GeorgeKat

Has anyone successfully used the D70 in freefall? I’ve searched the forum but can’t a review. Sorry if this subject has been covered. I’d really like to see some examples and an account of how the remote issues were resolved. I’m stuck between the Rebel and the D70. I’m not jumping camera right now, and I like the spec on the D70 better, but I don’t want to buy something I can’t jump when I start again. G

How is the stills camera mounted Ian? What about the side opposite the box? Why don't you take a digi still and post it? G

I have a 150 and a 135. I love the 150. I load the 135 at 1.5 and the oscillations on opening can be scary, particularly if you're in twists. Everything else (landing, rate of opening etc.) at that loading is great, but I think you need to be very current and experienced just for the openings. I've had about 7 months out, so I'm sticking to the 150 for now. A significant advantage of the PD canopies is that they will hold their value much better than the Diablo. My 2c

I did get caught out once when I mail ordered some very cheap fire wire hard drive cables and they didn't work camera to camera. I never investigated but suspect there's two formats, one a crossover of the other. I'm sure you know what you're buying quade. I share this as a general caution to others.

If the majority of your jumping will happen in the UK and you live there, buy PAL. You can get multi-format TV's but they tend to be more expensive. The main issue for most people is portability of your footage. In other words, if you want to share your footage with friends, or show it to them on the dz TV, it's much easier if you all use the same system. If you end up doing Tandem video or filming for a team, then you must have the same system as your customers. Using a PAL camera in the US is a little restrictive. You can only be sure of multi-format VCR's at the big dz's, and you won't be able to fire-wire with US cameras. A Sony PAL camera will play NTSC Mini-DV tapes, so if you're getting coach video or paying someone to film you, they may be persuaded to use a tape you give them. Then you can play it back from your own camera. Using an NTSC camera in the UK is the same deal, except I've seen far less multi-format equipment there, so possibly worse. I have both. A PAL PC100, and an NTSC TRV-50. I also have an Aiwa converting VCR, which I use to convert between the two. There is an analogue step when I do this, so I lose some quality, but it works better than anything else I've seen. Last thing to consider, does the UK version have DV-IN? I've been out of the country for 2 years and I don't know the 105, but this feature (or the lack of it) was a big issue for UK camera flyers when I was there. Hope this helps your decision

Generally right. Some PC connections are also 4 pin, but you can easily tell. If your camera connection looks the same as your capture card then they are both 4-pin, if they look totally different then the capture card is 6 pin.

They're quite often marketed in association with cell phones. e.g. http://www.infraredgear.com/index.cfm?idgs=13234523467787

Do you think people might post them if a field were available in their profile? Don't know if there are any identity theft issues though. G

I've been thinking about the problem for a while and this just occurred to me. Does the camera make a noise when recording is started and a different one when you stop? If so, get a small microphone, an earpiece speaker and a small battery powered microphone pre-amplifier. If you seal the mic. around the camera speaker you should be able to hear the camera do its thang through the earpiece. Let me know if anyone tries this please. G

Try and get an Aiwa MX-100 Pal-NTSC VCR/Converter. You will have to go through an analog step but the losses are (arguably) less than you will get by any other system. I bought one of these about a year ago and I think they may be discontinued. Anyone know more?

Yeah, I've had the sight no sight discussion many times and I think it's just a matter of preference. What I have seen on tandem videos (several thousand by around 10 people, 3 that didn't use sights) is that people with sights tend to keep the subject centered better during that part of the dive when the tandem is further away, particularly on exit. I think it's because it's very difficult to move your head just that little bit and more natural to move your eyes. When you're real close the sight is wrong anyway. To be honest I don't think I really used the sight that much, but I never had the nerve to take it off!

There is more than one type of camera flying and more than one type of jumper with 200, 300 or whatever jumps, so it's a very difficult question to answer safely without individual knowledge of YOU and what you want to do. If you want 'point of view' footage of your skydives, and you're going to use a very smooth camera helmet that fully encloses the camera, with no protrusions, then that isn't much different to putting on a heavy hard helmet, provided you put it on and forget it. One major difference (and source of danger) to concentrating on filming something is that you're not able (at first) to concentrate as hard on all the other stuff, like not running into people, and pulling at the right altitude. You're awareness will reduce. If you want to film Tandems or RW and you're going to have a sight, stills camera and other stuff sticking out of your helmet and you're going to exit independently for the purposes of filming then that's a whole different story, and you will need a lot of advice from people that know a lot about camera flying and your skills. For any camera work, I would advise you to take it slow and careful. Learn the skills. Get used to the equipment one piece at a time, for example do a number of solos in a camera suit doing practice pulls all the way down, (after a briefing and a check from a camera flyer) so that you don't find yourself spinning when you really have to get something out NOW. When you're used to the gear, you might ask a camera flyer if you can film him/her filming a group. Follow them out, and get yourself behind, to one side and a little above the camera flyer. This will take you away from the burble and challenge your skills keeping the camera flyer and the group in shot throughout the dive. It will also give to some footage (hopefully) to study of how an experienced person does it. Of course, make sure you all know exactly what's going to happen at break off. G