Camera west, in California, has a good on-line store, with a good list of used equipment.
http://www.camerawest.com/

B&C Camera in Las Vegas.
https://store.bandccamera.com

I have owned many Neutral density filters. From various screw on types all the way up to the largest square filters (150mm for my Nikon 14-24)
and very recently I discovered a new brand called NISI. I can't tell you how impressed I am with this filter. It creates very little vignetting, because it is so then. also it has a very slippery coating so when you're photographing waterfalls the water droplets wipe away easily. one other thing to consider, it's glass. That means it's hard and will not scratch as easily. Whatever glass they use is also very strong. On a trip to Oregon I accidentally dropped the filter, it landed directly on the corner and I expected to pick up a shattered mess. However all you did was create a tiny little chip.

the other advice I can give you is to buy your filters from 2Filter.com. I been using these guys for years they know what they're doing. If you have questions just give them a call and you will get good straightforward advice.

http://www.2filter.com/cgi-2filter/sb/productsearch.cgi?storeid=*101fb218ae07c0417f56&search_field=nisi

I use Filters on the 14-24? They are obnoxiously large, but they work really well. at one time I had both the 16 – 35 and the 14 – 24, and the latter is it much sharper lens. However it's bigger and heavier, and everything that goes with it filters included is also.

Lots of good information here. if you're new to digital I would suggest that you watch some of the YouTube videos that explain these topics. Tony Northrop is a good place to start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtDotqLx6nA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDbUIfB5YUc

I am not sure that F22 is recommended. next time try different stops. Every lens acts differently to tight f-stops. One thing is clear, f22 will have a ton of diffraction, it will show the dust on the sensor, and make strange reflections appear in the lens.

Couple questions
Are you shooting at a high ISO and using in camera noise reduction?
Are these un-cropped?

I would use a tripod, lowest iso, no in camera adjustments. if the images still look soft then borrow a sharp lens and try again. if it is the lens then...

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/refurbished-camera-lenses/af-s-dx-nikkor-35mm-f1.8g-refurbished.html

http://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/Best-lenses-for-the-24-Mpix-Nikon-D7100-Wide-angle-and-primes-and-zooms/Best-wide-and-ultra-angle-primes-for-the-D7100

There are some great Canon lenses. I would recommend checking Brian Smith for info on adapters...
http://briansmith.com/gear/sony-lens-adapters/

Right now there are a ton of lenses in that range, including the new sony 70-300, that appears to be very sharp and small/light.

My Girlfriend (Married for 25 years) might take issue with that.

You're going to get a lot of good advice on this site. And as many have pointed out the brand is really not important. However I would never say just pick one.... this should be your first step in a long enjoyable photography experience. The first piece of advice I would give is, if you have a friend that is into photography, and willing to help, go with the same brand that they use. Having that one-on-one experience person that you can call on the phone, borrow a battery – memory card – lens... there are just too many positives to list. The less obvious, but important thing is how it feels in your hand. Is it comfortable, can you reach all of the controls easily?

So here's a short list of other things to consider.

1. You want the simplest and most straightforward camera you can find. Today I shoot with Canon, Nikon, and Sony. It's a luxury for me that I have access to multiple brands. The brand that I'm using most today is Sony. but I would never recommend a Sony to you for your first camera. They're very complicated and because of this people get frustrated, and don't use them. With that in mind Nikon, Canon, Fuji, and Olympus all make a model of camera that is simple. The model comes to mind first is the Fuji XT-10. Also, take the advice from camera store salesman with a grain of salt. In my experience these guys can be very helpful, but they also tend to be brand loyal.

2. What is your main interest? All of the current digital cameras are very good, but some are better than others at certain things. For instance a Canon 7d (version 1 or two), or Nikon D500 are good all-around cameras, but are best for sports/wildlife. if your main focus was family, landscape, or travel, those two models would likely not be your best choice.

