User Posts: Dave
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Updated 150410: Was asked on our Youtube channel about clean-up, so added a cleaning section detailing our nitty gritty tips for cleaning the Philips Pasta ...

Updated 160621: Added a new section sharing our favourite iOS Timer app and included a Cheat Sheet for quick reference while roasting.   ...

Best seller

For over a decade we've been blessed to travel the world over for work and pleasure. Being a self-confessed Photo Geek, this has meant figuring out how to ...

151015 Update: After a season of shooting it confirms our suspicions that the D750 is the best wedding camera we've ever used. Only slight gripes include ...

Updated March 2015: After consuming more prime rib roasts than should be humanly allowed, I've streamlined the process to make it even more flavourful while ...

Skinless, boneless, chicken breast: it’s what’s for dinner. True several times a week in this Cheung household. Sadly, whoever’s had the (mis)fortune of ...

UPDATED 140817: Even sadder: FIVE out of six Mitros+ flashes for Nikon have now failed me :(  I can no longer recommend purchasing them at this time until they ...

I love my iPhone for many reasons, but the virtual keyboard has never been one of them. So when I heard about Typo Keyboard's new iPhone 5/5s keyboard case, I ...

Updated 140312: A Facebook friend asked about my upside-down inverted Aeropress coffee brewing method, so I made a video and added it below. Just when I ...

For the flash-loving photographer who loves to light, the newly announced MagMod line of strobe modifiers is exciting news. How do they compare to Honl, ...

Best value

Like photo bags, I seem to have a thing for wallets. I've bought two on Kickstarter (though still waiting for the last one to ship) and have an ever-growing ...

Updated 150325: I'm still a huge fan of the Dorkfood DSV for its bullet-proof design and scalability. But I couldn't resist backing the Anova Precision Cooker ...

Browsing All Comments By: Dave
  1. Thanks Chris! But Page 38 talks about Aperture priority mode in my manual, so I skipped it 🙂 Irregardless: Just tested in full manual mode, and something is weird. Even when the exposure meter is showing perfect (i.e. meter is at 0), when shooting at f2, 1/2000 and 1/4000 will be red …. Even stranger. When I click the shutter, it seemingly takes a decent shot. Add it to the list of quirks?? 🙂

  2. Fact: Quin was reading over the boyz shoulder (she cropped herself out of the pic 😉 ) 😀

  3. Yeah!!!!!! Ted Talks rock! I’m too scared to do Pilates …. but heard it’s great and glad it’s working for you Nadine 🙂

  4. Thanks Kevin! Great idea! Will do 🙂

  5. Best to visit their website for details on firmware updates.

  6. It can, but at that high a temp, you might as well simmer? I’ve found after 185 the SV is not truly viable vs boiling/simmering.

  7. Thanks for sharing your experience Eric! So true: a real advantage for wildlife and travel photographers!

  8. Hi Eve, I can see them on my end, so not sure why they’re missing for you 🙁 Maybe try another device or browser?

  9. If you’ve assigned the focus to the back button, then after the image is focused on what you desire, just release the back button and the focus motor will stop, leaving the focus on what you want. Cheers!

  10. Definitely viewfinder

  11. Glad you found us too Janet 🙂 We haven’t tried alternative flours in the Philips Pasta Maker, but would love to hear from you if you get the chance to test 🙂 Happy eating!

  12. Hi Cate, glad you found us here 🙂 Re: ramen size. Someone commented here they think the THICK spaghetti form sold separately in the US is the same as the ramen form sold in asia. I purchased it from Amazon.com here: http://amzn.to/2hY0M1e

  13. A google search says it is, but I’m not sure if the exact composition is the same. According to this article (http://omnivorescookbook.com/kansui), “Japanese alkaline solution – it contains 80% sodium carbonate and 20% potassium carbonate”. If lye water is the same concentration, then is should be able to be sued. But I’m not a chemist so try at your own risk of course 🙂 Happy cooking!

  14. Wow! Thanks for confirming that Anita! Good to know we have access to similar items here 🙂

  15. Thanks for the kind words Bill and glad you found me here 🙂 I’m cooking over 20lbs of roast this Christmas too! Re: 24hr cook time. I can’t remember which expert I read who recommended no more than double the calculated time, but I’ve had roasts in for as long as 18hrs with great results. One thing to avoid when doing long cook times is to make sure there is no butter/milk products in the bag as it will grow bad things. Happy cooking and Merry Christmas!

  16. So glad you’ve stumbled upon my ramblings 🙂 And thanks for letting me know about the JJ2! I’m still using the original pretty much every day and love it. GIts utility goes far beyond Aeropress use in our house: it fits our stainless steel Kalita Wave ( http://amzn.to/2gQnbwh ) perfectly, and use it all the time to fill our thirsty espresso machine (I love how fast I can pour without spills or drips). Can’t imagine how it could be better, but good to hear the company is innovating and pushing forward! Cheers and happy brewing!

  17. Hi Louise, Glad you found me here! Sorry for the delay: life has been crazy. Re: multiple cups. I find if I do more than 2 cups (~40g) I don’t get a great extraction and get weak coffee. Hope this makes sense. Happy brewing!

  18. Have and are scared of them (and Maha chargers). Scroll up to view the melted batteries-in-charger fiasco.

  19. LOL! Blast from the past!! Stay awesome Kenny-man 🙂

  20. Glad to hear it Doug 🙂 Re: wait between roasts. I reuse the 13:30 timer after I press cool to remind me to take out the beans and remove the chaff. Then I’m ready to go. I know the manual says to wait 1 hour between roasts, but I figure after the cooling cycle finished I’ve been starting the next pound after 10-15 minutes. Happy brewing and God Bless 🙂

  21. Hi Gus, 500 watts would definitely still be great in a smaller cooler. My only concern would be the actual dimensions and how it could fit. So be sure to check the internal measurements and make sure it fits. Also, I would recommend this inexpensive air pump to maintain temps: http://amzn.to/29fte6w

  22. Hi Jason, Glad you found it of use! Re: Back Button focus. No timeline as my “real jobs” and family have been taking up my time.

  23. Hi Mike. I typically take several batches to try to find my favourite, but still have trouble reproducing flavour profiles 🙁 Strangely also finding rest times to be longer than expected to achieve the flavours I want (example: Ethiopian dry has benefited from 3-4 weeks rest for maximum fruit flavour). Sorry to not be of more help but trying to keep it real.

  24. Hi Richard and thanks for sharing. Glad to hear my neurosis is shared by a fellow bean-roasting-loving Canadian 🙂 This manual process still works great for me, and thanks for sharing the foodsaver trick! Cheers and hope you love your next roast 🙂

  25. Sad to hear that Sam 🙁 I’ve gone backwards to the cumbersome (but reliable) RadioPopper PX system, but it’s not ideal either. Cheers and happy shooting.

  26. Joe: I’ve heard good things about more recent units performing better. But personally I’m reluctant to give it another go. If I weren’t a hired professional, I don’t think I’d hesitate to try it, but seeing as I can’t afford equipment failures of that magnitude during paid shoots, I’m once bitten – twice shy. YMMV

  27. The heating element is plugged into the Dorkfood, which both (a) monitors the water temperature via a submersed thermo-probe, and (b) controls the heating element’s on/off cycle to maintain the desired temp. I haven’t tested max/min temp but variables like volume of water and container type (sealed vs unsealed) will constrict it more than the heating element. Another option would be an all-in-one sous vide machine like the Anova here: https://www.notsoancientchinesecrets.com/?p=1850

  28. Thanks for the kind words Kev!
    1. We don’t give our cameras to other people as we’re professional photographers (hee hee).
    2. Likely the lock located aROUND the 4-way toggle has slipped over to the “L” for Locked position. Switching if away from L should release the focus point selection.

    Cheers and happy shooting!

  29. So glad you and your crew loved it!! Congratulations! Now you’ll be on meat duty for the rest of your LIFE! LOL! Enjoy and can’t wait to hear about your other culinary adventures 😀

  30. Glad you found us here John 🙂 Re: rib-in for 10hrs @131F. Definitely will be edible, but the tough sinew near the bone will be chewy. You can finish the whole thing as you suggest, then cut the bones off, eat a couple bones to test, then continue to cook the rest of the bones for another 24hrs at 145F and you’ll be amazed at the difference 🙂 Happy eating and would love to hear how you like it!

  31. Re: lanscape drive-by’s. Best to choose a FAST shutter speed if you want to prevent blur. You can either try full manual, or Shutter-priority mode and select something like 1/500 or faster.

    Re: macro-focus. Clean your window 😉 And perhaps try a larger focusing point? The shots in this post of the olive groves in Spain were all shot through a fast-moving car’s window, but I did shoot a lot to get this one I liked best.

  32. Hi Millsy, so glad you found us here! Re: dough mixer. We haven’t tried it, but don’t think it would work well as all it does is really mix quickly and then push out the noodles. But hey: you never know and given the right recipe, perhaps it could work? Cheers and happy experimenting!

  33. Glad you found it of use Eric 🙂 No plea needed: you only need to send me two Nikon D500’s to test and keep 😉

  34. Sadly I don’t think so as it is Stainless Steel 🙁

  35. Most definitely Tara. It’s how we shoot in our studio.

  36. Thanks Anthony. Re: D750 focus. I would suggest checking your focus on each lens and adjusting as necessary using a tool like lens align.

