Ralf

The camera settings are a balancing act. Study the manual and see what each setting does, and how it affects the others. In skydiving (from 1 hour after sunrise, to 1 hour before sunset) the light is almost always the same, and plenty of it. That makes it easy to preset items. Preset as much as possible (manual, not auto). Yes, cameras have gotten smarter and faster, but in our fast moving sport, any time reduction between pressing the release button (tongue or whatever) and the “shutter movement” is good. Yes, the advice of read the manual, and experiment is very good! But reading the manual can be overwhelming! So I am going to give you a starting point, with some simple info. You must read the manual, and experiment if you wish to be anything more than a flying tripod. Set to manual focus. You don’t want to loose a picture (delay or unfocused) because the camera was changing between a could and the subject. Set distance to about 4 ft (1.3 meters). Yes, that is for tandem, increase as needed. Set ASA to 200. This is how sensitive the camera (film or imaging device) is to light. The lower the number, the more light you will need. You get more light by opening the lens aperture (change from f5.6 to f4 or to some smaller number) or by increasing the time the film (or imaging device) is exposed by increasing the exposure time (change from 1/250 sec to 1/125 sec). A slower ASA (smaller number) will give you better resolution and color, but the cost is that it requires more light. Set shutter to 1/250 sec. Except for rare long exposures in dark setting, all exposures will be less than a second, so the 1/ is often dropped. 1/60 sec will probably blur the picture (look for flapping jumpsuit) and 1/500 sec will cause you to increase the ASA, or decrease the f-stop (open the lens). Set the f-stop to 5.6. The f-stop controls the amount of light that passes through the lens and the depth of field that is in focus. For good quality lens, there are marking on the lens that show not only the distance the lens is focused at, but also the close and far distances that are in focus. Those marks are change with the f-stop setting. Wide angle lenses (most used in skydiving) have a large depth of field. Telephoto lenses have a small depth of field. As the f-stop number gets smaller (aperture opens for more light), the depth of field decreases. So that now you know something about depth of field, lets go “backwards.” On your lens, what f-stop will let you be in focus from 3 ft to infinity? Ok, set that distance and f-stop. Now with shutter set to 1/250, what ASA do you need for a good exposure? Yes, there are some things that seem reversed; f-4 has twice the light as f-5.6. 250th shutter is less light than 125th. With a digital camera, there is no excuse for not experimenting. Take notes! Record setting! Good Luck, Ralf

I am not sure what you mean by easiest. My way, put a tape in multiformat converting VCR, connect PAL camcorder to input, push the NTSC button, then the record button, press play on the PAL camcorder. Time is the time to play the tape once. The only hard part of my way is getting the multiformat converting VCR. You must beg, borrow, steal or buy it. Buying a multiformat converting VCR is cheaper than going from SF to the hurc boogie to get instruction. Samsung makes a good one, the SV5000W for $360 and does PAL, NTSC & SECAM. If you need SECAM L (France), there is the Samsung SV7000W for $640. Aiwa HX-M1000 is similar to the SV5000W for $500. A friend bought a converter (maybe from Fry) that did not work well. If possible, test anything before you buy it! If it is cheap, it just might be that! The non-linear methods involve a computer (or laptop) and means you must buy or have a computer with enough capability (& program) to handle video I/O and video files. The computer (non-linear editing) gives you great power to manipulate your video, but it comes with a big "price," you must spend a significant amount of time learning how to use it. If you have the resources (time, money and desire) go the non-linear way (w/computer). If it will be normal need to convert (PAL & NTSC) and you do linear editing, get a converter, or a multiformat converting VCR (note: a multiformat VCR does not convert, and a multiformat TV also does not convert, just displays in the native format). If the need is seldom, then use a store (more common in Europe, and in cities with an international populations) that will convert for you. You can also try to use an video editing (linear) board and go through another camear to get the signal "converted" and into an usable signal. That was in a previous post in this thread. The difference in PAL & NTSC is both frame rate and number of scan lines. It is not an easy conversion. Ralf Stinson

I have seen where a PAL camcorder was firewire to a NTSC comcorder, and then routed into an editing board and that produced a good signal that recorded on a NTSC VCR. I have also seen attemps that seem to work, but when the copy is checked, it failed. Good editing boards can often clean up a poor, out of sync, copy protected, etc signal. Unless you have a format (PAL/NTSC/SECAM) converter or a multiformat converting VCR, you can not be sure of your results. Example, I firewired from a PAL camcorder to my NTSC Sony PC-9. When I played back the tape on the PC-9, it diplayed nicely in the camcorder's monitor. (I did not carefully check to see if any of the picture was cropped.) I could play back the comcorder (my NTSC sony) and take the video (not s-video) to my editing board and get a clean NTSC signal out. I tried to firewire from the Sony PC-9 to my VCR (yes, it has a firewire I/O) and the signal was blank! The bottom line, w/out a converter, you may be able to get something to work, but double check your results. Ralf Stinson

When a staff member is at their own DZ, they are on call. That is a from of pressure. They also have to maintain a good example, etc. More pressure. So I can see why a staff from one DZ would like to jump at another DZ. If they talk about their "home DZ" in a factual way -OK, that is human nature. If they are advertizing, or trying to get people to "jump" over to the other DZ, they have crossed the line - and a private word to them would be in order. Ralf Stinson PS Some very good points above about independent contractors and treatment of employees!

