The first thing please check to see if lens are matched for your camera. On the eye piece at the rear of the camera you may need to adjust the the clarity of the rear eye piece. You may also need to check the connections between the lens and your camera. Check to see if there is a film on the lens on ether end of the lens in question. Have you been in a very smokey place and taken off your lens? Also re-clean all your filters just to make sure.Be sure that the cleaning solution is for camera lens and that it doesn't have any oils in it. Make sure the papers or cloth is clean. If the person still will not take you lens back you can go to the better business bureau or take out an add or post an statement that this person said you could bring back the equipment and now he or she refuses to take them back.Use names and dates that each time you tried to talk to this person.

It is actually closer to Cle Elum than Yakima. From Cle Elum head east and take the Wenatchee exit Highway 970! Turn right on Highway 97 and it is about 2 miles up the hill on the left! It is hunting season here now so don't know if the elk will be in the area! Also there is a herd of buffalo in the Swak Prarie that you will pass on the way. Sometimes they are on the backside of the hill so you have to get off HW 970.

I can not believe the outpouring of advise that I've stirred up.
Thanks to everyone.
I've had a night to sleep on it and think about it. Here's what I've decided. I am going to keep trying. I am almost eighty and maybe I am expecting to understand all this f stop and ISO stuff too soon, even if I had it years ago (50+) So I am going to buy the dummies book and the rest of them and read them and take one along in one hand and my camera in the other and see what happens.
Most offered a helping hand with recommendations that were learned over several years of trial and error. Some offered encouragement in which right now, I think is what I need.
But Chuck from Nevada slapped me in the face and kicked my butt and said I was too ignorant to have photography as a hobby and to go back to what I was doing before; critiquing news commentators. I think I needed that to.
He's probably right, maybe I am too ignorant to have photography as a hobby again. But ignorant is not being stupid, it means I just don't know; but I can learn. I am just too stinkin' stubborn to give it up. I remember how much enjoyment I got from photography back then and I can do the same now. I have to realize that it is going to take me more time and I won't understand right away. but I will.
Perhaps I don't understand the relationship between aperture, shutter and ISO any more, like I used to, but I will.
Most of my pictures have been hand held so I'll use a tripod. I got a good solid one when I bought the camera. I'll take it out of the box and use it.
My pictures are going to be just as doggone good as Bob's, Eric's and Just a Mom with a Camera, a special thanks to you, and all the rest of you that take pictures, not snap shots, pictures that are razor sharp and excellently composed. Give me some time and I will challenge Chuck form Nevada to post a picture and then I will and we'll see who gets critiqued the most. I AM STARTING, CHUCK, RIGHT NOW.

Kimberli,
As with all entities, there is always the misfit that does not fit in. Most of the people that I have seen on this site are more than willing to help those in need. Please stay I think you will find it helpful.

George

Not a rude thought at all! I was hoping she'd just disappear and leave the horse. The reason I even brought up why I didn't get to shoot the horse like I had really wanted to was simply because, the lady photographer's that was there was shooting away and the girl was all smiles and in the photographs, then I asked for permission (excuse me! Hi! She's a beautiful horse, would you mind if I take a few photographs of her as well?) That's when stuff hit the sky with her... Did I ask wrong?

I'm struggling with a decision on what lens to buy. All are Nikon Zoom's, f3.5.
18-70mm, used $145.
18-105mm, used $255.
18-200mm, used $550.

I now have a Nikon 18-55mm (Kit Lens) and Tamron 70-300mm. Most of my photos are landscape, flowers, waterfalls and anything to do with nature.

I like the idea of having just one lens rather than change lenses. However, I've read that the longer lenses are soft. I've read Ken Rockwell.com review on the 18-200mm and he loves it. Please give me your opinions.
Thanks.

may i make a very gentls sugestion? check out the nikon 5100 for dummies (I am not calling you a dummy) book available most book stores, online even your library. take camera in one hand, book in other follow book touch every button. I recomend the dummies book also for elements. It uses plain english to explain things. If you have questions this is the best website for them. if you need help posting some of your photos, we can walk you through it. try setting the camera on auto for a while to get ypur confidence up. just focus on composition. digital photography is a lot like golf. untill you get your basic fundamental swing and grip down, your golf will be horrible. be patient, the 5100 is a fine camera, it can be intimidating at first but IT WILL GET BETTER if you follow the folks on here's advice. we have several new people here who i have seen a remarkable improvement in the quality of their shots in just a short time.

I can solve your photography problems, as for the cowboys, thats a different story. Untill jerry jones gets a GM and finds a real quarterback, the boys are gonna suck. but with the right frontt office and coaching look out. Can you say Detroit Lions?

I think your right. There was too much solution on the swab. Those who say you should NEVER try to clean the cmos yourself, are right. THEY should never try. There are MANY good products out there to clean these yourself. Had I sent mine to the dealer, and they screwed it up, yes, I would have a claim against them, but ANYONE can mess up occasionally. I am hoping that mine will dry out, but if it don't, there are plenty more camera's out there. I was in the market for another camera anyway. I still want another A-550, and will settle on getting this one fixed, maybe. As I've stated, this camera is shooting over exposed pictures. That being said, I went out into the backyard last night and shot some great photo's in the dark, that came out as clear as daylight! And the camera does work, but you have to shoot much higher shutter speeds to get a normal picture. So, it's not a total loss. But I do wish I would have left it alone. Nuf said.