I did a European cruise 2 years ago and took my D90 with Nikon
18-105 and 70-300 lenses. I found the 18-105 to be a very good lens. It's pretty light and I used it 95% of the time. I think the versatility of a range like this is more useful for walking around as you will find more use for the wide end of the lens than the telephoto.

Who really cares already? For me, this Canon vs Nikon thing is really getting worn out. We've all seen really GREAT photos by users of cameras from both of these companies and we are lucky to have them competing with each other to bring us the amazing products that they both produce. I have a Nikon D90 with a Canon EOS strap on it. I tell people that it's so that no one will steal my camera but the truth is I like it better than the Nikon strap that was on it. As for myself, if it's good I'll use it no matter who makes it.

I would say it depends on whether or not you have a local store that deserves your business. In Reno we have a store called Gordon's that has been here for many years and always does great business due to the staff who are knowlegable, friendly and always ready to help in any way they can. (No, I don't work there). Best of all they don't laugh at your pictures. I could sometimes buy cheaper online but if possible I deal with them because they stand behind what they sell and you can learn a lot just hanging out at the store. I have also dealt with B&H and Adorama and found them to highly reputable as well. In these days of big box stores wiping out a whole bunch of small businesses everytime one of them opens I feel that we should support the local folks who have worked hard over the years for our business when we can. If distance is a problem then buy online.

Really nice shots! You don't say what equipment you're using but if if either the camera or the lens has some kind of image stabilization you should turn it off when using a tripod. That might help. - Dave

A little over a year ago I bought my first DSLR, a used D90. There was no manual so I got a Magic Lantern guide for it and it helped to some degree. The problem is that while it tells you what's there, it really doesn't explain why you need a lot of the adjustments you can make on that camera. I then stumbled onto Ken Rockwell's website (Kenrockwell.com) and he has a manual for the D90 that he wrote and you can download for 5 bucks that explains everything very well. He not only tells you what and why he does what what he does but encourages you to experiment until you get the results you want. Before that I was somewhat afraid to mess with it too much because I really wasn't sure what to do if I really messed things up. Now I actually have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing and I've got to say it's rather liberating. 5 bucks very well spent. Good luck.

Here are a couple of things I put together. I found a used Sigma 70-210 2.8 APO for a really good price but there was no tripod collar. I made the one shown here which works very well and folds up to take up less space. I also had a small level in the garage (I have no idea where it came from) but by cutting 3 pieces from trashed CD I was able to mount it in the flash shoe which I can use to make sure that the lens is level.

This is kind of drastic but have you tried getting married. Hope this helps.

After shooting film for many years I finally bought a used Nikon D90 a year ago. I spent some time learning to use it (still am) and have been very pleased with the performance of this DSLR. I recently found a Canon Power Shot S3 IS (Bridge Camera) at a Goodwill store and picked it up to see what I could do with it. This is older technology (2006) and I had read many pros and cons concerning bridge cameras. The thing I discovered was that there was a great deal to learn about this camera as well and I guess my point is that no matter what camera you have, you will spend the rest of your life learning and trying to get better. As to the picture quality, while the DSLR is better, I've gotten some pretty nice shots with the Canon and it is a whole lot lighter and takes up a lot less space when packing it around. For me it is more of a "fun" camera as the lens is excellent, it has a powerful zoom (good for critters), macro capability and you don't need to carry a bunch of heavy and expensive lenses to cope with a big variety of situations. The Canon SX50 gets a lot of good recommendations on this site and I'd certainly check that out. That said if you are leaning toward more towards finer quality artwork and are willing to invest the time and money then go with a DSLR. For me it's nice to have a choice.

Quail on fence Canon PS S3 IS

RollingRockMom - You don't say what camera you are using but generally it gets down to the White Balance setting and the color set that you are using. I have a Nikon D90 that I bought used and the guy at the camera store went through the menus and basically set everything to default settings. The pictures I got were decent but there are times when you want more vibrant colors and I had no idea how to go about it. I discovered a site called KenRockwell.com and he had a D90 manual that I downloaded for $5.00 that explained in simple terms how and why he set his camera the way he did. (You can read it online for free) He prefers really intense colors which would not be the choice of everyone but he tells you how to tweak things to get what you want. Even if you don't have a D90 the principles apply to whatever you are using so check it out and you will have a good idea of where to start. It has made a huge difference in what I've been getting. Hope this helps.

Good job! I took some photos of guys doing a driveway project next door and they all said the same thing: Can I have a copy to prove that I'm actually working?

Looks like a pretty difficult lighting situation. Well done

Really nice set of shots.

I bought a used D90 last August with an 18-105 and took it on a trip to Europe in Setmber. I would say that 95% of what I shot was taken with that lens and I found the shots to be perfectly fine. Yes, pro lenses in the 2.8 range and faster are better but the prices will knock you on the floor. Besides, as a rule they are heavier to haul around and unless your photos are going in a museum, being published or you are a working pro of any kind, can you really justify the difference in cost? I really don't think you would regret buying this lens and if you get to the point that you feel that an upgrade is needed you will know where to go next. Whatever you do, just have fun with it.

Thanks for taking the time to to explain all that. I'm sure that it's quite a bit more than most of us need to know but it's good to have some insight as to how this "magic" thing actually is designed to work. Can't understand why all the negative comments and I hope it doesn't discourage you from imparting more of your considerable knowledge to those of us can appreciate it.

One thing to check is to make sure that the little sliding tab on the left side of the card is not in the lock position. I would not expect this to be the case with new cards but stuff happens.