I have made several jumps from 30K feet. By the way, it is cold up there. Usually about -40 degrees. Add wind chill and the effect is significant! A planned jump with onboard oxygen (w/o bailout bottles), for a healthy fit trained person, maybe over 35K, but very risky! Unplanned jump with explosive decompression with open door and needing to put on your rig, I think unlikely at 24K, and the odds getting quickly poorer with altitude. Good luck, Ralf

My last PC jump was Sept 14, 2003. I landed 1 meter from the peas. Before that was July 13, 2003 and in the peas. Also April 19 and twice on March 29 (both in the peas). March 8th was another PC jump for 6 jumps last year. I average about one PC jump every two month. My rig is a Stevens Sport Rig with three pins on the back and a chest reserve (was 26" Navy Conical but now a 26" LOPO). The reserve has adjustable risers so I can carry it on V-rings just under the shot and a half capewells, or D-rings in the lower (standard) position. The reserve has two cones that swivel, so the ripcord can be right side pull (normal) or center (pull towards your chin) this is preferred by jumpmasters because it is less likely to snag something and be pulled. The center pull also has the advantage that when you pull it with both arms, they are now covering your capewells (prevent the reserve pilot chute from catching them. The chest strap is just velcro. It does not go around anything, just hook from one side and pile from the other. It freaks most people out, but remember, I have a chest reserve holding me in. I like going up to some young jumper with 1000+ jumps and asking for a pin check! It is fun to jump, often other people on the load like to use me as a space ball for canopies, and fly their squares around me. I am very careful who I let do that! I land in the peas on about half of my jumps. Only trouble is that the local packers refuse to pack anything that is older than they are! Blue SKies, Ralf

If you look at the scan rates and scan lines, some of the ways that "work" to convert don't make sense, yet you end up with a usable picture. I wonder if part of the picture is being clipped off, or the speed moditied/frames dropped, but the video processing circuits are just doing the best they can. I have seen a Sony pal videocam firewire to a NTSC camera, then the video signal sent through a NTSC editing board and recorded on a VHS NTSC tape. Nothing in there was designed to convert the signal. When infestigating PAL-NTSC equipment, remember a multiformat system and a converting multiformat system is not the same. A multiformat VCR can play a PAL tape, and the output will only be PAL. If it receives a NTSC signal, it can only record a NTSC signal on the video tape. If you succeed in getting a signal from PAL to NTSC (or the reverse) w/out a converter (built in or stand along box), you have a limited solution, be careful about trying to apply it to something bigger. Check for the picture being cropped. Blue Skies, Ralf

I have had problems with cold camera's (got cold at altitude) and in the "warm humid" lower altitude air. You have to think about what I am talking about, and how it applies to your situation. Normally if the ground air is cold (but not freezing) and damp, you won't have a moisture/condensation problem taking to camera to altitude if it can breath. Assuming at altitude, it is freezing, the air should be a dry cold, and if moist air is not trapped in the camera, no problem with moisture, but the cold reduces the effective charge of the battery. If the temp is 0 degrees F and windchill is -40 F, the cold wind on the battery will not drot its temp below 0F, but it will get there faster than in still air - so steps to shield the battery to reduce the speed it cools will be helpful. I can't think of a way to reduce or stop warm moist air from getting into the camera at the bottom of the jump, there is an airpressure difference which a camera condem can't stop. If you are planning on videoing a tandem landing, have a cloth ready to wipe the lens! If it is below freezing on the ground, I think the air will be dry, so the only problem is cold batteries. You may be able to make a "winter battery" by gluing an insulator on it, and keeping it inside your jumpsuit or under your arm pit until you are ready to exit, then quickly installing it and jumping. Also pick the warmer spot inside the plane for the ride to altitude. Your body will appriciate that also! As for hot climates, keep the camera out of the direct sun for prolong periods and keep it off unless you need to turn it on. At altitude and for the jump, there should not be a temperture problem. Be careful about taking the camera from a nice cool air conditioned room to outside with warm moist air. A thought - have the camera in a zip lock bag when you take it outside, that way, it gets warm before the moist air hits it. Just do not bring a hot camera from moist air inside (cool) and keep it in a zip lock bag. Blue Skies, Ralf

