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<blockquote data-quote="lorenbrothers" data-source="post: 506522" data-attributes="member: 41042"><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin&nbsp; &nbsp; :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" />&nbsp; I guess you can call me a real newbie &quot;Nikonite&quot;&nbsp; since I really don't even own a Nikon ... not yet anyways.&nbsp; I will shortly though!As sort of a background:&nbsp; I live up in Concrete, Washington in a 1917 farmhouse right at the foothills of the North Cascades National Park.&nbsp; Some call it 'God's Country' and I think it is.&nbsp; (you will probably be seeing a lot of photographs of the area from me. I started in photography back in 1973 using a Minolta SR-T 101 and developing/printing B/W in my own darkroom.&nbsp; Landscapes and old buildings were my passion. After somebody stole my full Minolta set I graduated to a Canon AE1 (which I just gave away to a collector in March).&nbsp; After the death of the concept of 'film' I proceeded with the rest of the herd into digital.&nbsp; Mainly various cheap and cheesy point-and-shoots in the &lt;$300 range, a Canon 4meg Powershot G2 (which I really, really liked the feel of!), and 5 months ago a Canon &quot;bridge&quot; Powershot SX520HS (which is total junk BTW).Alas, nothing was ever quite the same as my dear old Minolta though.&nbsp; I missed the solid weight, the feel of grabbing the lens and dialing in the focus to perfection, the sound of a real mirror flipping up and down, and being able to change a lens on a whim.&nbsp; But the realities of life were such that my budget always restricted me to mediocre equipment.&nbsp; I still took photographs whenever I could but with less than satisfying results.&nbsp; For me photography was like fishing:&nbsp; some days you fish and some days you catch. I kept trying to enter Photography competitions but my end product was never up to snuff. Well last week that all changed.&nbsp; I had been submitting photographs in a contest run by Camel; understanding of course that it was a hopeless cause.&nbsp; But last Thursday morning I got a call from the contest folk telling me that one of my photos had been selected as a finalist and that I had won $10,000 worth of Nikon camera gear!&nbsp; One could have knocked me over with a feather!So, I guess I'm a &quot;Nikonite&quot; now.&nbsp; <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink&nbsp; &nbsp; ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />My soon to be goodies:&nbsp; ·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; NIKON D810 CAMERA&nbsp; - $2,997<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-D810-FX-format-Digital-Camera/dp/B00LAJQVR6" target="_blank">Amazon.com : Nikon D810 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body : Camera &amp; Photo</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; NIKON 14-24MM LENS&nbsp; - $1,997<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-14-24mm-Focus-S-Nikkor-Angle/dp/B000VDCTCI" target="_blank">Amazon.com : Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras : Camera Lenses : Camera &amp; Photo</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; NIKON 24-70MM LENS&nbsp; - $1,886<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-24-70mm-Focus-S-Nikkor-Angle/dp/B000VDCT3C" target="_blank">Amazon.com : Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras : Camera Lenses : Camera &amp; Photo</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; NIKON 70-200MM LENS&nbsp; - $2,396<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-70-200mm-Nikkor-Digital-Cameras/dp/B002JCSV8U" target="_blank">Amazon.com : Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens For Nikon Digital SLR Cameras : Camera Lenses : Camera &amp; Photo</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; VANGUARD CARBON FIBER TRIPOD AND HEAD&nbsp; - $299<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vanguard-Alta-Pro-Carbon-Tripod/dp/B003XDU2X6" target="_blank">Amazon.com : Vanguard Alta Pro 253CT Carbon Fiber Tripod with SBH-50 Ball Head : Camera &amp; Photo</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; CAMERA VEST&nbsp; - $149<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cotton-Carrier-Vest-system-camera/dp/B0079RQZBU" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Cotton-Carrier-Vest-system-camera/dp/B0079RQZBU</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; BLACK DIAMOND ALPINE CARBON TREKKING POLES&nbsp; - $159<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Alpine-Carbon-Trekking/dp/B00AU2R8XU" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Alpine-Carbon-Trekking/dp/B00AU2R8XU</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; CHROME CAMERA BAG&nbsp; - $180<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chrome-Unisex-Niko-Pack/dp/B010GPRRXQ" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Chrome-Unisex-Niko-Pack/dp/B010GPRRXQ</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; VANGUARD SBH-300 BALL HEAD W/2 BUBBLE LEVELS&nbsp; - $109<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vanguard-SBH-300-Large-Format-Magnesium-Ballhead/dp/B0016D3H1O" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Vanguard-SBH-300-Large-Format-Magnesium-Ballhead/dp/B0016D3H1O</a>&nbsp;TOTAL:&nbsp; $10,172&nbsp;&nbsp; ($10,217Of course I will be pestering you all with silly questions now. I can't post a copy of the winning picture since RJReynolds owns the copyright now (and probably rights to my first-born son) but as soon as I figure out how this site works links/uploads you will be seeing some 'non-winning' ones.&nbsp; Loren :shame:</blockquote>

