Category Archives: Uncategorized

Things That I Simply No Longer Care About

When I originally conceived this post, I was going to title it “The life changes I made when I retired.”  However, like most things I write, the topic evolved.  The title then became “Changes that I have made as I have aged.” That was also inaccurate, as some of my life changes started in my 20s and have grown since then. The bottom line is that as an adult, I have slowly become who I am today.  Let me share some of those changes with you.

I no longer fear Imposter syndrome.

When I was younger, I received conflicting critiques about who I was and what my abilities were. On one hand, I was told I was stupid, lazy, and useless, while on the other hand, I was told that  I was bright, talented, and unique. I reveled in the later critique but didn’t believe it was real. I feared my complementers would discover I was a fraud.  

I recall being in college and breaking the curve on tests, thinking I was lucky. After doing this many times, I changed my belief to “I just study harder.”  Eventually, I came to understand that I grasped the material better than the average student, which was why I topped the curve.  Before you think I’m too grandiose, let me inform you that I have also recognized my weaknesses.  For instance, I cannot remember common facts, like a person’s name or a telephone number. Additionally, I have great difficulty putting together a simple children’s jigsaw puzzle. 

I no longer feel that I’m an imposter. Instead, I understand that I’m a person with some unique gifts and some significant weaknesses.  My goal has always been to exploit my strengths while doing everything possible to turn my weaknesses into strengths. I’m still a work in progress. 

I don’t care what people think about me.

When I moved into my house 30 years ago, I tried to be casually friendly towards my neighbors.  This effort went reasonably well, and I’m still on good terms with people I met at that time.  However, there was one situation where something went wrong.  A guy lived half a block from my house, and I had minimal contact with him.  We had kids the same age, and I occasionally saw him at the school bus stop or around the neighborhood. When I ran into him, I would greet him with a hello or raise my hand in a wave.  Initially, he responded, but then he stopped.  He would sometimes visibly scowl if he caught sight of me. If I was face-to-face with him, looked him directly in his eye, and said hello, he would look past me like I didn’t exist.  This situation upset and baffled me as I could not think of a reason for this change in his behavior. I felt that I must have done something wrong to create such a reaction, but I couldn’t even remember conversing with him, let alone saying something rude. My concerns eventually faded, and I got past his response (or lack thereof).  I never found out why this person went from a casual contact to someone who hated me. However, I no longer care.

In my private practice, I initially evaluated a middle-aged man who needed a new psychiatrist as his old one was retiring. This poor guy was taking a suitcase of ridiculous and repetitive meds.  His former doctor had him on multiple tranquilizers, sleeping pills, stimulants, and even opioid pain meds. I told the man frankly that my goal would be to get him off of 90% of the medications that he was taking because only then could I see what he needed.  He was furious with me and left my office, never to return.  I had to admit that I had a sense of relief when he left, as I knew that weaning such a patient would be as difficult for me as for him.  Six months later, I saw him on my schedule and thought, “Oh crap.”  I was sure that I was about to get some sort of dressing down because he was so angry when he left the first time. 

The man came in, and instead of reaming me, he apologized. He was seeing a new doctor who was happy to continue all of his meds, but over time, he realized that I was the first doctor to care enough about his care to risk losing him by telling him the truth.  Over time, I was able to get him off most of his meds and transition him to more appropriate ones.  He became a patient for life and continued to travel to my Illinois office after he moved to Ohio. 

There are times when I have accidentally offended someone. When things go badly in an encounter, and I am the cause, I want to make it right. However, long ago, I realized there would be people who would like me and people who wouldn’t.  Some who don’t want to be my friend will have a valid reason; others won’t. I try to be kind and respectful to everyone, but if that is not enough…so be it. I want to concentrate my energy on those who want to share time with me.  For the others, I wish them a happy life, but otherwise, I simply don’t care.

I no longer try to live up to other people’s expectations of me.

Some people think they know how I should behave, what I should do, and how I should live my life.  Sometimes, these comments are out of genuine caring and could be considered complements.  “You should write a book on that topic,” or “You should practice again; we need good psychiatrists.”  At other times, I have been the target of someone’s manipulation, like when a senior medical student wanted me, as a freshman medical student, to take her place on a horrible committee that involved a ton of work and long twice-monthly meetings. I could give dozens of other examples, but they all involve “shoulds.”  You should do this, or you shouldn’t do that.  Long ago, I realized it was OK to listen to other’s perspectives, but I knew myself better than they knew me.  I live according to my expectations, not someone else’s.

I no longer buy into societal norms.

We are constantly being pressured to fit in.  As a doctor, society tried to determine how big my house should be, what kind of car I should drive, and what friends I should associate with. When I turned 50, I bought a “doctor’s car,” a Mercedes.  I felt pretty cool and accomplished for about a month, and then it dawned on me that the Mercedes was just a box on wheels. After a time, it became a burden due to its poor construction and excessive repair costs.  I traded it in for a Honda; a happy day. I no longer need to keep up with the Joneses or the Dr. Joneses. I just want to live my life and be myself. 

It took me about a month to realize that my Mercedes was just a box on wheels.

I no longer think I’m unworthy if I’m average at something.

Growing up, I received praise and validation through my academic abilities. This reinforcement led to a pattern of behavior in which I felt that I had to prove my worth by consistently exceeding expectations. That went well beyond schooling.  I thought I had to be engaging, intelligent, and funny in social situations. It was my task to make sure that no one was uncomfortable. It was my job to come up with a topic that interested the person I was talking to, not a subject I had an interest in.  In my marriage, I felt I had to be the ultimate provider, the man with the plan, who was both in charge yet compassionate and tender, alternating roles as required. I felt I had to prove my worth beyond being a good doctor in my business. For example, I taught myself web design to save the clinic money by designing, building, and uploading a complicated corporate website instead of having the clinic contract a professional. 

These characteristics are part of me, but the operative definer is “part.”  I don’t always want to be the most competent person in the room, the most engaging, and the most thoughtful.  Sometimes, I want to be me.  Over time, I have realized I have worth, as all humans do.  It is OK for me to allow others to take the lead and be intelligent, thoughtful, and caring. My genuine self is that of a nurturer, but I sometimes need to be nurtured.  I am happy to care for the people I love, but I also want to be loved. I can learn new things to help others, but at times, I am the person who needs help. 

Sometimes, it feels good just to be good enough.  

I no longer feel a need to control others.

When I care about someone, I want to protect them and keep them safe. When my kids were young, imparting my “knowledge” to them was possible.  However, they are now adults and have had the benefits of an excellent education, a ton of love and support, and wisdom from both parents. If they ask my opinion, I will happily give it to them.  If I see a major disaster on the horizon, I may offer an unsolicited opinion. However, in most cases, I feel my role is to be a supportive listener.  This stance goes beyond my kids but requires continuing effort on my part.  I’m better at letting go, but I still want to shield those I love from hurt and trauma.  I need to remind myself that adults have the right to self-determination. 

I no longer have to be everyone’s friend.

There was a time when someone asked me to be my friend, and I would automatically say yes. Many times, these were individuals who recognized that I was a caretaker.  The relationship would consist of them using me in one way or another.  When I needed their help or support, they would be “too busy.” I no longer want such people in my life.  I want mutually beneficial relationships with others, and I would much rather have a small circle of true friends than a massive group of casual friends. 

I don’t need to accomplish everything I could have achieved.

I have many ideas and can connect seemingly unrelated pieces of information. In the 1970s, I worked with a team at the U of C, employing a new tool called monoclonal antibodies. We were using these antibodies as a research probe to study Multiple Sclerosis, but it was abundantly clear that they could also be used for clinical medical purposes, targeted cancer treatment being one of them. In medical school, I knew I could become a research doc and advance that (and other) ideas. However, I understood that I wasn’t happy as a researcher and wanted to pursue a clinical path; I abandoned the idea. 

I started an multi-media company to educate lay people. My first education DVD received good reviews, but it took me hundreds of hours to create and produce.  Although I had ideas for other DVDs, I wasn’t willing to spend every waking hour developing them. 

The bottom line is that life involves balance.  I couldn’t do it all if I wanted to have a full life.  I wanted time to explore hobbies, have time for my wife, children, and friends, and to learn new things.  This meant that I couldn’t always accomplish the big stuff. Having a balanced life turned out to be the right decision for me. 

I have less need for “stuff.”

When I was younger, I saw the road to happiness and my credit card joined at the hip. I felt envy if I visited someone who had a larger house.  “Someday, I will have that too.”  The same could be said of anything that seemed better than what I had. Thank goodness that envy ended decades ago.  

At that time, I went from a position of envy to a place of gratitude. There will always be someone who has something “better” than me, but there will always be someone worse off, too.  Where do I find my happiness?  The other day, I walked in a beautiful forest preserve just minutes from home.  I brought a nice camera and took random photos of interesting subjects. At home, I made dinner for my family and a friend. We ate and talked and ate some more. It was a lovely day. 

Random photo #1
Random photo #2

I am so grateful to have good people in my life, that I’m relatively healthy, that I enjoy being creative and learning new things, and that I have so much beauty at my doorstep. There are so many things to be grateful for!

I value these things so much more than stuff. 

I don’t worry about the clothes that I’m wearing.

I’m a basic guy.  As a practicing doctor, I had to dress the part, and my closet was jammed with dress shirts and such.  Recently, I decided to eliminate most of those shirts and almost all of my suits.  I only wore suits when I had to, but I discovered that I had 8 of them!   I tossed the worn clothes and gave away the nice shirts and suits.

My retirement wardrobe is effortless; I mostly wear jeans with a SmartWool tee or a polo shirt.  I love the ease of choosing “one item from column A and one from column B,” and I’m dressed.  At other times I’ll wear something fun.  Why? Because I can wear what I want when I want to wear it.  

Not exactly “doctor regulation clothing” but fun!

I no longer need to be perfect.

In the past, I felt that I needed to be perfect and that I had to have an encyclopedic knowledge of any topic. I would blame myself if I didn’t know something, even when I could not know it. This caused me stress.

I still try to do a good job. However, perfection is not possible.  It is a relief to acknowledge that sometimes good is good enough. 

I have no problem saying “No.”

In the distant past, I felt that if someone asked me to do something, I would have to say “OK.”

People ask me to do things all the time. I will often say yes, and it feels great to help someone. However, other times, someone wants me to do something I don’t want to do. Those requests can be minor or sometimes highly time-consuming. Long ago, I learned that a simple “No” sans any explanation was the way to go. One minute of discomfort can, at times, save months of agony.

I don’t always have to be productive.

When I worked 60+ hours a week, my free time was minimal.  I remember sitting at my desk paying the household bills and feeling guilty that I wasn’t raking the leaves simultaneously.  My limited time and excessive demands created an environment where I thought I had to produce something of value 24/7.  That was not a healthy place to be. 

In retirement, I have found the true joy of being while still doing things. Yesterday, I cleaned out the clothes occupying one foot of my closet, tossed out one large bag of junk from my basement, wrote part of this post, and helped my sister with some computer issues. However, that left time to do many other things, ranging from having coffee with a friend to studying an esoteric and useless topic. Oh, and I also took a nap-and didn’t feel a bit of guilt.

I don’t have a fear of the future.

How many times have I worried about something that never happened?  How many times have terrible things happened without me seeing them approaching? The reality is that worry has never been a strategy for success.  If I worry about something, I tell myself: Accept what I cannot change, change what I can, and know the difference between the two (paraphrased AA serenity prayer).  Life happens.  Good things happen.  Bad things happen.  I aim to live in the half-full glass zone, not the half-empty one.  For every bad thing that has happened to me, I have had a dozen good things happen.  Every morning brings a new day.  My goal is to make the most of that day. 

I no longer ignore the small things.

Life is not about a trip to Europe or the purchase of a new home. Those things are lovely but very episodic. Life is about the small stuff: drinking a good cup of coffee, spending time with a friend, having dinner and conversation with my family, going on a walk while intentionally observing all of the beauty around me, and learning something new, even if it has no practical application. There is so much joy in the small things. Why do people ignore these gifts? Not me. 

I like cooking/baking and sharing it with people that I love. The Angle Food cake turned out great. My take on cheesy herbal muffins were a bit dry, but they ate them anyway!
On another walk, I saw these tiny flowers. I thought they were so pretty that I had to photograph them. It would have been easy to miss them if I hadn’t been looking with intention.

I’m no longer hard on myself.

I have already said that I’m not perfect.  That reality permeates every aspect of my life.  However, I no longer beat myself up when I make a mistake.  I try to learn from it and make it right if appropriate.  I’m not perfect, but I’m good enough.

I no longer place unreasonable expectations on my family and friends.

We all want what we want.  However, I try to view each close relationship as a gift.  I want to have good people in my life who I love and who love me.  However, they are individuals and have their own values and needs, which may differ from mine.  I make a solid effort to accept them for who they are.  However, I intentionally choose considerate people to be in my life.  I try to be the same to them, and although we are not perfect bookends, we appreciate and value our connections.

Letting go of the above has made me a better and happier person.  Each day is a gift to be celebrated and not squandered.

Peace 

Mike

Van life, My Favorite Things.

I started my van life journey very simply. I pushed down the seats of my SUV and slept on an air mattress topped with a sleeping bag. In a laundry basket I had a small cook kit, a stove, a tarp, a flashlight, paper towels, matches, and a few other things. My clothes were in a duffel bag and I kept some food in a cooler and a box. This was all that I needed, and it alerted me to the reality that you don’t need very much to get by. However, I wanted to upgrade which led me to purchasing a Ram Promaster high-top in 2018.

Here I am in 2018 with my Promaster. It was a stock model with nothing in it. I had to add the side and back windows, and just about everything else. My very talented friend, Tom said he would help me build it out but I didn’t want to burden him with such a mammoth task so I found Wayfarer Vans in Colorado Springs and had them install a kit which made the van camping ready. However, I have heavily modified the van ever since with my friend and it has always been a fun way to build something together (I’m the chief screwdriver finder).

Violet’s innards from another angle. In this photo you can see that I had a side window and rear windows installed. I had this done locally at a custom RV/van shop in the city. I’m not very big on driving in huge cities, but I can do it if the motivation is high enough. Wayfarer now offers a lot of customization options, but in 2018 it was up to the van’s owners to get the van ready for modification.

Violet proudly showing off her side window.

One of the first things that we did was to install a roof fan and the solar panels. Both of these things were must for me and I use them on every trip. I have 400 watts of solar which charges my main battery and allows me to operate at almost 100 percent electric. The fan really helps to vent out the hot air and bring in the cool air at night.

Here you can see the vent fan from the inside. This fan can operate in two directions (pulling in air, or pushing out air). If you decide on adding a vent fan I would suggest getting one that can do this.