  37. Glad you found us and that I can help 🙂 Re: lens filters. We do not as I’ve found they reduce the clarity of Nikon’s amazing glass as well as change flare characteristics (not in a good way). To protect the front lens mount, we Place step-up rings like these: http://amzn.to/21zHcVl on all glass – they take the brunt of the pounding when handled roughly and also allow all our lenses to take advantage of the same filters (ND etc). Hope this helps!

  38. Re: mason jars. Nothing really makes too big a difference in my experience. Right now been experimenting with plastic reusable canning jar lids but the simplest is still using the including metal canning lid and just releasing the gas a bit after 24-48hrs. If you’re wanting to protect from oxygenation, I do use one of these and love it:http://amzn.to/1RDCp46 Get the bigger one as the smaller one can’t fit even 1lb of green roasted bean. Just can’t justify buying enough of them to fulfill my coffee addiction 😀

  39. Glad you found me here Chris! And congrats on getting a decent roast!! You won’t believe how many pounds of green beans I’ve ruined 🙂 But it’s still fun. Re: rest. It really varies with the bean. Many taste a bit grassy for the first 24-48hrs. And this year’s Ethiopian Dry process beans really shine after a week or two or rest!! Really weird, but it’s working for us 🙂 This all being said, I’m not above trying a bean after 12hrs rest and actually recommend it – how else can you profile your bean well if you don’t taste it? Cheers and happy brewing!!

  40. Hi Dmitry, there’s many factors which will influence your battery life: like using AF-Continuous vs Single servo etc. I don’t put much into the battery specs and instead bring 4 batteries per camera to each big wedding event. Hope this helps!

  41. There is a zoom, if that’s what you’re talking about. It is limited, but works well for street shooting. Hope this helps.

  42. Thanks for sharing your coffee roasting experience with us Steve! I’ve burnt many-a-roast so would be shy to roast in a confined box. Good to hear how the Behmor stacks up against the Gene Cafe. Cheers and happy roasting!

  43. I hope so Duncan! We can only hope … And eat … And eat …. 🙂

  44. First step to roasting in the cold is to START the machine warm … Or it won’t start at all. I keep my Behmor inside and it has no problem completing the roast in the cold (even below 0c). If doing multiple batches, I would also make sure not to let too much time pass between the finishing the first cooling cycle so the machine doesn’t get cold and prevent the next batch from starting. I set a timer to make sure I get to it pretty much right after the ~13minute cooling time. Hope that helps!

  45. Thanks for the kind words and so glad you found this website 🙂 Cheers and happy brewing!

  46. Hi Michelle. For easier cleaning, after drying use a food scraper to get most of the dried dough out (I linked to the bamboo one we use in the article, but any food scraper will do). The scraper does the heavy lifting and saves my sponge from getting super sticky 🙂

  47. No luck here either Matt 🙁 However … I DID purchase the “thick spaghetti” disc and find it to be my favourite size for regular egg/spaghetti noodles. It’s a bit thick for ramen, giving more bite, so I’m also left wondering how the actual Ramen plate compares.

  48. Thanks for the kind words Mansi. We actually created a product for retouching called Motibodo. Not only is a keyboard that gives you all the retouching tools of Lightroom and Photoshop at your fingertips, but it includes a suite of private tutorials that walks you through our thought process and how we retouch. You can’t really fix a bad photo with great retouching, so we also aim to get the best possible capture whether it be the use of natural or off-camera flash. We of course also do workshops, seminars and private lessons. You can find our more about what we offer by clicking here. Cheers and happy shooting!

  49. Thanks Nick! Re: latch rust. I haven’t witnessed it even after daily use over the past several months. Still 2 solid thumbs up from me.

  50. Hi Kevin and Thank You! Here’s my amazon.ca affiliate link: http://amzn.to/1n2jsfj Cheers and happy cooking!

  51. No need to stress as Sous Vide Beef Roast is very forgiving 🙂 If it were me, I’d start sous vide the night prior and sear/serve when the parties about the begin. The 15min convection paste will not be long enough to allow flavour to penetrate. So long as you understand this, it can work. But personally I prefer salting prior to sous vide cooking to allow salt to penetrate a bit more. Of course, horse radish and gravy go a long way to add flavour during serving 🙂 Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

  52. Thanks Kevin! Re: gravy. Good and bad news. Bad news first: I haven’t perfected a gravy recipe from the jus and also find it *really* salty out of the bag. The good news: The roast is so moist you really don’t need gravy! Horse radish is a perfect condiment and creating a “board jus” with spices and oil on the cutting board is wonderful. Cheers and Merry Christmas!

  53. Hi Holly! We use the standard spaghetti extrusion mold (six 3×3 pattern). Happy cooking!

  54. Thanks George! And YES: amazing customer service experience! They fedexed me a new unit and emailed return shipping of the faulty unit within days of my inquiry! So far the new unit is working perfectly and fixes the issue. But even with issues, it’s 2 big thumbs up for Anova as their customer service and support have proven to be excellent. Cheers and please use the links here to start your shopping 🙂

  55. Very welcome Bethany! Re: family photography. Same setup, but if you’re chasing fast little kids around, switching to High-speed (6 frames a sec) may help capture those elusive moments of awesome 🙂 Re: Group photos. I do not find single focus more accurate than Continuous (yup: it’s that good). And the correct way to ensure everyone is in focus is to stop down on the aperture.

  56. Hi Winston. D3 has much less resolution than the D750. If you’re comparing 1:1 pixel level on screen, it will be different than printing the same image at the same size. I noted in the above review the D750 was a bit noisier, but we have no reservations shooting at 6400ISO at this resolution.

  57. Thanks for being here and the kind words! Re: playmemories mobile app. I haven’t used it to transfer video, but have come across the same issue with my Panasonic camcorder and it’s iOS app. I believe video is a LOT harder to deal in smartphones, since the recorded format (example: AVCHD) may not be compatible with common online and native smartphone OS’s.

  58. Cool! I use Comply Foam tips on my audiophile buds and love them 🙂 Just gotta keep my ears clean or risk the wax 😉 re: custom molded sound attenuation. I’m assuming they seal pretty good, depending on the shape of your ear canals. Not sure I know of a secure in-ear bud fit that allows pass-through sound with the exception of wing-type additions a la Jaybirds or these Sprng clips I use with the Apple headphones (but NOT as good audio as my favourites): http://www.sprngclip.com/products/sprng-clip
    Miss you too Daniel!!!!

  59. Thanks for the kind words and glad to be of help 🙂 Happy shooting!

  60. Thanks for writing in and for the kind words! It’s a labour of love so it means so much to me 🙂 Take care and happy cooking 🙂

  61. Daniel!! Wow … We thought QUIN had small ear canals 🙂 Hmmmm … But she does use the included hangar-thingy to keep them inserted while running too. If that doesn’t help, I just came across this cheap custom ear mold option here: http://amzn.to/1PS1WWX I read about it first here: http://kk.org/cooltools/radians-custom-molded-earplugs/ I have had custom ear molds made (mail away) and loved them, but this is cheaper by far and gets good ratings. Hope this helps!!!

  62. Doing that right now 🙂 I either (a) leave in fridge overnight for cold chicken breast or (b) drop in sous vide bath for 2hrs @135F to reheat and serve.

  63. So glad you found us and thanks for the kind words 🙂

    Yes: add sous vide (cooked) chicken at the end. This makes sure the meat is super-tender and cooked to perfection.

    Re: specific uses of chicken.
    1. Add shredded chicken to warmed can of mushroom soup and you have a great tasting (and easy) chicken sandwich/burger.
    2. Dice chicken to 3/4″ cubes, toss in 2Tablespoons of warmed butter with franks red hot to taste. Yuuuuuuuummmm
    3. Make a board jus by tossing thyme + any other favourite herbs on your cutting board, then laying your chicken on top. Slice and rub each piece into the board jus and drizzle the jus from the bag for extra juiciness. Plate and add maldon sea salt to taste.
    4. Any type of chicken leftover: warm a pan, add 2 eggs + S&P (salt & pepper) and cook any style (sunny side up, scramble etc). Before eggs are cooked, add 2 fist-fulls of spinach and add more s&p to taste. About 1 minute before eggs are cooked and spinach is fully wilted, add chicken leftovers to warm. Plate, squirt sriracha chili sauce and eat.

    Chicken is versatile and can be added to any dish as simple as toppings for instant noodles or as the main protein of the evening. Hope this helps get you on track 🙂

  64. No mods, but time to temp will depend on (a) starting water temp and (b) volume of water and vessel. I always start with hot tap water but if I’m in a big rush will add kettles of boiled water to bring up to temp faster. Cheers and thanks for being here 🙂

  65. Hi Rick, after several more months, I’m still in love with my Javajug. Truly don’t want to make multiple cups via Aeropress without it. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do and thanks for taking the time to write in 🙂

  66. Thanks Steve! Looks like we share a love of well-cooked food and kitchen Geekery 😀 Re: Ribs. YES! I’ve been experimenting all summer and have FINALLY found great, repeatable results for smoked ribs, beef, and pork shoulder. It’s almost shamefully easy, but takes a few more steps, but gives results that are stunning when you consider you can batch-cook 50 pounds of meat at a time and can pull it out from the freezer, reheat and sear/serve in minimal time. Hoping to find time before snowfall to share the process on video and post. Thanks for sharing this article and for adding your expertise here Steve. Cheers and happy cooking 🙂

  67. Thanks for writing in Steve! Definitely agree on the reheating smaller pieces. But with larger chunks of meat which are cooked to a low 135, that’s pretty darn close to “serving temp”. So while I do choose to pre-cook then quick-chill + freeze smaller pieces of meat, large roasts like the one I’m talking about in this article will definitely take more than thirty minutes to defrost to core. But …. I’ve been experimenting all summer with a combination of smoking, THEN sous-viding, THEN freezing and am ready to share results that give you amazing smoked results out of the freezer. Posts to come. But thanks again for taking the time and sharing this information!

