Greetings Bipod!

In essence, you are absolutely correct that a warranty is only as good as the ethics and financial stability of the person or entity that issues it. Because of this, people tend to want to deal only with what can be described as "trusted vendors". Those are ones whose actions have shown that they belong in that elite group.

Others who are not trustworthy may get customers, but won't keep them long! There are always those who want a "great deal" and don't understand the premise that if something looks too good to be true, it probably isn't. There are plenty of examples of how people can get cheated, as I have seen discussed on this forum as well as in other places. And even the "trusted vendors" get complaints, but there are also people who start complaining even before trying to have a problem solved! After all, even the best companies can have employees who occasionally make mistakes...

As you point out, a lot of people got the shaft when Sears went out of business. It is a shame that a once great and trusted company came to such an ignominious end. Poor management decisions and execution are a great part of how this came about. Also, they abandoned the format that made them indispensable for so many years - the broad-based product sales through their catalogue. Perhaps they could not foresee or accept the computerized platform we see today. If they had adapted to the growth of online sales, perhaps they would have been able to keep going. Like Amazon. And Walmart is following suit. Along with a lot of other companies. Online shopping has become possible at so many places/stores through their websites.

It is definitely bad for people when a company or individual cannot be trusted to follow through on the agreements made, such as warranties issued. While it may not be worthwhile to pursue the fulfillment of a warranty that is not honored, people can not only never return to that vendor, but also they can spread the word about them through public media. At the other end of the spectrum, those who HAVE earned the "trustworthy" designation have plenty of return customers! Word of good service and reliability spreads throughout any community of people who value them.

Susan

If the 200-500mm is too heavy for you, take a look at the 300mm f/4 prime lens with VR. It weighs less than 2 pounds. Around $2,000, but not as much reach.

Thanks to Jerry for this Tip of the Day!

The lens hood saved my lens, too. I tripped and fell, slid down an icy muddy bank to the edge of a stream. I could feel the camera bouncing around as I went down, but could not do anything about it as it all happened so fast! After getting up, I cleaned the mud splatter off the camera, no damage to the lens hood, but there was a ding in the L-bracket. The combination saved both lens and camera! [I used the towel I carry to clean up the lens and camera first. Then I did the same for me!!!]

You have received a lot of suggestions, comments, and information. My opinion is to stay with the better lenses, FX lenses, for your D850.

My explanation for this is based on the capabilities of each - camera and lens. If using a less capable camera with the 70-200 f/2.8, for instance, you will still get great pictures. But the performance of the lens is dependent on and limited by the resolving power of the camera. Now put that same lens on the D850, and you will see a big difference - the camera is more than adequate to demonstrate the superior qualities of the lens.

In contrast, putting a lens on the D850 that works fine on a DX camera, and you will not see significant improvement on the D850. In this case, it is the lens that limits the camera!

As a serious photographer, you can appreciate the importance of getting the most out of your very good camera! There is a good reason why people consider the 14-24, 24-70, and 70-200, all f/2.8, as the classic or "golden" trio! They all have pro build and superior glass, plus their range of focal lengths covers just about any thing you will need. Yes, prime lenses can be sharper, but most of us enjoy the convenience of an appropriate zoom.

I have used my 24-70 a lot for landscapes. It has a wide enough angle of view to capture a lot of what you can see, and will zoom in a bit closer if you don't want it all. Sometimes for a landscape I like to do multi-shot panoramas using a tripod [although it can be done hand-held]. To me it is the ideal walking around lens because of its versatility.

I do like to shoot wildlife, and recently bought the Nikon 200-500mm lens. It does not have a pro build, but has good reviews for performance, and I figure if I go out and it rains, I will use a rain sleeve! [My 70-300mm does not have enough reach for some of the photos I like to take.] If you do want added reach, I would recommend the Nikon 200-500 or the Sigma 150-600 Sport version. Either of these will provide more reach and not be mostly overlapping what you already own.

Hope this helps.

Congratulations! Their President's Day Sale on refurbished ends today, so you got an even better deal than usual. That's where I got my Nikon 24-70mm f/2/8 lens, also during a sale.

Important point! All it takes to loosen any screwed in part is to bang against something at just the right angle - and it doesn't have to be a hard knock.

If you want professional prints, go to a professional photo lab. That is the way to get your images looking their best, and to deal with people who care how they turn out. Plus they have much better printers, paper, and inks. If you want standard sizes, it makes things easier, but a non-standard size can be printed on a size of paper that will give you pretty much the size you want.

I deal with Adoramapix, and have been quite satisfied. They are also close to where I live, so shipping takes 2 days. They are well-packaged with both an exterior box and interior sheets of cardboard. And once you are on their email list, you get notifications of frequent sales.

