Building Cookie Fuel camera setup

[Gavrilo Andrić 0]

Hi there :) 

I'm building my first camera setup, so I need several advices :) Cookie fuel is arriving with Dual Top Plate and I'm planning to use GoPro 7 Black in combination with Canon EOS 90D. Now questions.

1. How do you attach DSLR, like mine, to the Dual Top Plate?
2. What is your go to lens for skydiving? 
3. Optimal camera settings/mode for skydiving photography?
4. Bite switch vs tongue switch or something else?
5. Adding GoPro lenses or filters?
6. Tips and tricks :)

Probably, questions are too broad, so just jump in with your experience etc. This is the new thing for me and I'm here to listen :)

[karma 3]

Your Cookie top plate is designed to go with the Flatlock from Cookie. I'm currently jumping a Fuel with a Top plate with Flatlock. This gives me opties for mounting camera's.

At the moment I mostly jump with 2 GoPro's. 1 for video and 1 for photo. I also have the option to fit my Sony A6300 if I want. I use a 15 mm lens for that camera and a blow switch. I have tried the bite and tongue switch and found that the blow switch is easier in use.

As for camera settings, do a search on this forum. Much has already been written about it. Also, check out Youtube for setting up your GoPro. You could search for cinematic GoPro. Try out settings on non commercial skydives, see what works best for you and what produces good footage.

[husslr187 24]

I bought a camera cage for my a6000 and mounted it to the flatlock. a lot more flexible with the amount of threaded holes on it and I was able to get the camera closer to centered with less overhang. did the same for the gopro as well. don’t know how well that’ll work with a canon though. one of the reasons I bought the a6000 was because the lens mounted on one side instead of centered like most cameras. I can make the setup more compact with the gopro in front of most of the camera except the lens.  camera cage is still a good idea incase you bump the door on the way out though 

[husslr187 24]

as far as setting I use manual mode with shutter speed between 800-1000th, aperture around 4ish and iso at 100. where it’s set depends on cloudiness and how I want the pictures to look. take test shots on the way to altitude if possible. one other thing I do is set the center of the picture as the focus zone. by doing that the camera was able to focus faster.  best guess is that it doesn’t have to search the entire scene and figure out what I want to focus on. downside is sometimes i wished it focused somewhere else. same thing with going to manual versus auto, doesn’t take time to process the scene and figure out what aperture, shutter speed, ect to use. bigger downside if the setting aren’t good, you could have dark pictures or blown out pictures that can’t be fixed with editing. upside to both of these is faster focus at the door and faster continuous shooting 

 

play around with the camera a good bit before you take it up. there’s just as much to learn about it as there is skydiving and every camera is different.

Edited April 7, 2021 by husslr187

[Gavrilo Andrić 0]

Thanks a lot @husslr187 @karma. More questions haha. Is there any go-to solution for attaching DSLR? I've seen some anti-twist plates etc. Also what to do with camera's display, does it need some frame/cage? 

[husslr187 24]

i’ve jumped for a year without the cage using only a bolt in the tripod mount hole to hold it to the flatlock. the flatlock does have a very thin layer of rubber on it which helps keeps things from twisting. just be very cautious when wearing for the first few times until you learn your new “height” and check the tightness before you get on the plane

[karma 3]

On 4/8/2021 at 5:00 PM, Gavrilo Andrić said:

Thanks a lot @husslr187 @karma. More questions haha. Is there any go-to solution for attaching DSLR? 

Well, if you have the dual top plate from cookie the most refined solution is to buy the flatlock (https://www.flycookie.com/shop/accessories/flatlock/). As husslr187 said it has a thin rubber layer to stop is twisting. 

As far a cages go, I've never jumped my Sony A6300 camera in a cage. Just be mindful when you wear the helmet inside the plane. 

[livendive 8]

On 4/7/2021 at 3:52 AM, husslr187 said:

I bought a camera cage for my a6000 and mounted it to the flatlock. a lot more flexible with the amount of threaded holes on it and I was able to get the camera closer to centered with less overhang. did the same for the gopro as well. don’t know how well that’ll work with a canon though. one of the reasons I bought the a6000 was because the lens mounted on one side instead of centered like most cameras. I can make the setup more compact with the gopro in front of most of the camera except the lens.  camera cage is still a good idea incase you bump the door on the way out though 

Could you post a picture of your setup?  I've just been jumping a GoPro on my Fuel, but have been asked to add stills for more tandem video jumps. I already have an a6000 and figure I'll grab a 10-18F4 lens, just trying to decide between a dual top plate or single top plate for the stills with GoPro inverted in front of it.  Not sure that the cages you mention look like.

Blues,

Dave

[husslr187 24]

If you can wait a few days I’ll get a pic. My mom just had knee surgery so i’m helping her out for the next few days and won’t be home for a little while

[husslr187 24]

52 minutes ago, livendive said:

Could you post a picture of your setup?  I've just been jumping a GoPro on my Fuel, but have been asked to add stills for more tandem video jumps. I already have an a6000 and figure I'll grab a 10-18F4 lens, just trying to decide between a dual top plate or single top plate for the stills with GoPro inverted in front of it.  Not sure that the cages you mention look like.

Blues,

Dave

i run a duel plate with this on the left https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1422086-REG/2082_Cage_with_Wooden_Handgrip_for_Sony and this on the right https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1297724-REG/Genus_Cage_for_GoPro_HERO7_HERO6_and

 

as said above I’ll have a for you in a few days