Here you can see my basic Wayfarer built. Compare this to my SUV photo and you can see that I have gone far up in van life status. The construction is very solid and has stood the test of time for 6 years. The box on the left is supposed to be a boot box, but it became my power station. Note the kitchen with a sink. Although functional, it did not suite my needs as I never really used the sink due to the mess. It had a 7 gallon water tank and a 7 gallon grey water tank that I had to wrestle with, and I didn’t like dealing with smelly grey water. We built a kitchen that better suited my needs. Also note the cavernous under the bed space. It was designed for adventure cargo, like a bike. However, I wanted to organize the space better for general van life.

Here I’m at Wayfarer Vans picking up my newly converted van. It only took them a morning to do what would have taken me a couple of months.

One of our first projects was to build out an under-the-bed storage space (#3). That has been one of my favorite modifications. This allowed a dedicated space for a slide out fridge (#1), as well as baskets that serve as my main pantry (#2).

The second photo shows the storage box from the “garage” end. Everything is very organized and there is still plenty of room for gear.

We opened up the “boot box” and converted it into a power station. My main battery and accessory battery gives me 4KW of power. Enough for just about any tasks that I need. I’m conservative with my power use and rarely dip below 80% battery. I have multiple ways to recharge my battery, but typically the solar panels are enough. I can also charge from my car battery/alternator. Lastly, I have a small gas generator, but I have never had to use it.

Another early project were these puck lights. However, they are also a regret as they are constantly disconnecting requiring me to take down panels to find the short. They use a remote control and I have had to replace the remote module a number of times. Now I more often use other sources of light.

I use every nook and cranny in Violet. Another project was installing a Wabasto gas heater (#1). The heater taps directly into Violet’s gas tank and barely sips any gas. I would say that its output is similar to one of those little electric heaters, which is enough to allow me to camp in the Winter. So far I have been comfortable with temperatures in the teens (Fahrenheit). You can also see my emergency toilet (#3). I have tried a couple of different types and am currently using a collapsible one. I seem to always find an alternate toilet option, but it feels good to have this backup “just in case.” The rectangular box (#2) is a 2000 watt quality inverter that takes power from my car battery and coverts it to AC power. This is an alternative way to charge my house battery when I’m driving. Now DC to DC chargers are popular, but they weren’t when I built out Violet. My solution may be a bit less efficient, but it works fine for me and also gives me an extra source of AC power. I originally had a no-name Chinese inverter that promised high output, but didn’t deliver so I went with a brand-name and I am glad that I did.

I also carry this small power bank which I can charge with a folding solar panel. I can take it out of the van to power devices like my video projector or computer, and use it inside for a convenient way to charge my phone. I like this particular battery bank as it re-charges very quickly. Some similar units charge very slowly. I believe in the motto ABC (always be charging). When I have shore power I like to charge everything to 100%.

A carpet is a must to keep dirt at bay. We cut this one to look like a wall to wall carpet, but it easily pulls out. My son asked why I got this pattern, but when he went camping with me he understood why-it hides dirt!

When I camp alone I almost always boon dock. However, when I’m camping with my wife or my son I will usually stay at campgrounds. Some smaller campgrounds will only have this type of power connector, so it is a good idea to have on board a simple 30 Amp to 20 Amp converter plug. They are inexpensive and can be found everywhere from Amazon to Walmart.

This is what the adapter looks like. I have used it many times over the years to convert a 30A socket into a 20A (typical) socket.

Another thing that Tom and I added was cruise control. It was a simple install and has made long drives a lot easier.

We also added swivel front seats. I have never used the swivel drivers seat, and rarely swivel the passenger seat. However, my wife uses it all of the time. This highlights the fact that what I find necessary, you may not. Hindsight suggests that it is better to build out slowly when you know what you actually need rather than trying to figure everything out in the beginning. You can also see my first attempt at a power station, an enormously heavy GoalZero 1250. I gifted that to Tom and his camping adventures when I upgraded to a lithium system.

A must is a garbage system that can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. I hang a grocery bag on the driver’s arm rest and change it out daily. It may not look great, but it works really well. I have never had a need to upgrade it.

Last summer’s project was to completely re-build the kitchen. I have enough power to go all electric, and I used an induction hob and a small microwave. I also have a capsule coffee pot as well as a small electric pressure cooker. When I’m solo I cook very simply, but when my wife or son are on board I tend to make real meals. I want their experience to be a good one.

This is my old kitchen setup using the Wayfarer kitchen. You can see the sink that I never used. Additionally, I had an induction hob mounted to the countertop which worked well, but took up valuable space. On the right side you see a microwave oven as well as a hassock toilet. I’m constantly changing things around. Why? Because its fun!

This summer Tom and I built a new kitchen that was better for my particular needs. By eliminating the sink, building in the hob and the microwave, and extending the countertop, I added an enormous amount of usable space. As an aside, we harvested the wood for the countertop from fallen trees. Tom used the planks to make flooring for his house, but there was some wood left over and that wood became Violet’s counter top.

In van life you can never have too many fans. There are a lot of small USB fans that are cheap, move a lot of air, and barely use any power. I’ll often use one in conjunction with my roof fan on very hot days.

Another one of my missteps. We installed a water port for the sink, and the sink is now gone. I also installed a power port, but I find it easier to run an outdoor extension cord through the sliding door.

I’m a little mixed on this one, a cellular signal booster. The improvement in cell reception has mostly been marginal, but recently it allowed me to very slowly view some webpages that would not have been possible with just my phone. Was that worth all of the money that I spent for the gadget? I don’t know.

Most of us use our phones to navigate. However, your phone’s GPS app requires a reasonably good cell connection to download maps. Two summers ago I installed a new radio that also has GPS as this unit has all of the maps preloaded. I have been in many places where Google maps won’t function (poor cell reception), but this unit does. This was an expensive upgrade, but you could also just buy an inexpensive dedicated GPS device off of eBay.

I also have an inexpensive dash cam. To be honest, I’m not sure I know how to get the videos off the camera. Fingers crossed that I won’t have to.

I mentioned that you need a light source. It is also important to have a portable light. This USB headlamp does the job for me, but there are many other options available.

A portable radio is a very nice addition. Yes, you have your car’s radio, but that could potentially run your battery down. I think I bought this radio off of eBay (note the Chinese hanzi). I have been in places with little cell signal so I can’t stream, but I can always get radio signals. A portable radio allows me to listen to the news and music when I’m sitting in a chair outside. Surprisingly, I seem to always find a NPR station. NPR has a lot of podcast like shows.

I also have an inexpensive “weather station.” Violet can get pretty hot in the summer heat and pretty cold in the winter freeze. I have found this little gadget informative over the years.

Since I no longer have a sink, you may wonder how I wash my dishes. I wipe off the remaining food with a paper towel, then spray with 100% vinegar, then wipe that off. It works as well as soap and water, but it doesn’t use up any water, and I have no smelly grey water to deal with.

Another addition that I added was this hitch for a bike carrier. Necessary if you want to take a bike with you, otherwise unneeded. Of course you can also pack a bike inside the van, but that can be a hassle.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but having a a decent water bottle is a must for so many reasons.

The simple water system that I have used for a number of years. This carboy holds 2 gallons of water, and I have 2, 3 gallon refill jugs in the van’s “garage.”

It goes without saying that you must have some sort of a first aid kit. I customized mine with things that I use. You can often buy small quantities of OTC meds at dollar stores making it inexpensive to change them out every year or two. I always have a variety of bandages, Motrin, anti-diarrhea meds, anti-histamines, kineseology tape, and other stuff on hand. I usually wind up taking a Motrin several times during any trip. Last summer I managed to poke a very sharp knife in my hand while trying to open a package. I was bleeding so much that I was leaking through band-aids. I taped the wound together with kineseology tape and that saved the day.

Another wonderful addition was a 3″ memory foam mattress pad that I added to the existing Wayfarer pad. I’m a big guy and a side sleeper, so I need the extra cushioning. Installing the pad took about 1 minute and it was a game changer for me.

This steering wheel desk turns Violet into an office on wheels. You can buy plastic ones very inexpensively on Amazon. However, my steering wheel was an odd size and the plastic one didn’t fit flat so we made our own.

When it’s hot and you have no shade you soon realize, “I need some shade!” There are many solutions and I have tried two of them. In the first photo I’m using a patio umbrella adapter on my hitch. That worked fine, but the MoonShade was more compact and did a better job. Neither require any permanent installation.

This may be hard to see, but you are looking at one of my absolutely most favorite things-rain guards! They allow me to keep my windows cracked during the rain and at night. They are an absolute must and take less than 5 minutes to install.

There are many other things that have made my van life easier. Some I use regularly, like a folding BBQ grate. Some things I use on occasionally, like a butane stove that allows me to cook outdoors. Some items I rarely use, but I’m glad that I have them, like a tow rope, traction mats, a tire pump, and a jump starter. Some are just fun, like my Omnia Oven.

I’m a life long camper, have been vehicle camping for a long time, and van camping for 6 years. I’m also a gadget guy so I’m constantly upgrading and changing things as that is part of my fun. I thought I would share some of my gear with you today. Your needs and desires may be completely different from mine. Do your own thing, and HAPPY CAMPING!

Peace

Mike

Chamber Vacuum Sealers: Everything that you need to know in one place.

In a past post, I wrote about the benefits of vacuum sealers, touching on both external and chamber sealers.  Today, I briefly summarize the benefits of vacuum sealing but spend the bulk of this post talking about chamber vacuum sealers, their difference from external sealers, and their benefits and limitations.  My goal is to help a potential buyer determine if a chamber vacuum sealer is the right choice for them. 

A brief history.

Vacuum sealing was developed in the 1940s and became a common way for grocers to extend the life of foods in the 1960s.  During the mid-sixties, a home vacuum sealer was introduced, but it didn’t gain popularity.  The Seal-A-Meal brand was launched in the late 1970s, and the FoodSaver brand was introduced in the late 1980s. These machines became popular with the help of late-night infomercials. I purchased my first FoodSaver vacuum sealer in the early/mid-1990s and have been using an external vacuum sealer since that time.  Additionally, I have been using a chamber vacuum sealer for over two years.  This post is from the perspective of a home cook (me) who has been vacuum sealing for almost 30 years. If you are a professional, your needs may vary. 

This is my original FoodSaver from the 1990s. It was built to a higher standard than many new units. It is very basic and manual, but it still works today.

The benefits of vacuum sealing.

Vacuum sealers produce a partial vacuum in a thick plastic bag. The bag is then sealed, and its contents now reside in a very low-oxygen environment.  All fungi/mold, as well as many bacteria, require oxygen to grow. A partial vacuum can dramatically slow down microbial growth.  Lastly, little critters (like cereal bugs) can’t hatch in a low oxygen environment. 

On its own, oxygen degrades food by a process called oxidation.  This process makes nuts and grains go rancid.  Additionally, oxidation is responsible for turning cut vegetables, like potatoes and avocados dark. Vacuum sealing can dramatically reduce oxidation issues. 

A standard method of preserving many foods is freezing.  However, poorly packaged frozen foods can suffer significant degradation.  Moisture can enter a package and form ice crystals that can destroy the texture of foods. Improperly wrapped foods can cause dehydration (called freezer burn), which can ruin a food’s flavor. Vacuum sealing can effectively eliminate these two issues.

Dry foods, like rice, can stay fresh and bug free when vacuum sealed and kept at a cool temperature.

Meats and cheese can stay fresh 3-5 times longer when vacuum sealed and refrigerated  as opposed to being refrigerated alone.

Delicate foods like strawberries will stay fresh longer in a vacuum container.

Frozen foods, like vacuum-sealed meats, can retain their high quality for years in the freezer.

Sous vide-style cooking involves cooking vacuum-sealed foods in a temperature-controlled water bath.

Lastly, chefs will often use a vacuum sealer to marinate foods in minutes instead of hours.

What vacuum sealing is not.

Vacuum sealing is different from canning. You will still need to refrigerate or freeze foods that normally require this.  Vacuum sealing is complementary to other methods of food preservation and not a substitute.  

A word of caution.

Be aware that some foods, like raw mushrooms and bananas should not be vacuumed sealed as they will spoil faster.  Vacuum sealing foods like raw onions and cabbage produce off-gasses that can degrade vacuum sealing bags. Additionally, certain bacteria found on some vegetables don’t require oxygen to grow (they are called facultative anaerobes).  Reducing oxygen levels by vacuum sealing can give these pathogenic bacteria a competitive advantage by eliminating all of the oxygen using bacteria, allowing them to grow faster.  Cooked vegetables are usually fine to vacuum seal.

What do I vacuum seal?

I buy meats and cheeses in bulk, divide them into meal packets, and freeze them.  Likewise, I buy dry goods, like rice, in large sacks, divide them up into smaller packages, and store them in my cool basement.  I’ll vacuum seal opened packages of bacon or cut avocados and refrigerate them. They will stay fresh much longer than when refrigerated alone. I’ll blanch vegetables, like carrots and celery and vacuum seal and freeze them in one dish portions so I always have vegetables to make a soup or stew. If I have leftover homemade soups, stews, and casseroles, I’ll vacuum seal and freeze individual portions for a quick meal at a later date. You can “boil-in-bag” or microwave vented vacuum seal bags for no-mess reheating.  

I’ll buy a cheap roasted Costco chicken, take the meat off the carcass, and freeze it in a vacuum sealed bag for a future easy-to-make casserole. I have used vacuum canisters to keep delicate items, like strawberries, fresh longer.  I also have vacuum-sealed non-food items.  For instance, I’ll vacuum seal my car keys and phone when I go canoeing or kayaking. Vacuum sealing has dramatically reduced waste in our home and reduced food costs by allowing us to buy in bulk.  

Using my Vevor chamber sealer to process bulk meat.
Packaged in individual meal portions and now ready for the freezer.

External vs chamber vacuum sealers.

External vacuum sealers are the most common home sealers and are typified by the FoodSaver brand. Food is placed in a specially textured plastic bag whose open end is placed in the machine.  A small vacuum pump sucks the air out of the bag, which is then sealed by a heating strip.  

Advantages of an external vacuum sealer.

These devices are inexpensive, with consumer units ranging from under $100 to several hundred dollars. Many are lightweight and small; they only take up a little counter space and are easily stored.  They are straightforward to use.  Since the bags are external to the unit, you can create very long bags (using special rolls of vacuum-sealing bags) to vacuum seal bulky foods. Many units have a port that allows you to vacuum seal external canisters and mason jars.  However, you will need to buy additional accessories for these functions. 

Disadvantages of an external vacuum sealer.

Although you can buy heavy duty pro-machines, most home devices are inexpensively made, and they will often need to be replaced every few years if heavily used. Most commonly, the bag-sealing heating element will fail, but the plastic vacuum pumps can also falter.  These problems are less of an issue for a home cook as their sealing needs are relatively low, but can be significant for high volume users, like hunters who process game, green thumbs who need to preserve a backyard harvest, and preppers who store large quantities of vacuum sealed foods. Additionally, home external sealers often have a limit on how many bags they can seal in a row and how long you have to wait between sealing cycles.  Professional external sealers are built to run nearly continuously, but they will be bulkier and cost significantly more than a home unit. 

