Thanks SS. I figure that the gas costs will about be the same as the cost of flights, rental car, motel/hotel, and meal expenses, and maybe be a bit less - and I can go where I want and when I want and not be on a tight schedule. Plus, when I am done with my adventures, I can sell it and get some of my money back. I will whistle you up if I get out your way................ Have a very Merry Christmas and excellent New Year!!!!!

I didn't see where anyone replied as to why you open up a stop or two. I'm sure old timers know but in case there are some folks who've never studied the ins and outs of exposure, I will tell them. It's all about middle gray. Light meters see everything as gray and automatic exposure systems try to make everything "middle gray." If your scene has a lot of white, as in snow or a wedding dress, the camera will be fooled into thinking the scene is gray rather than white. Open up a stop or two and presto...your snow is white.

Hey guys I am going to purchase a Nikon D7200 one way or another. After a lot of pricing research I see Cameta has a refurbished at $749 with a 1 year warranty and a few other sites have new at about $800. The same body and accessories with the 1 year warranty. It's not so much the $50 savings, I would probably add a remote shutter release anyway, but why spend more for the same thing? Plus Cameta has been my go store for awhile. I have never bought a refurbished body before. I have bought 2 refurbished lenses from Cameta before with excellent results so what do you think? Thanks and Happy Holidays.

CR attempts to be objective. It tries to avoid bias. I like that a lot. However, it misses out on subtle differences between products that can prove very valuable to me as a user. I have subscribed for years and use it as a guide to look at major features of consumer products. If those features are what I am looking for, it is great as a guide. However, I have been very happy for years with multiple purchases rated as mediocre because I value a range of attributes not examined adequately by CR. This is especially true of high end products. The 7500 is a higher end product. Personally, based on reviews by reputable sources like DP Review and also examining features, I would choose a D 500. But the difference in price is significant. The 7200 is a great camera with a few less features and a lower price still. Great photos are at your finger tips with all three. I personally wouldn’t consider a D5600, although it has nice features and can also take great pictures. In short, although I like CR, sometimes they are wrong. Sometimes products are rated too highly, sometimes superior products are rated too low. I would trust CR with point and shoots and entry level DSR’s, but never higher end products like the D 7500 or its more prestigious older brothers like the D500 or D 850. For higher end products I rely on professional reviews and consumer comments and don’t even reference CR.

Meh, I wouldn't pay any attention to CR. I remember reading their review of a Corvette a few years back. Points were deducted for lack of a back seat, unsatisfactory trunk space, and poor gas mileage LOL.

I have a D7500 and am completely happy with it. I don't use it much now (my wife does though) and image quality is absolutely on par with the D500 - it's the same sensor so it should be! Use CR for things like toasters, use sites that specialize in cameras for camera reviews and info.

Speaking of which, here's my D7500 review:
https://backcountrygallery.com/nikon-d7500-review-d500-d7200-comparison/

Also, some images from the D7500: