Greetings,
I'm normally a landscape shooter but having recently moved to Florida, I am craving a telephoto to capture the amazing wildlife here. Can't justify the price tag on the Nikon 200-500 so I was considering either tne Sigma or Tamron 100-400. Reading the reviews, both lenses are almost identical including price and features. I have no doubt that both are a little soft at 400. Looking for real world experience from actual users. I'm not entirely sure that most online reviews aren't designed to sell equipment vs the actual truth. The lens will be coupled with a D750 and occasionally a D7100. Thanks in advance!

You are neglecting the reason-for-being of L-brackets. It is to enable flipping a camera from horizontal to vertical on a tripod easily, keeping the lens centered on the rotational axis of the tripod head.

With a camera on a ball head or three-way head, mounted by the camera's tripod socket, when you tilt the camera 90 degrees its lens axis is no longer lined up with the rotation point. This throws off positioning when rotating the head.

I agree that the L-bracket makes hand-holding the camera awkward. But that's not the bracket's fault. Take the L-bracket off if not using a tripod.

In the two and a half years that I have been a member of this forum, there have been countless discussions around the importance of equipment, the relative importance of equipment, the non-importance of equipment, the serviceability of pinhole cameras, and other similar questions. There is currently an active discussion of this subject which is rapidly approaching 300 posts, has completely disrupted the dispositions of some of our normally calmest members, and has driven some of the rest of our number completely (or at least mostly) off the rails.

It is clear that a consensus on this topic is almost certainly unattainable, but the idea for an at least somewhat objective experiment to quantify (or at least qualify) a smidgeon of objectivity around this subject has come to mind.

The premise is really quite simple. It involves making the commitment to put away your latest, greatest, most favorite camera for three weeks. Instead, pull out your oldest operational camera (in my case a Fuji X3 Pro), and commit to using only that camera for the next three weeks. NO MATTER WHAT! At the end of the three weeks, you will be allowed to make an informed comment on the topic.

A couple of important notes here:

1. If you have sold or otherwise gotten rid of your older cameras, you have already voted.

2. If you refuse to try, or if you don't make it through all three weeks, your vote is automatically cast.

Of course, this works as well as a thought exercise as it does as an actual challenge. Have fun if you are willing. For the curious, I surrender right now.

My partner and I are planning a Safari trip next year where opportunities to recharge camera batteries will be limited with a lot of time spent in tents with no power. I have a Nikon D500 and my partner has inherited my old D7200, both of which use the Nikon EN-EL15 battery. However, with limited opportunities to recharge batteries and not wanting to splash out on too many extra units are thinking of using Power Blocks(Anker Powercore 201000- 20000 Ultra High Capacity Powerbank), for back up battery charging while travelling around. I currently have two original Nikon batteries and my partner has 3 batteries, one of which is a Duracell unit. Interestingly, the Duracell battery seems to work fine in the D7200, but not in the D500. Cutting to the chase, I plan to buy a couple of USB chargers to plug into the Powerbanks, but I am not sure whether this will work for the Nikon EN-EL15's. I believe the Duracell batteries will charge in this way, but not sure about the Nikons. I am also thinking of getting a couple of spare Duracell batteries for my partners D7200 and a couple of spare Nikon batteries for my D500. Not a cheap option and probably the only time I will need to carry 4 batteries. Any thoughts on whether this will be okay? Any other ideas would be welcomed.