Merco_61

Cards fail sometimes, that is why there are warranties.

Why do you need a 6'+ tripod? The head builds 3-4" and the finder is 2-3" above that, so if you are 5'10 you need a tripod that is 5'5 worst case to be able to stand straight. Prices rise exponentially as soon as you need or want longer legs.

I would look for a set of legs and a head separately as a manufacturer that makes one well usually don't for the other. When shopping for a head, make sure that it as Arca-Swiss compatible as that dovetail is a de facto standard.

My suggestion would be to visit a brick-and-mortar store where you can trial fit your cameras and whatever extra things you need room for before you buy. Giving advice on something as personal as a bag is very difficult. Buying sight-unseen is possible, but you will likely not get the best bag for your needs.

Shoulder bag or backpack? Stylish, discreet or a typical camera bag? What degree of protection against both dropping the bag and getting it wet do you need?

I am partial to the quality of Billingham bags for my shoulder bag needs and I have three in different sizes. The old 206 can carry one body and two lenses and it is possible to bring a speedlight as well. The 325 has room for two bodies and three pro zooms as long as the tele zoom is an old 80-200/2.8 as all the 70-200 versions are too long. The 550 has room for everything except for really long teles.

My backpacks are either an old Tamrac Aero 85 when I want one body , some lenses and two speedlights, or a Tamrac Anvil 27 when I want to bring either my old 300 and 500 combination or the Sigma 150-600 Sports and a couple of bodies.

When a shutter blade bows as can be seen in your photos, something catastrophic has happened to it. It is a dead part that needs replacing.

That shutter is shot and a D90 is old enough that it isn't worth fixing, even if the parts were available.

If I were you, I would look for a used D7100 or a D7200 rather than a D3xxx or D5xxx body as the D7xxx is the descendant of the D90. The current D7500 is even more similar to the D90 as the pro features the D7000 inherited from the D300s have been removed to differentiate it more from the D500. It is *a bit* more expensive, though.

The D3xxx and D5xxx are much more menu-driven than the D7xxx and have a much darker viewfinder.