My understanding is that most browser and email apps support sRGB but not necessarily any others. I process in ProPhoto because of its wider gamut, and if I post in email or online I first change the profile to sRGB. If I don't the color is awful.
I have owned the Nikon 200mm, 105mm, and older 55mm. Ihave also owned a 90mm Vivitar, and currently have the Canon 180 macro and the 100mm f/2.8. My two favorite have been the 200mm and the 180mm. When I used Nikon, the 200mm was the second macro I had (after the 55mm). With the Canon, the 180mm was the first lens I bought for the camera. I don't find them any harder to use in the field than the shorter ones, and I find the working distance and narrow angle of view of the longer lenses real bonuses. I use them handheld with flash, and on a tripod if I'm not using flash. Probably 20-25% of my images are macro. Different strokes for different folks
Don't know any links. The disadvantage of GND filters is that the graduation is usually in a straight line, whether hard or soft. The bright light in a scene is frequently vee shaped (or something else other than a straight line) which can pose a problem. I have heard folks who formerly used GNDs say they have switched to HDR processing because they have better control.
If Nikon still makes the 200mm macro, that was a great lens. The Sigma 150mm f/2.8 also has a good reputation (better than their 180mm, I think.). The narrower angle of view makes it easier to control backgrounds and the greater focusing distance makes it easier to photograph insects without scaring them.
SteveR--I said I prefer the much larger file I get from the raw file. I don't think I said I print from the raw file. Sorry for the confusion.
I don't print from raw files. I usually print from .psd files. I do the initial (non-destructive) processing in Lightroom and then finish the processing in Photoshop, and print from there.
mdorn--I usually print 16 x 24 for canvas wraps although I have one pano that is 54 inches wide. For prints on paper, I print anything from 12 x 18 up to 24 x whatever. I didn't say anything about saving a jpeg more than once. Nor did I say that gobs and gobs of critical data will be lost. I did say that "every time you save the file, it compresses it even more." And that is true.
Do you want to make large prints? If so, I would prefer the much larger file you get from raw. Do you ever do any post-processing on your jpeg files? If so, every time you save the file it compresses it even more.
There are a few things about jpegs that I don't care for. They are processed by somebody who never saw the original scene. The person who created the camera converstion lives somewhere in Japan, or wherever. That person did absolutely not see the scene in the same light as you did. The second is that so much of the information your camera captures is thrown away during the conversion, from 14 bit to 8 bit. It's much more important to capture the proper white balance with in camera processing, and more difficult to make minor changes in white balance if the jpeg image does not show the color of the light used to capture it. Maybe the biggest problem with the in-camera conversion, is you have so little control of it.
I use a tripod for almost all my photography, landscape, wildlife, and macro. It gives much better support than a monopod. My experience with wildlife, which is my main subject, is that the better support outweighs the faster reaction of the monopod. I use the monopod when photographing sports, mostly soccer, basketball, and baseball.
I currently have an exhibit of 20+ stretched canvas prints on display. I print my own, and don't process the files any differently than I do for paper prints. However, I do have profiles for all the papers/canvas I print on. You might see if you can get the profile for the canvas that your printer uses to have as you process your files.
I teach photography and know that students learn from making mistakes and discussing them in class. At least half of class time is spent analyzing their images, and the ones that discuss mistakes/improvements generate the most response and the "Oh, yeah, I see now" responses. Subsequent submissions show that they have not only learned from their own mistakes, but also the mistakes of their classmates.
If you can burn a dvd, you must have a computer with you. If so, a better solution is to download to an external hard drive. The capacity of dvds will have you spending a lot of time burning. External drives are much faster. Even a 2 TB drive is relatively inexpensive. I usually have at least 2 external drives with me when traveling so I have a backup of everything.
I agree 100% with Gene51. Using a remote release with that large a lens is not the answer. Even with the mirror locked up, the shutter can cause lens vibration. I shoot 600mm with tcs and get sharp images using Gene51's suggestions. If you are shooting wildlife/nature with long lens, you might want to look at some of the articles at naturescapes.net