Finding a photo lab fairly close to you is a good idea for faster shipping, but by planning ahead, you can use one farther away because shipping is really not that slow from farther locations. Unless, of course, there is bad weather or a shortage of drivers for the volume...

Another thread, posted today, is worth reading. Same type of issue, and the person who posted is worried about retrieving photos. https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-578677-1.html

Drives are good until they are not! They can all fail. That is why backups are necessary. The WD portable drives are the cheapest version they make. They may last for years, or not. I've got several 2TB passports that have been fine for years, but then a 4TB My Book failed at less than 1 year old. I now use HGST with a 5 year warranty.

You have received many good replies, and hopefully are not totally confused about what to do! Since you do not mention having a backup, despite the comments about its importance, it seems it can be assumed that you do not have one.

Once you retrieve your images [or not...], be sure to have at least one backup drive - two is better. Storage is much less expensive than it used to be! And, as Gene51 pointed out, buy better quality drives - the ones with a 5 year warranty.

I saw mention of a case - I use internal drives both internally and externally [with a case]. Places that sell computer components will have them, and they are easy to install yourself. Get one with a fan for cooling.

Also, with thousands of images, be sure to get drives that are big enough not to fill up too quickly. I used to think 2TB would be enough, but have switched to 4TB. Also, the larger drive is less expensive than smaller ones for the same amount of storage [per TB].

I went for many years without a drive failure, but took heed when others said that it was not a matter of IF a drive will fail, but WHEN. So when a 4TB backup drive failed [less than 1 year old], I did not have to go through what you are now experiencing - did not even try to retrieve the data on the drive. Plus the company [WD!] replaced it because it was still under warranty. It is not one of the 5-year warranty drives, the replacement is still working, but it is also backed up by another 4TB of better quality [and the 5 year warranty]!

I agree with the Circular polarizer solution. It will bring out colors as well as darken the view. Be sure you understand that it works best when the sun is at a 90 degree angle to the lens. When you turn the filter, you will see the changes in what you see.

Before starting with the actual photographing of horses, try doing some test shots to see if you can find a good balance that will give you both subject and sky. Using the histogram can help with preventing blown out highlights, but it is not always the best way to decide on exposure settings.

I've taken lots of horse photos in bright light and had them turn out OK. Just don't shoot toward the sun! The local horse show here is a jumping competition, and there are mountains and lots of trees around. As a result, my photos seldom include a lot of sky. I did find one taken in 2012 that will illustrate. I don't think I used a filter or why I chose the settings I did, but that is another issue! The point is, if you use a good editing program, you can make changes selectively that will bring out the sky and bring out the rider. Shoot in RAW.

Unedited Original

(Download)

Darkened to bring out sky

(Download)

Brightened to bring out horse and rider

(Download)

I only know what I have been told by FedEx - that the delivery drivers own their own vehicles [even ones that are painted with the FedEx design]. Perhaps they don't do it the same everywhere, I don't know.

My main point is that people with missing packages need to file a claim with the delivery company. They cannot do anything to help until that is done. Plus contact the seller and credit card company. Eventually something will happen and problem gets solved.

Sorry to hear about your delivery problem! I've only had problems a couple of times when ordering from B&H, and it was the delivery service's fault.

One suggestion made that I do NOT agree with - don't sit on the situation and wait to see how it turns out. The delivery system is so large and complex, that if something is not proceeding as it should, it may not be discovered right away. So stirring things up, while frustrating, is important. Just don't start berating the people you speak with because they are subject to rules set up by the company. By being firm but nice, it will be more likely that you will get some help [eventually!].

Once a UPS package [not from B&H] ended up in the post office, and did not get delivered until someone mentioned it to my local UPS driver. He brought it to me. In the meantime I had called the seller, and they sent me a replacement right away! I sent the original package back to the seller.

Another time it was FedEx's fault. Apparently they had trouble with the weather and not enough drivers. But instead of telling me they knew where the package was and why delivery was not on time, they used the weather as an excuse [when it had been sunny and roads clear!]. Their customer service people apparently could only tell me what it said on their computers, which I already had seen on the website. Finally one of them gave me the phone number of the local depot where the package was last seen, and I called them myself. Giving out the number is apparently frowned on by management! Speaking with the person who answered the phone was finally a positive experience - she told me the truth about the situation [shortage of drivers and high volume of packages to deliver], told me the package had been there all along and they did know where it was. Talking with her also worked to expedite delivery because I got it soon after. It took over a week to get delivery that usually takes 2 days of a lens worth over $1000. Talk about frustrating!

