Tonfly 2x plus for tandems

[Arcticanalog 0]

Hey everyone, I hope yall don't chew me out immediately but I have a couple of questions. I was debating between a CC1 and a 2x plus for shooting tandems and eventually settled on a 2x plus. Plan on running a cx150 and a hero3 for photos. Does anyone have thoughts on this setup? I liked the idea of side mounting at first but I've heard a lot of talk about riser strike...What's everyone think? Is a top mount cx efficient in filming tandems?

Thanks!

[DSE 3]

The tonfly is excellent for tandems and other photo uses. Sidemounts are OK, but at the end of a long day, you'll be grateful for center mounted cameras.
The Tonfly is super lightweight, too.

[soulbabel 0]

It's doable, but the angle of the camera platform is pitched downward for freeflying. You'd have to come up with a way to pitch it upward to film tandems (perhaps with a custom bracket). This is from my experience though, perhaps it will not be an issue due to the way you fly when filming tandems.

[DSE 3]

the very shallow pitch is not at all an issue once you've figured out the head position.
On my 3X, I've kept it in the forward angle as well, simply because it keeps things consistent.

[Arcticanalog 0]

Thanks for the input dudes! Ya I imagine your neck must be all funky at the end of the day from more weight on one side...One more quick question. What's an awesome lens for the sony? I've seen a lot of cheap ones around on the internet but don't really want to cut any shortcuts.

[Arcticanalog 0]

DSE

the very shallow pitch is not at all an issue once you've figured out the head position.
On my 3X, I've kept it in the forward angle as well, simply because it keeps things consistent.

I'm assuming you are flying on your belly with tandems right?

[DSE 3]

most of the time, yes.
Same angle for WS.
I'm not a freeflier.

[fincher 0]

not to stir the pot but if you are shooting stills with a go pro then why not just shoot video with one as well. super light weight, same batteries, chargers, and cards so everything is interchangeable. No long term neck issues(well not from camera weight anyway). And yes tonfly makes a rad helmet.

i'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your packing tent down

[DSE 3]

Did I say I was shooting stills with a GoPro?
Meow.

[Arcticanalog 0]

Nah I did. I totally, totally would but it seems that most of the places I jump at really prefer cx100s and 150s for some reason. I think its sort of an obsolete technology but I don't know. I've always had trouble getting the files off of them (get stuck with that MTS bullshit). Does anyone know anything about these new ones with the "BOSS" stuff? I know there is a thread for this somewhere but humor me. Not sure if I can justify spending 600 something dollars on a new one..but then again I did just spend over that on a helmet.

[DSE 3]

the "MTS" bullshit is exclusively an Apple problem, not a camera problem. MPEG Transport Streams are common, the future, and you might as well learn to deal with your choice of computer/camera combination.
The BOSS cameras have the same file output.
The next gen are XAVC, which again...same "bullshit."

[Arcticanalog 0]

=[ Bummer. I don't want to get a PC. Do you lose any quality in the conversion/is it time consuming? Psht MTS...

[pope 0]

Arcticanalog

Does anyone know anything about these new ones with the "BOSS" stuff? I know there is a thread for this somewhere but humor me. Not sure if I can justify spending 600 something dollars on a new one..but then again I did just spend over that on a helmet.

They work great but the wide angle is probably not as wide as you're used to. It's worth reading up on/demoing.

[DSE 3]

Quote

Bummer. I don't want to get a PC. Do you lose any quality in the conversion/is it time consuming? Psht MTS...

"I don't want round wheels. Even though the rest of the entire world is round wheels, I want octagonal wheels because that's what Apple says I should use. I don't want to upset the Apple cart."

MPEG has been slated to be the future of video for the last 23 years. Apple chooses to not directly support it.
Yes, you lose quality in the re-render. You *always* lose quality in a transcode.
The right tool for the right job. Sometimes PC's aren't the right tool in certain environments. Sometimes Apple computers aren't either (if speed is the need, Apple is almost never the right tool).
That said, how about we bring the conversation back to the Tonfly helmet?

[Superfletch 1]

Tim Cook thinks I need a square helmet… Do you perhaps no when Apple might be coming out with it's version of the Tonfly?

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer

[Arcticanalog 0]

ha..ha...ha. Anyways yes. I'm stoked. We don't have to continue on this conversation very much longer. I've had a realization that gopro video is just going to keep getting better and better and that a still ontop is probably the avenue I'm going to go down. I'm glad the tonfly is so versatile for this stuff. yiewwww. Now I just need to find a good camera.

cheers.

[DSE 3]

FWIW, I did see ChutingStar with a brandnew (but used) Tonfly X3 for dirt cheap...