  68. Thanks for the kind words. Wondering if they’ve changed in quality or production facilities 🙁 A real concern for non-brand-name items is the consistency and reliability of build. Hope you find a solution and can find a good copy!

  69. Sorry to hear that Alistair. I don’t see “severe” banding, but definitely colours are a little blocked up compared with my more expensive LCD screens. I paid full price for mine on Amazon, so no preferential treatment or “review unit” given. Hope it’s just a defective unit.

  70. Definitely will blow ANY smartphone out of the water. The only thing it doesn’t have is a super-zoom for reach. But when city traveling and with kids, the RX100 lens is great. Please use the links on this website when you’re ready to purchase and happy travels 🙂

  71. Hi David. Re: Memory cards. It depends if you shoot RAW or JPEG. I typically shoot medium/fine JPEG for day-to-day stuff, but if I’m traveling to a once-in-a-lifetime location, I’ll switch to RAW, which creates bigger files. There are a lot of variables which can change the number of images/GB, but my RX100 M3 estimates about 1400 RAW images on a 64GB card, over 2700 large/fine jpegs, and over 4700 medium/fine jpegs. Hope this helps.

  72. Welcome to the Behmor roasting club Susan! And thanks for the kind words. It’s a great machine but I’m embarrassed to admit how many pounds of beans I’ve wasted before coming across this admittedly detailed process. Cheers and happy roasting!

  73. Thanks for the kind words Jean! Re: reheating. If just leftovers, I eat them cold the next day, or cut up the ends and add to eggs in the morning just before the eggs are finished cooking (sooo amazing – like steak and eggs). If warming from frozen, you can sous-vide to 135F but sadly it will take about as long to reheat as cook (laws of thermodynamics). Hope that helps and happy cooking!

  74. So welcome Charles. Yes: Baldwin’s science background makes him a reliable source for time & temp reference. I always cringe when I see vague sous-vide time/temps given without regard for size/shape or pasteurization. Glad to be of help and happy cooking!

  75. Hi Nicholas, I primarily use the Viltrox to confirm framing when shooting myself, so sadly can’t give meaningful feedback on the focus peaking function. It’s still a good value, but the quality of image can’t match my more expensive options.

  76. Glad to be of help alank! Re: webey searing method. Yes: regular Kingsford briquettes are my fuel source of choice. Was planning on doing a video but here’s what I do in a nutshell:
    1. Light 1/2 to 3/4 full Weber Chimney and wait 20 minutes (Weber chimney link: http://amzn.to/1fZK2CD )
    2. After 20 minutes, charcoal should be grey with ash (meaning it’s super-hot!)
    3. Put cooking grill on top (I used a round file and made a groove in my chimney so it wouldn’t tip) and heat for 3-4 minutes. (link to grill: http://amzn.to/1fZKeBX )
    4. Sear meat – moving/flipping every 30 seconds until well seared all over.
    Simple and great smokey flavour 🙂
    If I’m just wanting to crisp up the skin of a chicken breast, I’ll use my iwatani torch (link above) to do it cuz I find the heat of the chimney over-cooks the breast meat. But for most red meat, this is the best flavour/sear that I’ve figured out.
    Let me know how it turns out for you and happy eating 🙂

  77. No problem Charles. Re: freezer/fridge times. Kinda sorta … I did a lot of reading and cross-referencing and if you properly vacuum sealed prior to cooking, pasteurize then quick-chilled properly after cooking, the fridge is safe for even longer than 2 weeks (Don’t quote me but I seem to remember Baldwin saying 3-4 weeks is fridge-safe in a video I watched .. But I wanted to be super-safe for this article to prevent poisoning you 🙂 ). In the freezer it’s really indefinitely safe – times longer than a year or 2 will be more of a quality issue for texture. Hope this helps!

  78. Hi Charles, Thanks for reading and for the kind words. Re: time from fridge & freezer calculations. Search for “Food Poisoning” in this article I wrote for useful time and temperature charts: https://www.notsoancientchinesecrets.com/dorkfood-dsv-review-and-the-best-sous-vide-tools-for-the-home-cook/ Hope this helps and happy eating 🙂

  79. Hi Minh,

    Not sure but if Amazon.co.uk doesn’t carry it you can try Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1IdUQrn That link shows a Global Shipping option. Cheers and happy shopping!

  80. Hi DG! Thanks for the info! Sounds like a great new product coming up! Email coming your way 🙂

  81. You’re very welcome Elaine! Would love to have you join us in Montreal!

  82. Thanks for filling us in on the details! Phottix had great support for me, so I’m glad to hear they’re responding and helping you get to where you want to be. Happy shooting!

  83. So good to hear from a fellow roaster! The update is more than worth it … Was always a crap shoot prior to getting the update and finer-meshed basket, but now I can crank out 5 pounds in a day. Happy roasting!

  84. Nice find Sean!! Glad you found a solution 🙂

  85. Hi Sean,

    (got your email but here is faster). You’re right: that pesky pre-flash is preventing accurate meter readings. I know there are dumb radio triggers that can ignore the pre-flash, but don’t know if there’s a flash meter with that feature? Not that it helps, my Yongnuo triggers also pre-flash in manual mode creating the exact same issue. Sorry to not be of more help ….

  86. Glad to hear they’re working for you Gilbert! Strange to think a firmware update could fix the blown bulb issue? Have you noticed longer recycle times from shot to shot to allow the bulb to cool? Would love to hear of a true fix … gives all photographers more options 🙂

  87. Two thumbs up for your next travel trip! The only thing lacking will be extra reach at the zoom-side. 70mm is nice, but won’t get you super-close to far-away action or landscapes. But this being said, I LOVED carrying this camera everywhere during our family travels through Germany and Austria.

    2 tips: Just be sure to bring at least 1 extra battery as they don’t last long. Also enough memory cards so you don’t run out of space at just the wrong time 🙂

    Re: camera settings. Definitely review the video here on setup. It’s a lovely camera even in full auto-mode, but getting to know your camera and personalizing it before your trip will hopefully help get the technical things out of the way so you can enjoy your trip and shooting all the more 🙂

  88. Carlos,

    That distortion happens when shooting with a wide-angle lens. Your Canon lens was a 35mm equivalent (which wouldn’t keep much more than a couple heads in the frame at arms length) whereas the Sony RX100M3 has a 24mm wide angle lens. It allows you to keep a lot more in the frame from arms length, but will also widen at the edges. The wide-angle distortion gets worse on (a) cheaper and (b) wider lenses, but the Sony RX100M3 actually has a really nice lens on it and it doesn’t overly distort even compared with some DSLR prime lenses I’ve shot with. If you’re taking selfies, wider is nicer to have more in the frame, but you’ll have to live with more distortion at wider angles.

    If you want to get rid of it, zoom in. That’s why “portrait lenses” are often on the longer side (85mm-200mm): less distortion and more compression into the background.

    This all being said, I don’t mind the distortion and love the wide-side of things. But YMMV

  89. Hi Terence. Congrats on the new cam! Re: video record. Necessarily you must be in MOVIE Live View prior to starting a video recording; while in Video live view the red Record button functions as … A record button 🙂

  90. Dan! Good to see you here 🙂 We sold our Fuji’s and have been happy taking all our personal pics with our Sony RX100M3 (review here: https://www.notsoancientchinesecrets.com/?p=1527 ).

  91. Very welcome Raph.

    Re: AF-C shutter settings. I’d prefer to have a blurry shot than no shot, but you may want to play with Custom Setting a1: AF-C priority selection and try Focus. But since you’ve disengaged the shutter and focus buttons I don’t like to be locked out of executing the shutter and want it to do my bidding i.e. Take a shot whenever I press the shutter; not only when the camera *thinks* it has focus. This is especially needed when it can’t reliably focus in very dark situations: I’ll lock focus on something with high contrast at the same distance as my subject, then recompose and hit the shutter and even if the camera doesn’t think it has achieved focus, it’ll take the shot I want. Hope that makes sense.

  92. Hi Nancy! Re: plastic containers. Great idea, but I still don’t like the fact they are not insulated, thus the cooler.

    Re: 7am start. Don’t worry: you can start it even the night before you go to bed and it’ll be great the next day at supper 🙂 Sous vide beef is very forgiving, so really no need to worry 🙂 Happy eating!

  93. Sounds delicious Andy! Thanks for sharing your recipe and results … I’ll have to give it a try 🙂 Blessings and good eating to you and yours 🙂

  94. Hope you found your sage grouse Art! Thanks for the kind words and enjoy the new camera!

  95. Would LOVE TO! We’re shooting on the 18th …. How long will you be in CowTown?

  96. Wowza! Great undertaking … But at least you’ll be well fed 🙂 We gotta catch up!

  97. Good question Jon. The cost savings are nullified by your time, but it makes a great gift and is a great way to stink up the house 🙂 But yes: passion and an addiction to caffeine are some other driving factors for sure! Come for coffee the next time you’re in Calgary!!!