External vacuum sealers require specially engineered textured bags to operate, as the bag’s ridges allow air to be sucked out of the bag.  FoodSaver branded bags can be expensive.  Off-brand bags will cost less but can still be pricey.  

Moist foods, like fresh meats and liquids, require special handling as liquids can get sucked into the sealing zone, which can cause a seal to fail. If the operator is careless, a machine may suck up the liquid into its internals and foul it.  

The pumps on these machines are much smaller than on a chamber vacuum and will produce less of a vacuum, which could result in shorter long-term food preservation.  That could be an issue for preppers who store foods for very extended periods of time. 

Chamber vacuum sealers.

Once the purvey of commercial operations, like grocery stores and restaurants, these types of vacuum sealers are now becoming popular in the home market.

How are chamber vacuum sealers different from external vacuum sealers?

External sealers suck the air from the bag along with other things like meat juices.  A chamber vacuum sealer removes the air from the chamber where the bag resides.  Nothing is sucked out of the bag as both the bag and the chamber are at the same pressure (there is no pressure differential between the bag and the chamber).  While under vacuum, the bag is sealed, and then a valve opens the chamber to the outside atmosphere.  This new pressure differential collapses the bag.  

The seal created with a chamber vacuum sealer is typically thicker than the thin seal from a FoodSaver device.

When most users first try a chamber sealer, they find it entertaining to watch the process as the end is dramatic.  If you watch YouTube videos, most operators will gasp, followed by saying something like, “Wow, that was cool,” as the bag instantly shrinks and clings to the food. 

Advantages of chamber vacuum sealers.

These are heavy duty machines that can be used continuously without stopping.  They have much larger vacuum pumps, which are often made of metal instead of plastic.  These pumps can pull a greater vacuum than external sealers, so they provide the greatest preservation protection for individuals who need very long term storage.  The machines’ cases are typically made of stainless steel and have a commercial feel.  

The internals of a chamber vacuum sealer are more robust than on a cheap home external vacuum sealer. You can see the metal, heavy duty vacuum pump in the lower right corner.

Most chamber sealers allow some type of programming so you can  tailor them to your needs. Some will allow you to create and store multiple programs.  For instance a program for maximum vacuum, and another one for delicate foods. Multiple programs are handy in commercial operations, but they are less important for the  home cook as it is very easy to adjust parameters, like vacuum time, on all chamber vacuum sealers.

Most Chamber sealers will allow you to adjust the sealing parameters. Some will even store those parameters as programs. This later function is less important for most home cooks as it is easy to adjust parameters, like vacuum time, on the fly.
My machine can control the same things as its larger sibling, but it has a slightly different interface.

Chamber Sealers are able to use the same type of textured bag that external sealers use, but they are designed to use much less expensive chamber sealer bags that cost around the price (or less) of a ZipLoc freezer bag.  As of this writing you can buy 8″ x 10″ bags in bulk for less than four cents a bag. 

You can use expensive FoodSaver type bags in a chamber sealer, but they also work with non-textured chamber sealer bags which are significantly less expensive.

Many machines have replaceable parts, so you can swap out a failed sealing bar instead of having to buy a new machine. 

Some machines are capable of vacuum sealing Retort bags, which can then be pressure canned making their contents shelf stable for long periods. Retort bags are the flexible canning bags used in MRE’s, soft packs of tuna, and other foods.

Chamber vacuum sealers are fantastic for sealing moist and liquid foods.  You can seal liquids, like soups, without any special preparation.  However, all liquids should be at room temperature or cooler to prevent them from boiling over.

Why do liquids boil in a vacuum sealer?

The boiling point of a liquid is determined by atmospheric pressure.  Water boils at sea level at 212F/100C, but at 10,000 ft, it boils at 200F/93C.  This is because the atmosphere is thinner at 10,000 feet and it pushes down on the liquid with less pressure.  Under a near vacuum there is very little pressure, so warm liquids can boil at room temperatures.  To avoid a mess, only seal liquids that are cool to the touch or chilled. You will still see some bubbles, but the bag won’t boil over. You need to allow space for those additional bubbles, so only fill bags with liquid halfway. 

Disadvantages of a chamber vacuum sealer.

Chamber vacuum sealers come in different sizes, but all of them are big, bulky, and hefty.  Some manufacturers are now making smaller home units, but they still will take up a lot of counter space.

Since they are big, it is best to have a dedicated spot to park them.  These are not gadgets to retrieve from the basement when needed.

I have a dedicated spot for my chamber vacuum sealer. It is too heavy to move and by having it accessible I am more likely to use it. Next to it is an external vacuum sealer that I now rarely use. I store other appliances on this cart. What can I say, I love gadgets!

Chamber vacuum sealers can only vacuum seal items that will fit inside of their chamber.  You can’t vacuum seal a huge rack of ribs.  However, you can cut up the ribs into smaller chunks and seal them.  

The initial cost of a chamber vacuum sealer is higher than a home external sealer.  Tabletop professional machines start around $1000.  However, many off-brand chamber vacuum sealers are now available in the US market. You can find a number of off-brand machines in the $220-$500 range.

Brand name vs. no-name.

Is a $1000 branded machine better than a $250 off-brand model?  Well, sure.  The fit and finish will likely be better.  It is also probable that a branded machine will use a higher-quality vacuum pump.  Additionally, a known company is more likely to stand behind its product and is more likely to carry replacement parts.  Many branded machines are spec’ed for commercial operations and near continuous use.

Are off brand machines junk?

Not in my estimation. I have been using an inexpensive Vevor chamber vacuum extensively for over two years, and it has worked very well.  I have had no problems whatsoever. However, your mileage may vary.  Like most things in life, spend extra money for peace of mind; pay less for a bit more risk but possibly a better value. 

Oil pump vs. dry pump?

Many commercial-style chamber machines use an oil vacuum pump.  Special vacuum pump oil has to be added to the pump when you get the machine.  This is a straightforward process.  Oil pumps may last longer, can be quieter, and are likely to pull a stronger vacuum than a dry pump.  Vacuum pump oil traps moisture, so you have to change out the oil every now and then.  How often?  That would depend on the humidity of your environment and the moisture of the food that you are vacuum-sealing.  One company advises changing out the oil every 800 hours of operation.  It takes less than a minute to vacuum seal something, but for math’s sake, let’s say it takes 1 minute.  800 hours x 60 = 48,000 seals. That is a lifetime of seals for a home cook!  Other manufactures advise changing the oil every 500 hours of operation, or changing the oil based on a calendar cycle. Follow your manufacture’s guidelines. If your oil looks cloudy or milky, it is full of moisture, and it is time to change it.  

Out of the box the Vevor unit gives you vacuum pump oil, and replacements for the heating strip.
You need to add vacuum pump oil when you get a chamber sealer that uses an oil vacuum pump. It is a very easy process.
Oil should be filled between half and three-quarters full. You determine this by monitoring the oil in a round window.

The advantage of a dry vacuum pump (also called a maintenance free pump) is that it requires no maintenance and a machine will likely cost less. A dry pump in a chamber vacuum sealer will pull a higher vacuum than a dry pump in an external vacuum sealer. Both oil and dry pumps are OK for a home user.  

Bag vs. roll?

Chamber vacuum sealers always use premade bags of various sizes. Premade bags are much easier to use than having to make a bag from a bag roll. They are inexpensive to buy, so there is no reason to use a roll of traditional textured bags. 

Can you use a bag roll in a chamber sealer if it is leftover from your external sealer? The answer is yes, as long as the bag that you make fits in the chamber.  To create a bag, run a cycle,  and seal the end of the bag just like you would on an external machine.  Some home oriented machines will include a seal button making the task even simpler. FoodSaver styled textured bags and rolls will vacuum seal in a chamber vacuum, but they are more expensive, so it makes little sense to buy them.  Unless you are space-constrained, I would suggest that you keep your old external vacuum sealer to use up your bag rolls. 

Can you vacuum seal a bag outside of a chamber vacuum sealer’s chamber?

There are a few YouTube videos that show people hanging a textured FoodSaver-type bag outside of a chamber sealer chamber.  However, I have never tried this, and this ability may be specific to particular machines.  If I needed to do this often, I would use a standard external vacuum sealer. There is one machine, the Wevac CV10, that is a combination of a small chamber vacuum sealer and an external sealer. 

Does size matter?

I already talked about the limitation of a chamber’s size, but it should also be noted that the chambers in this class of vacuum sealers come in different sizes, and the sealing bars also come in various lengths. The bigger the unit, the bigger the chamber, and the heavier the unit’s weight. My Vevor unit has a 10″ sealing bar and can accommodate a bag up to 10″ wide and around 13″ long. Some larger tabletop units can accommodate 12″ wide bags that are 14″ -16″ long (depending on the machine). Larger commercial units have sealing bars that are longer than twelve inches and can also accommodate huge bags. 

Here is my machine (left) with a 10″ seal bar, and a machine with a 12″ seal bar. You can see that the 12″ seal bar machine is significantly larger.
This top-down view demonstrate the size difference better. Both take up a lot of counter space, but the larger machine would dominate most kitchens.
A view of the two machines from the rear.

For home use the largest realistic size of a chamber sealer would have a 12″ sealing bar, and these chamber sealers are huge. Units with 10″ sealing bars are often adequate for home purposes.

This huge machine has 4 sealing bars, and two separate vacuum chambers. Great for speedy production, but not for home use.

Some units have a chamber that is deeper, or have a dome that is larger to accommodate thicker cuts of meat.  My inexpensive Vevor’s chamber is around 2″ deep, with an additional 1″ or so available in the dome.  I have vacuum sealed all sorts of foods, including medium/smaller-sized whole chickens (with a little pushing on the lid).  

My Vevor has a chamber that is 2 inches deep and a dome that adds an additional 1 inch. This size has been adequate for just about any job that I needed to do.
The model with the 12″ seal bar has a chamber that is 2 3/4 inches deep with a dome that is around 2 inches, yielding almost 5 inches of space.
The larger machine (far) has a dome that is around 1″ deeper, giving the user a little more chamber space.
A view of the vacuum chamber of the larger unit. The bag is placed over the tan colored sealing rod which will melt/seal the bag once vacuum is achieved.

Chamber vacuum bags come in many sizes, and it is possible to use bags smaller than the maximum bag limit of a machine.  I mentioned that my machine can handle a 10″ x 13″ bag, but I also use 8″ x 12″ and 6″ x 10″ bags for smaller items.  The smaller the bag, the cheaper its unit price.

There are now chamber machines designed for home use.  These machines are priced in the $300-$800 range and usually use a dry-type vacuum pump instead of an oil vacuum pump. Their footprint and height are generally smaller than a commercial machine, but they will still require counter space. Their aesthetic is more of a home appliance as opposed to an industrial restaurant tool.  Since their overall dimensions are smaller, their chamber may be smaller in width, length, or depth (or all three). Naturally, this will impact the size of the chamber bag that you can use, which will vary from machine to machine. These units may have additional consumer level features like a seal function. Many of these home machines have an accessory port to vacuum seal external items, like vacuum canisters. Pro-machines often do not have accessory ports. 

Home machines are smaller, and will likely have smaller chambers.

Should you toss out your external vacuum sealer and buy a chamber sealer?

I kept my old external sealer for those times when I needed to seal exceptionally long items. It has no resale value, and I have the space to store it. However, I use it very rarely.  My chamber sealer is extremely easy to use, creates a greater vacuum, has a much thicker seal, handles liquids and moist food better, and uses bags that are significantly less expensive than FoodSaver-type bags.  

With that said, if you are happy enough with your external sealer, keep it. There are tricks to do some of the things that a chamber sealer can do.  For instance, in the past when using my external sealer I would freeze individual portions of soup in “Souper Cubes” and then remove them from that container and vacuum seal them in a FoodSaver type bag for storage.  Additionally, I would vacuum seal powdery foods, like four, in a paper bag and place that bag in a FoodSaver-type bag.  Sucking flour into a traditional external machine will ruin it. 

It is possible to vacuum seal liquids with an external vacuum sealer. Here, I froze some soup in a “Souper Cube,” removed it from that container and sealed using an external sealer. Note the textured bag needed for these machines.

Some brands.

VacMaster, LEM, Avid Armor, Weston, and JVR are popular brand-name machines.  I have a Vevor machine.  Vevor is a company that buys Chinese made products and rebrands them.  I have been delighted with my chamber vacuum sealer from Vevor.  It works well and has performed flawlessly over the more than two years that I have owned it. 

The bottom line.

I am a fan of vacuum sealers of any type. They will save you money and are well worth the investment.  A chamber vac is especially useful for high volume users, individuals who want to preserve their foods for extended periods of time, those who often seal liquids, chefs who do sous vide cooking with moist meats, cooks that frequently marinate foods, home users who easily want to vacuum seal powdery foods (like flour), and geeks like me.  In addition, chamber seal bags are significantly less expensive than the bags needed for external vacuum sealers.  

Many YouTube influences will tout the fact that, in the long run, a chamber vacuum sealer will save you money over an external sealer as the bags are less expensive.  I just checked the Walmart website, and a ten-count of a 12.5″ x 11″ FoodSaver branded bag is selling for around $1.50/bag.  You can buy a 10″ x 13″ chamber bag for only 6.5 cents a bag.  Using this information, you could quickly offset the cost of a chamber vacuum based on bag savings alone.  However, that isn’t the complete story as you can buy off-brand textured bags for a lot less than $1.50/bag, and to get the 6.5 cent price for the chamber bag, I would have to buy them in a case of 1000 bags.  Nevertheless, chamber bags are significantly cheaper than textured bags, making it more likely that you will use them for basic tasks, like keeping half of an avocado fresh.  Avocados are pretty expensive, so who wants to throw out a cut one? Since chamber bags are cheap, I’ll also bag and freeze relatively inexpensive foods, like a partially used jar of pizza sauce (pouring the sauce into a small chamber bag). This saves a bit of money, reduces food waste, and offers the convenience of having the sauce on hand when I need it to make a late night emergency pizza.

Happy preserving!

Peace

Mike

Is Your Cell Phone’s Camera Good Enough?

I sat at a back table looking forward. The room was marginally lit. My friend Ralph was at the front of the room. He was celebrating a milestone birthday and giving a little speech in this cozy private room of a lovely restaurant. Most events make me want to take pictures, and this was no exception. I pulled out my iPhone 14 Pro and touched the trigger button. A second later, I captured the memory, and the photo looked pretty good.

I have used smartphones and smartphone cameras long before the iPhone existed, and let me tell you that those early cell phone cameras were horrible. They had low resolution and grainy images even with good light, and the image quality transitioned to unusable in dim light. However, people loved having a camera on their phones and the industry listened. Photos taken on recent smartphones are amazing. Sharp, vibrant, and clear even when the conditions are somewhat poor.  

