Ok question it looks like it has a lightning port. Do you know if I can plug a SSD and transfer from the card to the SSD?

I do a photo book for each trip out of the 14,000 it got culled down to 780 photos which is split into 2 volumes for that trip. The very best ones I might print and then change out photos in various frames in my house and at the office (my employees seem to enjoy them) Some I print and give to clients to hang in the buildings I have designed.

Yes thought of that here is the rub I have a Sony A1 and A7rV that use the type A cf cards a set is like 700$. I could use SD cards but the last the last vacation I took (month in Hawaii) I came back with like 14,000 photos. And both cameras make huge big files. I could buy a Mac book Air for what that would run in cards to store that many photos. The A1 at like 20+FPS makes a lot files with one shutter click. And what am I shooting…..birds. And hopefully a maybe bear and a whale or two with an occasional landscape thrown in.

What do you use to download photos from camera if you do not take a laptop. We are finally, maybe, going to be able to take the trip to Alaska this August. This trip has been canceled 3 times now last year because they closed the lodges do to staffing shortages. Anyway I am really wanting to cut down on the amount of stuff I take and was wanting to leave the laptop behind but need something to download the camera memory cards. I am going to take my iPad which is about 3 years old if not more. Is there anything out there that will work with it? Or stand alone unit?

For FtLauderdale if you want to do an air boat ride you have to have a reservation, like weeks in advance. To many cruise ships have excursions to them and they fill up. Everglades National Park is worth a visit and there is a tram ride at one location it too requires reservations. A fun thing to do in Ft Lauderdale is the water taxi you can see amazing houses and boats. One route will go through the cruise port where you can see some of the largest ships in the world. It is had to believe they float and move most are bigger than any of the hotels surrounding the port. There is also several historic houses in the area that you can see what the area looked like before, like little oasis in the middle of the city.

At around 4-5 almost every day the cruise ships leave a get place to get photos of them leaving is the beach at the Marriott.

How right you are! Crime is up in all major cities. To hear the “news” Chicago is like the Wild West with shootings every 10 min. Portland and Seattle are hobo waste lands. Funny how they do not mention Florida or Texas. I am was born in ElPaso and have friends in Dallas and ElPaso would not live in either city anymore. I-10 has been shut down for gun battles between cartels across the border were the bullets were coming over on the U.S. side hitting cars along the interstate. Let’s say I would rather walk down a street in NY with a $4000 dollar camera than my old home town. But as stated in other posts and the same for any major city; take a tour first or talk to locals as to were to go and not go and be aware of where you are. My relatives advise avoid the Times Square area of if have to go during the day and get out fast. Take a point and shoot camera and do not aim it anywhere near or in the direction of anybody dressed up and anyway.

We were there in 2019 and had heard all the stories about how bad New York was; hand cuff your camera to your wrist, etc. and for 60 years had no real desire to go, until we decided to take a New England cruise that left out of NY and the thought of sailing past the Statue of Liberty at night would be and was awe inspiring. We were prepared for the worse but found that it was just the opposite, shockingly people were very friendly and help full. Maybe because they felt they need to help these old people find their way. I have a relative that lives there and his suggestion was to pick just one area of Manhattan that you really want to see ( lower end, middle or upper) and just stay there and concentrate your visit there in that one area. Then come back and do the other part next time. He said so many people try to see it all on a very short stay 3 or 4 days you really do not get to see and enjoy those areas and end up tired and exhausted ( unless you are in your 20’s) My interest for our first visit were the World Trade Center and associated museums, St Paul’s Church, Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the bridge, and of course Mecca for all photographers B&H Photo. So basically the lower end. We spent 4 days there not including the arrival and leaving days; just in that area and barely got to see every thing. We spent one whole day just doing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis island on a very nice guided walking tour. B&H was a half day could have stayed longer but my wife drug me out. I gave him list of hotels and he suggested the The Conrad in lower Manhattan it has views of the Statue of Liberty and a-block from the World Trade Center, on a very for New York quite street. It was a great hotel and would recommend it for location and convenience in that area. I would put were I wanted to in my phone and we would take off walking with me looking at my phone. Several times young people would stop and ask what are we looking for and they would give us landmarks to look for to get there so we did not have to look at the phone. One even told us a great pizza place that was closer than the one we were going to. One thing that was very noticeable to us is that in the lower end there area very few older people (ie over 60) manly young professionals. We ate a a little sidewalk cafe that some of the best Chinese I have ever tasted watch all the people steam out of a building one day it was incredible were were eating for over and hour and it was a non stop massive flow, I mean hundreds, of people out of this building. I took camera and tripod for night shots of the WTC and Statue of Liberty and New Jersey shore line. Never felt afraid and found several other photographers doing the same, who were very helpful on suggestions for locations, etc.

