You are getting some good recommendations. Also check out the Three Capes Scenic Loop near Tillamook.

You can't go wrong to spend a day at Silver Falls State Park near Salem, with ten waterfalls.

Portland provides some great photo opportunities and you will also find a lot of fantastic locations in the Columbia River Gorge and near Mount Hood.

I upgraded from the 6D Mark-II to the EOS R in February. The EOS RP was announced the day after I ordered the EOS R, so I did a very fast comparison and still think I made the right decision.

1. EVF is almost twice the resolution and the LCD screen is slightly larger.

2. More AF points. 100% vertical and about 85% horizontal.

3. 8 fps vs. 5 fps. Not as fast as the old 7D-ii, though.

4. The EOS R uses the same battery as Canon DSLRs and gets more than 100 more shots that the NEW battery you would be moving to in the RP. It's my understanding that the BG-E22 battery grip is not compatible with the RP.

5. Touch and feel: The EOS R feels robust in the hand, much like a DSLR. In my hand I get a 4-finger grip. The EOS RP feels more like a M50. Some feel they must spend $79 for the grip extender just to make the camera feel "normal".


The EOS R is a STEAL at $1,799.

Lenses:

I have the RF 24-105 f/4 and the RF 35 f/1.8 IS Macro STM lenses. The RF 24-105 is a fantastic lens and the new RF mount allows lenses to perform better "wide open" than the EF lenses do.

I prefer fixed aperture zooms, but if you are looking at just one, that RF 24-240 is not an "L" lens.

Lens Adapter:

I have the have the control ring mount adapter. The RF lenses place the control ring at the front of the lens. With the control ring at the back of the adapter, position right where I grip the camera and lens when shooting. When I had ISO assigned to the control ring, I was involuntarily changing the ISO. When I switched the control ring to aperture, I had to either depress the shutter button or back button auto focus in order to change aperture. Maybe I will find a use for the control ring someday.

For me, it was a question of do I want a camera that I can grow in to? Or a camera that I will probably want to upgrade from in a couple of years.

Sony has a list of Authorized Dealers on their website. Beach Camera and Buydig are the same company and are definitely CANON authorized. So they are probably authorized for Sony as well.

In most cases, buying grey market means you will not be able to get repair service or warranty support from any of the manufacturer’s authorized agents.

In Russia, museums, cathedrals, and places like The Kremlin should offer a more expensive ticket option that permits photography. A photo billet (ticket). You might get asked to show the ticket or to stop photographing. Paying for a tour often solves the problem as well.

Be careful about an individual or group hovering around you on the street trying to sell you something. They might be trying to distract you and steal your gear. Be aware of your surroundings on the street. Avoid shooting alone on the street in Moscow or St. Petersburg showing off a big gear bag, tripod, and telephoto lens. But you could safely do so in a group.

KEH, Adorama and B&H are all safe and reputable. All three offer accurate equipment grading systems. KEH is offering a free one-year warranty and free shipping (orders over $49) through the end of December. I think that all three offer at least a minimum 30-day warranty. It is worth spending extra for used gear with them than risking purchase through eBay or a local classified website.

I have purchased a lens or two from KEH and also have sold to them when they came to Salt Lake City in the past. They thoroughly inspect gear before making an offer. I've purchased new gear from Adorama and B&H. Both offer excellent customer service and fair prices on new and used gear.

Cheers!

BuyDig IS an Authorized Canon Dealer. I purchased a Canon EOS 80D and a Canon photo printer from them a couple of years ago. It came in the Canon packaging with the Canon USA warranty card. It was a great camera that I sold to a friend because I upgraded to full-frame. She has had no problems with the camera. You can review a PDF list of Canon Authorized dealers here:

http://downloads.canon.com/dealer/canon-ad-10-08-18.pdf

All manufacturers like Nikon, Canon, Sony, Sigma, Tamron, etc. have a dealer list. You can search to find out of BuyDig is legitimate for the brand you want to buy.