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Maverick Wireless BBQ Thermometer Set - Maverick ET732

6/29/2012

When I got the Big Green Egg, I checked out some of the forums and ran across a couple posts that mention the Maverick ET732. Some of the reviews were mixed, but I decided to take a chance since it seemed to address a real need and was cheaper than some of the alternatives.

As you can see from the picture above, it comes with a transmitter, receiver and two probes (one for food and one for the grill). You simply place the probes in place, shut the grill and monitor the temperature from anywhere within 300 feet. It comes in handy for just about everything I cook on the grill. The ability to monitor the temperature from inside the house when it is over 100 degrees outside is a major upside. I am sure I will be just as impressed in January when it is freezing cold outside.

The ability to see the temperature of the food without opening the grill makes it easier to make sure you pull the food off the grill at the perfect time. I have read that the wires to the probes can burn and ruin them, so I just wrap them in aluminum foil and, so far, I have had no issues. However, they do sell the probes separately, so if you burn them, you can always buy more.

While I can say that my unit is a 5 star product, the inconsistency of the model (see the Amazon reviews) makes it harder to give it a 100 percent recommendation. However, I love mine and would not hesitate to buy another one if it broke.

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BBK4 Camera Bag Review

6/26/2012

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I have been looking for a camera bag that looks a bit more like a typical travel bag. I ran across a cool bag called a Belstaff 556 messenger bag. It has been in "I Am Legend" with Will Smith and has a nice rugged look. It appears that there are a lot of copies and it is hard to tell what is legit and what isn't. I found one place in England that appears authentic, but it cost $418! I like the bag, but not that much.

I decided to check out eBay and ran across the BBK series of bags. They have a similar look to the Belstaff, but have inserts for cameras. Also, the BBK4, the largest version, was less than $60 with the insert. Seemed pretty reasonable and I may actually buy a smaller version of the bag if this one holds up for a while.

While I will mainly carry this with a 24-105mm, 70-200mm, and an 85mm with a camera body, I decided to load it up to see what I could fit if I needed to:

The pic above shows:

100-400mm (with case)
5D Mark III
The Pod
iPhone (for Eyefi card if I want to store pics on the 64GB iPhone)
iPad (if I want to see photos on a larger screen)
microfiber towel
85mm
24-105mm
1.4x and 2x teleconverters
50mm

The case comes with a piece of padded material that can fold over the inside of the case for added protection. It also has a couple internal and 4 external pockets.

As you can see, everything fits okay, but I will rarely have it packed so tight. I prefer a backpack for long trips that I want to pack a lot of lenses. I guess the main question is whether the bag will hold up to a lot use and how long it will take before it falls apart. It seems pretty sturdy when it is packed really tight, so I am guessing it will hold up pretty well to my normal use. Only time will tell.

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Canon 5D Mark III

6/24/2012

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To update or not to update, that is the question...

Over the past 8 years, I have been using a Canon 20D for all of my DSLR needs. The 20D was an amazing revelation at that time. I was using a 4 megapixel Canon point and shoot (still have it with a case for underwater photos) and I decided to step up to something better since I was committed to a "picture a day" on a website called Pbase.

Over the past couple of years, the 20D started to feel more and more out of date. However, I never really saw a new camera hit the market that didn't feel like I was making a compromise.

The Nikon D800 hit the market in recent days. It has a gaudy 36.3 megapixels!! Wow! The amount of detail you can get with that kind of sensor would be amazing.

At the same time Canon came out with the Canon 5D Mark III which is a more expensive 22.3 megapixel camera. At first blush, it sounds a bit ridiculous to charge more for a camera with 14 fewer megapixels. However, as with all things, purpose sometimes outweighs everything. For example, if you need to haul lumber, you might go with a pickup truck over a Toyota Prius even if the Prius gets much better gas milage.

Since I am a one camera kind of guy, I needed a camera that could do everything I needed without a lot of fuss. The main thing that has been holding me back is the fact that full frame cameras have had slow shutter speeds in the consumer market. I wanted something to shoot fast moving pups, bees, birds, horses, etc.

The 6 frames per second speed of the Mark III was a meaningful step forward. The D800 can also produce 6 frames per second if you use the $415 (Amazon's price today) Nikon Grip (which brings the price closer to the Mark III). Also, even with the grip you would need to have a lot of battery power left to get 6 frames per second. However, you can't produce full RAW photos. From what I understand, you have to use DX mode which is equivalent to 15.3 MP. Also, the buffer is said to be slower, which would slow you down after you took your initial shots. Personally, I don't want the extra weight of the grip all the time and the DX factor would kill the one main stat that makes the D800 so special.

That being said, if I had Nikon lenses, I would have gone that route. The fact that I have Canon lenses and did not want to sell everything was a major decision in my choice, as well. Also, my dad shoots Canon, so losing access to his lenses also made the choice easier.