  98. Great questions Jon! After reading this article, I don’t think it’s worth the effort and wasted meat: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/01/the-food-lab-dry-age-beef-at-home.html But it’s doable for the committed: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/03/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-dry-aging-beef-at-home.html I’m too impatient 😉

  99. Very welcome Eneida. Re: compatibility. Don’t know that particular lens, but it works on all my Nikon lenses.

  100. Hi Brandon. Re: Aperture priority. Agreed: annoying that 1/30th is chosen as an acceptable option. This is why when I want “auto-ish” behaviour I still choose manual mode and set my aperture and shutter while enabling Auto-ISO. I get far better results this way.

    Re: manual mode operation. You simple press down on the 4-way toggle to switch between shutter and aperture and turn the dial to change the current setting.

  101. So glad you found me here David. I haven’t handled the Canon G7x so can’t give a meaningful comparison to my beloved RX100M3. I also have the Nikon D5300 and am quite surprised as to the dynamic range AND low light sensitivity of the RX100M3. Sorry to not be of more help, but really believe the RX100M3 is in a class of its own … For now 🙂

  102. So glad you found me Eneida and thanks for the kind words! Great choice of camera. Re: macro lenses. I am not a macro specialist, but to take macro shots of rings and other small details I always carry this extension tube set: http://amzn.to/1Cxx0FY It pairs nicely with my prime lenses and gets me super-close. You can find the rest of my kit . Hope this helps and all the best in this your new ventures!

  103. Hi Anthony, I’ve since moved on to another triggering system, so haven’t tried the new firmware. You can see my latest gear list here:

  104. Hi Däni, Glad you found me here 🙂 Re: video focusing. I setup as noted in the video (also check “g” custom movie settings to use back button focus etc). Should do the trick 🙂 If you want to use the shutter to focus, make sure to set your AF-mode to AF-S, NOT continuous, and you should be able to focus only when you want to. Hope that helps!

  105. Hi Calvin. Yes: you can cook in advance, but due to crazy thermodynamics which I don’t fully understand, to heat to core from freezer/fridge takes about the same amount of time in a SV bath as cooking it the first time. This means you save nothing from cooking it prior to the day of consumption.

  106. Thanks for the kind words Tammy! So glad to have you here 🙂 I haven’t made the back-button focus video yet, but it’ll be on this site when it’s ready. Happy shooting!

  107. Hi Brett! Glad to see you over here 🙂 Re: green beans. I love Sweet Marias and pickup 20lb bags of whatever Ethiopian dry process beans I can get my hands on at the beginning of the harvest. Currently roasting my way through Ethiopia Dry Process Yirga Cheffe Chelelektu and Ethiopia Gr. 1 Dry Process Yirga Cheffe Kochore. They come and go quickly but just saw they have this one that just landed in December: https://www.sweetmarias.com/store/ethiopia-dry-process-yirga-cheffe-cheleba.html Re: air popper. Yes! Started there too, but it was no match for roasting in cold Canadian winters 🙁 The Behmor isn’t without its quirks, but is one of the few home roasters that can reliably roast up to 1lb. Would love to hear your thoughts if you decide to test them out 🙂 Cheers and happy brewing!

  108. Glad you found us here Vabhru 🙂 Re: Nikon vs Fuji vs Sony RX100M3. Really the Sony RX100M3 won’t be able to create shallow depth of field like larger sensors, but it does so many things so well, and is so perfectly pocketable, that I’ve found myself taking more personal pictures than ever before. The Fuji indeed has better JPEG’s SOOC and the larger sensor and wonderful lens all add up to a spectacular camera. But the larger size, sluggish performance and bad battery performance makes it a chore to use. Personally, I’m glad to have our Nikon DSLR’s as well as the Sony RX100M3: full size sensor + pocketable low-light amazingness is a great combo 🙂

    A small aside: I also did my first video with the RX100M3 alongside my Nikon D750 and was amazed at the quality it produced. You can view it here: http://notsoancientchinesesecrets.com/best-travel-charging-gear/

    Let me know what you decide and please use the links on this site to shop 🙂

  109. For personal travels I also don’t like having to cart around a tripod. But if you’re talking about this Tamrac TR404 it should be able to hold the Sony RX100M3 without issue since it is rated up to 3lbs. I wouldn’t trust it for long-exposure work, but should be stable enough for quick grip-and-grin shots 🙂

  110. Hi Robert! Glad you found us 🙂 “Coffee user” heh heh … Yes: I’m an addict! LOL! Thanks for sharing your perspective! One of the joys of home-roasting and brewing is the wide variations we get to play with and the continual refining of results. Blueberries in tea sounds amazing! If you’re ever wanting to explore more fruity notes in your coffee, try sourcing dry-processed Ethiopian green beans and roasting just past first crack .. Currently my favourite morning brew 🙂 Cheers and happy brewing!

  111. Thanks for writing in and glad you found some settings of use Edward. Sounds like quite the shoot for the King and Queen!! Happy travels and shooting 🙂

  112. Thanks for the kind words Gautam. Re: downloadable file. I did that for a previous camera and found out the files are camera-firmware-specific. This means if your firmware differs from mine, then it won’t load. That’s why I decided to go over each menu item so no matter what firmware you have, you can find these settings of use. Hope this makes sense. Happy shooting!

  113. So glad to hear it Andy! Made my day 🙂 Sorry for the late reply: had a glitch in my comment notifications and missed it 🙁 Just got back from the store with over $300 worth of prime rib. Getting ready for a *big* family reunion cookout and you know *exactly* how I’m going to cook it all 🙂 Blessings and happy eating!

  114. Andy! So sorry for the delay in replying. So glad you enjoyed your Prime Rib!! I just bought over $300 of prime rib in preparation for our next family reunion …. You know *exactly* how I’m gonna cook it 🙂 Cheers and happy cooking!

  115. Sorry for the late reply Harold! Re: Ribs. Yes – I sear using the same Weber Chimney method. Re: 12+ hours. On beef, not a problem to even double the times without ruining the texture and flavour. Hope Thanksgiving went well and thanks for being here 🙂

  116. Hi kReN, I actually mostly shoot stills so my recommendations would remain the same. Aside: I just recorded a new video with the RX100M3 and Nikon D750 and look forward to comparing the two systems.

  117. Glad you found us and so happy you’re here 🙂 Re: firmware update. Good question. I’m wondering if Sony contacts you if you register your product online? At any rate, thanks for the reminder to check: firmware v1.2 has been released 🙂 I just updated and look forward to seeing what they’ve changed. Happy shooting!

  118. Thanks Mark! I’m working on an update to reflect our new SD setup …. coming soon 🙂

  119. Thanks for your advice Mark and for testing Preet. I’ve had friends who are long-term Odin TCU users who found their TCU’s failing. After troubleshooting they found the shoe-mount portion of the TCU was worn down and not connecting properly with the camera’s hotshoe. Another reason we’ve since switched flash systems.

  120. Sadly I’ve not heard of an update that fixes the issues I’ve seen.

  121. I see that green tint more when we *don’t* shoot with flash – typically when there’s grass or glass around tinting our world. Gelling your flash may help with something like 1/2 CTO. Cheers and happy New Year!

  122. Sorry to hear that J.M. Re: dealing with it. Mobility and stretching can help, but I’m also a huge proponent of great posture and finding the best ergonomics for your work. For example, when writing, I use a split keyboard setup with mouse between the two sides. I also use a chair/table setup that allows my arms to always maintain a 90 degree angle regardless of swivel etc. I’ll put it on the list for blog posts in the new year so keep your eyes on this place and hopefully I’ll have more tips to share to help. Happy New Year and see you in 2015 🙂

  123. Hi Preet! Re: skin tones. It’s just an adjustment as every brand has a different “look” to their sensors. For pro work we always shoot RAW so we can tweak white balance to accommodate skin tones. We also prefer to shoot with flash a LOT which also helps create better skin tones regardless of camera make. Re: estimated images remaining. The estimate depends on a lot of factors including ISO, RAW/JPEG setting and, in my experience, is NEVER accurate 🙂 It’s not a defect, but also not a great feature. Best to always have extra cards on hand. Re: Phottix Odin. It’s definitely compatible, but you will need to purchase the NIKON version of the Odins.

  124. Hi Tien, Only shot one wedding and lots of personal photos, but haven’t noticed the issue, though I do believe it to be real.

  125. Hi Steven,

    When it works: it’s magical. But my experience and that of others with the Nikon system has not been stable enough to recommend. I’m hoping they continue to work on a fix and will hopefully be able to recommend wholeheartedly in the future.