3. What do you want to do with images? if you plan on using the mostly online (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.), then get a lower megapixel model. If you plan on making large prints, then you're going to need a higher megapixel model. Unless your planning on printing posters I would recommend staying away from the high-end high megapixel cameras. More detail in the next paragraph.

4. what's going to happen to the original images once they leave your camera? Most/all photographers transfer images from the camera to a computer. So what type of computer you have? Does it have adequate storage? To have a way to back it up, so that if it dies you don't lose all your precious memories? this is a another reason why I would stay away from high megapixel cameras. The files take up tons of space, they require more computer power process, and they can really slow things down. I regularly create images for billboards, bus raps. because of this I have a $6000 Mac Pro desktop, with a separate raid backup, and two monitors. The whole thing probably set me back $10,000. Unless you plan on creating billboards, this would be a huge waste of money. In fact the only time you would need this is if you are doing it as a business where time = money. after all of this rambling I would lead you to the basic Canon, Nikon, and Fuji models that range in the 16 to 18 Mpix range. Any computer made in the last five years can handle this type of file size.

5. Do you also want to learn the software to process the images. If yes, then any camera will do. if not then I would really recommend the Fuji or Olympus. Fuji has fantastic in camera processing, that seems to work under that the others. I have led many photo walks, and the JPEG's that come out of Fuji seem to look just a little bit better than the rest.



Once you've considered all of this, go to your local camera store hold the camera (s) in your hand. Remember all of these manufacturers make fantastic cameras so you're going to get a good one. After you've bought it, take as many pictures as you can. You're not going to wear these things out. you can take 1000 pictures of month every month for 10 years. So shoot away. Then join some online groups that will give you reasonable critiques. You don't want one where everybody says it's great, and you don't want the opposite either. Maybe your local meet up group, or camera club...

Have fun!!!

This is sooo right. We charge a very small fee for entering competitions and use that to pay for "out-side" "qualified" judges. would you pay $5 to have one of your favorite images critiqued by a Gallery owner or a photo editor....The answer is usually yes.

That's unfortunate. I belong to 4 groups, one that I run, and three that I enjoy. No one asks me what brand I use. There was a photo walk were a new member (it always seems to be the guys) made a comment that my camera was not worthy. When I won the contest after the walk, he said wow and asked to see my camera. I told him that the camera doesn't matter, and my clients hire me for the finished product, not what tool or I use. He then declared that the contest was not fair because I was a professional.

okay, maybe it wasn't fair. maybe I led the walk to areas where I knew that my system would have an advantage ;) The key here is that every system has its strengths and weakness. When you fall in love with the "badge on the hood" you lose sight of what's important, the final image.

I want to hang out with people who have other brands of cameras. Go out and shoot with them, compare there images with what I'm getting....Maybe your group has gotten too far off course. I would get an old roster and call the members that are not participating. either take the old club back, or start fresh.

I'm the president of the Clark County Artists Guild here in Las Vegas. The problems you're describing are very common. One thing you need to keep in mind is that newer members are very comfortable communicating online, however the purpose of these groups is to get face-to-face and have an interaction/dialogue with a real person. Having an online presence is a good supplement, but you can't get rid of the face-to-face meetings.

The real issue with the newer generation, that they're not used to interacting with actual people. But once they realize the value, they will look forward to face-to-face meetings. I would suggest to your group's leadership put an emphasis on face-to-face meeting, supplemented by the online stuff. Running and managing these types of groups can be very difficult. But keeping our art alive is worth it.

The shutter on that camera is ratted at 150,000 cycles. Keep in mind that that is the manufacturer's rating in real life, if you take care of your camera, you should get much more. any camera body with less than 1000 shots on should be considered like new, as that would be less than 1% of its expected life. AndIf you're really concerned might consider buying a refurbished one. It's only $90 more and comes with a warranty.

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/refurbished-dslr-cameras/d7200-refurbished.html