I have seven lenses for my Canon and the Tamron VC 24-70 is the one that I keep on the body to grab and use when I need a quick shot that I hadn't planned on. It is a little heavy, but it takes damn good pictures and is a bargain, price wise.

I guess I'm fortunate. When I close the car door I simply press a button on the handle of the car and it locks all the doors making only a slightly clicking sound. When I want to get back into the car I press the same button and it unlocks the door. Of course I have to have my key fob on me for this to work. If I try to lock the car door with the fob inside the car it won't lock. So I can't lock the key inside the car like I have done years ago. Isn't technology great.

Jay, Your shots aren't bad, but your approach needs work. Unless you are just looking for shots of an individual dribbling down court, ie; your own daughter, these long shots don't produce the best action. You can solve your lighting problems with a strong flash unit and set your shutter speed at F/250. This will eliminate your lighting problem. Next don't use a long lens or shoot from far away. Try to locate yourself behind the basket at about a 30 degree angle. Shoot from a low position focusing between 3 to 10 feet in front of the rim. This is where all the really good actions shots can be had. Occasionally you can shoot from the corner of the court covering a 45 degree angle and get shots of players dribbling against defenders toward the basket or pulling up for jump shots with a defender in front of them. Again try to use a smaller aperture to increase your depth of field. Shutter speed doesn't matter in this method because the flash will stop the action. You must test this method changing aperture settings until you get the correct exposure. Long lens shots in indoor lighting settings usually produce too many problems such as camera shake, and difficulty focusing. If you buy name brand flash units like the ones sold by Nikon and Canon you can expect to pay extra bucks, but there are some lesser know brands that are pretty good at half the price. One of my units is made by a company Called Neewer that is very powerful with a really high guide number. I even use it at night in not so well lit high school football games and it stretches out to mid field. It will light up a basketball court. I've been shooting indoor sporting events for newspapers and magazines for over 50 years and when you get it right it is great. Remember it usually takes over 10 shots to get one really good one. Good Luck in your shooting.

Obama does not see the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL, whatever) as a world threat. This man is not qualified to be commander-in-chief. He doesn't understand that IS is a much bigger movement than its predecessors. There are thousands of European and yes American educated fighters in their ranks. They have a superb propaganda machine that is recruiting many more and they have infiltrated the United States, thanks to our "wonderful" border protection program. I have to believe that Obama cannot be as ignorant as he seems to be. The only answer I can come up with is that he wants to see the USA defeated and the Islamic Caliphate take over the world. Remember who is father was,-- an anti-colonialist Muslim radical who hated England, France, Germany, Belgium and yes the United States. Obama heard his fathers anger against the Democracies of the world and he had to have some of that preaching rub off. It is coming to the forefront now!

Colonel Kemp gives an excellent explanation of the methods of Hamas which cannot win a physical battle against Israel, but is pushing for a moral victory thanks the Western media. It is this bleeding heart liberal press that accepts the death numbers that Hamas releases to them. As an example NBC, CBS and ABC took the announcement that the IDF attacked a UN school hook line and sinker. In fact a short range missle was fired at targeted Hamas fighters who were resting outside the walls of the school. There were no children injured, but a Hamas fighter was filmed carrying a young boy outside the entrance as if he were injured. Hamas hopes to turn the world against Israel by pumping up the numbers of children and injured or killed. Why the bleeding heart Western media accepts what Hamas is telling them is completely beyond my comprehension. And why that same media is taking sides with a well known terrorist organization like Hamas of the only Democracy in the Middle-East,Israel, is beyond comprehension. Even the Saudi press isn't getting upset because the Saudi's are on to Hamas's game.

As usually Larry you're lying out of your a**hole. None of your 14 points are completely true. In case you haven't noticed it there is an ongoing war taking place pitting Islam against the other religions of the world and all non-believers. The people in Gaza are by in large supporters of Hamas that even the United Nations considers to be a terrorist organization. Wake up Larry before it is too late. PS. O'Bama is a supporter of the formation of an Islamist Calaphate and he hopes to become one of its prime heroes by bringing down the USA and the Western democracies.