Some of these improvements are based on better hardware, but much of the credit goes to the super computing power of the phone’s microprocessor. That same chip that allows you to watch high resolution YouTube videos is used to maximize every single photon that hits a pixel on the phone’s tiny camera sensor.  

My iPhone 14 Pro has a few extra features including fixed wide angle and telephoto lenses, as well as several computerized effects. For instance, I can take a portrait shot with my phone, and its computer will artificially blur the background to make the image look more professional. 

Why would anyone need a dedicated camera when they carry a phone that not only takes great photos, but also allows instant posting to social media? The answer is that most don’t, a cell phone is all that they need. However, that is not always the case as suggested by the next photo.  

This is a photo taken with my iPhone of the 2024 total solar eclipse. Now that I have told you what it is, you can probably decipher the picture. However, it looks nothing like some of the photos that were shown on the news or on social media. Those photos were sharp, clear, powerful, and amazing. My photos looked more like a Rorschach ink blot. If my phone was so good at taking a picture of Ralph, why couldn’t it take a good photo of the eclipse? The answer is simple. Phones use settings designed to take a snapshot. When you want a picture that is not a snapshot, most phone cameras fall short for many reasons.  

Who should consider a dedicated camera? Here are a few examples.

-The parent who wants to take in-focus photos of their active toddler.

-The animal owner who likes taking photos of their pets. 

-The parent who wants the best close-up action shots of their kids when they are playing sports.

-The drama coach who wants clear and in-focus photos of their actors on the stage.

-The bird watcher who needs to document their finds.

-The person who wants to take photos of the Milky Way.

-The person who wants to take highly detailed photos of their collection of tiny things, like coins or butterflies.

-The person who needs to take close-up photos of objects that are far away.

-The person who has to take pictures in adverse weather conditions.

-The person who must take flash-free pictures in dark places, like a nightclub.

-The person who wants to use a sophisticated flash setup for professional-looking portraits of family and friends.

-The person who documents their hobby by taking photos of moving trains, racing cars, or jets taking off.

-The person who makes their living taking pictures (journalists, wedding photographers, nature photographers, etc.).

-The person who sees photography as a form of artistic expression.

-The person who wants to turn photography into a hobby.

-and anyone else who needs to take photos that are beyond “Instamatic” snapshots.

However, that is likely only 10% of the photo-taking population. The remaining 90% will do just fine with their point-and-shoot phone. If you are in that 90%, you can stop reading now (whew!).

If you check the prices of cameras you will be struck with sticker shock. It is possible to spend many thousands of dollars on a high end camera body, and a magnitude more than that on camera lenses. For most, these prices are completely out of reach, but there is a solution. First, we need to talk a bit about what makes a camera a better choice in some situations, as well as what different types of cameras are available. 

How are cameras different from a smartphone?

Most cameras can be used in a fully automatic mode, just like a smartphone. Additionally, some consumer-level cameras have presets for common scenarios like action shots or low-light photography. Also, their functions can also be fully customized. Let’s look at some of the functions that can be adjusted:

Shutter speed

You can adjust the shutter speed on a camera. A slow shutter speed allows more light to enter the camera’s sensor, so you can get a bright image even under low light conditions. A fast shutter speed freezes action, making it perfect for sporting events and fast-moving subjects.

On this camera the shutter speed is adjusted by the knob on the right. Note, that there is also an automatic setting where the camera automatically picks a shutter speed.

Aperture

You can adjust the aperture of the camera’s lens. A wider (more open) aperture lets in more light for flash-free nighttime photos. Wider apertures can also keep the subject in focus while blurring the background (shallow depth of field). That style is trendy in portrait photography. A narrower aperture makes sure that everything in the photo is in focus. Think about photographing a large group of people standing in rows three deep. A narrow aperture would make sure that everyone would be sharply in focus.

On this camera you can select the aperture right on the lens. You can also have the camera do this automatically by selecting “A.”
This camera uses a different way to select aperture (Av) and shutter speed (Tv) using a control dial and a thumb wheel control. The “A+” selection puts the camera into a fully automatic mode where the camera decides on all of the settings.

ISO

You can adjust how sensitive the camera’s sensor is to light, this is called adjusting the ISO of the camera. Keeping the ISO low preserves the most detail in a photo, but raising the ISO allows you to take noise free pictures in darker conditions with a slight loss of detail.  

Different cameras adjust ISO in different ways. The dial on the right has two functions. The main numbers adjust shutter speed, but the dial behind the little window adjust ISO. Again, there is an “A” setting that will adjust ISO automatically.

Exposure triangle

Shutter speed, aperture, and ISO work together to control how much light enters the sensor. Together, this group is called the exposure triangle. You can greatly change the look of your photograph if you know how to adjust these parameters. With a few simple clicks your photo can go from a snapshot to a magazine cover level image, and it is a lot easier than you think. Note, that your camera can adjust all of these parameters automatically, or it can adjust just some of the parameters automatically.  As an example, you can have your camera adjust its shutter speed and ISO, while you only adjust the aperture. 

Use a faster shutter speed to freeze sporting action.

Use a wider aperture to blur the background in a portrait.

Use a higher ISO to take a flash free image in a dark venue.

Or adjust all three to find the perfect balance between effect and image quality.

External controls

All cameras have dedicated controls that allow you to change various settings or set the camera to automatic. Pro-level cameras have many external buttons and knobs, making changing these settings on the fly very easy.

Pro cameras put all of the controls front and center allowing the user to easily change a setting at a moments notics.

The hot shoe

The hot shoe is a connection on the top of a camera that allows the user to electronically connect an external flash to a camera and transform the photo of a subject from a “deer in headlights” look to a polished pro image. Using on and off camera lighting creatively can produce amazing pictures.

A hot shoe is a connection point on the top of the camera that allows the user to connect things, like an external flash or flash controls.
An external speedlight can bounce the flash and give a portrait a much more professional look.

Changeable lenses

Many cameras allow the end user to change out lenses. There are lenses for any need, from super powerful telephoto lenses to lenses designed to get up close and personal with tiny objects (like bugs). I often use a wide-angle lens when I take professional architectural shots as it opens up the space and makes rooms look bigger. I also use a medium telephoto lens when taking portraits. Its long focal length and wide aperture allow me to keep the subject in focus while creating a creamy, blurred background.

There are dozens of different lenses available for cameras. Above (from left to right) you can see a tilt-shift lens for architectural photography, A medium zoom lens, a super zoom lens, a 35 mm prime lens, and a 50 mm prime lens.
I use a wide angle lens when taking interior shots to give the space a more open look.

Accurate focusing

Cameras can focus very quickly in tricky light situations. Some older cameras were specifically designed to be great at focusing and were used by sports and wildlife photographers. Many newer cameras have phenomenal focus, even in their consumer-level offerings. Along with focusing is tracking (the ability to follow a moving object and keep it in focus). The same rules apply here.

Manual focusing

There are times when it is best to focus the camera yourself. If I could have manually focused my phone when taking the eclipse photo, it would have turned out significantly better. The majority of cameras have some form of manual focusing; however, pro cameras make manual focusing an easy option. 

Low light performance

Cell phones use computer calculation tricks to make dimly lit photographs look clear. Cameras do this too, but also have much larger sensors which have the ability to gather significantly more light. For instance, a full-frame sensor has over 30 times more surface area than the tiny sensor of a typical cell phone.

Consumer cameras vs. Professional cameras.

One way to separate cameras is between consumer-level and enthusiast/professional-level models. Consumer-level cameras are less expensive. They can do many of the things that a pro-camera can do, just not quite as well. For instance, many consumer-level cameras can freeze action as they have a maximum fast shutter speed of 1/4000 of a second, while many pro-cameras have shutters that can operate as fast as 1/8000 of a second, and even faster than that when they are in all electronic mode. Note that you can freeze a human at play at around 1/250th of a second; pro-bird photographers usually shoot at a 1/1000 to 1/2000 of a second, and to freeze a speeding car, you may need a shutter speed of 1/4000th of a second. Shutter speeds faster than 1/4000th of a second are only used for exceptional situations. 

A consumer-level camera will have simplified controls. You can often control the same things that you can with a pro-level camera, but you will need to go through additional steps to do this. A pro-level camera has dedicated physical controls front and center, whereas a consumer-level camera may require you to press several buttons or go into the camera’s menu system.  

Consumer-level cameras are usually made of some sort of polycarbonate (plastic), whereas pro-level cameras often have a magnesium frame that is coated in a rubbery material. In general, everything from the switches to the shutter mechanism is more robust and built to last longer on a pro camera. Higher-end professional cameras are also weather sealed and can withstand being in the rain (within reason). Such a situation would short out a consumer-level camera.

Over time features drift from one group to another. High end features like fast focusing drift down from pro-cameras to consumer cameras, and convenience features like flip out screens drift up from consumer cameras to high end ones.

Is it reasonable to buy an older camera?

Technology in the camera world has advanced rapidly. However, older cameras can take stunning photographs in just about any scenario. An enthusiast/pro camera from as early as 2008 and many consumer-level cameras from a few years after that can take amazing pictures. If someone has special interests, like photographing birds in flight or performers in a dark and smoky jazz club, they may need to be more selective when deciding what older camera they should choose, but those options are out there. Many photographers prefer the photos that come out of older cameras, which some say are more “filmic.” (looks more like traditional film) 

What can newer cameras do that older ones can’t?

In the world of photography cameras are always advancing with better specifications and features. For instance, newer cameras may be able to focus at blazing rates or have computerized features like eye detection focusing. However, many older cameras are still very capable. Remember, these cameras were state of the art devices used by professionals who took professional photos. In fact, some professionals continue to use these cameras with great success. 

The question of Megapixels.

Older cameras may have as little as 12 MP sensors, while the highest megapixel count of some newer cameras exceeds 60 MP. However, the pixel count doesn’t really matter unless you are wildly cropping images or if you need to print huge photos that will be viewed up close and personal. Photographers have long created large prints using ten and 12-MP cameras. There have been art photos displayed in museums that were taken with a 6 MP camera. In other words, don’t worry about the MP count. Did you know that traditional 35 mm film has a resolution between 12-16 megapixels? Most photos on social media are reduced by the platform to under 2 MP. In the real world, anything above 10 MP will do you just fine. Most newer cameras are in the 20-24 MP range.

Recommended Image size of social media sites:

Facebook photo 1200 x 628 pixels or 0.8 MP

Twitter Profile photo 400 x 400 pixels or 0.2 MP

Instagram Square 1080 x 1080 pixels or 1.2 MP

YouTube thumbnail 1280 x 720 pixels or 1.0 MP

All about sensor size.

The camera sensor on a smartphone is tiny, and the phone’s computer has to do a lot of work to take the information from that sensor and turn it into an awesome photo. Dedicated cameras have much larger sensors. These sensors have greater surface areas so that they can capture more light. Additionally, the larger sensor size combined with the physical properties of the lens used can create all sorts of interesting effects, the most common being bokeh, where the subject is in sharp focus while the background is a soft blur. 

Often, the larger the sensor, the more expensive the camera. A larger sensor area means the camera can produce good images when light conditions are low. Additionally, larger sensors often have better dynamic range. There are more levels between absolute black and pure white in the image. However, smaller sensors are constantly improving, and with their improvements, their cameras have also gone up in price. Some smaller sensors now rival some larger ones in the quality of the images they produce. Note that all typically used sensor sizes have the potential to create stunning images, and image quality depends on more than the sensor. The camera’s image processor and the quality of the lens used are just as important. 

When quizzed, many professionals can’t determine what size sensor an image came from by just looking at a print made from that image. When they succeed, they use tricks, like looking for the depth of field in an image or other things that consumers would be unaware of. 

Types of sensors.

-1″ These sensors are primarily used in high-quality compact and bridge cameras. These sensors have about five times more surface area than a typical cell phone sensor.

-Micro 4/3. These sensors are used by Olympus/OM systems and Panasonic/Lumix cameras. They have around 9 times more surface area than a typical cell phone sensor. Because these brands use a smaller sensor than brands like Nikon and Canon they can make cameras that have smaller bodies and that use smaller lenses. The lenses may be less expensive as they need less optical glass to cover the smaller sensor. 

-APS-C. This sensor size is used by many different camera manufacturers because it is at the sweet spot between cost and performance. It has a surface area around 15 times larger than a typical cell phone. APS-C cameras can be smaller and use less expensive lenses than Full Frame sensor cameras.

-Full Frame. Used in flagship cameras, full-frame sensors have around 36 times more surface area than a typical cell phone sensor. Because of this, they often have the best low-light performance and the best dynamic range, and they also can produce the best bokeh. However, they are the most expensive cameras, have the most expensive lenses, and are usually bigger and bulkier than cameras that use smaller (yet very capable) sensors. 

DSLR or Mirrorless.

DSLRs are based on an older film camera design that uses mirrors and prisms to share the image from the lens with the image sensor and the viewfinder. Despite being an old design, it is very refined. Mirrorless cameras don’t need this system, as the image that you see is directly sent from the image processor. It is a video image, not an optical one. Your cell phone camera is a mirrorless camera. Manufacturers like Olympus/OM Systems, Panasonic, and Fuji have made mirrorless cameras for a long time. Sony initially built DSLR/SLT cameras, but they changed to mirrorless cameras fairly early on. Canon and Nikon were the DSLR holdouts; however, they recently switched over to all mirrorless cameras.  

Early mirrorless cameras had low-resolution displays, slow focusing, and laggy viewfinders. However, that is in the past. Mirrorless technology allows for more bells and whistles. For instance, some cameras can recognize what a moving object is (car vs. person) and track it accordingly.  

Both DSLRs and mirrorless cameras can take excellent photos; they are just slightly different technologies. Older mirrorless cameras often use a slower contrast-detection focusing system compared to the lightning-fast phase-detection focusing of DSLRs. However, that has also changed, and now, some high-end mirrorless cameras have the ability to instantly focus on just about anything. 

Which DSLR or mirrorless should you buy?

That is up to you. If you are looking for a bargain in a high-performance action camera, you can’t go wrong with an enthusiast/pro-level DSLR. Cameras that sold for thousands of dollars years ago can now be had for a few hundred, and they are still great cameras. Additionally, there are dozens of lenses for these cameras, and they are often sold at much more reasonable prices than lenses for some of the newer camera systems. Nikon and Canon were the DSLR leaders. Both offered cameras that professional photographers loved to use. Both companies switched to mirrorless cameras a few years back. 

The new Canon and Nikon mirrorless cameras are absolutely fantastic but expect to spend big bucks to buy one. Additionally, the lenses (which are excellent) use new mounts that are different from their DSLR brethren and are extremely expensive.

Sony cameras have been mirrorless for quite some time and you can buy some of their earlier (and excellent) mirrorless offerings at reasonable prices. Additionally, there are many older Sony branded and third party lenses available on the used market. However, their new cameras are also stratospherically expensive. 