  126. Congrats on the new camera and thanks for the kind words 🙂 Blessings and thanks for being here!

  127. Hi Gautam, the reason I do not provide a file is that it is firmware-specific. Nikon has already released a D750 firmware (which I have not updated to) since my purchase, and anyone with the latest firmware may not be able to use any file I generate on the older firmware. I know this because I DID provide a file along with my previous D700 settings video, and it was a big pain when people needed updates due to differing firmwares. That’s the reason I did the review in such detail – so everyone can benefit regardless of firmware version, now and in the future. Hope that clarifies. Merry Christmas to you too and thanks for being here 🙂

  128. Thanks for the updated experience David. Yes: I wish they would work reliably as well 🙁 Re: full dump flash. I would get this on Nikon’s built-in IR system when shooting quickly with the SU800’s as commander; seems to be the transmitter was failing due to weak battery (they take a single CR123), so wonder if battery is the culprit for the Mitros+ as well. Hope they work for you and keep on coming with firmware updates!

  129. Thanks for sharing your experience Kashif, but sorry for us all for having to deal with them 🙁 Yes: Hoping that Phottix can figure out what the issue(s) are as the feature set and ease of setup is unbeatable. All the best!

  130. Thanks for the kind words mit! Re: RX100M3 vs a6000. I’ve heard good things about the a6000 but can’t give meaningful feedback since I haven’t tested it myself. One big reason the RX100M3 appeals to me is the compact nature and built-in zoom with great optics. I use Nikon full-frame DSLR’s for professional work, so the a6000’s ability to change lenses is not a selling point for me. But YMMV. Either way, it’s an exciting time to be a photographer with better and more options than ever before. Happy shooting and let me know what you decide 🙂

  131. Thanks for the kind words Sanda and congrats on your new camera! It’s a joy to use 🙂 Re: Landscape setup. I would set up the camera very similarly with back-button focus but maybe with the following changes: 1. Shoot with the focus mode on AF-S (AF single shot servo). 2. If shooting at lower handheld shutter speeds with non-moving subject try using Quiet shooting mode (to reduce camera shake). 3. When shooting on tripod, use timer and mirror lock-up to prevent camera shake. Besides that, shooting at the native ISO100 would achieve the best tonal range for post-processing. Hope this helps 🙂 Merry Christmas and happy shooting!!

  132. Hi Jin! I don’t have a non-nikon hotshoe cam to test, but there seems to be limited functionality as a trigger (no manual control) when you only have the central pin firing: http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54507904 For non-Nikon cams, I think the Cactus V6 claimed to work with any camera: http://amzn.to/1GMas0s Happy shooting 🙂

  133. Thanks Christian!! Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year 🙂

  134. Thanks and yes: I use the Playmemories app to transfer images to my iPhone to post on Instagram. I spoke of the setup in the video and love the simplicity of Sony’s wireless setup compared to others I’ve tried (Nikon DSLR’s and WiFi SD cards). Merry Christmas and happy snapping this holiday season 🙂

  135. Thanks for the kind words Bob! Re: ss filters. I’ve tried the ss filter for Aeropress but prefer a cleaner cup of a paper filter. But it’s definitely personal preference and will depend on the beans you like too. If you like french press coffee with more body and don’t mind fines in your cup, then I’d totally recommend giving it a try (burr grinder needed). If you find there’s too many fines in your cup, you could also pre-sift to remove the fines for a more even extraction. Hope this helps and would love to hear what you decide to do 🙂 Bottoms up!

  136. Re: AF-S with Focus priority. Camera won’t let you fire when AF-ON button is pressed until the camera thinks the active focus point has acquired focus. This is why I don’t use this mode (revisit settings video for my setup). Re: Image review. I don’t turn this on, but I can think of a couple reasons the viewfinder won’t turn on: shutter 1/2 press or AF-ON button will engage meter and focus respectively, which would likely over-ride image review. Would image review delay be due to larger file size/RAW?? RE: battery life. Ditto. I’m wondering if the awesome tracking focus is to blame, but definitely notice the D750 eats batteries fast. Cheers and happy shooting!

  137. Glad you found me here Amish! Yeah … So many junk to share and so little time. For shizzle next time you’ll get on the plane with your gear with ease!

  138. Sadly that would require working flashes to test with … most of mine are bunk 🙁

  139. Thanks for the kind words Gus! Glad you found motibodo and this website. Thanks for the follow and enjoy the journey 🙂

  140. LEON! Thanks bro!! So cool to see you shooting what you’re passionate about!! Can’t wait till the next time we meet 🙂 Much respect and love!!!

  141. Great minds … 🙂 Re: Longer lenses. Nothing for pro work, but I did pick up a cheapy zoom to shoot our boyz sports. I’ve added it to the list. Thanks for reading and happy shopping! 🙂

  142. Thanks for sharing your find David! Hard to keep track of the intricacies of every combination so your experience is mucho appreciated. Happy shooting! 🙂

  143. Thank you for the kind words and BLESSINGS! Re: SD card. I think the one I linked to (80MB/s) is the best price/performance ratio at the moment and does not slow down the cam in any way. Just came back from a European family vacation and loved how the RX100M3 performed with that card. Cheers and please use the links here to purchase.

  144. Thanks for taking the time to write Ditho! Enjoy your D750 and happy shooting! 🙂

  145. Hi Peter. Low light has been wonderful so far. Will shoot 6400ISO without worry. Not quite as good detail as our Nikon Df’s but nothing to worry about at this ISO. Re: jpeg skintones. Can’t help with this one as Fuji still has unmatched JPEG’s in my opinion 🙁

  146. Thanks for sharing your experience Andrew! While the warranty is great, 5 out of 6 failed flashes = not good enough for pro photographers who need reliable equipment 🙁 Hoping they fix the Mitros+ for ALL users!

  147. Use the links above to purchase the Dorfood DSV: it does the controlling. DON’T buy an aquarium heater with temperature gauge: the one we link to above is always on, so the Dorkfood DSV can control it.

  148. So glad you’re finding them Ty 🙂 Happy shooting and God bless 🙂

  149. Hi Olivier! It’s just to “force” the camera to not pump up the gain and increase noise when not needed. But really, the sensor is so good in low light it’s not really an issue. But faster access = better 🙂

  150. Hi Ian. Yes: I was exploring U1 and U2 setting and loving them at the last wedding. Just watch out as the User settings record a LOT of info including JPEG vs RAW etc which could be a problem if you’re not careful. I believe Manual remembers the last settings after coming from U1 and U2, so really it’s like having 3 different settings 🙂

  151. Hi Michelle! So glad you stumbled upon our site 🙂 Re: Focus vs D4. Very well. The viewfinder may be a tad dimmer, but I’m *very* impressed with the speed and surety of focus even in low light. After a year of shooting the Df’s, it seems super-speedy, but even against the D4 it can definitely hold its own 🙂

  152. Sorry about that George! One of the links is behaving badly 🙁 Here’s a direct link to page 2: http://notsoancientchinesesecrets.com/shirataki-noodles-stir-fry-recipe/2/ Happy Cooking! 🙂

  153. Yes: glad you went that road Clare! As you say, our SB900’s have been rock solid with the Odin triggers so far. The biggest limitation now is the sluggishness of the Odin TCU transmitter – seems to take *forever* to adjust settings during the stresses of a wedding shoot. Happy shooting 🙂

  154. Sound advice … If I had working flashes I’d give it a go, but honestly: there should be no such option if it causes devastating failure of the flash.

  155. Hi Andrew. Thanks for the heads up on the firmware update! Unfortunately, there’s much bigger issues looming – reports of dead flashes abound for us Nikon Mitros+ users 🙁 Until the hardware is fixed, there’s no way to test the firmware update.

  156. So glad you enjoyed the video Jennifer 🙂 Re: “woefully overcooked”. They’re not invited 😉 KIDDING!! If you *must* indulge them, during the bbq searing bit, you can always cook the ends a little longer than the rest …. but I wouldn’t and just tell them it’s how it is 😉 Just cooked this for Canadian Thanksgiving with guests from Malaysia and it was hit! Enjoy and do let me know how it goes 🙂

  157. Hi Gabor, I haven’t used the Canon system and don’t know enough people with hands-on experience with it to advise you one way or the other. But with continuing reports of failures on the Mitros+ for Nikon side, I’m sad Phottix continues to sell them instead of stopping all sales until the issue can be found and resolved. Sorry to not be of more help.

  158. Woohoo!! Glad you and your guests enjoyed it! Literally cooking this recipe as I type for Canadian Thanksgiving 🙂 Re: ribs. Oh man, can’t wait for you to try it! If you love the roast, the ribs are the *bomb* Happy Thanksgiving John!

  159. Oh man … Sorry to hear that Dan 🙁 From all the reports of bad flashes, I’m thinking a total recall of all Nikon’s is in order. Unacceptable as is.

  160. Hi John, I just checked and you’re right about the 6hr limitation 🙁 To be exact, when you try to max out the diameter and minimize the target temp (example: 135), it will say >6 hours in RED and display a warning to consult the Cooking Journal . I also find the 5inch max not enough as well. But from experience, I know I’ve been able to cook even a very large roast in 10hours to get 135F at core. Safest way is to check temp at core with reliable thermometer (like my fave: the thermapen http://amzn.to/1w29mM3 ) after 10hrs to make sure your roast is cooked through. Hope this helps and thanks for reading! 🙂

  161. Hi OE, thankfully there are quite a few options. I have the relatively inexpensive Zoom H1 (http://amzn.to/1yex9uC) which can do the job. The mics aren’t very directional, so when recording interviews, you’ll need to have the mic situated close to everyone who is speaking. If you plan to record outdoors, you’ll want to get a windscreen. I’d also suggest putting the mic on a tripod of some sort as there is lots of handling noise. I should note the auto-gain feature is mostly useless, so you’ll have to compress your audio after recording for sure. If you want something better, I’d look at the newer Zoom H5 (http://amzn.to/1yexNrU) It’s a bit bigger, but has more options and built-in compression which will (hopefully) make the audio sound better too. Most software apps like Final Cut Pro can auto-sync the audio to video, but it’s still a pain compared to rolling it all into one. Hope this helps!

