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Current/Future video needs/wants

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Based on responses to an article in a video for sports magazine, I'm curious as to how mainstream the skydiving videographer may be in regards to current equipment or short term planning for new equipment (or not).

If you're not planning a move to HD, I'm interested in knowing why, and if you are already shooting HD but wish you weren't, I'd like to know why as well.

Finally, if you are planning a move to HD in the near future, I'd like to know why.:)

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I'm planning on moving to HD at some point. I need to see what the drivers are in terms of customers once the season starts up in a few weeks. At this point the end product delivered will still be in SD but I'd like to have the archiving of HD for future usage until HD deliverable formats become in demand.
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

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I would like to have HD now! the only problem is that they require a top mount so if you want to bring your SLR then there can be a problem if you don't have a FTP or similar.

I'm really looking forward to having one camera that does it all! but from what i have read that is still some time away.

[:/]

I want to move to HD because the footage is good enough to use on news segments on television etc. I will continue to shoot standard DV even after I purchase a HD cam so I can get some nice photos as well.

I like my rawa and don't want to go back to a clunky flat top.

+ my PC350 has been very good to me, why get rid of it?
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

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I'm planning on it in a a few months ,but am still trying to figure out if it is justifiable to do so since the rest of the technology hasn't caught up yet? I don't know how many people out there actually have an hd tv let alone blue ray players. But i would like to be ready for it when the time comes.


A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................

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These are obviously all skydiver centric suggestions.

What I (and other skydivers) would like to see in a HD or even future DV camera is the PC style of camera body brought back. It's easy to mount and is low profile depth wise. There is also a lot of brackets out there already that can support this body shape.

Second, LANC port and assorted inputs located in the front and or left side of the camera.

Third, a hand strap that can be completely removed with out destroying it or disassembling the camera.

Fourth, on/off knobs located in better locations than currently on the HC3/5/7 series.

Fifth, If its a HD camera, it needs to have the appropriate controls, hotshoes for flash/mics,etc.

Sixth, don't invent a new battery size/letter. Use a battery already on the market, like M for example.


If they could build a HD camera in the form factor of the PC 100(or smaller) it would be perfect.


Storage: How about a HD camera that can record to a CF/SD card or a sealed hard drive that can be used at altitude? We need another medium besides DV tape to store footage to.

They could also stand to start developing more aggressively ,WA lenses and assorted accessories specifically for HD cameras.
"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

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I purchased the hc 3 last season. I have jumped with vhs-c, hi 8, trv 7,10,11, 27 and vx2000. the quality of the hc 3 is by far the best picture I have ever seen. the size as far as top mount is the smallest camera to date.
I am happy with the purchase and will never go back to sd.
I am also glad you post on dz.com because you are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to hdv. thanks for sharing as much as you do.
Stay Safe,
Jimoke
The ground always, remembers where you are!

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there has always been the quest to have our cameras do the best job possible, to match as closely as possible , the actual Visual image which our eyes are seeing, at the moment that the camera is documenting a skydive.:|
and frankly the video never really seems to do the LIVE view, justice,,,,[:/]
in addition to working hard to get good footage, i have always strived to have the proper equipment, which can then record as close as possible , to 'the real thing. ' B|

As technology continues to move forward and better imaging becomes available, then i do find myself updating every few years...or so.
Like jimoke, I use top mount cameras, and have run sony hi8 and then mini dv using the trv models ( 7 , 20 , 27 ) since '99.... My continuing search for quality led me to the 3 chip VX 1000 which I used successfully for years....
( Never used a sidemount or a PC series camera, although i have been MUCH impressed with what they can do... amazing performance in such a small package...)

For a long time i ran two top mount videos. side by side, with a still camera, forehead mounted....
Now we have entered the HD age, and so sure,,, I am on it....If high definition video of our skydives,,, is attainable, then i'm interested in it...:)As it was phasing out of availability, last Dec., i bought the HC3,,, for under 900 $$$, new...w/ c. city warranty...
I plan to skydive with it this year, and it will sit next to a D70s, both top mounted, on a BatRak....:)

The HC3 seems to work with my dell desktop and I can make dvds... But i am just learning...
I am expecting to buy a high-def tv screen, for viewing the footage upon landing....(though sure don't intend to spring for a 54" HD...)
It is hoped that this image will be of the quality, anticipated...