Sony, Nikon, and Canon cameras use sensors that are either APS-C (smaller) or FF (full frame) in size. Although they have their differences, both sensor types take excellent images. Older full-frame cameras were better at taking photos in low light than older APS-C sensors. APS-C sensors offered lower cost and greater magnification (crop factor). Newer APS-C cameras are very capable of working in low light.

Fuji has always made mirrorless cameras that have a retro and exquisite style. Fuji designs its own image sensor using proprietary technology. Some say that their sensors produce the most pleasing images, but that is a subjective opinion. I felt that the early Fuji cameras were slow to focus, but they have improved dramatically over the years. Most Fuji cameras have APS-C-sized sensors.

Panasonic and Olympus/OM Systems cameras use a sensor size called 4/3 (or micro 4/3). These sensors are smaller than APS-C but still take great photos. Older cameras with these sensors may not perform as well as larger sensors in low light. They offer a magnification (cropping) factor even greater than APS-C sensors, which could be a plus when shooting distant objects. Their bodies and lenses are smaller (due to the smaller sensor), which makes them excellent for travel and street photography. Their lenses use less glass (smaller sensor) and, therefore, are often less expensive. Panasonic cameras have a more traditional look, while Olympus/OM Systems cameras have a retro look. Both used a focusing system called contrast detection, which could be slower than the phase detection used on DSLRs. 

One of my early mirrorless cameras was a 2011 Olympus EPL-2, which used Olympus’s original contrast-detection focusing system. I found its focus reasonably snappy, and the photo quality was excellent. Newer micro 4/3 cameras have great focusing. Micro 4/3 cameras often initiated novel and cool features in their cameras. Things like in-body image stabilization (IBIS), built-in ND (neutral density) filters, and built-in focus stacking. Other camera manufacturers “borrowed” these ideas and have incorporated them into some of their cameras. If you don’t know what these features are, just accept that they are fantastic.

Recommendations.

It is tough to give recommendations as everyone has different needs. However, for the cost-conscious, here are a few suggestions. My focus will be on lower-cost systems that offer high value. I’ll also emphasize still image use. Although some of these cameras can take reasonable video, video is best left for newer cameras.

For sports and wildlife, DSLR cameras like the Nikon D300S, Nikon D500, Canon 7D, and 7D Mark II are good choices, with the newer version performing better than the older one.

The Nikon D500 offers fantastic focusing for action events like sports.

For “Jack of all trades” full frame shooting the Canon 5DII or 5DIII are good choices, as are the Nikon D700, Nikon D600, Nikon D750, and Nikon D800. The Sony A7 II is a more compact mirrorless camera with a full frame sensor. For a less expensive APS-C camera consider the Canon 60D, 70D, or 80D and the Nikon D7000, D7100 models.  

Although fairly old technology, the Canon 5D Mark II is a legendary camera that introduced a usable movie mode. The Mark II has been used to film parts of many TV shows and movies, although newer cameras have greater video ease of use and resolution. The Mark II is still a wonderful stills camera.

For a cool-looking around-town contender, check out the Fuji X-T1 or X-T2 or one of the early Fuji X100 fixed lens cameras, such as the X100S or X100T. A fixed lens means you can’t change the lens. The X100 series of cameras have a fantastic lens, but you will need to “zoom in with your feet.”

The Fuji TX-2 is a beautiful camera.

For a versatile smaller camera, the APS-C Sony A6000 could be a good choice. I also like the APS-C Canon M6 Mark II (although its lens mount is now discontinued). I own both of these cameras and usually wind up grabbing the Canon.

The Sony A6000 is a feature packed APS-C camera.
I love my Canon M6 Mark II. Its lens mount has been discontinued but you can find many used lenses at great prices.

If you are looking for a quality older camera that is also very capable at shooting video consider the Panasonic GH4 which offered cutting edge video when it was introduced.

The Panasonic GH4 set the standard for modern video recording.

If you are looking for an around town or travel camera consider the Olympus OMD-EM-10 or the OMD-EM-5 (original or second generation). These micro 4/3 cameras have smaller camera bodies and smaller lenses. 

Due to its smaller sensor the Olympus OM-D EM 5 Mark II offers a nice compact size.

Naturally, there are dozens of other cameras that could be included in the above list, which is designed to get you thinking rather than trying to influence your decision-making.  

An older camera may lack some of the technical bells and whistles of newer cameras, but they are extremely capable and much less inexpensive than newer offerings. These were the aspirational cameras of photographers when they were launched, and photographers produced stunning images using them. Many of these cameras offer up-front controls, making it very easy to experiment and learn. 

Lastly, some of these manufacturers make cameras with an even smaller 1″ sensor. However, those are primarily used in pocket and bridge cameras and would need to be the topic of a different post. 

Where to buy?

Resellers like KEH, Adorama, and B and H test the used cameras they sell and offer limited warranties. You may pay a little more, but you are assured of a working camera. I have bought used cameras on eBay. However, eBay is more like of a Wild West show, but I have had good luck choosing sellers who have many sales and high ratings. A word of caution. Camera shutters (especially on a pro camera) may function well over 100,000 actuations. However, it is always better to buy a camera with a lower shutter count (75K or less). Also, if a camera looks like it has been through the war, it probably has been, and it is likely not a good choice for a first real camera purchase.   

A little bit about lenses.

One of the coolest things about many cameras is that you can change the lenses out. There are so many different types of lenses, from super wide angle to super telephoto lenses. Additionally, there are many specialty lenses. You can use a tilt-shift lens for architectural photography to eliminate perspective distortion (a building that looks as if it is falling away or towards you in the photo). There are also many macro lenses that focus incredibly closely, and these lenses are used to take amazing shots of tiny things, like insects.

Lenses can be extremely expensive, depending on whether they are designed for professionals or consumers. But there is a workaround. Most camera manufacturers have moderate zoom kit lenses that can be purchased with the camera at a good price. These lenses are frequently made of plastic and have limitations. Some have fairly good optics, while others are a bit crappy. You can find many used ones on eBay and other sites for a very good price, and they can help you start your camera journey. Just google to see if a particular lens model is considered good or bad. Don’t buy a bad lens, and don’t expect a kit lens to perform like a professional lens. However, a decent kit lens is very versatile. Ones with limited range (like 18-55 mm) can get you started, but those that have a broader range (like 18-150 mm) may be the only lens that you ever need. Beyond their plastic build kit, these lenses have a variable aperture. The level of light coming in is reduced the more you zoom out the lens. I often use an 18-150 mm kit lens when I’m hiking with my Canon M6 Mark II camera. Its zooming capability gives me a lot of options, and its lightweight plastic construction is easier to carry than an all-metal pro-style lens. Pro-level lenses often have a fixed aperture that is constant throughout the lenses zoom range.

There are also plastic but reasonably good prime lenses (prime lenses have just one focal length, so they don’t have any zoom ability). Many manufacturers make a 50 mm (good for portraits) and a 35 mm (good for general photography) bargain lens, which has much better optics than kit lenses. New, they sell for a couple of hundred dollars, but used, they can be had for less.

A commonly used professional-level zoom lens is the 70-200 mm F2.8 zoom. You often see this type of lens being used by journalists and other professionals due to its great versatility. This is a fantastic lens when you need to obtain a close-up of something, but you are at a distance. For instance, you can shoot your kids’ soccer game or take photos of them performing on stage. As an example, Canon’s version of this lens for their new RF-mount mirrorless cameras sells for an eye-watering $2,600.00! Canon’s older DSLRs use the EF style mount, and a used pro-level EF 70-200 mm F2.8 can be purchased for $500-$600. If you want to save even more money, you could go with a used Canon EF 70-200 F4 (smaller aperture, so it is less good in very dark conditions) for around $450.00.  

Just like when buying a used camera it is best to buy from a reputable dealer. However, I often buy on eBay for a better price and have had good results. When you buy a used lens, test it out to make sure that the optics don’t have mold growing inside (bad) and it focuses properly. Return the lens if it is defective and try again.  

Remember, lens mounts are specific to a camera brand and can vary within that brand. As an example, Canon’s Full Frame DSLR uses EF mount lenses, while their APS-C DSLR cameras can use cheaper EF-S mount lenses as well as the more premium EF mount lenses. Canon’s new mirrorless cameras use the expensive RF mount. My little Canon M6 Mark II is an orphan model that uses the now-discontinued EF-M lens mount. I know this sounds very confusing, but once you know what lens mount your camera uses (just Google “What lens mount can a XXX use?”), you will be set. It is not difficult at all.  

A word about video.

The first high-end stills camera to also take video was the Nikon D90, introduced in August 2008. It was absolutely revolutionary in this regard, but it could only take 5 minutes of video at a low 720p. Cameras rapidly improved, and the next milestone camera was the Canon 5D Mark II, introduced in September 2008. That camera could take 1080p video and has been used to shoot parts of TV shows and even movies. Yet, older cameras have many drawbacks from newer models when it comes to video. For instance, many older cameras will give you better results if you focus them manually when in video mode. If you are very interested in a camera that can take both still images and also has easy video recording, go for a newer old camera, or perhaps spend the extra money for a new consumer-level camera.

Software anyone?

Photo editing software can raise your photos to another level. There is a lot of free or very inexpensive photo editing software out there. If there is interest, I’ll post about that topic. 

Final Thoughts.

Buying a used camera will still cost money, but it will be a much smaller investment than buying a new camera while giving you all of the tools needed to up your photography results. These cameras may be all that you ever need, or you may acquire GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) and eventually get the latest and greatest camera of the future. I can’t control your desires.

Some of the new consumer-level cameras have amazing features, great focusing, and fantastic low-light performance. However, they are light both on direct controls and construction. Yet, they will still be more expensive than many of the cameras listed above. However, you do you.

As a Kodak commercial once said, “Share moments, share life.”

Peace

Mike

Your Battery Bank Is Lying To You!

A few weeks back I took my son on a school tour.  We planned to stay at a hotel for two nights, but I wanted to pack light.  I had just done a review on a small power bank that seemed perfect to use as my phone’s temporary charging system. I had tested all of its many features and they seemed to work well.  The unit was small, and claimed an impressive 20,000 mAh of power. I felt that this should be enough to fully recharge my phone from zero more than four times.  

My phone was at a 50% charge when I plugged it into the fully charged power bank.  The next morning my phone was only at 84% charge, and the power bank was at 21%.  Clearly, it did not have a 20,000 mAh battery. In fact, it likely didn’t even have a 5000 mAh battery. Yet, the print on its case clearly stated 20,000 mAh. I was upset.  However, my motto is “Don’t get mad, confirm or reject your suspicions with hard data.”  

Battery banks (AKA power banks) seem pretty straightforward.  Bigger mAh units should be able to charge a phone more times.  However, my research has shown me that there is no real regulation on battery banks, and that it is necessary to go to extraordinary lengths to figure out the true capacity of any unit. These banks are sealed and you often have to destroy them to get a peek at their actual battery. Battery banks can be branded with bizarre sounding names.  The seller can silk screen anything that they want to on the case. If a product gets bad reviews it is easy to rebrand the next batch that they are selling. Additionally, the industry itself gives out confusing information making it difficult to know what you are buying even when a company is reputable.  Because I review products I had a number of battery banks that were nearly new for testing.  I decided to learn more about the ins and outs about these common products; by the end of my research I was not only disappointed, I was shocked.  

Some terminology

Ports:  Most battery banks have a complement of both USB A and USB C ports.  Many (but not all) USB C ports are bi-directional.  You can charge the bank through them and they can also output a charge.  Some older models may require you to use a micro USB cord to charge, which can be a bit of a hassle as these cords are now less common. 

Metering:  Most battery banks have some method to tell you how charged they are.  Some will have a 4 LED display, while others will give you a more precise digital readout. 

Size:  Battery banks come in many sizes.  Typically, the bigger the bank the bigger the capacity.  However, this is not always the case.  Make sure that the size that you pick is compatible with your needs.  When traveling abroad I had a small battery bank that I could easily slip in my pocket.  I was dependent on Google Maps (which consumes a lot of battery energy).  I would have been lost without that power bank, which was so lightweight that I barely knew that I was carrying it. 

Recharge times:  Some battery banks can recharge faster than others.  Sometimes that difference can be dramatic. 

Watts:  Some battery banks will list watts, for instance 15 Watts or 20 Watts on the front of their case.  This indicates the maximum watts that certain ports, or a combination of ports can deliver to a device like a phone.  Some phones can accept higher watts and will charge faster.  Larger devices, like tablets, may require higher watts to trigger their charging circuitry. I tested the power (watts) output of a few banks and their maximum output was lower than what was listed on the case.

Volts Out: Volts refer to the force of the electrical current. Here is a water analogy:  If you are trying to fill a bucket it will fill faster if the flow rate is faster (more pressure). Likewise, a battery will fill faster if the voltage is higher. The standard power output of a USB port is 5 volts.  However, some phones are capable of accepting higher voltages. and will tell the battery bank to send it. Note that some battery banks can only deliver 5 volts, so that is what the phone will get.  Higher voltage output yields faster charging. As an example, an USB C Power Delivery port can (potentially) deliver up to 48 volts.  Note, both your phone and the power bank have to be compatible with the same protocol for fast charging to kick in.  

Amps Out: Another electrical parameter. This refers to how much charge is moving through the circuit. Using the water analogy, if you filling a bucket it will fill faster if the diameter of your hose is wider.  More amps means faster charging. Your phone will limit the amount of amps that it will accept. An old iPhone AC charger will deliver around 1 amp of power, but newer iPhones can accept up to 2.4 amps so an advanced AC charger will charge a phone faster. Some battery banks can provide higher amps, others can’t. A battery bank will usually list the maximum amps that any given port will provide on its case. Here too, I found exaggerations on several banks. 

A phone may tell a battery bank to provide more amps; it may also tell a battery bank to provide less amps than the bank is capable of delivering.  Exceeding a phone’s charging recommendation can lead to early phone battery failure, and can even cause a battery to explode. 

Lastly, a battery providing 2000 mAh at 2 Amps will deplete faster than one providing 2000 mAh at 1 amp. Higher draws have a negative impact on a battery. That is just the way battery chemistry works.

Watts Law: At this point you may be thinking, “What gives, Mike?  First you said that higher volts will charge a device faster, and then you said it was higher amps!  Which one is it?”  The answer is both, as they work together to calculate power, which in this case we are calling watts.  

Check out this equation: 

volts x amps = watts (power).  

When you increase volts or amps (or both) you will supply more power from your power bank to your device.  More power means the unit will charge faster.

mAh (milliamp/hour): A unit that indicates overall capacity of a battery bank. One milliamp is equivalent to 1/1000 of an amp.  To use the water analogy, think of a battery as a tank.  A bigger tank can hold more water and a bigger battery can hold more charge.   Common battery bank sizes are 5,000 mAh, 10,000 mAh, and 20,000 mAh.  

