I have a Canon CanoScan 9000F and have gotten excellent results with slides, negatives, and prints.

Money no object? Who cares what they buy. I know folks who buy the latest and greatest and then set it on automatic and enjoy themselves. Money an object? As it is in my case and the situation for most folks I know, buy the best you can afford. If I spend the big bucks I prefer to use it on the best glass and use a adequate body, which I usually purchase used. The discussion like this on cameras reminds me of the discussions and debates on stereo equipment that raged on and on. The experts would usually go to electronic gear and oscilloscopes to detect differences. I have never listened to music with an oscilloscope.

I bought a pair of "photographers" frames from Hoodman and had my optometrist put in my regular, darkening, bifocal lens. When I go to shoot I flip up the lens and use the view finder then flip the lens down to view the display screens (Canon 5D Mark II), and view the world in sharp focus. They have solved all of my photographic vision problems.

I have a Canon 9500 Mk II and Pixma i7220 and have had no problems finding Canon inks locally (Indianapolis).

You asked for opinions so I will give mine - you are wasting time even thinking about this. Get out and shoot. I guarantee you the 5DMkIV is probably more of technology than you can adequately use. The camera is just a tool - shoot!

You asked for opinions so I will give mine - you are wasting time even thinking about this. Get out and shoot. I guarantee you the 5DMkIV is probably more of technology than you can adequately use. The camera is just a tool - shoot!

As many have already said, full frame DSLRs are bulky and heavy - that becomes an issue when you say hiking. One wonders what type of hiking - long treks, back backing into remote areas, mountain climbing, short day trips, a short walk from your car to a better spot, etc. Consider renting some gear first to see what works best for you.

The photo club to which I belong holds three competitions a year and each has two categories - open and a specific topic. We hire a judge from outside the club, a pro photographer or someone with a fine arts background, to evaluate the images and assign a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize in each category. After that the duty of the judge is to review and critique all of the entered images for us. It is through this process that I and my fellow club members have improved our photographic skills. Sometimes a negative critique hurts a little but it has made me more conscious of what I am doing and what I am trying to "say" with my photograph. Critiques are a necessary process to help us improve our photographic skills.

Stop apologizing for the typos, etc. I was one to "nit pick" on one particular spelling only because I have run in to it so often on the internet and it does irritate me; I thought I might be helpful. But - be assured - your message came across very well. It gave me some insight, and much to think about. I am always interested in reading on how the pros do it. Your articles have made me want to develop a philosophy of what I am trying to do with my photography - apart from taking vacation, birthday, and family gathering photos.

I enjoyed reading your posts, stimulating, and it made me think about a lot of things regarding photography. I also enjoyed your comments about some of the "big guys." I keep struggling, in camera and pp, with what I am trying to accomplish and that is part of the work of photography. Sometimes I am successful and sometimes not...so it goes.

Thanks for the posts, some very interesting stuff and some names to look up to check out their work. As a rank amateur I have discovered that the really good photographers work VERY HARD at their craft, and that I will never match their work because I do not have that passion or put in that kind of effort. I must content myself with the occasional "lucky grab."
Again, thanks.

Nice article, enjoyed it, and I agree with much of what you said ... but! I have a nit to pick. I noticed several typos, not surprising in a long article, but one repeated one that needs comment. The use of the word "allot" to mean many. Allot means to distribute officially, or to share portions of something, etc. To mean many of something should be "a lot of" something or other.

Same old, same old. I will be brief - I grew up in the 40s and 50s (I am 80) and have many photographs from that era and earlier (from grandparents and great-grandparents). Quality? No comparison - today's cameras and images (technical standpoint) are far superior. Like any other "art" form there is a mass of product, from yesterday and today, of which only a small amount will survive with time. Truth to tell, an impromtu black and white photo, taken with an old Kodak camera, of my grandmother, standing in front of her lilac bush, with housedress on is far more precious to me than anything Adams or Walker, or the other famous ones ever did. As for cars, Tvs, and other things we have it far better than we ever had it.

I have a Canon CanoScan 9000F and have used it successfully for prints, negatives, and slides. I use Photoshop and Lightroom for any adjustments to the photos. Straightforward with excellent results.

From what I have seen I would say no. Best thing to do is rent a mirrorless system and give it a try.