The Little Bits and Pieces

[Brendo09]

Okay, so I've been playing this game for a few months now, and I"ve got a couple of things to run past everybody to see if there are better ways of doing things to get the same result.

First
I have already accumulated a half dozen lenses. I'm also negotionating on a sigma OS 70-200, which will take up some space. I have boxes and loose things lying around in the wardrobe, and my dearly beloved is starting to give me that look that I really aren't keen on receiving.

I thought my most practical solution to store everything in was a good backpack. I'm bidding on a used Lowepro Runner 350 which looks to have enough storage for a lot of my gear, and some of it (the lesser lenses) will probably get either eBayed or given away.

Is this a practical solution to storage of all the knick-nacks?

Second
Lens cleaning fluid. Do I need it? Is it the same as the stuff for eyeglasses? I bought a cleaning kit (blower, brush, tissue and a lens eraser leather spot thingo) and they gave me a bottle with a squirter on the top to put the fluid in... but no fluid. DO I get some, or not?

Third
I bought a 17-50mm f2.8 Tamron lens without Image Stabilisation. This will be an outdoor good light everyday lens. I have a 35mm f1.8 Nikkor with VR for low light indoors stuff.

Is this 17-50 going to be a dog to shoot with and get good images without blur? Have I blown my $200? It wouldn't be the first time I've researched, spent money, then questioned whether I'd done the right thing.

Fourth
Via lightroom (which I signed up for the monthly fee) can I take a pretty bad image in RAW and turn it into a masterpiece? Does it really all start with a good composition first?

Any comments will be appreciated, possible followed, and maybe thrown aside