Depending on the phone, a typical phone battery can store from 2,500 to 4,000 mAh with some phones having batteries that are as large as 5,000 mAh.  

A common misperception is that it is simple to calculate how many times a power bank could recharge a phone by doing simple math.  For instance, you think that a 5,000 mAh power bank should be  able to recharge a 2, 500 mAh battery twice (5,000/2,500 = 2) . To understand why this is not the case we need to get into the weeds a bit. 

If you want skip the sciency stuff then go directly to “The Bottom Line”

Most power banks output around 5 volts (some can deliver higher voltages on demand).  However, the lithium battery inside the power bank is only 3.7 volts. The mAh listed on the case uses 3.7 volts in its calculation which gives a higher mAh number.

Here is a practical example for a 5,000 milliamp power bank

Volts x amps = watts (Watt’s law again)

3.7 volts x 5,000 mA = 18.5 watts

However, at 5 volts

watts/volts = amps (Watt’s law rearranged)

18.5 watts/5 volts =  only 3,700 mA 

Note that the overall power (watts) is the same in both equations, but both the volts and amps have changed. 

The 5 volt value is (approximately) 75% of what the 3.7 volt value is.  This is the case for all power banks. Because of this confusion I think that it is better to compare Wh (watt hours) of a battery bank when trying to figure out its capacity. A typical 5,000 mAh battery will deliver around 18.5 Wh of power.  Some well designed batteries may actually give you a bit more power, but still list 5,000 mAh on their case.  Other battery banks go in the opposite direction and overestimate their capacity, sometimes to the extreme.

A decent battery bank should list its mAh, (mili-amp hours) as well as Wh (watt hours) on its on its case. However, some manufacturers greatly exaggerate these numbers.

Many Factors Impact A Battery: Let’s assume that we are going to test a quality power bank. There are losses to consider.  The power bank has to convert the 3.7 volts of its battery to 5 volts or higher for the USB port.  This results in power loss.  The receiving device may also have to do some sort of voltage conversion.  That could lead to more power loss.  Some cheap gas station charging cables have more resistance than branded ones, and you can have a loss there.  Most lithium batteries have a BMS (battery management system) circuit. The BMS circuit can do many things.  Two of its most important functions are to regulate the voltage used to charge the power bank (too high of a charging voltage can cause a power bank to explode), and to prevent the battery from discharging completely. Completely discharging a lithium battery will dramatically shorten its life. Therefore, the BMS will prevent further discharging once the battery is at 10-20% of its capacity (depending on the programming of the BMS). That last bit of power is not available to the user.  Other factors that reduce the power of a battery include the ambient temperature, and the way that the charger is being utilized. Devices that demand a higher amperage to charge will deplete a battery faster, even if it is providing the same mAh as a unit delivering power at a lower amperage.

The Bottom Line

Unless a power pack is over rated it is acceptable to expect that it will only perform at 60-80% of its rated Wh capacity.  

Therefore, a typical 5,000 mAh battery that is rated at 18.5 Wh will only deliver 11.1 Wh-14.8 Wh in real life.  If a battery has a tested capacity of at least 60% of its listed capacity it is delivering its stated Wh capacity.  If it is lower than 60% the seller is telling a fib. 

The Test

I needed to come up with a way to drain and monitor a battery bank in a standardized fashion.  Luckily, I’m a nerdy guy who has a bunch of electronic tools lying around the house.  I came up with two methods.  The first method was more sophisticated, and a bit more accurate.  However, some of the no name banks could not recognize the first method and would turn off prematurely.  The second method was more crude and was slightly less accurate, but it worked for the majority of the battery banks.  That was the one that I used. Remember, your results may vary.

My fancier setup. This USB multi-meter uses a separate power source for its operations which leads to a more accurate final reading (by a bit). However, some of the battery banks that I tested would not recognize it enough to fully discharge the battery bank.
Here you can see my better system (top) which didn’t work for all cases, and my cruder system (bottom) which did work. The bottom system should still give enough information to determine the good from the bad.

The test was simple, I fully charged each battery bank and then completely discharged them using my gadget. I compared the actual power output of a power bank with its stated capacity.  If the actual output was at least 60% of the stated output the unit passed.  Some packs did very well, others were abysmally bad.  

Here are the battery banks that I tested.

The results

Battery #1 JRT-Japan (however it is made in China) 5,000 mAh pack. This is an exceptionally thin battery that is sexy as far as batteries are concerned.  I have had this battery for a year or two, but only use it rarely.  It probably has been charged less than 10 times.  It claims an output of 18.5 Wh, but only tested at 7.8 Wh, which is 42% of its stated power.  Verdict: FAIL

Battery #2 Dilibird.5,000 mAh pack.   I could not test this battery using either of my gizmos due to the Dilibird’s  limitations.  For a crude test I used the battery bank to charge my phone which was at around 60% charge.  Even in this situation the pack would randomly shut off and I would have to re-initialize it. Despite all of my efforts my phone only charged to 97% and the Dilibird went from 4 full bars of power to 1 bar.  Verdict: FAIL on multiple levels.

#3 Metecsmartme 5,000 mAh pack.  The case on this unit is a nice size.  It is very pocketable and fairly thin and light.  It claims an output of 18.5 Wh and delivered 14.4 Wh which is 78% of stated capacity.  Verdict: PASS

#4 4 Meyin Miusc (no that is not a typo) 20,000 mAh pack. This unit impressed me when I did an initial review.  However, it is also the unit that performed poorly when I used it at the hotel. It is the reason that I developed this test. The pack is loaded with features, which include a digital power level, wireless charging pad, and multiple built-in power cords.  Additionally, it claims 20,000 mAh of power.  It did not list Wh (which battery banks are required to do), but a 20,000 mAh battery calculates to 72 Wh of power.  In testing the unit it only provided 8.2 Wh of power, which is an abysmal 12% of stated capacity.  Verdict:  Despite a lot of bells and whistles it falters in its most important property, battery capacity. FAIL

This battery bank had all sorts of bells and whistles including built in power cords. Impressive on the surface, but garbage in use.

#5 Anker 10,000 mAh pack.  This is a fairly slim unit that is easily pocketable.  It has outlets for USB C, USB A, as well as a built-in USB C power cord.  The USB C outlet is bidirectional. It features a digital power meter.  It states that its capacity is 36 Wh of power. In testing it delivered 24 Wh of power, for 67% capacity.  Verdict: PASS

#6 6 Veektomix 10,000 mAh power bank.  I found this unit in my drawer and added it at the end of my tests (sorry, no photo). This unit is about the same size as the nice Metscmartme, but a bit thicker and heavier.  It has a digital display.  Ports include a micro USB for charging, USB C which is bidirectional (you can charge here too), and USB A. The small size made me think that this unit overstated its capacity.  It claims 38 Wh of power, and delivered 32 Wh, which is an awesome 82% of stated capacity.  Best in class.  Verdict: PASS

Conclusions

When it comes to power banks it is the Wild West.  There is no regulation, and it seems that sellers silk screen whatever values that they want to.  Many of the names are bizarre to English hearing ears.  It is likely that these brand names come and go so there is little reason for some to establish a quality product.

Expect 60-80% true capacity when buying a decent power bank.  However, in my test of 6 units 3 couldn’t even make that level of performance. 

Look for a bank with many favorable reviews.  Although these can be scammed, it is likely that  a well regarded unit with hundreds or even thousands of reviews is legit.  Shopping brand names can also help as a company’s future sales can be dependent on present reviews. The Anker unit that I tested passed and is a safe bet, however two lesser known brands performed better. I was especially impressed by the Veektomix.  It delivered 82% of its rated power and it did this in an incredibly sleek and compact case.  

Lastly, make sure the unit that you buy has the features that you need, including the type of ports as well as the power delivery capability.  If you are charging a device that can utilize a higher Amp or voltage output make sure that your unit can deliver it.  I think the best units have a bi-direction USB C as well as a USB A port. This combo gives you the most flexibility.  If you want a unit for on-the-go use a power bank with a rating of 5,000 to 10,000 mAh should do the trick.  Better brands may have better batteries that could offer more charging cycles before they degrade.  

Please note that this post is my personal opinion.  Testing was done with my available equipment which is not laboratory certified. 

Battery Bank and Power Bank refer to the same thing.

Good Luck

Peace

Mike

Addendum: For those interested, I did go try to modify my Amazon review of the Meyin Miusc power bank (#4).  I initially gave it a good review as I was impressed by all of its bells and whistles and used it to top off my phone a few times  (which worked fine).  However, I became aware of its low capacity when I used it in the hotel scenario that I talked about in the first paragraph of this post.  When I went back to modify my review the product had been discontinued and was removed from Amazon and so it was not possible to change my evaluation.  

CPS Butter Cookies!

As I have aged my memories from the past have faded.  This is especially true when it comes to memories of my very early years.  Yet, some of those times remain present in my mind.

I attended a CPS (Chicago Public Schools) grade school for Kindergarten and part or all of my first grade.  I know that the second part of that sentence makes little sense, so let me explain.  It was expected that my parents would send me to our local parochial grade school, St Clare.  However, that school didn’t have a kindergarten, so I was sent to the public school for that.  I have very distinct memories of attending first grade at the public school, as well as memories of attending first grade at the Catholic school.  I’m not sure how all of that happened, but it did happen. Did I have to repeat the first grade?  Did they transfer me mid-semester?  I graduated grammar school at the appropriate age, so I don’t think I had to repeat the year.  It is possible that my parents transferred me mid-year due to their moral convictions or due to peer pressure to “do the right thing.”

It is interesting what I  remember from those early experiences.  I remember feeling calm as I stood in line at the start of my first day of kindergarten.  Suddenly, the boy in front of me started to hysterically cry.  After a minute or two I felt the need to cry, as if this was a social expectation.  I wasn’t alone and soon the entire line of kids were sobbing in unison.  I remember that my kindergarten teacher had a thing for Jergens hand lotion.  She kept a bottle in a cupboard with a glass door and would constantly smear the goop on her hands.  I recall its almond/cherry fragrance.  My mother never used hand lotion, and so I thought that the Jergens was the height of class and sophistication. Who wouldn’t like a teacher who smelled of almonds and cherries? At Christmas time our teacher gave each of us a transparent blue plastic peacock ornament.  I proudly hung that ornament on our tree for years, and I still am sad that it has been lost to time.

First grade had its memories.  I remember being taken out of the class to be tested.  The middle-aged tester was a prim and proper no-nonsense woman.  One test involved a series of pictures in rows.  Simple objects like a tree or a dog.  On one line the first picture was a sled.  I knew what it was, but I couldn’t recall the name so I took a logical step.  On that line I identified objects backwards, starting from the end of the line and working my way up to the beginning.  I felt that giving myself a few extra seconds would allow me adequate recall time.  This did not please the tester who scolded me with the racial slur, “What are you, Chinese!”  I had never seen an Asian person, so I was perplexed.  “No, I’m Slovak,” I replied earnestly.  She gave me a harrumph and in a disgusted tone told me that Chinese read from right to left.  This was a revelation to me so I explained that I was just extending my time so I could remember the name of…the name of… the sled!  The word came to me.  We moved on.  I am not sure why I was tested, possibly because I was dyslexic or perhaps it was just standard practice.  I never heard its purpose, and I never received any additional help, so go figure.  

If you know me you will completely understand the next sentence.  I have vivid memories of CPS cafeteria food.  Mid-morning we were allowed to go down to the school’s cafeteria to buy milk and a snack.  In those days food was prepared from scratch by “lunch ladies.”  Much of the stuff available was subsidized by the government, so it was very inexpensive to buy. You could get a carton of white milk for two cents, or upgrade to chocolate for three.  Naturally, I went the chocolate milk route.  You could also buy an unhealthy but delicious snack for a few pennies more.  These snacks would rotate and I clearly remember eating half peanut butter sandwiches, crumb streusel coffee cake, peanut butter cookies, and butter cookies.  I have very fond memories of those snacks, which I thought were beyond delicious.  

My sister, Carol also has memories of those delicacies, but for a different reason.  She is 15 years my senior so when I was in first grade she was a college student studying elementary education.  She became a teacher for CPS and enjoyed CPS cookies at her respective school.  Carol, is now in her 80s, but still loves the buttery and sweet CPS butter cookies as much as I do.

Today, my family and I will travel to my sister-in-law’s place for an Easter Saturday family party.  We are all assigned a dish to bring, mine being cheesy chivy potatoes (mashed potatoes with cheese and chives added).  Yesterday, my daughter asked me if I wanted to bake something with her to bring to the party as a bonus.  She had found a recipe for decorated mini-cupcakes, but I wanted to bake something different.  I knew that my sister would be excited if I brought some humble CPS sugar cookies, so that is what we made.  

These cookies are extremely simple but delicious.  They are firm, but they give way when you bite into them. Your senses are immediately flooded with the creamy luxury of butter, the sweetness of sugar, and the fragrance of vanilla.  They evoke happy memories in me, so I thought I would share this easy recipe with you. We doubled the recipe for 70 average-sized cookies.  The ones that I remembered from grade school were about twice the size of the ones that we made. Yum!

CPS Sugar Cookies

Oven at 350F

2 sticks butter

⅔ cups granulated sugar

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour (scoop the flour into your measuring cup, don’t dip the cup).

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pinch salt

-Cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

-Add the vanilla extract.

-Add the flour one cup at a time until incorporated.

-Distribute dough onto a cookie sheet and flatten with a finger (two fingers for large cookies).

-Bake until the edge of the cookies is golden brown. Don’t overbake, the top of the cookies won’t brown. Bake between 11-15 minutes, check the cookies so you don’t burn them.

-Allow cookies to rest on the cookie sheet until they are partially cool, and then transfer them to an appropriate container.  Great with coffee, tea, or milk!

Note: the dough will be very stiff.  We used a mixer, which is what I would recommend.  

See the photos below for step-by-step instructions.

Cream softened butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add vanilla and mix it in.
Do the same with a pinch of salt.
Add flour and mix to incorporate. I did this one cup at a time. Note, the batter will be very stiff.
Add dough balls to a cookie sheet and flatten with a finger. With larger, more traditional cookies, use two fingers. My daughter dipped her finger in sugar for this process, that is a nice but unnecessary step.
Bake until the cookie is set and the bottom and the edges are a golden brown. Don’t over bake. We were surprised that we had to bake for the full 15 minutes for these small cookies. However, ovens vary so keep your eyes on the cookies. They were delicious!

Peace and Happy Easter,

Mike

A Walk In The Woods

In February 2024 this website crashed for no apparent reason. Despite using professionals at GoDaddy.com it was impossible to restore anything after October 2021 (over 100 posts). I do have many of those post in draft form (no final edit or photos) and I have decided to repost them in that manner. I apologize for typos and other errors. How do I feel about losing all of my original work? Life goes on.

