How is the amount of their markup of any concern to you? - they make you an offer for your camera - if you agree to their offer and sell the camera that's the end of it. What they may re-sell it for has nothing to do with their purchase from you.

There will always be differing perspectives on this - but I see no issue with sky replacment - and I don't see it as fundamentally different from other actions like cloning out unwanted parts of a scene to enhance the presentation of the scene. Such tools should not be used to alter photos that require photojournalistic integrity - but for general photography (which is first and foremost an art form) I really don't see the issue. Should a painter be restricted from adding in a dramatic sky to a landscape he or she is painting that presently has a bland sky?

Before I retired I managed the used camera equipment portion of Cameta Camera - so I know a good deal about the industry. KEH is an extremely reputable company. They tend to be conservative in their ratings of the gear (cosmetics) so many folks find that when they order a product listed at a specific cosmetic level they end up being pleasantly surprised when the item arrives. They offer a very decent warranty on the used items. I would not hesitate at all to purchase from them - in fact I have done so myself.

[quote=pjalper]Tried the P&S site but no replys. This youngish 82 y.o. Nikon shooter needs help [n introducing BBF to my (used) FZ200, A slooow learner, but will try to keep up with the P&S mavens. Thanks.[/quote]

Check out this video - takes you through the process on the FZ200:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gsRFk-pd5I

You really can't just apply a percentage to the original value - many factors influence the value of a used item. For example, if the lens is not the newest version of the lens it will command a far smaller price than a used copy of the most recent version of the lens. One way to gauge the value buyers ascribe to the item is to look for recent auction sales of the specific item on EBAY - also look to see how many bids were involved. You can also look to places like KEH, B&H, Adorama, MPB to see what they are asking for the lens. As an individual seller you will most likely not get as much since you would be selling the lens without any warranty or return privilege. It's not a precise science but also ask yourself the question of what you would be willing to pay for the same used item if you were on the purchasing end of the equation - how much would it need to be discounted before you would be willing to forego the benefits of buying a new item.

The D7100 is a very capable camera - always good to have an extra camera body (assuming your D610 is your one and only) - so, if the D7100 is in good shape and at an attractive price seems like a no-brainer.

He mentioned in his original post something about the "business practices" of the member in question - that sounds to me like this alleged improper conduct happened in the member's business rather than a club sponsored or sanctioned event - like a model shoot for club members. If the alleged misconduct occurred at a club sponsored event - that would obviously be a different matter altogether.

Nonsense - the fact that a club can remove someone does not mean they have an obligation to do so based on information received (accusations in this case) for activities or actions of a member totally unrelated to the club itself. At this point all they have is an accusation (or maybe several accusations) - since this is outside of the scope of conduct related to any club activities they should just keep out of it - this should be handled by legal authorities.

How does the club have a responsibility (or even the authority) to conduct such an investigation? Do they have the expertise to conduct an investigation even if they decided to do so? Seems to me the proper route here is for the models to contact the police and let the police investigate their claims.

Some legit places:

B&H Photo
Adorama
KEH.com

There are others as well - the ones I mentioned have decent return policies (in case you are not satisfied with your purchase) as well as provide reasonable warranties for the equipment purchased. I would avoid buying used gear from individuals, especially on sites like EBAY, Craigslist, etc. While many people are honest about the gear they are selling some are not - and if the gear you buy works initially but fails a few weeks later you are usually on your own for repair - not so with a good retailer.

I worked for Cameta (managed the used camera portion) - I left the company in early November and am now retired. Basically, the owner decided to retire - he made a number of attempts to sell the company as a going concern but ultimately and unfortunately all that effort led to naught. As I said, I was in a position to retire and start on the "next phase" of life - but the loss of this company was a blow to all of the employees who really loved working there as well as to the photography community. But I guess there is nothing so constant as change and we move on.

There were a whole host of cameras from Kodak (1950s and 1960s) that used 127 roll film. As a kid I had a Kodak Starflash camera which was one of them. If you want something that accords more control you could look for a Yashica 44 which was a smaller version of the Yashica Mat twin lens reflex camera. Rolleiflex also had a model similar to the Yashica 44 that used 127 film. It was referred to as the “baby” Rollei. Check KEH or perhaps MPB - with a little patience you shouldn’t have much trouble finding one.

I think it’s a good approach for many things. Let’s take a situation in which you are on vacation for a week and take a substantial number of photos. You may well find that the jpegs created by the camera look fine and meet your needs. You still have all the RAW data available should there be some images that didn’t meet up to your expectations.

I’m sure that you can easily find an AF extension tube set for your camera. In terms of advise - forget the AF issue. You are much better off using manual focus in extreme close up work. When I use any of my extension tubes on any of my cameras I preset the focus (in manual) and then move the camera closer or further until the specific point of the subject that I want to be tack sharp is achieved. What you will find is that just moving the camera a couple weeks of millimeters one way or the other will drastically alter focus. The AF function in this type of scenario is frustrating to put it kindly.

How does one expect "privacy" when they are out on a public street in full view of anyone else who happens to be on the street at the same time?