Hand Cam Camera's now

[clint 1]

What is the best camera for shooting tandem handcam videos? I'm still using my old PC 5,9 but they are about to die and it's harder and harder on ebay to find them. So what's new?

-

Clint MacBeth
Skydive Moab 435 259 JUMP
M.O.A.B. Mother Of All Boogies Sept 19 - 23, 2012

[diablopilot 2]

Love my HC3, and I'm using one of Simon's gloves, made in Nevada.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[DSE 5]

I'd recommend you look at the CX7, or if you can wait a few months, wait for its replacement.
If you don't need remote control, the new Canon Vixia series are great, and the new Panasonic SD5/9's aren't terrible.
AVCHD/tapeless is the future, no moving parts other than zoom travel, and the cams are super lightweight, almost half that of an HC series.
The HC3/5/7/9 are all great cams too, of course.
Just don't put a crappy SD lens on the front of an HD camcorder like so many seem prone to do. It makes HD look terrible. You might as well buy an HC52 and shoot SD widescreen

[skydiveoc 0]

Quote

I'd recommend you look at the CX7, or if you can wait a few months, wait for its replacement.
If you don't need remote control, the new Canon Vixia series are great, and the new Panasonic SD5/9's aren't terrible.
AVCHD/tapeless is the future, no moving parts other than zoom travel, and the cams are super lightweight, almost half that of an HC series.
The HC3/5/7/9 are all great cams too, of course.
Just don't put a crappy SD lens on the front of an HD camcorder like so many seem prone to do. It makes HD look terrible. You might as well buy an HC52 and shoot SD widescreen

Are there HD lenses suitable for handy? Ive got the Royal .2 and am in love with the clarity and the widest image Ive seen. Im looking forward to my transition away from tape based...just want to wait and see what seems to be working for folks. Def. going to take your advice and go with either dual or quad core system running vegas...prob next year tho...

[DSE 5]

.3 is the widest lens you'll find that has high line resolution. In the Camera forum, you can find a lens test. The Royal .2 isn't on that test, because it's a very unusual lens. Anything that wide however, won't have great resolution at the edges no matter who makes it.

[Samurai136 0]

Quote

I'd recommend you look at the CX7, or if you can wait a few months, wait for its replacement.
If you don't need remote control, the new Canon Vixia series are great, and the new Panasonic SD5/9's aren't terrible.
AVCHD/tapeless is the future, no moving parts other than zoom travel, and the cams are super lightweight, almost half that of an HC series.
The HC3/5/7/9 are all great cams too, of course.
Just don't put a crappy SD lens on the front of an HD camcorder like so many seem prone to do. It makes HD look terrible. You might as well buy an HC52 and shoot SD widescreen

How much material will the Vixia record on the native 16GB memory?

"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken

[DSE 5]

over an hour, depending on the bitrate selected.

[skydiveoc 0]

That Vixia HF10 seems like it could be a winner.

[DSE 5]

for handcam, yes... for much of anything else...no.
I have one, I don't use it for handcam as I'm not a TI, but do enjoy it for some ground uses.

[skydiveoc 0]

Maybe just get a CX 7 then?

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I just bought a CX7 to replace my formerly-trusty PC 109's. I don't have a glove for the new camera yet, but the camera looks like it would fit fine in one built for something like an old HC 42.

The CX7 is simply fantastic though and I am in the process of mounting it on my Optik Illusion.

[skydiverton2 0]

Want to start handcam soon. Thinking of a HC5. Good idea??

Using your droque to gain stability is a bad habid.
.
.
Also in case you jump a sport rig!!!

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I think an HC5 is a bit heavy for handcam, but I bet there are some people doing it. I still use my PC 109's for handcam, but am considering getting a WayCool glove for my CX7 (if it's available). I jump a .25 on my 109's for handcam and have a .3 for my CX7

[Kimblair13 0]

The HC 3's 5's 7's are like carting around a football. The ones I've seen used for hand cam broke really quick and had problems with the doors.

[diablopilot 2]

Hmmmm....I lkie the weight an balance of my HC3 and 5 better than my PC120, 110, and 100 as hand cams. And the quality is far better than the 105 even in SD.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[skydiverton2 0]

Quote

The HC 3's 5's 7's are like carting around a football. The ones I've seen used for hand cam broke really quick and had problems with the doors.

I'm not really worried about struggles with small doors. I only jump from a caravan. No C182.

Using your droque to gain stability is a bad habid.
.
.
Also in case you jump a sport rig!!!

[Kimblair13 0]

Sorry I meant the doors on the camera's breaking. Not the airplane door.

[skydiverton2 0]

Quote

Sorry I meant the doors on the camera's breaking. Not the airplane door.

Using your droque to gain stability is a bad habid.
.
.
Also in case you jump a sport rig!!!

[clint 1]

any new HD cameras good for hand cam yet?

I want to go all HD next year but so far, from what I've heard, no good cameras for handcam?

Clint

[skydiverton2 0]

Quote

any new HD cameras good for hand cam yet?

I want to go all HD next year but so far, from what I've heard, no good cameras for handcam?

Clint

Tape of memory stick.
Tape -> Sony HDR HC5. have approx 50 handcam jumps with it now. Only issue is the availability of a good HD grade wideangle. Waycool .25 is not the best lens, but very small.
Set-up is in the attachment (waycool)

Using your droque to gain stability is a bad habid.
.
.
Also in case you jump a sport rig!!!

[freeflyer84 0]

I use Simon's glove with a HC-21 and a .38 lens. http://www.youtube.com/skydivegreenecounty You can see which ones in there that are my HC videos with this setup.

~FREEFLYER84~
MUFF#3784

[skydiveoc 0]

All of our guys just went with CX12's with Simons glove. Pretty sweet set up and we're for the most part happy. A few growing pains but VERY happy with image quality.

Also getting the swing with Vegas not. Almost just as fast as the board.

I would recommend the camera for hand cam. Flies way better than PC style. Kind of like flying with a red bull can lying sideways.

So clint, do you like the Pponk 520 over the skyways 550? I think Im going to go with the 550 carbed due to the ease of transferring the engine to another airframe insead of re pluming another widebody.

[clint 1]

I dont know on that one Josh. This is the loudest sounding engine I've ever heard. Puts our 550 to shame.
Times are about the same. Our Prop is 86" though. Normal is 82 or 84". I was fishing the other day and the plane came over top about 5000' and DAMN..... it was loud. Same fuel consumption I think or close enough. 8 per load.

Clint MacBeth
Skydive Moab 435 259 JUMP
M.O.A.B. Mother Of All Boogies Sept 19 - 23, 2012

[mike524 0]

If you want something small you've got the CG65 from sanyo.
I've been using it for nearly 2 years doing tandem and AFF

Advantages:
real small ( it's just like having a big altimeter)
x0.2 or x0.3 adaptable
real cheap 165€
Small file size makes it faster to transfer

Cons:
image quality not HD
colors

For working it's easy to use and you're not flying with a brick on your hand.

Editing vegas 8

Royal are making a x0.3 for the sanyo HD1000 which is just a little bit bigger. This is HD and could be a good solution in quality and size. ( the HD1010 has come out a month ago)

Mike