For me I am lazy.. If I had a D3(s?) I would stick my 18-200vr on it. use it in P mode. !! :-) LOL
(Would be great for general low light shots).. Still I would go manual for panoramas etc..
Yes there is a fair gap in knowledge between a casual user and technicaly capable user.. but thats the same with all fields. I dont change the oil in my car I take it to the garage even though I could probably strip a car down and re-bore the cylinders, change the gaskets and piston rings. I just am not interested.
@Soap: Cool idea !! RE: 2 polarising filters! OK I am off to get my second one this weekend !!
@all: This is the weirdest forum. Almost no thread stays on topic !! LOL.. I really like that we meander around comfortably like old friends chatting on a varanda sipping a brew as the sun sets. :-)
About "pushing" or "pulling" it depends on the sensor. With Fuji S5 sensor you can overexpose quite a bit and still pull back detail. With the Sony sensors its better to underexpose. The best (extreme) example is here .. http://www.flickr.com/photos/carpeicthus/450812330/ (appologies for those who have seen this before.. its quite well known..) ( Yeah, I love my S5pro )
re the modes.. Sports mode or Flower mode is not just 1/500. Its a bit smarter that that. If I had a D90 I would use those modes.. wish they were on the D300S class of cameras. These modes tweek the saturation and auto iso settings a well as the Auto WB and shutter release(continous mode) and autofocus settings, in camera sharpening etc.... That's why I always advocate a new keen photographer to get that class(D90) of cameras and learn to duplicate those modes manually.
Ok I think I am uptodate .. :-) time to go to sleep .. :-)