I broke down and bought the Nikon D80 a few months ago and absolutely love it. We are actually going to get a second one because having 2 photographers, 13 lens and only one decent DSLR is not working real well. Keep in mind, he's a pro and we have a slew of Nikon film SLRs around here, hence all the lenses. We have also had a Nikon digital Coolpix 960 for a good 7 years. It's on it's last legs, but is a great macro camera (no real point here, just another Nikon plug). My first "real" camera was a Olympus SLR I bought in college about 25 years ago. The first time someone put a Nikon 8008 film camera in my hands, I went Nikon and never looked back. We've also had Sony and Kodak digital cameras, as well as Hasselblad, Leica and a bunch of other pro film cameras. The household pro has been overwhelmed with what he gets out of the D80. The Nikon D80 is the little brother to the Nikon pro D200 but the D80 really seemed to be the better camera. The few additional features the D200 had, didn't justify the additional cost. A good photographer can manipulate the D80 to behave the same. For macro I use a Nikkor 60mm, we also have a 105mm macro. No matter how you look at it, macro is frustrating to learn. A little point and shot with a good macro setting is far easier. For wildlife pictures or when we are birding, he uses a 300mm and I use a general purpose 70-210mm (easier for me to hand hold and it's been my fave lens since long before digital). If you saw my space shuttle shots, they were taken with the D80 and the 300mm (from 10 miles away). I can also upload some day light shuttle shots, not taken during the launch, using a 500mm with an extension making it the digital equivalent of a 1000mm but the 300mm is so much sharper the added focal length of the 500mm with the extension isn't worth it. When he gets done running the pics we took yesterday at the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, through photoshop (500 of them), I'll upload them to my flickr pages. The detail using the D80 with the 300mm will blow you away. I've also got some macro shots (60mm) of a scaph around here I need to run through photoshop, but the preliminary review I did of them is mind boggling, as far as the detail is concerned (now that I'm figuring out how to use it and get the depth of field right). There are a few recent macro shots I've taken with the D80 up on flickr already, they would be tagged D80, most of the rest of my orchid pics were taken using the Coolpix. If you want an idea of what I get out of it, keep in mind, I'm having to relearn how to use all these lenses on the digital SLR. I've got a ways to go yet. Another thing, don't feel it's necessary to buy new lenses. The pros, collectors and serious hobbyists buy, sell and trade lenses all the time. You can get perfectly good lenses that are 20 years old for a fraction of what new digital lenses cost. The new digital lenses aren't any better (okay, they are lighter) and work the same. All Nikon lenses made since the 50's (I believe) work on both film and digital cameras. That's my 5 cents. Laura

My camera blurs also with reds and near reds. I failed miserably when my Benfica just bloomed. When I have an intense color like this, I wait until late in the afternoon and go out on the deck on the South side of the house and snap sometimes dozens of photos until I get some I'm satisfied is the accurate color moving the face of the flowers this way and that way..not so with reds unfortunately. I just have have a tiny Sony camera with 12.1mega pixels, (which is now obsolete) and of course I always use macro..never a flash with a color like this...People who really know cameras (certainly not me) go in and change whatever it is that allows light through and then you have to change it back. I also have a 8.1 Sony mega pixel which takes an equally good photo. I'm not always as successful as I was with this intense pink, my husband was amazed that I did manage to get it exactly right..doesn't always happen. I have to say, whatever this flower is.. it is thee most eye catching, almost florencent, intense rose pink I have ever seen! I guess I'll continue to call her/him Hercules until another ID comes up..Happy shooting, Donna

The major challenge with taking photos of some of my Pleurothalids (especially this one), is that many are in my Palludarium. Although not impossible, access for photos is not always easy!;~) They're rooted in and not moveable to a more ideal location for photos. I also am having to do this through the glass walls. I do have an older photo and it's actually better. I've no idea how it happened, but... "What kind of lighting are you using?" I tried several different things, including my Canon MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite Flash. I had too many issue with reflection off of the glass. Anything else gave far too much glare. Tripod, timer and ISO set at 100, but otherwise total darkness with a simple halogen headlamp aimed off to the side. As much as I complain, you'd think that I'd spend more time reading the book. I've just figured out things as I've went along!;~) Apparently, I've had some confusion over the difference between f-stop's and the ISO. This should make for the next big jump in quality!!:~) I might as well devote some time to reading the frickin' thing. I can't always rely on luck, or at least not anymore!;~) Thanks! Scott

A strong blast of water or squishing with fingers will take care of aphids, especially since you only have a couple of bushes with the problem. THe other issue sounds a bit like powdery mildew, which some roses are succeptible to in cool spring conditons. WiltPruf or Cornell Formula sprayed carefully on the leaves and not the bugs will take care of it for you. Both will smother any bugs that they get on, friend or foe though, so if you've just released your ladybugs, just live with the disease.