Version 3.0.1 has rolled-out with an attempt to fix 3rd party lens compatibility. May want to stand by and see how well that fix is working for other people.
@Clovishound thanks for looking up the VR spec, I could not remember.
And I would say Nikon is not slowly removing DSLR from their lineup. They have already struck them as current products on the Japan website. All the D-series bodies are in their legacy section today. Just a matter of moving...
A few thoughts. As I read your story I really hear a lot of desire for zooming in to long telephoto focal length. I do not detect any concern for shooting a wider focal for things like group photos or a landscape. I am guessing that is not the case and you are taking that ability for granted...
@Eduard I would wish you could take a slow trip back to Chicago on the secondary highways right now. One year ago I drove from Madison, WI to Benton, IL in the very rural south of the state, for the eclipse. But I can report across the entire state on the rural plains those small farm...
While I agree with shooting Raw and tweeking the color layer, I tried to answer the OP's question in a direct manner.
I have to disagree with the people complaining about Picture Control being difficult to use. Rolling a custom color profile all by yourself with the software is the hard part...
We have to start with "is the lens cap still on?" Sorry, but never overlook the obvious.
Something stuck to the front of the lens? I don't want to immediately jump to a failure of the sensor.
It is the Nikon DK-20 eyecup and aftermarket versions are cheap and plentiful on Amazon and other sources. There are some alternate eyecups also available out there that fit on the viewfinder and shade the eye better. But at the cost of sticking out the back more.
I have not been a user of Fuji and I only have the 1st generation Z5.
The Nikon terminology is Picture Controls for the color profiles. With the default setup, the Picture Controls are available after pressing the "i" button and selecting in the menu that appears. You can preload profiles on...
15 years ago for a D80 and later D7000 I used a Tamron 18-270mm VC PZD. It gave acceptable photos. These "superzoom" type lenses tend to show barrel and pincushion distortions at the extremes of both ends of the zoom range. And it is typical to have a lot of focus-creep. As in the field of view...
I think with your multiple subject interests, a zoom is going to be important. Honestly, you can lower the budget a lot. My recommendation is going to be about $100 on the current used market.
https://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/nikon/28-105mm-f3.5-4.5d-af-nikkor/review/
28-105mm...