The private contractors system of FedEx is not as efficient as having drivers working for UPS. Those FedEx drivers also have to have their own vehicle - either they own it or rent it. I had one come up here in a U-Haul rental truck! And, as others have mentioned, the driver was not going to ask for a signature when it was clearly stated one would be required...

Don't let a day go by without trying to get this situation resolved!

I would be cautious dealing with a store that has only one "deal" for a macro lens, especially when you discover it costs more than directly from Nikon! In addition, it sounds as though the salesman was more interested in a sale than in finding out what would be the best solution for you.

My suggestion is to go to a website such as B&H and look at the Nikon macro lenses to see what is offered. There you can see prices, whether they are on sale, and whether there is a "reward" [store credit for your next purchase]. The page for each of the lenses gives you a good description, the specifications, customer reviews, and information on compatibility. Quite thorough and worth looking at!

While you want a good price, you should also be considering what type of macro images you plan to take. If you will be working on a table with lights, the 40mm would be OK. But that short of a focal length without the lighting means you risk having your shadow fall on the subject! If you want to take flowers and butterflies, perhaps some bees, a longer focal length is recommended. It lets you stay farther away so as not to spook the critters. I mention this, because it would be a shame to bring that lens home and then discover it was not suitable for what you want to do with it.

If you decide to look for a lens online, you want to stay with trusted vendors. You will discover that the most recommended are: B&H, Adorama, Cameta, KEH. They have a reputation for good service, honest dealing, easy return policies. Plus you can look at used lenses and feel confident that they have graded them accurately. And if you should discover something wrong, they will take the lens back! I deal mainly with B&H because of all the above reasons, plus shipping from there is fast. [B&H and Adorama are in New York City, and I live in south-western Vermont.]

The 40mm macro lens is a DX lens, made for the crop sensor camera. But if you want a longer focal length, you may decide you want one that is an FX lens, for a full frame camera. That is OK because an FX lens will perform very well on the DX camera. Before I bought a full frame camera, I traded in all my DX lenses for FX lenses and used them on my DX camera!

Note: The 10-20mm DX lens is not a macro lens, it is a wide angle lens. No point in buying a lens you don't want! If you have a longer lens, such as a 70-300mm, you can use that for "close-up" shots that can be a close approximation to macro, and then buy the right macro lens when you are sure what you want.

You chose one of the best camera/lens combinations, and you should be able to handle the weight unless you have a physical reason. It just takes some getting used to. Also, if you research weights using the specifications of different models, you will find that the differences are usually not all that significant. Always consider the weight of the combination. Yes, some lenses are light enough, but consider also whether they have the characteristics that will satisfy your needs.

I started with a crop-sensor camera, and crop-sensor lenses. They worked very well, but as I progressed in photography, I began to see the benefits of full-frame gear, for my particular photographic objectives.

When I bought the D810, I also heard what a "beast" it was, but could see the weight differential was not all that much. I ignored those comments and took the leap! I had already acquired full-frame lenses in preparation, including the 24-70 f/2.8. My observation was that the full frame lenses produced excellent results on the crop-sensor camera, but better results when used with a camera that could bring out their great qualities.

A lens can only perform up to the capabilities of the camera, and in turn, a camera can only perform up to the capabilities of the lens. Not sure if I am completely accurate in an analogy that comes to mind, but here it is: As a painter, you must choose your equipment carefully. If any single tool is inferior, it holds the possibility of not permitting your work to come out the way you wish. A good painter can overcome a lot of hardships, learning to make the best of what is available, but will still feel the limitations of transforming a vision of the finished work into reality.

For taking pictures of the countryside around Taos, the 24-70 has enough of a wide-angle view to encompass a large amount of the landscape. It also has enough length to capture even distant landscapes with a good amount of detail. And the D850 has the resolution capability to allow cropping - such as when to get the scene you want, you have to capture too much of the sky and/or foreground.

If you have a good tripod, you can also do panoramas by stitching together multiple images. You did not mention what camera you were using before, but if it was not a DSLR you have a learning curve ahead! I went from a digital point-and-shoot to a DSLR, but worked hard at learning.

One thing to keep in mind when looking at other lenses, is that in general the longer the focal length range of a zoom lens, the less likely the lens will be sharp throughout its focal lengths. The longer range may be more convenient and easier to carry around, but that does not mean the quality will equal a lens with a shorter range. This characteristic has improved with better lens-manufacturing technology, but still something to keep in mind.

I am still learning! Just to illustrate what i am speaking of, I will attach an image of our local apple orchard in spring. This picture is a one-shot panorama, taken with the D810 and the 24-70mm, and I had to crop both top and bottom.

Hope this helps!
Susan

(Download)