After waiting a little better than two months, I received my Tamron last Friday and got to try it out the next day for my son's last football game. There wasn't much sun in the morning, so trying to keep the shutter speed up on my old D200 without going above an ISO of 800 was a struggle. On the plus side, it was great being able to stand in one end zone and have enough reach to get shots all the way to the other end of the field. I took some more shots when I had better lighting and they appear pretty sharp. I think it is going to be a good lens under the right conditions. I don't think it will be as sharp as my old 80-200 2.8, but the extra reach is going to make up for it. Now, if I could just break down and buy a new camera. I am having a hard time parting with the old 200.

Fellow UHH Hogs - Some of you may know I'm a retired real estate manager currently living amidst the frozen tundra some 45 miles northeast of Green Bay. For much of my life I've had a great affection for photography and cameras. Been trying to maintain that interest for the many benefits of, hopefully, artistic expression. I particularly enjoy recording images of architectural details; land and waterscapes; trees, plants, flowers and people.

I have a chance to acquire a refurbished Nikon DSLR body, 2008 vintage, a D90 in decent condition. I'm wondering what experiences - good, bad or indifferent - any of you may have had with that particular model? I'm thinking of pairing it with: a moderate 18-140mm zoom and a 50mm portrait/macro. Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions you may have would be welcome. Thanks.

We celebrate twenty four years of marriage on the thirteenth of October. After all these years we got to the point that we would save for retirement and spend on anniversary gifts on the big ones. My last was a Tag watch and hers was a diamond anniversary band. The last eight years have been small gifts and dinners out...A few days ago we discussed...AGAIN...no gifts...we would go to a local festival and have a nice dinner that night...This morning while on the deck after shooting the blood moon, she asks me what kind of camera I have. What a strange question at six fifteen in the morning. Then she calls and asks what time I will be home...when I get home she is sitting on the stoop with a guilty look on her face. Bad wife...right...WRONG...she had seen a photo of the moon posted here with a Celestron telescope with a camera adapter...and went to B&H and bought one for me...I will be able to see the rings around Saturn and the rings around DeLane's finger.

I have rented the Sigma 10-20mm f3.5 lens for my Sony A580 and, again for my Nikon D7100. Both times, I thought the lens was great or, at least really good. So, I finally found some extra cash and bought one thru B&H last week.

Now, I have the lens and I am pretty disappointed. It seems "soft", where nothing seems to be in focus. And, that is the case throughout the zoom range. On top of that, the colors seem flat.

My Nikon D7100 can be tuned for the lens. Doing that, I may be able to get the focus better, hopefully sharp. But, I am reluctant to do that due to the flat colors I am seeing. So, I am tempted to send it back to B&H and get something else, maybe go back to a Nikon lens.

The question is: Has anyone else had a similar experience with this or any other Sigma lens? Or, am I overreacting and just need to do the lens focus tuning and move on? Let me know your thoughts... please! :shock:

My wife and I will be going to Hawaii before long and I have signed up for a doors-off helicopter flight around Oahu. My question is what focal length works best. Since it is doors-off no loose items are allowed, so that means only one lens and camera, which would be my 6D. I am leaning towards my 24-105 but am also considering my 70-300. That might be the only reason I would even take the 70-300 on the trip. My primary interest will be the ships in Pearl Harbor. The chopper cannot fly any lower then 1000' over populated areas, plus the Navy certainly has restrictions at Pearl. Then you have the angular distance. I don't want to end up with dots on a pond. Anybody with any experience on such flights?

Portland local radio station reported that last night a photographer shooting the full moon started a brush fire.
He told the police that his steel wool came in contact with his camera battery and started the fire (Have you ever heard of that). I don't know what really what happened, I was not there. But my theory he was doing some special effects light painting with burning steel wool that caused the brush fire.
Please comment on the story and give me your theory of what may have happened.
This time of the year things are really dry and the fire danger is high, we need to use common sense out there.