  162. Thanks for taking the time to write and for the kind words! Have fun with your RX100M3 and happy shooting 🙂

  163. Oh man .. .so sorry to hear of your troubles Gilbert 🙁 I would contact Phottix support online to see if they can help faster than Amazon can.

  164. Sounds all too familiar 🙁 Still holding out hope for a major re-working of their quality control … For all our sakes!

  165. Thanks John! Sorry for missing that link. The AVCHD re-wrapper is called ClipWrap and can be purchased here: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/clipwrap/id553085183?mt=12 (not affiliated). Love its speed and ease of use! Happy shooting and sharing 🙂

  166. Glad they’re taking your feedback seriously!! Hoping for a hardware AND firmware fix sooner than later for all our sakes 🙂

  167. Thanks for the kind words and glad it helped Jaz! Blessings and thanks for watching and reading 🙂

  168. Hi Dave, Haven’t heard of the firmware update but am pretty sure it’s a fix that has been on their radar so would not be surprised if the next firmware update includes it.

    Re: RX100M3 vs RX100M2. I’ve never used the RX100M2, but both are great for their respective price points on paper. Personally, I’d really really miss the 180 degree LCD screen which is great for taking selfies of the family. If you long for a more SLR experience, the pop-up electronic viewfinder is another reason the $150 is more than worth the price of the M3.

    Hope this helps!

  169. Great stuff Andrew!! Your findings are very similar to mine with the Nikon system. I also used a TCU to trigger remote Mitros+ in RX mode and found similar manual power inconsistencies, and linearity when manually set at the flash. Hopefully our detailed findings = faster fix!!! Now if they could stop the flashes from blowing out …..

  170. Hi Ethan,

    there’s no “one camera fits all” that I know of. This has a smaller sensor than the 70d, but is likely better for taking selfies. The Sony is a very capable camera, but does not replace a full DSLR kit. Really depends on if you’re looking for a pocketable take-everywhere camera or a larger sensor with interchangeble lenses. The Sony lacks a touch screen, so if that’s a requirement, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Taking good quality video in a dance club might be a challenge for both. No definitive answer, and definitely depends on your needs.

  171. Hi Andrew, Thanks for the detailed test results. Yup: I found similar inconsistencies in exposures with my Mitros+ for Nikon flashes. Scary that something as basic as manual flash power control was not diagnosed or fixed before launch. I highly HIGHLY recommend that you contact Phottix support and supply your findings. I did the same for Mitros+ for Nikon and hope they can iron out these huge issues.

  172. Hello fellow Canadian! Thanks for sharing your experience here Greg. Sad to hear of the continued problems and customs fees, but glad it got fixed. How many weddings have you successfully used the fixed flashes on? I’m burning through Mitros+ flashes at an alarming rate 🙁

  173. Hi Char! So sorry for the late reply but SO GLAD you love your sous vide as much as *we* do 😀 You’ll never order chicken breast at a restaurant again 😉 And thanks for the tip about corn! It’s on my list for grilling on the BBQ, but the microwave/torch hack sounds amazing! Happy eating and thanks for being here!!

  174. No worries and THANK YOU for your support! 🙂 Happy Flashing!

  175. Thanks for the update Andrew! So glad to hear they responded and that their broken support ticket system works better than we had feared 😀 Ghetto gaffers tape trick to the rescue! LOL! 😀

  176. haha! Nice call on the ambush 😉 Agreed: would be nice to be more covert without the blinking red. In the past I’ve gaffers taped our SB900’s to get rid of it, but at the expense of losing the AF assist light. Honestly, I just want them to make the REST of the system work as it should 🙂

  177. Don’t give up Andrew! I know Phottix is listening but yes: perhaps a flawed support system. I’m relaying as many messages as I can on my end as well and hope for a fix sooner rather than later. Thanks for contributing here 🙂

  178. Oh man Thanks for sharing your experience Mark. Truly appreciated!!! I’ve been holding off on the firmware update as we’re in the thick of shooting season and definitely prefer working with the devil I know. Sooo sad to hear of the step backwards 🙁 I’m pretty sure Phottix is listening, but hope for a fix to come sooner than later.

  179. Sorry to hear of your troubles even with the firmware update Adam. I haven’t updated successfully yet and may not as shooting season is upon us and living with the “devil I know” may be better than opening pandora’s box with new issues.

  180. Thanks for the kind words Mathieu! This is a labour of love so feedback like yours makes it all the more worthwhile 🙂

    A. Yes. Mitros+ as TX can control Mitros+ RX in manual power
    B. Yes. Can toggle on-camera Mitros+ TX on/off while transmitting to slaves.

    Hope this helps and happy flashing 🙂

  181. Hi Gregory! Re: temp. It’s definitely personal, but I definitely prefer my chicken breast at 135F. 140F is much firmer. Re: water pump http://amzn.to/1q0CBwM. Thanks for that tip Gregory! I’ll have to pick one up and test 🙂

  182. Hi Jesse, Unfortunately I’ve not been able to update the firmware using my mac (other’s are reporting the same problem). This being said, that package deal is the best I’ve seen and though I can’t wholeheartedly recommend Phottix, we’re still personally using it in our studio. Sorry to not be of more help, but I’ll update this article when I get a chance to update and test.

  183. Glad to hear it! Just downloaded and hoping to do some serious light testing in manual mode soon. Thanks for sharing Scott! 🙂

  184. Glad to hear it! Would love to hear the good/bad after your tests Scott 🙂

  185. Sorry to hear that Nelson. After a couple more weddings I’m still liking the simplicity of the setup but its shortcomings are also not going anywhere. I hear a firmware update is imminent and I hope they fix the big issues.

  186. Sad to hear it Spiros 🙁 It’s hard when the gear we rely on fails.

  187. No worries Douglas. I’m pretty sure he just used a simple power plug adapter like this one to plug two heaters into his Dorkfood DSV: http://amzn.to/1jfQVio

    Re: pre-heating. I’m very impatient so do two things to speed pre-heating the water bath: 1. I keep my tap water boiler set at 125F. Not advised if you have small children around, but great for sous vide 🙂 2. I boil water in my kettle (1500W heater element) and add a couple of kettle’s full of boiling water to get the whole thing up to temp quickly.

    Re: other sous vide machines. Those are great all-in-one solutions, but they’re not as expandable/flexible as the Dorkfood DSV.

    This being said, I just pledged for TWO of this new sous vide machine on Kickstarter: http://kck.st/1jfOpbX For the price and feature set, it’s hard to beat. But of course it’s a kickstarter campaign so YMMV. But with over a month to go and over 10x their pledge goal achieved already, it seems to be a no-brainer 🙂

    May I be so bold as to suggest you follow us on our Facebook Page, Twitter or Google+ Page
    (links are at the top of this page ) as I shared the kickstarter link above last week, and you could have gotten in on the campaign at a lower price. It’s still a great deal but I love to help people save money 🙂

    I still recommend and expect to use my Dorkfood regularly too. We all win because sous vide cooking is becoming more affordable than ever.

    Happy cooking!

  188. Hey Douglas! I’d stay clear of the 300W – too low powered to keep a large body of water at an even temp. I actually tried to purchased the 800W twice and twice Amazon wrongly shipped the 500W model. But the Dorkfood dude himself connects TWO 800W heater bars to his Dorkfood DSV with great results. Note that the 800W bar is longer than the 500W, so will likely not fit in standard stock-pots. But yeah: both 500W and 800W are great options 🙂

  189. ANDY!! So glad you found us here 🙂 Hugs to the Fam Man!!

  190. If it’s a “dumb” heating element, it should work fine. I would think it best to add a cheap Chinese steamer tray to the bottom so your food won’t rest on the bottom. Re: heat variance. Definitely will need to be tested. I’m just finishing a new blog post on sous vide boneless, skinless chicken breast and have some tips including just this.

  191. Thanks Scott! Re: pre-flash in manual. Just shot a wedding this past weekend with the system and on ours they pre-flash. I can see the pre-flash through the viewfinder (unlike with Nikon’s native manual flash system: since the flash head only goes off at time of exposure, the viewfinder “blinks”, obscuring the flash). Will update this post with some weirdness we saw at the wedding too.

  192. Hi Douglas,

    Great question. I was worried about that too, so have tested a bunch of wire racks to move the heater bar above the plastic cooler (note: beer-chicken wire racks rust!). Best option is hitting your local Chinese kitchenware store and buying small circular steaming racks. Not perfect, but you can thread the heater bar through the central holes to raise it up a bit. I also lean a medium steaming rack against the surface of the heater bar and position my pouches so nothing touches the bar. This being said, the cooler I use (amazon links above) has a small shelf in the back which fits the 500W heater bar perfectly. I typically use the steamer racks on the heater bar when bringing the water up to temp, then move it to the little shelf all by itself during the cook time. I haven’t seen any sign of heat discolouration or melting so its rubber feet seem to be doing a good job of insulating. Re: food racks. I also bought 2 of these $13 Sous Vide Supreme food racks (http://bit.ly/1j309Za – not affiliated) which fit perfectly in my cooler. Don’t use this daily, but when you’re batch cooking (post coming soon!) this allows for a LOT of food to be cooked at once.