Hey Larry, I asked you once already, but no reply. You say you are an athiest, but you don't sound like one. What is your opinion of Islam? You say that the Jews are slaughtering people in Gaza. What about what ISIS/ISIL is doing to members of the Shia sect and Christians in Syria and Iraq. They tell the Christians to convert to Islam, leave or die. What is your feeling about that? If Hamas had the power to do the same to all Jews they would. There
will never be peace between those of the Islamic faith and all other faiths and non-beleivers. Remember Israel gave the Gaza strip to the Palestinians under condition there would be peace. That didn't last long and now Israel is forced to close the borders of Gaza because of the terroristic activities of Hamas. After reading all of your replies it is obvious to me that you are not a true American. Have you ever served in the US military? I think not. You have been too busy aligning yourself with the enemies of our country.

Larry, I know your opinion of Israel, my question was your opinion of Islam. Are you Sunni or Shia? Do you believe in Sharia Law? Are you going to skirt this question as well?

OK Larry, if you are an atheist I respect that. I would like to know your opinion of Islam and if you think it is a peaceful movement or if as you say it is all the fault of the Jews that there is conflict in the Mid-East. What is your opinion of ISIS slaughtering those of the Shia sect and Christians in northern Iraq? How can you blame the Jews for that? If you honestly believe the lies of Hamas then you have no comprehension of the 1500 year old battle between, Christians, Jews and Muslims. PS I gave 28 years of my life serving in the US military. I was a military historian and journalist and got a first hand look at the Middle East. Believe me when I say, I wouldn't trust a Muslim any further than I could throw one. As for Israel, it isn't perfect, but it is a true democracy. Name another democracy in the Middle-East.

Very good boberic. I'm beginning to question the authenticity of Larry. I'm familiar with the hill country of Texas, Austin area, and it is hard for me to believe that someone with Larry's name lives there. I think someone should investigate him and see if he really exists. Don't mean bother him in anyway, but actually find out if he actually is an American or just a plant with a beard who resides elsewhere. If he is for real then he probably is one of those U. of Texas far lefties.

What Mr. Payne fails to understand is the basic problem with Islam. Islam is more than a religion, it is a total way of life in which we Westerners often fail to comprehend. The Koran is not just a roadmap to Allah, but specific guidance on how to live and conduct oneself in life. It preaches that Islam is the only way and that non-believers must be converted, subjugated or killed. The Jews do not believe that this is the way of God and Christians don't either. It is true that many have been slaughtered in the war between faiths and a perfect example is what is going on in Syria and Iraq right not. Muslems don't and won't recognize Israel's right to exist. Israel is not out to conquer the Mid-East, but the Mid-East swears to destroy Israel. What choice do the Jews have but to kill those who have sworn to kill them.

Everything you said in your rant list is completely false. Reading your statements makes me shudder at the fact that use a flag pix. My bet is that you are a USA hater from the get go. If you love the Islamists so much why don't you move to the Mid-East, or are you already there?

Hamas doesn't give a dam about its citizenry! Hamas is an arm of Iran and does what Iran tells them to do. Hamas and Hezbollah are twins doing Iran's bidding. The problem Iran has right now is ISIS. ISIS now has the weaponry and $$$ to defeat Syria's Shia government and piece by piece take over much of the Middle East. When Bagdad falls Iran will be forced to send in its armies to fight ISS, but they are holding off until they acquire the nukes to defeat ISIS with. The reason Israel has been able to call up over 60,000 reserves to go after Hamas is because Hezbollah on its northern borders is too busy fighting ISIS forces to pick a fight with Israel. Meanwhile O'Bama is in a frenzied twister trying to figure it all out without any idea of what to do. He is so far out of his element now that it is almost comical, except for the fact that things are getting way out of hand and there is no country that can do anything about it. This is a military situation and not one that can be negotiated. War is War and the Middle East is in the process of blowing up in his face.

I get most of news from the BBC and CNN. Both are left leaning, but nothing like radical left MSNBC. ABC and CBS are in the Democrat column and as we all know Fox is conservative. The problem with Fox, aside from their constant ranting about O'Bama's failures, is that they fill the empty spaces with not newsworthy puff materiel that shouldn't be broadcast. The television news service are all about ratings and entertainment and often have little to do with actual news. When they cover big events like the ISIS invasion of Iraq, the Israel invasion of Gaza they often get their facts wrong. Thats because they don't have the network of reporters like the old Associated Press used to have. Television news is way too politically slanted for my liking.

ArtzDarkroom: I'm a retired NCO and I regularly visit three nearby military installations. Believe me when I say O'Bama is greatly disliked by our men and women in uniform. Especially by career personnel with over six years of serice. This is across the board covering all races and both genders. O'Bama does not like the military and he knows that the feeling in mutual. Maybe thats part of his reason for cutting the size of our military to the point that we will no longer be able to defend the democracies of the world.