Is the Vivitar a digital flash? Try a Nikon flash on your camera (Sb400,600,800or900) Any camera store will let you try a flash or find someone with a Nikon flash.
I think you need a digital flash.

Hi Adubin,
I also use the Canon 500D on my Nikon 18-200 with good results. I have the Promaster 12,20,36mm tubes but I haven't had good results. Any idea where I can find a good tutuorial on Extension Tubes? Ones that I found are pretty confusing.
Nikon just came out with a 40mm macro lens thats under $500
I have a Sigma 18-50 2.8 macro and thats just OK

Camera store sales people are told to push accesories because the profit margin is high. Filters are usualy at the top of the list along with camera bags and batteries. If you are in doubt, ask about the return policy. If there is no problem returning the items take them and cross check prices with another store. Good camera stores want you coming back for more equipment so they avoid playing games.There is always something to buy, the list never ends.

Nikon makes their own filters and has a large optical division.My eye glasses are Nikon glass. Quantaray is Ritz Camera brand and were made at times by Tiffen and Hoya. B&H is Scheinder (SP?)A high quality German lens company. Kodak used Schnieder lenses in their 35mm Retna line years ago and still does on their better point and shoot. B&W filters are expensive but so are Nikon filters.

I have a friend who had the coating almost taken off his lens by the spray from a can of diet Sprite. Taking your camera to the Sea Shore without a UV filter over your lens is crazy. Ever see what a cars windshield looks like after a few years at the sea shore? Wind dust and fine sand blow all the time. I had to replace a CPL and a UV after a week of shooting in Florida's Keys and Sanabele Island.
If you can see better resolution without a filter you are using a lousy filter.

I have heard big name professional photographers say that UV filters can degrade your image and why would you use a inferior piece of glass over your ED or L lens.
My response is if I did not pay for most of my equipment(loaned to them) or was able to purchase at very large discounted prices I wouldn't need to protect my lens either.
Protect your lens with the best filters you can aford.Unless you have a dirty filter or a big oily smudge you will have no problems.

Hi Jim H,
Great explanation including the last line.Hexadecimal sprocket nut? Were you in Ft. Gordon in the mid 60's teaching land navigation? I learn something new everyday and thats the fun of digital photography

I stand corected after seeing the canon site. I have been attending used camera shows since the late 1970's with friends who were in the industry and I bought used lenses from retailers who never gave any indication that the lens was refurbished or rebuilt. I also worked trade shows that were only for "The Trade" (non retail). Nikon has some lenses that I would have loved to get 60-90% off.

I have never heard of lens calibration in all the years that I have been involved with photograpy. We used to have our camera meters and our hand held meters calibrated by a Tech guy at camera shows or at Nikon House by their Tech for free. Your computer screen can and should be calibrated.
New camera lenses have many elements in the construction that makes disasembly extremely difficult and it takes a trained Tech. You never see Rebuilt or Refurbished lenses for sale

Your best bet is to use a tripod or a mono pod if you want consistant sharp images at low shutter speeds. Cannon IS lens (internal stabilization) along with a high ISO like 1600 or 3200 will usually produce a good image. You can handle the noise, if there is any in post processing. My Nikon D90 at 1600 ISO produces noise free images and at 3200 I have to hunt for noise. What hasn't changed if you want tack sharp images all the time invest in a good tripod

You can't harm your lens! If you have a variable speed lens the widest you can open is probably 5.6 at 250mm. You can increase your ISO to 800 or 1600 and that might depending on the light give you a shutter speed over 400th of a second
That would be the slowest shutter speed you need to avoid a blurry picture. Canon has a 1.6 crop factor on DX cameras.
250MM record at 400mm.
Try to find a digital photography class and it will give you the fundementals that you need.
In New Jersey they are given at some of the High Schools and Colleges at night as continuing education courses. Ritz Camera used to give free classes with every camera they sold.

Your camera has an excellent metering system. Try shooting in Program mode and Aperature priority in the begining.
There are many easy to follow books on general photography.
I sold my fancy and expensive Minolta light meter when I realized that my camera gave me the same readings even in spot. It took me a while to accept that the programs in this new generation of cameras work.

I have been using SB800 for over 5 years and never had a problem.
I would not buy a used flash unless you know how often it was used. I use my flash almost always indoors and on fill flash outdoors. The new flashes are very user friendly not like the old ones.
Best advice is not buy one that is under powered like the SB400 Better off over buying on a flash because you can controll the output

Manual focus works great for macro and portrait. You have time with flowers and even children. The pros are all shooting auto focus at sporting events. 400 &600 mm lenses on a mono-pod All the old Nikon manual lenses had colored lines for depth of field at the aperature number. You knew at F8 or F11 or F16 how far your
depth of field would keep you in focus. We called it zone focusing. Unless you have young eyes and have time, trust your auto focus modes

Action setting gives you the fastest shutter speed that the light allows.At times it is the best choice! Try shutter priority to stop action and let the camera choose lens opening for depth of field. Trust the auto focus, you should
have some form of tracking in the auto focus setting.