I enjoy the fun of being a part of the 3 way team that is a tandem skydive....:D but my real joy, comes in documenting fun jumps. RW skydives with lots of friendly faces, and a challenging dive plan....Gimme a 16 way.... anyday...:DB|;).....or a finely performed 4 way...:P
As I burn it's memory into my head, via my eyeballs,,,, the HC3 will be recording it , so it can be shared, once the group lands and gathers together to de brief....B|;)
Why not have the best quality that current technology offers?......
and why not continue to Learn things?....
I'm looking forward to it...

jt :)

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The HC3 seems to work with my dell desktop and I can make dvds... But i am just learning...
I am expecting to buy a high-def tv screen, for viewing the footage upon landing....(though sure don't intend to spring for a 54" HD...)
It is hoped that this image will be of the quality, anticipated...



I view my hc3 on a 32" lcd sony bravia. which is where the HDMI cable comes in, it was about $60. but the picture is well worth it. it blows away my vx 2000.
The ground always, remembers where you are!

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I'm a weekend tandem camera dude but after seeing the quailty of picture that te HC3 is putting out on one of our other tandem camera guy's vids, i want to buy one in the next three months. I've been using my existing PC109 now for two years/ 500 odd jumps and it's time to either move her on to a younger jumper looking tp get into camera or keep her as a back up camera.

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

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I'm not sure why a regular tandem video guy would consider moving to HD. How are they to get the footage to their customers? Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are far from being consumer successes at the moment.



I am shooting HD for all my non tandem video jumps. My tandem videos are still shot with my good ole TRV17 workhorse..
The reason I am not shooting them in HD, is because our video concession can't work with it.... I think if you use firewire out and downconvert to SD and put it on a regular DVD for your customers, you will still blow them away with the picture quality of the footage.

The HD cameras, even when the footage is downconverted to SD blow away pretty much any SD miniDV camera out there..

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These are obviously all skydiver centric suggestions.

What I (and other skydivers) would like to see in a HD or even future DV camera is the PC style of camera body brought back. It's easy to mount and is low profile depth wise. There is also a lot of brackets out there already that can support this body shape.



That is my problem. I don't have a helmet suited to top mounting stills and video and I don't really want to change to top mount video full time.
~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

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Right now there's no affordable format of medium (in the skydiving world) to hand out videos in HD.
Also it's still a debate whater of HD DVD or Blue Ray (...of course most likely it will be BR). So I don't bother to deal with HD. If some one was asking me to shoot something for production and pay that kind of money then I would order my V1U right away.
Unfortuntely tandem videos don't pay enough to keep up with the technology (which has'n even been decided yet).
-Laszlo- www.laszloimage.com

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I just replaced my TRV-38 camcorder with a Sony HVR-A1U. I had to replace my old camcorder anyway (it was worn out), and I can't imagine getting a new cam that isn't at least HDV.

The reality is that I will down-convert to SD for tandem work. This is both because SD is the standard at my home
DZ, and because there really isn't a viable mass-market medium for HD delivery (yet). But in the meantime I will be archiving HDV footage, and why buy a new camcorder that is on a downward slope technology-wise?

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I want to get HD, but like others have stated, the biggest thing holding me back is the fact that i have a rawa that fits my pc120 beautifully and i'd rather not go to a top-mount. i usually keep my footage in the tapes themselves and only transfer it to my comp when i edit, so memory concerns and stuff like that wouldnt be a problem.

i view my videos on a 60 inch sony sxrd, so i'd love to see how good the sky can look while im sitting on the ground.

i dont do any video "work", all of it is just for fun, so im not sure if i'm the type of person you were referring to in this survey.

as far as the blu-ray/hd-dvd stuff is concerned, i think blu-ray will win but i dont really have any immediate or close to immediate need to put videos onto a disc so it's not a concern of mine.

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thnks for the responses thus far.
One point that someone made (Phree?) is that you can shoot HDV and come back with an SD image that rivals a 50K Betacam image, even though it's only got a 1/3 or 1/4 sensor and short glass.
But, HD isn't there on the delivery side for the masses. It does hold some strong point for archiving, if you're into archiving.
But, SD still has a long life ahead of it, even if no SD camcorders are being produced any longer.
I'm quite excited about a couple of new cams that will be announced at NAB next month.

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Even if SD has long legs, wide-screen is here now. I am amazed at how much broadcast content is now delivered in wide-screen. Lots of ads, and even some major network dramas are now being broadcast in wide screen (16:9) only. So even if you can't deliver HD now, you can have wide-screen images archived. I still edge-crop to 4:3 for normal work, which is one reason I went with the A1 rather than the HC stuff.

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