Today started like many of my days.  The alarm went off and I stumbled into the bathroom to clean up.  Then downstairs to grind beans for the family’s morning coffee.  As usual, I measured the amount of grounds by eye, then reconsidered and spooned off a teaspoon or two. I know from past experience that overfilling the coffee maker’s basket results in a countertop flooded with grounds and hot water.

I looked out of my little study’s window to check the weather to determine if I could still wear my slippers outside, as I needed to move one of our cars off the driveway.  I wondered if the neighbors saw me doing this in my bedroom attire. Then a task here and another there, and my morning was over.

I expected to visit my friend, Tom after lunch, but he had to cancel so I move to “Plan B,”  but I ran into another roadblock, and that option had to be abandoned.  Desperate times call for desperate measures-it was time to freestyle!

The day before I dug out my 10-year-old Fujifilm X100 camera. I hadn’t used it for years, yet it is one of those cameras that I would never consider selling.  The X100 was created during a time when cameras were becoming ever more sophisticated and automatic.  This camera’s designers took the opposite stance and it was deliberately modeled to mimic 35 mm film cameras from the 1950s.  It is a beautiful device that has a fixed lens and a slew of manual dials. Photographers love it or hate it, depending on their sensibilities. I love it, and I always wonder why I leave it to languish on a shelf.

I am fortunate that I have many local forest preserves that give me endless joy.  Today, I wanted to try a place that was just a bit different and so I decided to drive to the southern part of my town to a large preserve with multiple winding paths.  These paths are usually filled with bikers and horses during the summer months, but I knew that they would be empty on this cold November day.  I grabbed my X100 and hopped into Violet the camper van for the 10-minute ride. My goal was simple, I was going to do a little hike and take some photos.  Prior to going I researched the preserve and decided to take its Kestrel path.  I added an additional side path to turn my hike into a 5-mile walk. The paths at this preserve are both wide and flat making such a trek “a walk in the park.”

A more difficult issue was what to photograph.  This particular preserve is mostly trees and fields and doesn’t have notable features even in the summer.  Now, the trees would be barren and the grasses would have already gone to seed making the site less photogenic.  My plan was to go and to see what inspired me.  Indeed, I was surprised by what I eventually discovered.

I did photograph the twisted branches of leafless trees, and the golden deadness of grasses that had lost both their chlorophyll and vitality.  However, I was more struck by the preserve’s close proximity to high-tension power lines.  Giant towers crisscrossed the paths, and when you walked under them you could hear the buzzing and cracking sounds of thousands of volts coursing through the tower’s copper veins.  I decided to shoot a number of them as a contrast to the peaceful, yet lifeless forest below.  Compose, focus, snap…compose, focus, snap…compose, focus, snap…and so it went. 

I continued my walk and saw a toppled tree. I then saw another, and another, and then a whole field where the tops of many trees were gone as if they had been ripped off by some giant hand. An uncomfortable feeling settled inside me as it seemed as if some monster literally drove down a path destroying dozens, if not hundreds of trees, and everything else along the way.

Suddenly, the realization hit me that I was looking at the remnants of the path of a tornado. In fact, it was likely that I was visiting the path of the tornado that devastated Naperville last June. Our neighborhoods have been cleaned up, but this forest remained in its post-apocalyptic state. Witnessing the devastation made me feel small and insignificant.   

If I looked ahead I saw a forest preserve in its peaceful winter slumber.  If I looked above I saw the mighty human-built towers that carry the electricity that allows me to use this computer, make my morning coffee, and sit cozily and warmly in my study’s overstuffed chair.  If I looked to the side I saw toppled trees from several seconds of nature’s fury.  How strange to be standing in a place where it seems that we are conquering nature, only to witness nature conquering us. 

I remember commercials and other advertisements from my childhood that touted our superiority over the planet.  “Better living through chemistry,” one of them proclaimed.  Now we have oceans choking on plastic, aquifers poisoned with pesticides, and the devastation of rising global temperatures.  We are such short-sighted little creatures.  So full of ourselves, and so self-centered. We want to believe that we are powerful, but it only takes a few seconds for nature to put us back in our place.

I thought I would share with you some of the photos that I took today in three parts.  The first part consists of the pleasant and quiet path that I walked on.  The second set of photos are powerlines-I think that they look alien for some reason, and the third group shows some of the devastation left from Naperville’s June 20th tornado. Come along and keep me company, won’t you?

Peace

Mike

College Kids

In February 2024 this website crashed for no apparent reason. Despite using professionals at GoDaddy.com it was impossible to restore anything after October 2021 (over 100 posts). I do have many of those post in draft form (no final edit or photos) and I have decided to repost them in that manner. I apologize for typos and other errors. How do I feel about losing all of my original work? Life goes on.

Time passes strangely.  When I was in my work life waiting for a vacation could feel like an eternity.   When that trip finally arrived the first few days appeared to last forever, and then suddenly the vacation was over, almost like it never existed.  For me, time is not constant, it seems to move at different rates depending on a multitude of factors.

When I had my daughter Anne 38 years ago I had a life-changing awareness.  I discovered that liked being a dad.  I know that is a strange thing to say, but it is true.  I not only like kids, but I like spending time with them, and I like teaching them things.  If you follow me on Facebook you already know that, but you are seeing Version 2.0 of me, a version that has been in the making for almost 40 years.

When Julie and I got married we knew that we wanted to have children, but we delayed our plans because of her Ph. D. studies.  As she approached graduation we felt that it was time. We had a certain hubris.  Anne was an accidental surprise, so I assumed all was good with me, and Julie came from amazingly healthy Swedish stock.  We were certain that she would be pregnant within the week, but we were very wrong. After months of unsuccessful trying, we started to adopt all of those folklore things that people do to become pregnant.  None of them worked and our hubris quickly dissolved into frantic desperation. 

Then it was time for the fertility clinic. Tests, probes, pills, shots, mood swings…no fun.  After exhausting less invasive options we advanced to IUI or intrauterine insemination.  IUI is a long process that involves shots, pills, and lots of ultrasounds.  When it is time for the procedure the male provides a “sample” which is then concentrated and mechanically placed.  Yeah, exactly.  

We went through the weeks of prep and a sample was provided.  However, the doctor felt that the sample was not good enough and advised that we forgo the procedure.  The reality was that we had just gone through hell getting to that point and so we told them to do it anyway.  Two days later our car was loaded and our pop-up camper was attached to it.  With Anne in tow we were heading on a long-anticipated vacation, but with heavy hearts. We had gone through so much to have a baby and once again we were winding up with the short end of the stick. We drove towards Arkansas stressed and depressed.  While driving through Missouri our problems compounded as our Ford Explorer started to make a strange noise.  We were about 50 miles from anywhere, and we needed to keep driving.  When we reached West Plains, Missouri we stopped, and I was relieved that the small town had a Ford dealership.  We found a cheap hotel and had the car towed the next morning. Unfortunately, the news wasn’t good and we were told that we had to replace the entire engine, a process that would take at least a week.  We were stuck in West Plains.

We tried to make the best of it, but there wasn’t much to do in West Plains.  One day we decided to go to the local movie theater to see a show.  We had already seen the movie in Naperville, but we had to get out of our tiny space.  Oddly, Julie stayed behind and only Anne and I went.  Julie was feeling sick which was very unusual for her, so I assumed that it was the result of the stress from the last weeks.  By the evening she was feeling better, but her nausea returned the next morning, and so it went for the remainder of the trip.  I quipped, “Well maybe you are pregnant.”  We both laughed as the doctor felt that the chances of the IUI procedure being successful was slim to none.

On our return, we confirmed that Julie was pregnant with Kathryn.  Two years later we did IUI again and had Gracie.  Two years later we didn’t do any procedure and we had William. Our family was complete. 

I was 48 when William was born and I remember doing mental calculations.  “When he will be 10 I’ll be 58, when he graduates college I’ll be 70.”  It all seemed surreal and a million years away…but here I am at 68 and my two youngest in college. 

When you are a dad there is a certain pride that you feel when you step onto your child’s college campus.  It’s difficult to explain.  On one level there is a rush of memories from your own college days, but there is also an unfamiliarity that comes from remembering events from decades earlier.

When your kids have been away at college they gain expertise that you no longer have in that situation.  They know the campus, the restaurants, and the attractions.  You go from the leader of the family to a subordinate.  It is an odd feeling, but one that I like.  It’s a subtle sign that Julie and I did the right parenting things.  

We traveled in Violet the camper van to Ohio, a long trip made worse by endless road construction, and arrived at Grace’s campus.  Tired from our travels, our evening consisted of going out to dinner with Grace, and we then headed to our campground, a primitive place that we were able to book on short notice.  The next day we were fully rested and set out on many adventures.  Her roommate was hosting a fundraiser for Parkinson’s disease, so we stopped by there.  Then Grace took us on a tour of campus.  I have been on campus many times and have gone on several tours, but this time we took our time and explored every nook and cranny.  Now a senior, Grace spoke with authority about campus superstitions and folklore.  It was a lovely time made even more pleasant by beautiful weather.  Grace had scoped out other activities and next on our agenda was the Cincinnati Riverwalk.  Another great experience.  It felt awesome to have one of my kids orchestrate a series of activities that she felt would be enjoyable for all parties.  My Grace had grown up!

Two weeks later we headed to central Illinois to see William at this school.  Like Grace he greeted us warmly and had an agenda for our visit.  We would only be on campus for the day, so he kept us local.  William is an RA on campus and it appears that everyone knows him.  This is surprising as the school has over 20,000 students.  However, everywhere that we went people waved to him and called out, “Hi, Will!”  Will took us around campus, which we saw from a different angle than past tours.  Earlier he wrote for and received a research grant and was given lab space to conduct experiments on crickets.  He showed us his lab, his crickets, and his work procedure. At the lab, he took the time to introduce us to a colleague who does bee research and William facilitated a nice conversation between all of us.  On the way back he talked about his aspirations and dreams.  Like Grace, he took charge and made a clear effort to not only plan activities but to plan events that he knew Julie and I would be interested in. Will was acting like a considerate adult.  It felt good.

My Kathryn was in Africa serving in the Peace Corps when COVID hit.  She was at the start of a 2 ½ year tour and was evacuated back to the states after only 6 months..  Kathryn and I always got along, but she was distant towards me.  Now retired, I was the one cleaning the house and doing the grocery shopping. Kathryn and I were in forced contact with each other, which turned out to be a wonderful thing as we became truly close. We talk and make dinner together.  She has become a huge help to me over these last few years as she responsibly does her share to keep our house afloat. 

Lastly, I would like to mention my oldest daughter, Anne.  Now a mother of two children she resides about 3 hours south.  Anne has become a wonderful adult, excellent mother, and good daughter.  She makes an effort to keep in contact with me in a way that let’s me know that she loves me and has a kind heart.

During the early stages of the pandemic, my three youngest kids were at home and isolated from their friends.  Our family life returned to an era from the past.  A time when almost all of their activities involved family.  We cooked together, played games together, watched TV shows together, and went on walks together.  It was a wonderful experience for me as I got to re-experience a much-loved time.

Now my kids are back in the real world.  Anne has resumed seeing her psychotherapy clients in person. Kathryn is doing IT for our school district, and Grace and William are back at university.  I now get to enjoy them all in different ways. My pride explodes not only with their life accomplishments but also with their empathy and kindness. To see them become good, loving, and caring adults makes me misty-eyed, and very happy.

When our children were younger there is a joy in their dependence on us. They look to us with awe as we help them navigate their early lives.  However, it is our ultimate job is to provide them with the tools to become independent adults.  If we don’t do this we fail at our most basic parenting task. I understand that there are some circumstances where this process is impossible or greatly delayed.  In those cases, it is the parents’ job to do their best to help their children to become as independent and adult-like as reasonable. 

People often say that it is easy to make a baby, but it takes work to raise a child.  In our case both took effort-an effort that was well worth it. 

Peace

Mike

Egg Dish

In February 2024 this website crashed for no apparent reason. Despite using professionals at GoDaddy.com it was impossible to restore anything after October 2021 (over 100 posts). I do have many of those post in draft form (no final edit or photos) and I have decided to repost them in that manner. I apologize for typos and other errors. How do I feel about losing all of my original work? Life goes on.

Growing up food was always a central part of any celebration, and that tradition has continued with my family.  It isn’t that we require elaborate or exotic fare on holidays. Rather, certain dishes have been associated with certain events, sometimes without rhyme or reason.

We always dine on carry-out Chinese on Halloween, several of my kids expect that I’ll make my “Rainbow Cake” for their birthdays, and no Thanksgiving would be complete without sweet potato casserole. 

Sometimes we celebrate our family Christmas on December 24, and sometimes we will celebrate it the week before or after Christmas day.  We travel to Minnesota every year to be with Julie’s family for Christmas, but we typically open our immediate family’s gifts at home in Illinois. 

On the day that we celebrate our immediate family’s Christmas, we have a mid-morning brunch with items that bake in the oven.  We can smell the food’s tantalizing aromas as we ooh and aww over our presents.  

The foods that we eat have no particular continuity, but they have become our Christmas brunch tradition.  There is always coffee, tea, and orange juice.  In addition, we have crackers accompanied by cheeses and sausage-type meats. Both Julie’s and my ethnic cultures eat pickled herring, and that will also be on the menu, as well as freshly baked cinnamon rolls.  However, the star of the show is a breakfast casserole that we call, “Egg Dish,” which is what many people would call strata or a layered casserole in the style of savory bread pudding. 

I recall this being a “new” recipe in the 70s or the 80s, and it was fashionable to make it for  Sunday brunch.  Apparently,  it was originally created in the early 1900s, although that dish was somewhat different from the overnight casserole that we associate with it today.  

Midwesterners love casseroles, and Julie’s mother, Avis made this egg dish for a brunch that she hosted for us during our wedding weekend. Egg dish has had an integral part in our lives from the beginning of our marriage!

Simple to assemble and easy to make, its only barrier is that you have to refrigerate it overnight before baking, as this allows the egg and bread mixture to properly co-mingle.  Once in the oven, it tends to puff up into a delicate creamy texture.  I think of it as a Midwestern souffle. Not fluffy or pretentious, but rather delicious, practical, and savory.  

This recipe makes a big 9 x 13 pan, so it is best for larger families or gatherings.  The leftovers microwave well the next day (in individual portions) and are acceptable to eat the day following that. After two days most of the charm has left the dish and any remnants are best left for the bin.

Julie’s Egg Souffle

  • White bread
  • Butter
  • 10 beaten eggs
  • ½ t dry mustard
  • 1 t salt
  • Splash hot sauce (we like Frank’s)
  • Pepper to taste
  • 2 ½ C milk
  • Shredded cheese
  • Ham chunks (can be omitted for vegetarians)
  • ½ package cream cheese cut or torn into bits
  • 2T chopped green onions

Lay bread slices in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13” pan, then butter and tear bread into chunks.

Sprinkle cream cheese bits and shredded cheese over bread.

Sprinkle on green onions.

