I am of the "don't say anything if you can't say something nice" crowd, especially when the photo is posted in a section that isn't open to criticism. On the other hand, if I don't think the photo(s) are especially nice, I just move on without leaving a comment.

Not long ago I posted some photos of a woodpecker in our backyard, and one comment was to the effect that some of them looked a little soft. I don't mind that criticism, I shot through the kitchen window, so yeah.

Check the Nikkor Lens Compatibility Chart to see which Nikon cameras are "fully functional" with AI-series lenses.
https://www.nikonusa.com/images/learn-explore/photography-techniques/2011/which-nikkor-is-right-for-you/media/nikkor-lens-compatibility-chart.pdf

US Navy, 1974-1980. Surface Sonar Technician (AN/SQS-26BX). E6 when I got out (STG1).

Our neighborhood red-bellied woodpecker was seen in the backyard this morning. He was hopping around the tree until he spotted the peanuts which had been put out. It wasn't long before he helped himself!

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You might check out one of the sizes of these on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0948CZTS7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I just bought the 'XXXXXL' size for my new Nikkor 180-600mm lens. Nikon was nice enough to include a cloth to wrap the lens, but I was looking for something a little more substantial. This works great for me.

I have the F-mount Sigma 150-600mm; it does great on my D750, but I haven't been satisfied with the results on my Z8. I've seen a couple of videos on YouTube showing that the lens tends to 'focus breathe' at the longer reach on mirrorless cameras. You can sometimes see it going slightly in and out of focus while your focus point is stationary.

I just received my Nikkor 180-600mm lens last week, and I've been pleased with the results I've gotten so far.

Watched Jared Polin's review on YouTube. He agreed with a lot of the criticisms which have been posted here, but came to the conclusion that it was a great lens for parents of young kids, to take photos of their kids playing outdoors. He like the versatility that the extreme zoom gives. He stressed that at the higher zoom ranges, you should strive to fill the frame as much as possible, as the aperture is going to allow the background to possibly be in more focus than you desire. The zoom range is quite impressive.

I'm not in the market; I just received my Nikkor 180-600mm last week.

From Wikipedia:
Yashica Co., Ltd. was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, lenses, and film editing equipment active from 1949 until 2005 when its then-owner, Kyocera, ceased production. It acquired the lens manufacturer Tomioka (Tomioka Optical Co., Ltd).

In 2008, the Yashica name reappeared on cameras produced by the Hong Kong-based MF Jebsen Group. In 2015, trademark rights were transferred to Yashica International Company Limited and appointed 100 Enterprises International Group Co. Limited as Yashica Global Sole Agent.

Sad to see what has happened to the Yashica brand. I used a Yashica twin-lens reflex on the high school newspaper when I was a kid (long ago!). Can't believe I used to shoot football and basketball with that!

Welcome back! I got a Z8 a few months ago, and I agree, the learning curve is pretty steep (I have a D750, too), with all of the auto-focus modes and such. I got Steve Perry's guide for the Z8, and kind of made my own modifications to my setup from there.

I've been shooting a lot of wildlife in my backyard, and it has helped getting 'muscle memory' with switching auto-focus detection modes, ISO, and exposure compensation. I really like the location of the ISO and exposure compensation buttons.

Heading out to San Antonio this morning. Going to visit the Japanese Tea Gardens on the way to the Zoo.

Get yourself a small bridge camera; I invested in a Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80, and it has been allowed in all of the 'smaller' venues around Austin and San Antonio. I haven't tried taking it to an arena-sized show, and generally stay away from the really big shows anyway.
The DC-ZS80 has a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 24-720mm and shoots 4K video. I set it to ISO 6400 (the highest it will go), aperture priority, and hope the lights are bright enough to get a decent shutter speed.

Here's a few photos from the last show we attended; Gov't Mule at ACL Live at the Moody Theatre. The main floor was General Admission, so we had seats in the 2nd row of the balcony. For future shows, I think the mezzanine/balcony is the place to be. The main floor is flat, but the mezzanine and balcony seats have a good slope, so easier to see if/when someone tall is sitting in front of you.

These were shot with my 'concert camera'; a Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80. The camera takes 4K video, too. Here's a link to my Dropbox with a video from the Peter Frampton show last November...

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/danna398l5qgclccich7o/2023-11-13_Peter-Frampton.mp4?rlkey=pqc5jdoczzonhpdvcwmxfrw4x&dl=0

Gov't Mule

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Warren Haynes

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Warren Haynes

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Main floor was General Admission; I'm too old to stand up through a ~3 hour show!

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This is a note for the upcoming Bob Dylan show at ACL Live at the Moody Theatre here in Austin:

PLEASE NOTE: This show will be a phone-free experience provided by YONDR. Use of cell phones, smart watches, cameras and recording devices will not be permitted in the performance space, upon arrival at the venue, all devices will be secured in YONDR pouches that will be opened at the end of the event.

Most of the mid-size venues around Austin and San Antonio have a similar policy:
"No professional photography equipment or audio/video recording equipment will be allowed into the venue. Only cameras without detachable lenses and that are smaller than a shirt pocket will be allowed into the venue."

So, I bought a Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80. It has a lot of noise at extended ISO, but nothing that can't be removed. I've gotten some pretty good photos and video with it. I've not had it turned away yet.

When Windows 11 came out, the update told me that my hardware was not worthy of running Windows 11. I'm OK with Windows 10 (heck, I was fine with Windows XP)!