I used the nüvi pretty extensively today on the drive to Maine and back. You can have a single via point; if you're navigating a route and choose a new destination, it will ask you if you want to use that as a via point. If you then choose another, it will ask you if you want to replace your existing via point with the new one. The verbiage was very clear, which I appreciated. Maybe it's just where I had it mounted today, but the screen's not very polarizing-sunglasses-friendly; it takes on a dark, blue tinge. I can still see it, but nowhere near as clearly as without. My polarizing sunglasses are so G-ddamned uncomfortable, though, that it hardly matters.
Finally, the windscreen suction cup dropped off the dash twice on the drive up this morning, but stayed put the rest of the trip on bumpy back roads and all the way back home on freeways.
I forgot to mention the other day that the nüvi doesn't come with a printed manual. It comes with a *stack* of quick-start guides (for at least 10 languages), but no manual. Frankly, I find that inexcusable for *any* device, let alone one costing nearly $700!
Congrats on the new camera, Armen, and I'm glad you got the picture that Canon is the One True Camera.
Where'd you buy it? Sheena said something about a "mall"?
If you're not already familiar with them, check out Hunt Photography in Melrose. Only been there once, but they were very helpful, and their prices were reasonable, if not rock-bottom low.
You're off to a good start with the filters and the long lens! Josh and I both have the Sigma 70-300mm lens (which also doubles as a macro lens between 200 and 300mm). I paid about $200 for that. You're welcome to borrow it if you'd like to compare it to your Quantaray. Quantaray rings a bell, but I can't say I've come across the brand recently... Get a remote release, and a tripod if you haven't already. I've got several pieces of Bogen/Manfrotto kit and am very happy with it. They're not the cheapest on the market, but far from the most expensive, and are well-built. I'm fairly certain I could jack up my MINI with the tripod... I've become something of a quick-release plate addict; Bogen makes a $30 quick-release adapter that screws onto any support device that screws into the camera. I've got two of those and will probably add a third; they're that handy. Get a handful of CF cards and at least two batteries. I've seen lots of people recommend against getting one or a few *really* big CF cards, so you don't have all your eggs in one basket should one card crap out. I've got three 2G cards and that's a good fit for me.
Crumpler makes nice bags that don't look like camera bags. Find a good way to clean your filters, and then let me know what it is; all of mine are now smudged and I haven't been able to clean them satisfactorily.
Check out Practical Photography. It's a British magazine and very good (and very expensive...). Why is it that the UK mags are so much better than ours??
My current lens arsenal consists of the 18-55mm kit lens, the Canon 50mm ƒ/1.8 "nifty fifty" (a steal at $70), a Sigma 70-300mm (the newer APO DG one), and the Canon 10-22mm super-wide angle lens. I think the 18-55mm range is a really nice one, and I've toyed with the idea of getting the 18-55mm ƒ/2.8 IS lens (to the tune of a cool grand) because I think I'd use it more than any of the others. I'm happy with all of them, but have been using the 10-22 the most lately. The Sigma seems quite good for the price.
*whew* Was that a long enough post?
