I don't know how far out the focusing scale is on this lens, the minimum is 8 1/2 feet. So let's say the scale goes out to 150'. With all of the magnification, that object being photographed will appear to be 5ft 10 1/2inches from the photographer. Is that lens really going to be used to photograph something that close? NO. So in the real world, "who cares about the auto focus working or not?" The lens will be manually set to infinite focus and left there for all intents and practical purposes.

Pros: increased reach, can be used with other lenses,
Cons: increased demand for steadiness, decreased light transmission-therefore slower shutter speed and/or higher ISO,

Bottom line all the data jockeys in the world can try and sway you with their numbers and figures either way. I personally bought a 2x converter to experiment with my 200mm to see if I like it. That was MUCH cheaper than the 400mm lens.

Our dog did the same thing, Benadryl knocked the reaction back. The same thing repeated itself a couple of times before I got smart enough to locate the cause. Changed dog foods and have not had to do the Benadryl treatments again.

Awesome stuff. Really enjoyed it.

Sounds familiar. I worked hard, put food on the table, etc. Had a few nice things and a good camera and couple of lenses. Got hurt, surgeries (10) and down time. Time to retrain. Got into a different field and got to go DSLR. First one, T1i body and used film lens that worked with the body. "Upgraded" to a crop lens 'designed for that camera body' and no improvement. Wanted full frame so I got a used 5DII, then 'splurged' on a used L lens for the 5D. Tried it on the T1i that camera body came alive. Go for a used L lens for your glass and that will take you farther than any other single purchase.

Very interesting, I like it.

Climb Camelback Mountain and panorama photograph the whole valley, 360 degrees. The Cardinals stadium is an interesting architectural study. Some amazing photos of wild horses on the Salt River have been showing up here, don’t know more details than that. There are several more mountain preserve areas for flora and fauna. North Mountain preserve and South Mountain are two off the top of my head. Phoenix zoo is pretty good, Wildlife World Zoo on the west side of the valley used to have pretty uninterrupted views of animals but has been several years since I have been there.

The Mo was mothballed a few miles from where I grew up. Several afternoons running around on her decks as a kid that did not appreciate what she stood for. Got to take my wife to visit her when she made a port call in Seattle when she was reactivated. Would love to visit again. Great photos.

Great time of year to visit both, with the caveat that winter can come early in these high elevations. Get the non-photographer to drive or like other's have said and splurge for a private tour. Stay as close or in Yellowstone as you can afford too. It will make it much easier to photograph animals moving at daylight and twilight. I have seen and photographed ALL of the North American big 7 animals in Yellowstone over the years. You need to take lots of zoom and lots of wide angle. When at Glacier look up Ted Chase at the Summit Mountain Lodge. I worked with Ted in a different industry several years ago and cannot say enough about how great a person he is. He will make you feel right at home, his photography isn't bad either.

... Mel Brooks, Phil Silvers, Jack Carter, Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, and Mel Brooks.

You must really like Mel Brooks, he got double billing.

Fantastic, sure miss those sunrises.

From personal experience, I would not recommend either of those two lenses for high quality images. For pictures, not photographs, of not very big enlargement they are fine. I bit the bullet and bought the Canon EF 24-105L lens and it has brought new life to my T1i. The T7i body would be just fine, but invest in better glass to make it shine.

I think that is what I will be using as well, they are my brother's boats. I think I am being paranoid and your process will probably be fine. Thanks for the photos you produce. I love the water theme sports.

I don't travel extensively but I have flown on Southwest, Delta, Alaska, American, United, Frontier and some smaller outfits and can say Southwest is the only airlines my wife and I have not had some sort of problem with. Delayed flights (by hours), missed connections because of late flights, etc. If they serviced the area I live in now Southwest would be my exclusive airlines.

Just curious has to how you transport your camera before, between and after shooting images. Do you have a dry-bag or anything the camera resides in unless you are actually photographing something/someone? I will be doing some paddling around Christmas and New Year's and haven't decided what to do with the camera when I am not actually using it.