Yes, most digital cameras can take a video, and most video cameras can take a still. There is a gap between the two! And no matter how close the two get, I think it will be a long time before you will have a camera taking video, and simultaniously taking high quality stills. So for now, you will have two cameras. Yes, there are the 3+ Megapixel video cameras coming out. If you take a digital still, you can get a good to very good digital picture. If you take vidoe and do a video capture, all the extra MegaPixels does is help get a slightly better video image, and you are still stuck with trying to get a still picture off of a video image. I can get passable (not good) images from a MiniDV tape in my Sony PC-9. (OK 4x6 prints) I have seen video capture by later Sony video cameras and they are better than what I can get from my PC-9. (Fair 4x6 prints). I have yet to see good 4x6 prints from video capture. Blue Skies, Ralf

The JVC VCR HR-DVS2 a couple of years ago was $1200, and it is now about $600, the newer modle is HR-DVS3 and it is about $900. The tape length (time) is the same as the MiniDV camears SP - 1 hr and LP - 1.5 hr. Sony has a small MiniDV deck that is portable and works on the L series batteries. It come with or with out an LCD screen. It is about $1200 with the screen. I have the Digital 8 version without the screen. The small Sony D-8 & MiniDV units have the following inputs/outputs: DV, S-Video & Composit. I firewire from my camer to the D-8 deck, then use it as the B source for editing - basicly two master tape sources. The other nice thing about the D-8 deck is that it can play 8 and Hi8, the previous anolog 8mm formats so if I get an old 8mm tape someone wants to use, I can play it. I got it at Fry's Electronics. Ralf

Wags, good info, thank you. Yes a friends camcorder works, but I bought a JVC HR-DVS2 VTR. It has two decks in it, a S-VHS and MiniDV. For I/O it has DV-in/out, S-Video and Composit along with a built in TV/cable tunner. It is a nice part of my editing system. I can go straight from a MiniDV tape to a VHS tape or a S-VHS tape (also S-VHS format on a VHS tape, but many systems can not play that back). Great for that quick copy, no editing board, no cables, excellent quality. I also use it as the main recorder for the output of my editing board. Blue Skies, Ralf

So far, every DVD Recorder (componet system, not computer) that I have looked at does not have DV-out. Most have DV-in. I assume that is for copy protection of commercial DVD products. My desire is to store my skydiving video's on DVD's and still be able to access the digital code. Does anyone know of any DVD recorders that have a DV-out? Second question: On my Philips DVDR985, there are 4 speeds (HQ - 1 hr / SP - 2 hr / LP - 3 hr / EP - 4 hr). To perserve the quality of a typical SkyDive video from a Sony PC-9, what speed should you use. The manual says that SP equals quality of a pre-recorded DVD. Blue Skies, Ralf Stinson

Japan also uses NTSC. On their tv, the freq for the channels are different and they have channel 1. The video is the same as US (NTSC).

I have a DSC-S85 and have jumped it several times. There is a remote release from Sony with the model number RM-1. It works with the LANC port on Sony Digital cameras and with the DSC-S85. I fooled around with Camera Eye II - no joy. I do not know of any other way of snapping the picture. By the way, I did buy the Sony tripod that had the shutter release (+ other controls) in the handel and was about to tear that apart when I found the RM-1 (hard to find!). The pictures are good, but the significant drawback of the camera is the setup time (full push on the release) is almost 2 seconds - 300+ ft in freefall! I got it down to under a second by making it as manual as possible. Yes, use a stopwatch, notepad and test all the different settings. Pain, but that will get you to know the camera. The release has two stages. If you push it all the way and release, it will take a picture. I don't know how to push part way, hold, then shoot in freefall. Also there is a time delay after taking the pictue to store the data on the memory stick (same as in the PC-9 and other sony cameras! That is a plus, and another great plus is the battery is the same as the PC-9! Saved my butt when my video camera battery was dead! If you get one of the HP photosmart printers, you can print from the memory stick (w/o cable or computer). Make sure the printer takes the memory stick, some just use the other memory card formats. Ralf Stinson

Here is what I have been told in AFF & Coach candidate courses for dust devils. 1. Under canopy, turn way. 2. If caught in a dust devil, or in rough/tumbling air - go to half brakes and work to keep the canopy level. 3. On final, land, maybe minor turn, jump on canopy. (RSL) 4. On ground with canopy layed out, jump on it. 5. On ground w/o canopy, rise one arm to get attention, point with the other arm to the dust devil. Blue Skies, Ralf