I have considered this very question with regard to my 13 and 15 year-old grandsons. I often think that one of my old Sony Nex cameras, prequels to the a6000 line of cameras, would be good for them. They are small, not clunky (and therefore perhaps less "old-fashioned" in their eyes), fully capable of producing quite acceptable images even with the kit lenses, are mirrorless, can be adapted to a huge range of non-Sony lenses from old and (sometimes) cheap primes to the most modern image-stabilized zooms, and have a relatively full complement of modern features, selections, and controls. And a Sony a6000 would be even nicer, though I ain't givin' up mine until the wife agrees that I can replace it with a later Sony model....

Frankly, I think I learned more over the course of a couple of years toying and tinkering with my Sonys than I did in decades of casual use of Canons going all the way back to an old Canon AE-1.

Best regards,

I forgot--Tamron also makes an 18-400, but I have no familiarity with that one. It might be something to look at.

I second the recommendations of Architect 1776, above, regarding the Canon 70-300 Mii nano and the Canon 100-400 M1.

In addition, you might want to consider the Tamron 16-300, which has been discussed in another thread on UHH this date. While its focal length is not greatly longer than your Canon 55-250, it has in my opinion performance equal to, or better than, your Canon kit lenses, and would give you the convenience of carrying just one lens rather than two. Sigma also has an 18-300, which I beleve is comparable to the Tamron lens.

Best regards,

I have had a 7Dii for several years now and like it very much. It appears that the point of your question is about its performance in landscape photography. I think the short and simple answer is that it is at least as good as most other APSC cameras in this regard, and better than many. Your choice of the lens(es) to be used for landscape may be more important than the choice between the higher quality APSC cameras that are available. And, with the advent of better and more sophisticated "stitching" software even the importance of specialized wide-angle lenses is lessened.

You can hardly go wrong with the 7Dii; however, I have owned a 6Dii for the past 18 months, and I find that I really do like its flip-out touch screen and its high ISO/low light performance. Several have suggested the 90D as an alternative, and if it has these features, you might want to make some serious comparisons before making your decision.

Best regards,

[quote=saxman71]I have succumbed to a GAS attack....

A Sigma 60mm f/2.8 in Sony e-mount for my Sony a6000 arrived just this morning. I had resisted the attack for sometime until I recently acquired this item via eBay for $110 + shipping. It appears like new to me. Now I have the "trilogy" of the Sigma 19, 30, and 60mm lenses for this camera. This will be my first sustained effort in the use of prime lenses and I am looking forward to it.

Best regards,
lhardister

Good2gonc, if you have both Canon EF and EF-s lenses that you wish to adapt to a Sony e-mount, please be aware that only Canon EF lenses-- not Canon ef-s lenses-- will fit up to a Sigma mc-11 adaptor. The mc-11 does work with Canon EF lenses though the Sigma literature carefully addresses its use only with Sigma lenses that have a Canon mount and says nothing about its use with Canon brand lenses, neither EF nor EF-s type.

Best of luck,
lhardister.

This thread encapsulates one of the reasons that I love reading UHH. It began with a posted image that was/is a joke. Whether real or staged, it is still just that--a joke, albeit one that is funny due to considerations on several different levels or viewpoints. In addition to discussion of whether it was "real" or not, it provoked remarks regarding the quality/taste of Corona beer, whether people could actually believe that the beer could carry the infamous virus, thoughts about hoarding, etc. etc. Then thrown into the mix were profound (and some not so profound) thoughts about the intellectual capacity of various nationalities (as well as UHH members), the value of education, the civilizing accomplishments of nations, elitism, sexism, etc., etc. And as for seasoning, there was thrown in some gratuitous vitriol and profanity.

My first thought was something like 'Man, I must be one the stupid ones--I read this entire thread to its very end.' Upon further consideration though, I feel that this whole thing is a joke that succeeded beyond the initiator's wildest intentions. To begin with, it was/is funny--but it is funny and provokes thought on so many levels or viewpoints. I think those are some of the attributes of "good" jokes--those that may be remembered well beyond their temporal context.