    Hope this helps and let me know how it goes for you!

  193. Hey Nelson!!

    Re: Mitros+ TX to StratosII Camera release. Doh! Actually .. I never even thought of that configuration and we don’t use remote cams.

    Re: 2 shooters. I remember you mentioned this before. You mean when you are shooting 2 cams triggering Mitros+ RX in TLL? We shoot Mitros+ RX manual flash and seem to be doing ok for different power levels. But the real test comes very soon as we shoot our first wedding.

  194. LOL! Are you sous vide cooking these days too? COOL!

  195. Thanks for the kind words and feedback! Yes: looking forward to the simplicity. I haven’t integrated the Odin/Phottix system with my SB’s but good to hear it’s working for you with added functionality.

    Wedding season starts for us this weekend, so will know more about how it performs in the real-world real soon 🙂

    Happy shooting and God bless 🙂

  196. Dr. Jon!! Honestly the Dorkfood DSV has been rock solid and is so flexible: I heartily recommend it. And now Amazon.ca carries it! http://amzn.to/1jm5wVp

    Re: Searing to get the Maillard reaction. I’ve tried pan (with oil), oven broiler, gas BBQ and Weber Chimney and the last wins every time. I’m finishing the ribs today and making a video. I’m amazed at what even a little time on the coals gives in smokey-flavour returns. Video coming soon …

  197. Thanks for the input John. We personally don’t shoot TTL very much at all (read: never at paid shoot … yet). But I’ve also heard from friends about similar TTL exposure and recycle time issues as you note, so unfortunately you’re not alone. The good news: heard through the grape-vine that Phottix is working on a firmware update. Hopefully it arrives before shooting season starts!

  198. Hi Robin! As noted in the article, The X100s is NOT our first choice for shooting moving targets like kids. Blurry photos can be reduced to an extent by increasing ISO and shutter speed. But the real problem is the X100s’ slow focus motor. For active children it really is too slow to do a proper job. For sports and moving subjects, we still pick up our DSLR. Alternatively, many of our pro-photog friends love the Olympus OMD. Hope this helps!

  199. Good to hear you’re being taken care of by Phottix Nelson!

    Re: multiple shooters. We are 2 shooters with 2 cams each, each triggering 4 Mitros+ as Odin RX with Odin TCU’s on each of 4 cameras. Only shot a small maternity so far, but it all worked flawlessly. Note we shot 100% manual flash power, so wonder if your issues were seen in TTL mode?

  200. it’s on the back-burner (pun intended 🙂 ). Started the popcorn route then switched to a Behmor 1600 and loving it. Not as brave as you to mod-shop a turbo crazy but Sweet Maria’s is where it’s at!

  201. What can I say? I love my food … and drink 😀 Thanks for reading and yes: just had a discussion about cold-brewed coffee this morning!! LOL!

  202. Hey Gregory! Not sure on the exact spec, but it takes the cheap butane canisters (like this one http://amzn.to/1dF8PJv ) that our local market sells typically used for hot-pot burners. I’m really pleased with the heat and how long it lasts on a single, inexpensive canister. Happy cooking!

  203. Thanks for the detailed feedback Nelson.

    1 – Good to know about the cables: I had ordered the Quantum cables and almost regretted it when I found other brands selling for a fraction of the price. Can also confirm the Quantum cables fit the included adapter and work fine.

    2 – Strangely, I’m also seeing the pre-flash in manual mode when triggering from an on-camera Odin TCU.

    3 – Haven’t had time to test but will definitely test this out when I get a chance.

    4 – Sad to hear. Wonder if it’s the extra strain having to power a radio transmitter AND flash with the same set of batteries. Are you also seeing poor recycle times with an external battery pack?

    5 – Yeah. Would *love* to have a TX mode which can be used on any standard camera hotshoe which controls and triggers remotes via manual power settings.

    Re: tech support. Sorry to hear. My experience has been great so far. I’ve taken the liberty to forward your email to them so hopefully they can help you resolve your issues.

    Cheers and thanks for sharing!

  204. Funny you should ask Nicholas 🙂 I’m working on a review of the Phottix Multi-boom and loving it. http://flashhavoc.com/phottix-multi-boom-28-now-available/ I’m testing both the short and long versions and love being able to leave MagMod’s on-flash while adding modifiers. Full review coming soon, but so far, 2 thumbs up 🙂

  205. I’m … speechless! LOL! Thank Geoff! Honoured to have you read and find value in my crazy head-space 🙂 Thanks for hanging around and spreading the love!!

  206. So strange about the adapter. Would love to hear their solution. Re: beep. To be clear, all sound is off for single button pushes. But when a button is pressed and HELD to make successive changes (example from 1/128 power to 1/16) then it will beep every 1/3 stop change.

  207. Thanks for letting me know that difference Todd! Hopefully the wrap-around can be included in a firmware update for Canon users. Yes: they seem responsive so far and hope they can make it all I hope the system to be. Cheers!

  208. I thought of that, but the weird part is, the Mitros+ works fine at ALL shutter speeds (including 1/250) when NOT in Odin TX mode. Also, the Odin TCU also works at all shutter speeds. This means it’s definitely an issue with the M+ in Odin TX mode. Thanks for the troubleshooting help tho 🙂

  209. Hi Mark! Jerry is awesome and we’re so blessed to call him friend 🙂

    Re: Issue at max FP sync speed. It was a top our Nikon Df’s and ONLY at 1/250; shutter speeds below and above worked fine. Odin TCU worked fine at 1/250th, so it is only the Mitros+ in Odin TX mode at 1/250 that gave me a problem (no remote flashes triggered; so camera-mounted Mitros+ in Odin TX is not filling entire frame with light). Hopefully it’s firmware update fixable but honestly it’s not too big a deal as other shutter speeds work as expected.

  210. Hey Nelson, Sorry to hear of your troubles. I’ve tested it with my Quantum Nikon-cables and it fits perfectly (tight seal). Wonder if it’s a brand issue but an email to Phottix support with a pic of the offending cable will hopefully shed some light on it. Hope that helps!

  211. You’re right: I checked the other day and it was in stock, but today it says pre-order. It’s a bargain for the set so I think they must have sold-out quickly 🙂 Hopefully back in stock shortly!

  212. Hi Nelson, Congrats!! Hope you have fun with it 🙂

    Re: BH Links. Thanks for asking!! I have two sets of B&H links above: one for Nikon and one for Canon. The direct link to the Nikon Mitros+ flash is here: http://bhpho.to/1nkkRMI

    Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and Happy Shopping and shooting 🙂

  213. Thanks for adding to the conversation Alberto! Glad to hear of your Phottix customer service experience. Cheers!

  214. Wow! What a small world! LOL! We love Jerry!! So glad you found us over here on our personal blog 🙂

    Ingenious idea of mounting an Odin TCU a top a Stratos ii on your Fuji X100S! Though that will look funky to be sure 😉

    Yes: hopefully there will one day be an all-in-one solution for flash-geeks like us 🙂 Cheers and happy flashing!

  215. Thanks Nelson!

    Re: Fuji with Odin TCU. Won’t fire even in manual mode (even tried taping all but central contact on the hot shoe). I also tried this with my Nikon SU800 and likewise it wouldn’t trigger a top my Fuji X100S. I’m going to update this article’s wishlist to ask for a manual-only mode like you suggest. That would be awesome!!

    Glad you found value in this article and please use the B&H or Amazon links here when purchasing 🙂

  216. Thanks for reading and for the kind words Carlos!

  217. Me too 🙂 Even after being disappointed by other “brand names” which don’t live up to their hype, I’m cautiously optimistic that Phottix will deliver 🙂 Thanks for reading!

  218. Hey Chris! So glad our friends are finding our website 🙂 Glad to hear of your experience and Phottix reliability! I’ve heard others report the same and I’m hopeful the Mitros+ is of the same lineage. Re: interoperability. Yeah … I’m impressed how they’ve grown their system and included backwards compatibility when possible. Gives peace of mind when buying into their proprietary system.

  219. Joel! Good to see you here and thanks for the kind words 🙂 Glad they’re proving to be reliable in the wild world of weddings! Looking forward to pushing them when wedding season starts up for us!

  220. Thanks Andrew 🙂 Re: “pretty reliable”. It’s been flawless in testing, but other systems have been “pretty reliable” in testing too. I can’t know if it’s real-world reliable until I push the system through a shooting season.

  221. The cooler does not close. Thought about drilling a hole and filling with silicon, but honestly, it’s been a non-issue. If you’re cooking something for several days, just make sure to top-off the water level to ensure food is always submerged. Re: on/off. Haven’t really made note. It does make a click sound, but when we cook in the cooler it’s in the basement bathtub so don’t hear it. When we use the slow cooker, it’s right behind our office desks and doesn’t bother us at all … though we live with 2 boyz so are used to noise 🙂

  222. Glad you’re here too Gregory 🙂 To answer your question, the aquarium heater linked does not have a built-in thermostat, and that’s exactly why it works so well with the Dorkfood DSV 🙂 Happy eating!

