I do not know the value of my advise because I do not know the purpose of your underexposure.