Sprinkle on ham chunks (the size of diced carrots).

Pour over mixed liquids.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

Bake at 350F 50-60 minutes or until lightly brown.

Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Mike Kuna

Cameras

In February 2024 this website crashed for no apparent reason. Despite using professionals at GoDaddy.com it was impossible to restore anything after October 2021 (over 100 posts). I do have many of those post in draft form (no final edit or photos) and I have decided to repost them in that manner. I apologize for typos and other errors. How do I feel about losing all of my original work? Life goes on.

Lately, I have been graced by YouTube algorithms that have brought me videos on photography that have actually stimulated my creativity, rather than promoted a desire to buy the latest and greatest gear.  

A few years back I did a YouTube video where I stated that any intermediate or above camera made in the last 10 years was capable of doing professional work.  I would like to amend that stance to say that some cameras made almost 15 years ago are still capable of doing professional work as of December of 2021.  

Please note that I’m a photographer, not a videographer.  Clearly, newer cameras have become hybrid devices over this time span.  If you do video work your needs are best suited by cameras that are 5 years old or newer.

Camera manufacturers have improved their devices over time and a camera introduced in 2021 will have a host of features and improvements from those that were created even a few years prior.  Some of those improvements, like a tilting screen, may make your photography efforts a bit easier.  Some, like double card slots, appear to be a clever way to get photographers to upgrade to a more expensive camera body.  Other features, like high-megapixel sensors, not only urge the photographer to spend more money, they also increase the photogs emotional stress.

I live in a city with a very picturesque downtown that is a magnet for photoshoots.  In the spring and summer, its beautiful river walk is flooded with professional photographers shooting everything from bridal parties to graduation headshots. YouTube influencers would have you believe that professionals always have to have the latest and greatest camera, but the vast majority of these working professionals are using gear (often Canon and Nikon) that is generations old.  

Before COVID hit I attended two weddings.  One photographer was sporting a Canon 5D Mark III along with an original 5D.  At the other wedding, the photographer was using a Nikon D600.  Both photographers produced beautiful prints.  I specifically asked the Canon photographer if he was planning on updating his cameras, as there were new Canon offerings.  He replied that he was thinking about it, but his current gear was doing the job.  Why spend thousands of dollars when it is unlikely that you will have a significantly improved result? Professional photographers think of their gear as tools.  They know that a good image is based on composition and their ability to manipulate both the camera and the light. They only change their gear when absolutely necessary.

I have seen stunning professional wildlife pictures from a photographer using a 12 MP Nikon D300, and legendary photographs have been taken using cameras like the Nikon D3, and Canon’s 7D and 5D Mark II.  How is this possible?  It is possible because these are extremely capable cameras being used by extremely capable photographers.  

If these older cameras take great pictures, why is it that their images always look terrible when they are compared to newer cameras on YouTube? Influencers create unusual circumstances that illustrate the need to buy.  There is a reason that they have to magnify comparison images to illustrate their point. They promote the idea that a newer and more expensive camera will make you a better photographer.  I disagree with that point.

Influencers make their living by creating videos for YouTube; it is a full-time job.  They need access to the latest gear to stay relevant and to do so they need to have good relationships with camera manufacturers.  That is a fact.  It is unclear if they have additional fiduciary connections with these companies.  

Another phenomenon is what I call “Herd Think.” If a powerful influencer says you have to shoot in RAW, you need two card slots, or you must have an EVF instead of an OVF, other YouTubers start to parrot those statements.  To the viewer, these opinions become absolute truths. However, none of the above examples are absolute.  For instance, if SD cards were unreliable, all cameras would have a backup slot, but most don’t. So I researched the reliability of brand-name SD cards, which are highly reliable. Can a card fail?  Sure, but it is most likely that a failure will be caused by the photographer’s mishandling, overusing, or abusing the card. Good practices make it perfectly reasonable to use a camera with a single card slot. 

We are manipulated by unlikely what-if scenarios that urge us to buy expensive gear.  What if you have to shoot an event at the Olympics?  What if you need to print a wall-sized landscape image that will be viewed from 6 inches? What if you have to photograph a royal wedding in a very dark church?  These are situations that most professional photographers will never face. Additionally, those who did have to face similar challenges a decade ago were able to successfully do their job with the technology of the day; they used skill and planning.

Let’s look at the megapixel myth.  We are told that we need more and more megapixels, and we are often shown highly magnified images that demonstrate that need.  However, how many megapixels do you need?  A National Geographic level magazine cover needs around 6-8 MP; you can take a 12 MP image and crop 50% of it and still have a suitable file to print a magazine cover. A colossal billboard image needs around 2-6 MP (as you view it from afar). Many blog and webpage images are around 1-2 MP; big images take too long to load. Facebook compresses your uploaded images to around 2 MP. Images used for newspapers are also very low in their pixel count. They are often 75-150 dpi, so a typical photo would be less than 1 MP.  Before COVID I went to the movies and saw Apple ads that showed beautiful images taken from a 12 MP iPhone camera blown up on a giant movie screen. Around 15 years ago, I was part of a group photo of my wife’s extended family.  Each individual family received an 8” x 10” photo of the shoot, and her parents got an even larger print.  The photograph was beautiful, clear, and detailed.  At that time, the average professional camera had about 12 MP.  However, our photographer used a Nikon D40, a 6 MP camera. 

Just about any job can be done with a camera with 12-16 MP, as this is the typical resolution of 35 mm film.  In addition, the maximum resolution of most lenses is around 16 MP, often less.  People say that you need a high MP camera for landscape work.  Really?  Who views a wall-sized print at six inches? 

Yes, there are rare times when you need a greater pixel count, and those situations are best suited by a high MP camera and uber-expensive high-resolution lenses.  However, those situations are the exception for most rather than the rule. Of course, you can always rent a camera for once in a blue moon events.

How about dynamic range?  Newer sensors have a greater dynamic range than older ones.  However, those older sensors had a better dynamic range than 35 mm film.  Think about that.  

Burst rate?  Some new cameras can take images at a rate similar to what you would use when filming a movie.  They have also increased their focus accuracy.  However, older cameras like the Canon 7D Mark II were phenomenal nature and action cameras.  The Mark II was introduced in 2014 and could shoot at ten fps.  That hardly sounds impressive in 2021, but it did and still can get the job done.

I love photography, but most of the professional work has happened because people have seen my work and have asked me to do a job for them.  Therefore, I do professional photography similar to most professional photographers: portraits, corporate shots, events, photos for the web, and the like. I also do a lot of work for a construction/remodeling company. So what types of cameras do I use?

For portraits, headshots, completed home remodels, and events I use a DSLR.  I mostly use a Canon 5D Mark IV.  I certainly could use a lesser camera, but I like the Canon’s tank-like build. Also, I have all the accessories needed for just about any job. The 5D Mark IV has impressive battery life, and add-ons like speedlights shoot forever before I need to recharge them. An additional benefit is that the camera looks professional. This gives me a shooting edge as people are more likely to respect me and my requests when using it. A big camera gives me the authority to control my subjects, allowing me to produce better results for my clients. 

I also love the Canon for its easy-to-use control surfaces and some of its software features. I rely on the 5D Mark IV’s excellent internal HDR capabilities when doing real estate type shots. The camera has several HDR modes and also saves the original bracketed images.  In many cases, I can use the camera’s generated HDR image, but if I don’t like it, I can process the bracketed images in software to get the photo I want.  This one feature alone is a massive time saver as some jobs require dozens of HDR images.

I should note that I also have a 5D Mark III.  If I didn’t have the Mark IV, I could do everything I needed with the Mark III, which has a similar feature set. 

I also shoot images for a weekly construction blog.  A blog topic could be something like, “How to install a toilet.”  In these situations, I have to be invisible to the crew working in a very tight space.  Here I tend to use small cameras that I can easily pocket and maneuver. For over a year I used a tiny Panasonic GM series camera.  That is until its consumer-level lens fell apart.  Consumer-level cameras are simply not built for that level of use. However, the camera’s size and image quality were perfect for my needs.

I love to take street, nature, and landscape photography, and I often combine this interest with my love of walking and hiking.  In such situations, I must have a lightweight camera, and the one that I have been most recently using is the Canon M6 Mark II, which is easy to control, small, and lightweight.  I am fond of one of its more modern features, the tilt/touch screen.  With that said, I could undoubtedly take photos without it.

You may think that I’m an old curmudgeon who resists all new technology.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I believe that new cameras are excellent; in fact, I own several of them, including a Canon R6.  I’m just saying that in most instances, an older camera will serve you quite well, and you will save a ton of money.   Influences tell us that we need gear that exceeds $10,000 to be a pro. However, you can buy a used camera body and a couple of excellent used lenses for under $1500 and produce professional work. 

To illustrate this point, I would like to tell you an illustrative story.  Two neighbors both need new cars.  The first one buys a top-of-the-line, brand new Mercedes S-class for $110,000.00. The other neighbor opts for a 5-year-old, low mileage Toyota Corolla for $17,000.00.  

Both neighbors use their cars for the same tasks, traveling a short distance to work, driving the kids around, and doing household jobs, like grocery shopping. The Mercedes looks nicer, has better gadgetry, and has a cushier ride.  The Toyota Corolla wins when it comes to a monthly car payment, operating costs, and insurance premiums. In the above scenarios, both cars perform equally well.  They both get the job done, but the Mercedes cost over six times as much. This same analogy applies to having the best camera vs. one that does the job. In the end, the results will be similar as long as the photographer has taken care.

Enter the Fuji X100s

I have been viewing videos of people praising earlier versions of the Fuji X100 series.  I have an X100s  in my camera collection, and I decided to rediscover it. The X100 series has some clear limitations.  It has a fixed lens, and many early models were slow to focus (especially in low light).  However, the series is loved for its classic styling and hands-on controls.  Additionally, street photographers like it because it looks non-threatening.  I took the camera on several of my walks to see if I loved it or hated it.  

My initial impression was that I didn’t like it.  I disliked the fact that I couldn’t zoom in. In addition, I had to make a lot of manual adjustments to get the image that I wanted.  I had to think about what I was doing and why I was doing it. It felt different from the cameras that I had become used to.

It was clear that I wasn’t getting the most out of the camera, so I decided to watch some training videos on the camera and its controls.  I especially like one by “Billy, The Fuji Guy”  I recall mumbling to myself, “Oh, that’s cool” and “So, that’s how you do that,” while watching the video. I went on another walk with camera in hand with my new knowledge.  Something interesting happened; I started to engage with both my camera and the environment differently and much more enjoyable manner.  

I had to move in close to get the shot that I wanted.  Indeed, at times I needed to crouch down.  I felt like I was more connected to my subject.  “Oh, I can get it to focus better when I do this!”  “Hmm, it’s fun to use the split-screen to focus.”  “Wow, the built-in ND filter does come in handy.”… and so it went. In short order, I went from disappointment in the camera to enjoying the camera. I had to think about what I was doing, and I had to be deliberate in my actions.  I wasn’t just a robot taking “spraying and praying” shots. I took fewer images because I had to think more about my actions, but I liked the photos. The experience was fun.

Now, I’m not saying I would use this camera for sports photography.  However, this little camera can easily accomplish shooting street photography, vacation photos, nature images, and even landscapes. In fact,  its supposed weaknesses are really its strengths.

So is the opposite true?  Can a camera’s strengths really be its weaknesses?  Let’s do a little thought experiment. Take a modern camera with a high megapixel count, phenomenal auto-focus, and a blazing burst rate.  Add to this what influencers tell us what we need to be successful, things like many multi-thousand dollar lenses, a high-end camera bag, and the very best accessories.  Naturally, you are going to shoot in RAW because you have been told that real photographers always do this.

You decide to devote the following weekend to photography and drive to a nearby national park. Unfortunately, your camera plus all of those expensive lenses make a pretty heavy package.  You want to hike on some difficult trails, but you are afraid that you will damage your equipment if you drop it.  Further, your pack is so heavy that you can’t bring along necessary things like extra water or a first aid kit. 

Luckily, there are photo opportunities on the easy paths.  You take advantage of your camera’s burst rate when photographing animals and birds.  You return home exhausted but smug because you were sporting the most expensive camera in the park. Your back hurts.

Now the real fun begins.  On past trips with your older, slower, 16 MP camera, you would have a couple of hundred shots, but you have taken thousands with your new super-fast 50 MP camera.  The RAW files are enormous, and your computer slowly struggles to process them. You need to sort and rate the photos, but with a 30 fps burst rate, many look nearly identical, and there are so many shots to assess.  Oh, the images are in RAW, so you need to spend time adjusting all of them to make them look right. Many hours later, you finish processing the photos, and you need to take a couple of ibuprofen tablets to stop your pounding headache from all of the screen time. 

Yes, you have a lot of lovely photos, but what to do with them?  Post them on Facebook, of course. However, this time you are not going to post ten photos, as you did with your old camera; you will post over 100 photos.  You wonder why no one comments about them until someone tells you that they felt overwhelmed just looking at all of them.

The above example may be exaggerated, but not by much.  Spending money that you don’t have, carrying around expensive equipment that you don’t need, taking so many shots that editing them becomes a nightmare; all of these things are not only stressful, but they also remove some of the creative joy of photography.

I’m not telling you that you should avoid buying new and excellent equipment.  Instead, I’m telling you to think about what you are buying and to examine what you will be using the camera for.  Do you really need a three thousand dollar lens when you are mostly doing portraits?  It is likely that a lower resolution lens will be more flattering in those cases. For me having a smaller, lighter camera is more beneficial when I’m taking landscape shots than having a full-frame camera with a ton of megapixels. In fact, I’m not sure why you need massive megapixels for landscape work, to begin with. Why is pinpoint detail so important?  I think landscape photography is all about composition and lighting. Outside of a YouTube video, who will examine a wall-sized landscape at two inches?  About a year ago, I read an article from a professional photographer who traveled to a city to take some architectural shots for a magazine. He chose to use a Sony RX100 camera as he needed a tiny camera.  That camera has only a 1” sensor, but the resulting images printed in a glossy magazine were beautiful.  Stop listening to influencers; they are there to sell you stuff.

In conclusion, it is more important to know your equipment and practice your craft than having the latest and greatest kit on the block.  RAW files, thousands of images, super expensive equipment, and other things that we believe will make us better photographers can have the opposite impact. They can limit our vision, dull our skills, and strain our time and pocketbooks. Even more importantly, dealing with thousands of huge images can lead to unnecessary stress. Be realistic in your expectations and deliberate in your actions, and you will be a joyful photographer. Happy shooting!

Peace

Mike

The following shots were taken with the Fuji X100S, a camera that was introduced at the beginning of 2013.  This is a 16 MP camera.  The photos were shot as JPEGS and were processed in DxO PhotoLab.  Some of the images were cropped, in others, I applied filters. The shots are from two locations, the town that I live in and a local forest preserve.  These images were further reduced to around 2 MP so I could upload them to my WordPress website.