As you can tell, I ended up buying the 5D Mark III. Since I only buy a new camera once every 8 years or so, I felt it was worth the money, even if I think it is a bit overpriced compared to the Nikon D800. Also, I can sell some of my APS-C (only work on smaller sensors) lenses to help pay for it. Personally, I think it is a better "all around" camera than the Nikon and that was my main consideration. However, if I was mainly shooting landscapes, I would have had a harder choice to make.

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LifeProof Case for iPhone 4S

6/2/2012

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I was recently visiting New Orleans and decided to bring along an iPhone and Canon Point and Shoot (SX200 IS). I figured I could pull out the P&S when I had a need for more zooming and use the iPhone for most everything else.

Well, it worked out pretty well, accept for the fact that it rained. We were able to get out and about with umbrellas, but the ability to take photos was hampered by the fact that I did not want to get my iPhone or Canon wet.

When I got home, I started to think about getting a water resistant case. We have a pool in the backyard, so I already have a bag that you can put an iPhone or Touch in and keep it from getting wet. The main issue is that the bag makes it difficult to hear the speaker, makes it difficult to talk if the phone rings, and most importantly, makes it hard to navigate the screen.

There are some companies that let you send in your iPhone and they actually add an invisible layer that is supposed to make the iPhone water resistant. I looked into this, but they said you should not submerge your phone. This made me question the integrity of this solution, so I decided to go with the more bulky route.

I have a coworker that has a LifeProof case to protect her phone from her two young children and she said it worked great once you get used to the feel of the screen. I decided to go ahead and buy the white LifeProof case to go with my iPhone.

When I received the box, there were some instructions to test the case before putting it on the phone. Their website has some great setup videos that you can watch, too. I put the empty case in the sink , then filled the sink with water, and then placed a coffee cup on it to keep it underwater for their recommended hour. It worked without a leak. I was then ready to test it with the iPhone.

I put the case on, made sure everything was tight and took it out to the pool.

As you can see, I completely submerged the iPhone. It is recommended that you do not take the case below 6.6 feet, but they say they have tested it without issues deeper than that. My pool is around 9 feet deep, so if I ever drop it in the deep end, I might (unfortunately) have a chance to see if I reach the actual limits.

When the phone is submerged, you cannot use the touch screen. Therefore, if you want to shoot video, you have to start recording before going underwater. I shot video, snapped pics using the volume buttons (so working in the rain is not an issue at all), and it works great. The one issue is that I use the phone to send bluetooth audio to a stereo setup I have near the pool, but when you take the phone underwater, you lose the connection. It probably isn't possible to send bluetooth through water, but thought I would mention it anyway.

There are some issues besides the extra bulkiness compared to most cases. The dock connector has a hinge over the dock connector that is easy to open (so be careful not to open it in water!!!), but it is a pain if you use a dock. Since the hinge only folds back about half way, you also have to maneuver an Apple connector to fit in the hole properly.

Luckily, they sell something called a dock extender that makes it possible to dock your iPhone with the case on. The extender costs $24.99, which seems pretty outrageous, but if you want to put your iPhone in an Apple Dock (or most docks), you will need it. My main issue is that you now have the iPhone sitting higher than usual, which may put stress on the dock connector. Also, in my car, it puts the iPhone up so much higher that it is no longer supported by my Pro Clip mount. I think it may be possible to put something between the mount and the phone that could help support it (I got some little rubbery things that came with some speakers that would probably work), but I decided to just keep the iPhone off the dock for now. The extender does not detach easily from the iPhone, so it requires some fiddling to get it apart. Not something I want to deal with every time I use it in the car.

The other issue is that the sound while talking on the iPhone is a bit different than using the iPhone without the case. It is tolerable, but sounds a bit more tinny to my ears. Also, they claim to use the back of the case as a subwoofer to give it a "richer, fuller sound", but I prefer the sound of the iPhone speaker without the case. I also found that it sounded better with the dock connector cover open. Not really a big deal for me since I mainly dock it, use airplay, or use bluetooth for audio.

Another issue is that the headphone port does not work with most headphones or mini plug adapters without their included headphone adapter. While most other cases I have used have issues with some headphones, this is the first case I have owned that would not work with one of the cheap adapters for recessed headphone jacks.

It may sound like I do not like the LifeProof case, but overall, I am still happy with it. I dock the iPhone at work and home, so I am okay without docking it in the car. Also, the ability to have the iPhone near the pool (or in my hands while floating around on the water) so that I can control what is playing over bluetooth, check email, answer the phone, etc.. is fantastic. The fact that I can also shoot video for pool parties is cool, too. That being said, after I close the pool for the winter, I will most likely switch to another case just because of the docking issues. For me, this would be the perfect protective case if they could resolve that one major issue.

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Maverick Wireless BBQ Thermometer Set - Maverick ET732

BBK4 Camera Bag Review

Canon 5D Mark III

LifeProof Case for iPhone 4S

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