[QUOTE="lorenbrothers, post: 506522, member: 41042"] :D I guess you can call me a real newbie "Nikonite" since I really don't even own a Nikon ... not yet anyways. I will shortly though! As sort of a background: I live up in Concrete, Washington in a 1917 farmhouse right at the foothills of the North Cascades National Park. Some call it 'God's Country' and I think it is. (you will probably be seeing a lot of photographs of the area from me. I started in photography back in 1973 using a Minolta SR-T 101 and developing/printing B/W in my own darkroom. Landscapes and old buildings were my passion. After somebody stole my full Minolta set I graduated to a Canon AE1 (which I just gave away to a collector in March). After the death of the concept of 'film' I proceeded with the rest of the herd into digital. Mainly various cheap and cheesy point-and-shoots in the <$300 range, a Canon 4meg Powershot G2 (which I really, really liked the feel of!), and 5 months ago a Canon "bridge" Powershot SX520HS (which is total junk BTW). Alas, nothing was ever quite the same as my dear old Minolta though. I missed the solid weight, the feel of grabbing the lens and dialing in the focus to perfection, the sound of a real mirror flipping up and down, and being able to change a lens on a whim. But the realities of life were such that my budget always restricted me to mediocre equipment. I still took photographs whenever I could but with less than satisfying results. For me photography was like fishing: some days you fish and some days you catch. I kept trying to enter Photography competitions but my end product was never up to snuff. Well last week that all changed. I had been submitting photographs in a contest run by Camel; understanding of course that it was a hopeless cause. But last Thursday morning I got a call from the contest folk telling me that one of my photos had been selected as a finalist and that I had won $10,000 worth of Nikon camera gear! One could have knocked me over with a feather! So, I guess I'm a "Nikonite" now. ;) My soon to be goodies: · [U]NIKON D810 CAMERA[/U] - [B]$2,997[/B] [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-D810-FX-format-Digital-Camera/dp/B00LAJQVR6"]Amazon.com : Nikon D810 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body : Camera & Photo[/URL] · [U]NIKON 14-24MM LENS[/U] - [B]$1,997[/B] [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-14-24mm-Focus-S-Nikkor-Angle/dp/B000VDCTCI"]Amazon.com : Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras : Camera Lenses : Camera & Photo[/URL] · [U]NIKON 24-70MM LENS[/U] - [B]$1,886[/B] [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-24-70mm-Focus-S-Nikkor-Angle/dp/B000VDCT3C"]Amazon.com : Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras : Camera Lenses : Camera & Photo[/URL] · [U]NIKON 70-200MM LENS[/U] - [B]$2,396[/B] [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-70-200mm-Nikkor-Digital-Cameras/dp/B002JCSV8U"]Amazon.com : Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens For Nikon Digital SLR Cameras : Camera Lenses : Camera & Photo[/URL] · [U]VANGUARD CARBON FIBER TRIPOD AND HEAD[/U] - [B]$299[/B] [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Vanguard-Alta-Pro-Carbon-Tripod/dp/B003XDU2X6"]Amazon.com : Vanguard Alta Pro 253CT Carbon Fiber Tripod with SBH-50 Ball Head : Camera & Photo[/URL] · [U]CAMERA VEST[/U] - [B]$149[/B] [URL]http://www.amazon.com/Cotton-Carrier-Vest-system-camera/dp/B0079RQZBU[/URL] · [U]BLACK DIAMOND ALPINE CARBON TREKKING POLES[/U] - [B]$159[/B] [URL]http://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Alpine-Carbon-Trekking/dp/B00AU2R8XU[/URL] · [U]CHROME CAMERA BAG[/U] - [B]$180[/B] [URL]http://www.amazon.com/Chrome-Unisex-Niko-Pack/dp/B010GPRRXQ[/URL] · [U]VANGUARD SBH-300 BALL HEAD W/2 BUBBLE LEVELS[/U] - [B]$109[/B] [URL]http://www.amazon.com/Vanguard-SBH-300-Large-Format-Magnesium-Ballhead/dp/B0016D3H1O[/URL] TOTAL: [B]$10,172[/B] ($10,217 Of course I will be pestering you all with silly questions now. I can't post a copy of the winning picture since RJReynolds owns the copyright now (and probably rights to my first-born son) but as soon as I figure out how this site works links/uploads you will be seeing some 'non-winning' ones. Loren :shame: [/QUOTE]

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