Whether real or staged, it is still a joke and no less amusing in either case. Enjoy it and the thought which it provokes. Therein lies the real humor. I thank and extend best wishes to all who contributed to this thread.

lhardister

I have Canon 7Dii, Canon 6Dii, Sony A6000, Nikon B700, and a couple of Sony Nex's. After purchasing Sony RX10iv last October, I completely agree with the foregoing statement. The RX10iv is already the one that I think about first when I am thinking about shooting images, virtually regardless of the type/nature of the images.

Best regards
lhardister

Wow, great shot, therwol. The downloaded view of the sheep is terrific. I have long been looking at the G7XII for a "pocket" camera. You have convinced me that it is the way to go.

I have been thinking about trying Backblaze. The only other cloud storage that I have tried is Amazon Photos, which is terribly slow in loading due to slow internet in my location. And, it does not appear that Amazon properly handles RAW files, especially Nikon RAW (NRW) and Sony RAW (ARW)--upon viewing or downloading from the cloud, the images are extremely discolored. What has been your experience regarding Backblaze and raw files? Any special handling or special steps needed?

Best regards,

I agree that the commercials were awful, by far the worst that I have ever seen at a super bowl game. Your use of the word "incoherent" is very a propo. Most of the time I could not even tell what they were trying to advertise, and much less what they were attempting to say. I noticed that there was no comment whatsoever on the morning news about the commercials.

J-Lo and Shakira presented lots of eye-appeal at the half-time show, though in nothing less than a raunchy fashion. If I had had minor children in my home, I would not have wanted them to see it. However, in that regard, the show was probably no worse then any other in the last several years.

I thought the game was great. It lacked the offensive fireworks of some past super bowls, but it was much closer than is reflected by the final score. We saw some really great football and great players.

Thanks, Paul. Great images and a very informative post. I always look forward to your posts.
Best regards,
lhardister

[quote=fourlocks]Next July, my wife and I are doing a "Land/Sea" vacation (Princess Cruises) in Alaska....

Hi,

Alaska is so amazing that there are great photo ops almost everywhere. In the interest of brevity, I have undertaken to choose five which I consider to be most memorable for me:
1. Bear viewing at Brooks Falls in Kat-Mai National Park. I understand that day-trips can be made by flights out of Anchorage. It is somewhat expensive, but absolutely unforgettable.
2. Viewing Mt. Denali by motor vehicle trip to, or toward Kantishna. You get great views of Denali (if weather cooperates), plus other scenery, and other wildlife, perhaps including bears and moose, along the way. If you don't want to go all the way to Kantishna, go at least as far as the Eilson Visitor Center, which is about half-way.
3. Doing a glacier landing via small aircraft on the side of Mt. Denali. It is a bit of a thrill and you get great views of Denali (again, provided the weather cooperates). Many flights go out of the small landing field at Talkeetna.
4. Doing a combined railroad tour along Cook Inlet followed by a marine tour out of Seward into the Kenai Fjords National Marine Park. One can catch the train out of Anchorage in the early morning, proceed to Seward, take a marine tour of 2.5-3 hours, and return to Anchorage on the train in the late afternoon/evening. The scenery along Cook Inlet is spectacular, and the marine tour will include at least one glacier, many birds, seals and other marine life, and very possibly whales and bears.
5. See Glacier Bay National Park. Your cruise ship may go there. It will surely take you to see at least one glacier somewhere--however, Glacier Bay is especially spectacular, and well worth a dedicated tour if you can manage it. You will probably see whales and other wildlife as well as glaciers.
These are simply the sights that I recall off the top of my head as being most memorable. Almost everyone would have their own separate opinions.
You asked about a botanical garden in Vancouver--I am not familiar with that one, but Vancouver is a beautiful place. The Farmers Market there would probably yield some colorful photo ops. But if you are really into botanical gardens, the Butchart Gardens over at Victoria on Vancouver Island are world famous. It is possible to take a day trip via ferry out of Vancouver (the city) over to Victoria and back, but it makes for a long day. And, if your wife has trouble walking, that could be a problem in Butchart Gardens.
In any event, have a great trip.

lhardister