David Lal

RB, I'm not a portraitist (except accidentally)  but I liked all your pictures. I'm not sure whether the [Elizabethan?} man in #1 or the bubble blowing, doll-like [Geisha?] in #2 is my favourite.

That will be interesting. I would not use the card again for serious photography though.

I sympathise and empathise. Most of my working life I was working in Europe while my elderly parents were in England. Nothing like the enormous distances with which you are having to deal but I do ...

Mine is a Cobra tabletop. In fact, I've got two of them (one for a flashgun, the other for camera and [macro] lens). Unfortunately, I can't find the model name. All metal construction, closed ...

For serious video I'd use a proper video camera.

When the popup flash is raised it should fire regardless of ambient light and aperture/ISO settings.

.. mere whippersnapper in short trousers then? Do your Mummy and Daddy know you've spent all your pocket money on this new lens? ;-)

Very good images Brian and I especially like your #3, the goldfinch. I imagine you must have managed to get physically quite close? I also have the Nik 200-500 and it is very capable. The main ...

Certainly agree about auto ADL (and I would never use auto-ISO either if using flash). This scenario absolutely screams (to my ears/eyes) go fully manual. This is a bird (humming bird?) on a ...

@Reggie: Sound advice! @Julie: Cancel your travel plans if you can (I have). This is a terrible time to be planning international, long distance travel.

I would advise acquisition of a jeweller's loupe for all sensor-cleaning operations. They are not expensive and can be held between eyebrow ridge and cheek bone by squinting which leaves both ...

To my eye that spot does not look like oil - more like a common or garden dust bunny. If you take the lens off the camera and raise the mirror can you see anything on the sensor if viewing via a ...

NXD is the first step in all my image processing and it's quite good. It respects all the camera settings and it is of course, free. I use it to convert .NEF Nikon files to either .TIF or .JPG but ...

When you say 'download' what do you mean? Are you putting the SD card in a reader? Could it be the card reader is faulty? Hopefully you are not downloading via cable attached to the camera. Sandisk ...

I note you did not take a 23" monitor, dye sublimation printer, a diesel generator to handle recharging nor a jerry can of fuel?!! When I travel it is generally a holiday with my partner or a group ...

Fourteen years ago I had to make do with a humble D70 and the only lens I had at the time which was a Sigma 180mm. This is what really young Great Tits look like: Subject distance about 40cm (I think)

Well, obviously, I can see the potential - and I have done this kind of thing myself - but to my eye not really appealing.

I think all of the major graphics programs offer that kind of thing and more. My graphics editor is Paintshop Pro and it certainly has that sort of thing in it. I'm sure Photoshop would as well ...

Nick, here's a friendly warning. Unless you have a compelling need to update firmware then don't do it. Even then, ensure you have a plan for a successful rollback. Mid-update firmware failure is a ...

Does it really make sense not to have the same lens? Sorry, I don't think you have a well-defined need at all, especially as you have not said what you intend to photograph. What's wrong with ...