stratostar 5 #1 February 22, 2012 Hey gang I got a cx 100 and it's a whole new world for me now having been in the tape based media world for so long. This didn't have a pro duo card with it, so I'm wondering what size card should I be looking at getting? How fast will a card fill up with media files? Is 8 gig enough? Also dose it matter if not using a Sony brand card? What has every ones experience been with cards? Also I know a lot of you are using wide angles lens, what size is the threads on the cx 100? 30mm or 37? Looks like 37 to me. I have not had time to research that, maybe one of you could save me some time. I used to use a Sony .7 lens and liked it a lot, but have no experience with HD wides. Is anyone using a .7 Sony hd lens? Good? Bad? I like .7 for TDMs in the past is there a reason I should be thinking another size for this camera model? THXyou can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #2 February 22, 2012 8 GB is fine, will stand for a day of tandems assuming you're not shooting epic-length cuts. Although the brand isn't critical, knowing you've got a name-brand is. MSPD sticks are sometimes counterfeit, so get your card from a name-brand store that will accept a return in the event you get bitten. Best Buy, Walmart are both great places to buy a card and have little chance of getting a knockoff. Threads on the CX100 are 30mm. Most of the lenses come with a 30-37mm adapter ring. I recommend a .5; the wide angle of the CX series is wider than the older lenses on DV cams. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iowa 0 #3 February 22, 2012 Good question, good answers. I was told I should use at least a class 6 card for loading speed to the computer. Is there any advantage to using class 10? Keith ''Always do sober what you said you would do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.'' - Ernest Hemingway Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #4 February 22, 2012 For MSPD, the class doesn't matter because of the way the format is locked down. The XC class cards are faster, but I didn't find them beneficial (except for EX cams). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wetrock 0 #5 February 22, 2012 QuoteThreads on the CX100 are 30mm. Most of the lenses come with a 30-37mm adapter ring. I recommend a .5; the wide angle of the CX series is wider than the older lenses on DV cams. just curious what is the best lens or tha cx-100 for a hand cam setup? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #6 February 22, 2012 IMO, a .2XXX (like a .25 or .27)They're stupid huge. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wetrock 0 #7 February 23, 2012 we are currently using a waycool .25 lens but i was wonder ing if there was a better brand or lens out there for handcam? i am really happy with the way cool products they are really rugged hand cam set up. We have a lens ( not a waycool lens did not have a lense filter on it) has a massive scratch in it and it to replace it with a new waycool lens will cost about $300 with lens filter plus shipping and taxes. what size card ? we have 16gb cards the are probably bigger that they need to be we have never run out of memory. 8gb card would be more than suitable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #8 February 23, 2012 Thanks for the replies, DSE. Having not seen any of the new HD lens, is there a .5 brand I should be looking? I'm not looking to spend a shit load of money, not planing on doing a lot of jumping with it over all. Mostly for home movies and a jump now and then. All the photos I have seen on here of other peoples set ups, in fact those wides look really big. You said in a later post a .2 xxx or what ever, I hate distorted or massive curve look to my project, is there any worry with that on any XYZ lens??? Edited to add ,just after I posted this I did a Google search for .5 hd video lens, the first hit was your vasst review of century optics, so guess that might be your choice for a .5, little pricy for now, I might hold off for a bit. I also was reading chutingstar's site, looking at the waycool .5 it said not good at zooming, just wondering is that a common issue these days? I never had any issues before, that lens was ripped off though and was a SD lens, like the waycool.you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyjumpenfool 2 #9 February 23, 2012 Card size... several smaller cards (4 or 8) work well. keep an extra in your jumpsuit pocket. The camera will tell you how full the card is. I liken it to the reserve gas tank on my Kawasaki. Birdshit & Fools Productions "Son, only two things fall from the sky." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 3 #10 February 23, 2012 I use memory sticks for my CX-100 keeping the internal memory free, just in case. For my XSi (stills) I have a spare 2gb card gaffer taped to the top of the helmet (between the camera and the flatlock so it's hidden when the camera is in it's mount), just in case."I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #11 February 23, 2012 Well I have been reading here for sometime about these cams, and the one reason besides price, that I got the cx 100 was the card location and the internal memory. My thinking is the cards is the main media and the internal is the reserve tank.you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #12 February 23, 2012 I work the same way; Card for master internal if necessary. As far as vignetting lenses, a super wide lens will often vignette with a wide-capable camera. *most* of the Century, Opteka, and some of the Raynox shouldn't have any vignetting, unless you're putting multiple adapters on them, or don't have the sunshade set correctly (I see this a lot). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
excel485 0 #13 February 23, 2012 Can you explain a little more on correct vs incorrect sunshade setting?! Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #14 February 23, 2012 If the sunshade isn't straight up/down on the lens, you'll see it in the video. Turn on camera, rotate lens. The problem is immediately scene. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 3 #15 February 23, 2012 Quote If the sunshade isn't straight up/down on the lens, you'll see it in the video. Turn on camera, rotate lens. The problem is immediately scene. Is there any benefit to actually using the darn thing?"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #16 February 23, 2012 yeah, it does some nice things in certain lighting conditions. Outside of that...nope. I guess I'd call it "opinion-dependent." I'm not a fan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gearless_chris 1 #17 February 24, 2012 One disadvantage I have found to the Liquid lenses is the blue ring reflection that shows up under certain lighting, it's usually right at exit. I do mostly outside RW video now,so I spend most of the time videoing the ground, but with a tandem it may be present every time the you shoot into the sun."If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane. My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #18 February 24, 2012 Thanks for pointing that out. When you did TDM's with it, was zooming to the canopy a problem? CS website had said it was non zoom friendly.you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superfletch 1 #19 February 24, 2012 Zoom friendly and Non-Zoom friendly equate to dual-element and single element lenses if I'm not mistaken. You can zoom through a dual element but not a single element. Single element lenses are VERY low profile. Dual element tend to be longer and heavier. I started out with a Raynox 3030 on my CX100 and loved the video and the ability to zoom through it, aside from the occasional moisture ring I experienced on hot humid days, I was very happy with it. That is, until one day on climbout I *lightly* bumped the outside floater bar on an otter and watched the lens fall to it's doom. That was when I decided to give the century optics .55 a try. This lens is very, VERY small and doesn't way a thing hardly. It only sticks out past the end of the camera by like less than a 1/2 inch or so. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this lens for filming tandem videos. It is plenty wide enough and I would even go so far as to say damn near as wide as the .3 Raynox. NO VIGNETTING. You CANNOT, however, zoom through it very far... maybe just less than halfway before the focus goes whacked. Small price to pay for the weight and size difference. I don't find myself wanting to zoom much anyway so it wasn't a big loss for me. If you need to zoom through it, I would say go with a Raynox 3030 or 3035, $120. If you can live without the zoom capabilities I would HIGHLY recommend the Century Optics .55x, $150. Those are my perceptions and suggestions to you. Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I Videographer/Photographer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gearless_chris 1 #20 February 24, 2012 Not zoom friendly at all, hopefully your tandem masters have decent accuracy. I would typically take my rig off after landing in case I had to run a bit. Some days moisture was an issue, so I took the lens off, and turned the auto-focus back on, to video the landings."If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane. My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #21 February 24, 2012 Ok thanks for letting me know your experiences guy... you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
