I bought one before going to Alaska. It's a great lens. I gave my 80 - 300 to my son. It is heavy but that is the only drawback I've found. It takes very clear pictures and focuses very quickly.

to me, an important factor in choosing zooms over prime lenses is the dust factor. I use zooms so I don't have to change lenses and expose the sensor to the environment. It was a lot easier to clean the old film cameras because the dust was on the mirror. Now it seems to find the sensor and it is on picture after picture until you spot it and do something about it. I carry multiple bodies with different zooms to avoid this problem

Before I bought the Nikon 105 I used the nikon 70 - 300 zoom. Several benefits worth noting, much less expensive, you get a very good telephoto as well. It didn't do 1-1 macro but it did an excellent job on insects, flowers ...

I worry about the external hard drive crashing. I'm old school
(film and negatives)and don't know what to trust the most

I edit my pictures and file them according to topic. Eventually I like to clear my computer and put everything on disc for long term storage. What are the best discs to store pictures on ? I see CD's and DVD's some are +R some are -R some are +R&W.
I know I used to use Walmart (very few choices in this area of the country) and got the archival CDs. I want to use the best storage method. Any input would be appreciated. I'm currently using Memorex DVD+R 8.5gb. I use Nikon D7100, D7000 and D800 cameras so the files are sometimes quite large, especially if I used HDR

I have friends at both ends of the spectrum. A few that spend hours "fixing" snapshots and others that do absolutely nothing beyond pushing the button on auto everything and keeping the result. Personally,I' a semi advanced enthusiast, I finally "discovered" raw and make some minor adjustments in raw and maybe some cropping. I also play with HDR for some shots

I too am going to Alaska (end of May early June) We're doing the inland waterway Vancouver to Whittier. My standard travel pack is a tripod, Nikon D800 w/ 24-70 Nikon lens and D7100 with a
new 80 - 400 Nikon I can't wait to use. Any tips on what else might be good to have would be appreciated. Any special places to see that might not be in the literature from Norwegian

just got back from two weeks in Maui, If your Tamron will do close focusing your macro won't be necessary. Don't miss the drive around the North end of the Big Island. Enjoy your trip

I just got the new 80 - 400 and in fact it does give you quite a bit more than the 55-300. 25% more zoom power (600 equivalent)
it is quite a bit bigger and bulkier for squeezing into a camera bag but it is a lens I don't regret investing in. (Thanks to all the UHHers that gave me info when I was researching before purchase)

I carry Nikons D7001 and D800. Without hesitation I would tell you the D7001 will give you great shots at a fraction of the cost and more importantly weight and size. When carrying the equipment on trips the bulk and weight factor is very important and the difference in image quality, for your purposes, will not be noticeable. I always carry two bodies with different lens ranges to avoid changing lenses in the field

I have the D7000 as well as D7100 and D800. I don't know why you would choose the 7000 instead of the 7100 when you are starting. Why not get the sharpest possible (based on megapixels). The price is not that big a difference . They don't even advertise the D7000 in the magazines anymore. I think the D7100 has made it obsolete Or will very shortly

I'm in the market to update my 70 - 300 zoom that my son is about to "borrow". It needs to be compatible with both the 7100 and the 800. I'm seriously considering the 80 - 400 but the review in NPHOTO makes me wonder if it is the best option. Does anyone have suggestions or experience with the 80 - 400.
Is the drop off in sharpness noticeable at full telephoto ? Any alternatives I should consider

for the aurora you probably want a wide angle lens, not a telephoto. Put a framing object (tree,building…) in the foreground and let the depth of field pick up the rest. set the ISO really high and adjust the shutter speed to get what you want.

going to Ding Darling wildlife area is a must. great opportunities for a large variety of very photogenic birds

I have two ongoing issues with my D800. 1. There seems to be a delay of as much as a second between my pressing the shutter release and the camera actually taking the picture 2. frequently the subject isn't in sharp focus while the background is razor sharp. This primarily occurs when doing casual portraits and shots of my grandchildren. Any ideas to resolve the issue. I shoot almost exclusively on manual focus now. Two lenses involved 24- 70 and 105 macro, both outstanding Nikkor lenses