  223. Thank you Kelly! Blessings back atcha and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 🙂

  224. You’re very welcome Kelly 🙂 Re: Bonavita/Clever vs Aeropress. Both will make excellent coffee but it really depends how anal your hubby is. The very best coffee I’ve made out of the Aeropress involves using it upside-down so you can steep the grinds in how water before it leaves the chamber. This creates the problem of possible leakage and pouring hot water all over yourself when you flip to plunge. The Bonavita/Clever are easy-peasy: just add water, stir and put over cup or turn a lever. Bonavita is the maker we use everyday. If I’m in a rush and literally can’t wait for the coffee to drip, I’ll use the Aeropress to save 3minutes . Hope this helps 🙂

  225. Hi Kelly. Both make a great cup of coffee but have caveats: both have a tendency to drip (especially when making a second cup). Personally, we’ve been using the Bonavita (not brewing in plastic = win) for the past year and like it, but recommend brewing on top of a cup since it has a tendency to leak. Because it’s porcelain, over a cup it’s pretty top-heavy, but with care it’s just fine (was honestly expecting to break mine by now!). Hope this helps 🙂

  226. Hi Caryl,

    Great question and one that deserves its own post 🙂 When we get past wedding season it’ll be a priority to get this post done 🙂

  227. Yes: I use this Variable Neutral Density + Polarizer from Singh-Ray: http://bhpho.to/1e23mwe We have 77mm step-up rings on all our lenses so we can put this in front of any of them. Cheers!

  228. Thanks for the technical explanation! Makes sense. Haven’t shot much past 1/1000 since flash sync pretty much stops there. Neutral Density filters to the rescue 🙂 Cheers!

  229. Thanks Nicholas! I purchased the TRX XMount and mounted to a joist. The included lag bolts are rated for 600lbs and I’ve tested by swinging on it (my boyz do the same all the time) and it’s secure. I’m sure anchoring around an exposed floor joist would work as well; test and check regularly for slippage and friction points before committing your entire weight to it 🙂

  230. Thanks for the comment Kyle! We’re out of stock but will make an announcement with QuiKlips are back in stock (really really soon I hope!)

  231. Thanks Brendan! Re: foodsaver model. It was on sale at our local Costco and it got decent reviews. I always check Amazon reviews before making purchases like this tho … and it’s been solid over the past year 🙂

  232. Thanks for reading. Like you, I don’t have USB3 ports on any of my Macs, so use USB2 speed.

  233. It really depends what’s inside the field of view, especially if you’re using auto white balance. I typically set the WB to cloudy or shade when shooting outdoors and choose the Velvia mode. When indoors, these settings can become too warm, so I switch to normal and select WB according to the light sources available. I seldom prefer WB as any camera can be tricked into wacking out the colors.

  234. Kristel!

    Phew! Glad you’re enjoying it 😀

    What time/temp did you do your pork tenderloin? Still looking to perfect mine.

    Oh man …. I know you’re gonna love the short ribs. It was the best short ribs EVER. Let me know how it goes and keep me posted on new recipes too 🙂

  235. Kenny!

    Thanks for writing man! Yes: beer cooler hack rocks. Beef steaks is is a great starting place with the hack since it requires lower temps, doesn’t need to be pasteurized … unless you’re expecting and is typically less thick than chicken. I like mine medium rare at about 135F. Make sure you have an accurate digital thermometer and you’re golden.

    Would love to hear your results!

    Hope you guys enjoy it 🙂

  236. Reggie! Looked at that machine too (Go Canada!) but decided on the simpler and less expensive Dorkfood DSV. Not as sophisticated but amazing results out of the box. Is the aquarium pump holding up well? Have you tested with and without it?

  237. Thanks for taking the time to comment AND for the tagline! Bottoms Up!! 😀

  238. Tiffany!! Polarizing filter can be a great addition if you’re looking for more saturated skies and reduction in reflections in water and glass. Go for it!! 🙂

  239. Hey Pardeep! Didn’t notice enough speed gains with Lexar FW800 readers over their (a) heat (b) bigger size and (c) power use to recommend them. And my MBA doesn’t have a FW port.

  240. My pleasure Derrick 🙂 No plans for Atlanta at the moment, but keep your eye on this website for upcoming workshops: http://www.dqstudios.com/for-photographers/

  241. Hi Derrick! Yes we do … just received two new ones in the mail today … always playing and testing to see what works best 🙂 One that continues to impress is the simple shoot through umbrella made popular by Strobist here: Westcott 2001 43-Inch Optical White Satin Collapsible Umbrella

  242. Yeah!! Glad to help Joel 🙂 Re: Amazon orders. Whenever I travel to the US I make an Amazon order a week before and ship to my hotel. It’s like Christmas 🙂 Let me know how you like the CF Readers!

  243. Good point Ian. We use Photo Mechanic to generate proofs and upload files too, so it does much more than download cards for us, but good to know there’s other options too 🙂

  244. Joe! Thanks for the kind words friend 🙂

    Re: Advantages of PM: between Quin and I we shoot with 4 cameras. PM eases the pain of consolidating all the images into one folder while also allowing us to track who shot what (for entering into competitions etc) and from which camera (to track camera issues). Like you, we make a similar folder for each client (YYMMDD-Bride-Groom-W) but let PM dump the images in there. Less me handling the files the better 🙂

    Re: XQD. Don’t use it – Never had an image go bad because of a Sandisk CF card and never had a dual-slot camera before, so don’t see the need.

  245. Do Liane: love the GDrive, and it’s smaller than my previously recommended HD! Re: corrupt cards. Are you sure it was the cards? I’ve had corrupt images, but traced it to the camera (hence our Photo Mechanic renaming scheme keeping track of the camera serial number).

  246. Thanks Leon!!! So glad I can impress a fellow Geek :):):)

  247. So glad to hear it Philippe!! Yes: strengthening the posterior chain is a GREAT thing for EVERYone. Me included 🙂 I get lazy and don’t do the exercises as much as I should too, but I agree: just 5-10 minutes a day really helps. Cheers!

  248. Thanks for adding your opinion Dr. Doperak. I agree: does not fix the underlying issue, hence ability for pain to resurface. But for me, the strengthening exercises have been a great eye-opener to how unbalanced my body was. They’re great even for those not feeling pain and will definitely help in creating healthier movements. The pain relief is bonus 🙂 For a more permanent fix, what would you recommend for someone who can’t visit your clinic?

  249. Yo KB! Sorry to hear man. PX’s have been the most reliable system for us. PW hasn’t. What RP system are you using? I can try to help 🙂

  250. Be careful: band resistance can overtax your joints very easily (says the guy who tore his rotator cuff). But yes: definitely can get a decent workout with bands.

  251. Another great reason to start your home gym 🙂 Love the versatility of resistance bands.

  252. Hey Nadine! Yes! We’ll be featuring them in another fitness post but yeah: I dig em 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

  253. Hey Shelley!! Thanks for checking this place out! Yup: a fuss-free great brew is waiting for you 😀

  254. Zlatko! Good to see you here 🙂 and Wow! Thanks for the info. Haven’t compared bokeh but strange how the aperture doesn’t wrongly expose the frame if the leaves are behaving differently at faster shutter speeds.

  255. Wow! Nice Chris! When I’m at f2 and go above 1/1000 the shutter number displays in Red. Didn’t realize it will still let you press the shutter!!

  256. Thanks for the link Ty! Looking forward to checking it out. What in particular did they fix/add/improve?

  257. Oh … should have noted I was shooting at f2 so was using the ND and maxing out. Good to know tho 🙂

  258. For you … .INCLUDED!!!! :D:D xoxo

  259. Yo Joel!! Glad you got hooked up! Would love to hear your thoughts when you get a chance to brew 🙂

  260. Hi Dan! We mix it up but generally alternate cardio and strength days. Cardio is always 20-30 minute of sprint intervals (no loooong runs). Strength days are 20 minutes of high-density training (read: fast, only rest when needed pace). It’s a great idea so we’ll be sharing some more specifics on our workout programs too 🙂 Thanks for the suggestion!

  261. Tammie!! Can’t wait for our boyz to hang out together 🙂 I’ll bring earplugs and aspirin 😀

  262. Thank you Justin! Blessings back atcha 🙂

  263. Cool! Can’t imagine your workload having to prep/charge/pack two systems! Loving Nikon but can’t wait for them to play catchup and offer wireless RADIO flash 🙂

  264. Dr Daddy Jon! Re: ratio: 22g/350g bean/water (weigh scales rock!). Re: paper filters. True dat. If you wanna go green and don’t mind the sediment of french-press try this Aeropress with SS disk.

  265. Hey Tiffany! Totally …. we’ll use our current floor until it wears through, but wish I had invested in the others linked above from the get-go.

  266. Sweet Kenny!!! And thanks for checking this place out 🙂 Blessings bro!!

  267. Not faster I’m sure but barefoot running fixed my bum knee and ankle … you know another post is coming for that though 🙂 Thanks for being here J!!

  268. Our joy Andrew! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

  269. WINNING!!! Thanks for the link-up Randy!!!! Happy Brewing 🙂

  270. Randy!! So glad you’re here and officially our FIRST commenter who isn’t related by blood 😀

    As a serious coffee Geek, I roast my own beans but seriously: I gotta go to Costco to find that Rogers blend now!!

    Blessings bro and thanks for spending your time here 🙂