His suggestion for Times Square (tourist trap and where the muggers, scam artists and pick pockets are) was to take the subway exit out take a few photos as you walk across the street to the return side of the subway. And not to stay at any hotel in the area as they are all infested with bed bugs. This is probably were most people who visit stay and spend time in hence handcuff your camera to your wrist comment. His comment was the rude people are the tourists.

For our next trip we will do Central Park and the Museums around the park some of which he said you could spend all day in. And for that we will stay in a hotel either next to the park or very near it.

Oh for a kind fun tour guide look up Sara Funk, she has some You Tube videos, at the time we went she was doing a walking tour of the lower end that was great. Do not know if she still doing them or not. Hope this helps.

Gulf State park has nice walking / bike trails around Shelby Lakes in early morning there are a lot of birds. Osprey and an eagles nest along one path where they have observation decks built near the nest. We stayed at the Hilton in the State park there and got some great shots from my balcony of Osprey fishing in the morning. Was like clock work same time every morning same place they would show up. Lots of shore birds and two to three types of heron. Others have mentioned taking the ferry over to Dauphin island right where you get on the ferry is also a good birding location at Fort Morgan. There is a couple nice trails just as you get to the fort. Also Bellingrath Gardens is worth seeing it is very scenic with some great back drops for birds.

The lens is 6.5" dia. x ~18" long, I am looking for what bag / backpack (ie brand and model) that others use to get the thing on the plane with some other gear (2 bodies and 2 other lens; 100-400, and 24-70). All the bags I have (6 at present) it will not fit except the ThinkTank Airport International (roller) which will not fit in the overhead or under the seat on said plane. I have had to 'gate' check it once and was able to talk a stewardess once to putting it in the bottom of the crew closet. So I switched to using a ThinkTank Airport Advantage, but now they are "Death to all Rollers" on said plane. My nearest camera store does not have the greatest selection of camera bags either. Reading B&H on what fits and not has been confusing. One bag the reviews are conflicting some say it will fit and others say no had to put their feet on the bag. Which for a short flight OK, but I am looking at a 2.5 hour flight might be a little stiff and need crane to get me off the plane. I thought about ordering three bags that I think might work and try them out and then keep the one I like but do not feel to good about doing that.

Going on a trip that I will be on a regional jet the dreaded Embraer RJ145 the smallest one of these planes there is it seems. I am wanting to take my 600mm/f4 lens which is a new acquisition for me and wonder how others travel with these massive lenses on those small planes. I know once it get to a bigger plane I am good. I have seen the video where Steve Perry uses a Guru gear bag but that seems to be out of stock. I have looked at the Mind Shift bags but read where those do not fit over head or under the seat. Any suggestions?

Very nice.

We like this side the best closer to the lobby and away from the pool.

Thanks to all for the comments!

Yes you are correct! This taken from the Hyatt toward Shipwreck Beach. The rock Harrison Ford and Anne Heche jumped off in Six Days and Seven Nights. I have climbed up there many times and looked down, never jumped off. Which I have been hiking up there since the 90's and this is the first time I saw a sign that says not to jump off you could die or get injured, duh. I kind of did not need a sign telling me that and obscuring the view. But then I used to be able to drive to the beach at the end of the road from the Hyatt (Mahaulepu Beach / Secret Beach) but now it is gated off and you have to park at the horse stable and walk (about 1.5 miles). Was told the Owner is concerned that is someone was hurt on their property they would be held liable. And having to pull stupid idiots that drove cars (IE not a off road vehicle) out.

This is the 3rd and final post from Hawaii. The first ones are sun rise at our favorite beach in Kauai. The next are from the Big Island of Hawaii. The last three are like bucket list shots for me as many times I have been to Rainbow falls in Hilo i have never been able to get the "rainbow" in the falls. The last are night shots of the Volcano, the first taken at 4:00 in the morning with a clear sky. The last shot was taken at 11:00pm it was cloudy all day and the weather report said it would clear at 11 so I waited. 11 o'clock the clouds clear for me to grab 2 shots of the Milky Way then closed over and poured rain until the next morning.

Thanks for all the great comments on the previous posts.

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