Also, restarting the computer is always a good first step for hanging software.

Much faster and more portable. My vote is for the ones I use for travel, Crucial 1 T M.2 for now about $95. Crucial P1 1TB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD - CT1000P1SSD8 to which I would add a Startech case that will convert it from SATA to USB3. Although, when I look there is one from another company that is USB 3.1 if you have that on your computer. $18-$30. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Startech+M.2+case&i=electronics&ref=nb_sb_noss

IPS is what you want rather than TFT. What size are you looking for?

Thank you Mike.

Thanks. I didn't click reply, I typed into "quick reply". this file goes with the previous response about my stacking experience with macro and orchids.

Nikon US will not repair grey market high end cameras. They will not send parts to unauthorized repair shops. If they find out that an authorized shop repaired a forbidden grey market item, they de-authorize the shop. The Nikon rep I recently talked to said that you can send it to be repaired in japan but you may need a translator to set it up.

I can not speak to their attitude about recalls.

Yes, you need AF lenses. You set the number of images to stack and the camera runs through the focus range of the lens and divides it into that many images. I think it goes up to 100 or so. In the interest of cutting down on editing, I have (in macro) focused on the image and then defocused slightly to where it is completely blurry. This cuts down on the completely non-focused images at one end of the range that the camera will capture as they tell you to start at the limit of the lens and the first number of images will normally have nothing in focus. If you use Photoshop (a 2 step process, not hard), it makes a layer out of each frame with a mask showing the parts in focus. You can delete those on each side with nothing in the mask; nothing in that frame is in focus. It then takes less time merge them all, making a completely in-focus final image.

Many recommend doing this with jpegs to cut down on computer time, but it has worked fine with me with tifs and takes a few minutes to process.

As previously noted, use the f that the lens focuses the best at. For a larger aperture, use more frames. I used 25 with orchids, cutting the duds at one end of the range as noted. It worked fine. If someone can tell me how to post one, I would be happy to.

Fred Miranda.

One additional note: The 1.4 can also be used on a full frame body with the 400.

I would definitely take the 100-400 II. I've gone twice, once with the 500 F4I and a 70-200 and once with the 500 F4II and the 100-400II. You are only losing the range of 70-100 from the 70-200 2.8 and you don't always get that close. You might consider the 800 but getting it there would be problematic. I did ok with my 500s the two times.

Point taken. Well, 2014 features, anyway.

Not clear what the above first paragraph is talking about. Both Canon and Nikon will adjust focus points for individual lenses and register them. Canon (but probably not Nikon) will set it differently for wide and tele for zoom lenses. You can only register one of each focal length or range, but you can set separately for lens with and without extender.

I also love my Acratech, which I have gone back to after downsizing my 500 lens from 7 to 3.5 pounds. Unfortunately,I tore up two of them with my old 8.5 lb 500 (which they cheerfully rebuilt and replaced). I would not use it with the 500 F4 (or probably the 400 F2.8) although it would work for a while.

It looks like several people gave you reasonable explanations. Were I you, I would ignore the unnecessarily rude comments from persons who clearly have nothing better to do than to create unhelpful and derogatory posts. I would encourage you to ask away on this forum when you have questions.

I carry my 500 5.6 with one body over my shoulder on my tripod with some padding on my Think Tank shoulder harness (Duct tape over pipe insulation) and my 80-400 on another body in my Think Tank holster suspended from the belt which is attached to the harness. Both are ready to shoot. I can use the 500 with or without extender as is on tripod or release it for handheld while tripod stands. Or, I can place the tripod and use the 80-400 hand held.