I am back after an absence of a few months and the first thing I saw was an incredible butterfly shot from you.. Cant find it now but just wanted to say how great it was..

All this has inspired me to get off my butt and do some shooting so soon I will post a few things of my own..not the snapshots of Italy but some more serious thing but I just wanted to again say your are quite the wildlife photographer!

I'm looking at tripods..what do you guys think of this:
Amazon.com: AmazonBasics 70-inch Adjustable Pistol Grip Head Tripod: Camera & Photo

There are not many reviews yet for this product, which I think is relatively new. I also looked at monfrotto tripods, but they can get high in price for a good setup. I'm just an amateur, and my gear does not get abused much.

:tiphat: Thank you!

I'm not familiar with it, but with all of the options that it gives you, it wouldn't be a bad place to start.
The thing that pops out in my mind can be either very good or very bad. The quick-release latches on the legs can be a very good thing, allowing quick adjustability, but they can also be a very bad thing if they don't hold tightly.
$80 is a relatively cheap investment if it works well. I paid almost that much for my ball head only.

The reviews all look pretty good.

*Warning: If you do buy it, watch those rubber feet. Anything like that tends to fall off. I've got one on my monopod and I've "lost" the dumb thing at least three times. Had to wander around in my yard for about a half and hour before I finally found it.

It really depends on what you'll be using it for. If you're using it outdoors in possible high traffic, windy or unstable areas...you should think about spending that money towards a more durable one. Would you really trust an $80 tripod holding your $$$$ camera & lens? For light duty...and I mean indoors and no possibility of people hitting it.... it may be okay. I sure as hell wouldn't leave my gear on that thing unattended though.

I'd stick to Manfrotto or Vanguard. Their less expensive travel ones with a ball head are better choices. I would look into used tripods of those brands if you don't want to spend a ton. The better tripods are also easier to sell if you plan to upgrade later.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take a look at the Travel manfrotto ones real quick. It's tough to say what I will use it for because I'm still expanding and learning for my photography hobby. mostly I will always be near the tripod, but I do agree with your sentiment.

Random USGP shots

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2824/1...ac0c1fa1_c.jpg
Untitled by pandahouse, on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5526/1...2429c106_c.jpg
Untitled by pandahouse, on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3757/1...6109aa1b_c.jpg
Untitled by pandahouse, on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3792/1...f7ac8ff8_c.jpg
Untitled by pandahouse, on Flickr

Continuing with the F1 theme, our local Z car club recently had our Xmas party at Griot's Garage, their showroom had their vintage F1 cars out:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2848/1...e58af1e8_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7420/1...902361a4_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7374/1...2695ab2c_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7423/1...4e5da5e3_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5509/1...e9c84353_b.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2814/1...69ace886_b.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3714/1...7e9af873_b.jpg

awesome stuff! wish i could have gone to the USGP :(

I still think "Last Moment in an Ants Life" was a classic!

Awesome! I wish I had a Z club.

D5100 -> D7000

My brain is exploding from the increased complexity. And it's not even that complex of a camera. Good lord!

Lol, it just takes some getting use to. They're really not that different. Just a few more knobs and buttons on the outside instead of having to go through the menus. I have the same camera, so feel free to ask about anything.

I've still got stuff to learn on it too. This is my first DSLR so I'm starting from the beginning. I'm looking to purchase a Nikon 35mm 1.8G prme end soon, it takes time really nice pictures and is pretty fast and sharp. Seems like a good deal for $200.

Zdayz 2014!!

What's there to learn?
Put it on M, pick an ISO, choose the correct aperture and shutter speed. How hard can it be? :stirthepot: