Skycam3

Blue Ones Conway.... Tony

Try to put the switch between your lips and teeth just before deployment so you won't bite it. My tounge switches last about 800 jumps or so. Congrats on your pics.... Cheers, Tony

Crossfire2 108 loaded at 2.0

Just let me know when your coming.......

See a doctor...mine was a torn rotator cuff. Good luck.

I have used the sigma 15mm fisheye for about 2 years now and love it. Get close..anything beyond about 10 ft is useless. I try to stay within 2 to 3ft. Works on tandems, freeflying, or RW. Close enough to dock is what you should be thinking with this lens. The canon lens is good, but there is less vignetting with the sigma(and it's cheaper). Hope this helps.

If you want one..I've got an extra one. I paid $80 for it. I'd expect the same plus whatever it takes to ship it. Let me know. Tony

Try www.unidiscountfilm.com Pretty good prices. Cheers!

I guess the post says it all. I'll be in Dallas for awhile, I usually jump in San Marcos or Skydive Houston, let me know which DZ to go to in Dallas. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, Tony

I've got about 1200 video jumps on 120's and 135's with an exit weight of 220. only had 1 chop..packer didn't stow one brake line. Stilleto is a great canopy for video, it's not the best, but it does everything very good. Good swoops, good openings, and they don't need any special pack jobs. Jump the stilleto untill it bores you then check out a crossfire or a VX. As for spinning up...any fast canopy is going to do that, know your cutaway procedures and go have fun!

I use a sigma 24mm(about $190 USD) on most jumps and set the camera on TV at 350 for RW and 500 for freeflying. I use manuall focus set at about 1 meter for most jumps. RW set at just under infinity(just over 2 meters), works fine. On freefly jumps I like to use a 15mm fisheye by sigma(about $420 USD) set to about .75 meters. Get close and don't worry about the background, it distracts from the subject of the picture. It is very difficult to fly for both the video and the picture, decide wich one you like the most and you will develope your own style.

Sony...without a doubt. Because you WILL break this thing, and Sony kicks ass with their customer service and repair work. Dont' even ask how I know this......that's a whole different story.

It's depth of field. If you have a sunny day, you should be able to set the camera shutter priority(about 350-500) and it should turn out fine.That will use a smaller aperture(larger number..about 12-16). Or you can use aperture priority and set it on about 16(it will use a slower shutter speed though and you will get some blur off jump suits). Don't worry about the background, fill the frame with your subject and you'll get some great pics. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, Tony

Put the camera on TV(shutter priority), set the shutter speed at 350 or 500. Buy a UV filter(about $15 to $20) or a circular polarizer(you will have to tape it in place). A 20,24 or 28mm lens will work fine for most pics. And stay close to your subject. Also, a good refrence book is The Photographer's Handbook by John Hedgecoe. You will be suprised what a camera can do. Hope this helps. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, Tony

I have a paper clip bent in half with gaffers tape wrapped around the clip and the bottom part of the light. Cut a hole in the linner and just let it stick through about 1/2 inch. Headdown,tandem,and RW video for about 1200 jumps...no problems. Hope this helps. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, Tony

100% with 5% raise every two years, plus medical, NEW plane(they pay maint.), fuel for life....then you'll leave them alone and retire! Oh, make that plane a Super Otter! Blue Skies and Long Swoops, Tony

I would say somewhere around 500. Check with your camera guys at your home DZ. They won't be afraid to tell you if your not ready. Just remember, if you put a camera on your head, people will put you in danger EVERY jump. I have about 1200 camera jumps. I've shot 4-way, 8-way, 10-way, 20-way, one almost 29-way(changed my life), 54-way, 4 memorial skydives, freefly and skyboard. In RW, you fly above the formation, what if a pilot chute comes out(had that happen)? What if one of your lines gets snagged on your helment(yep, that happened also)? You just might have to get rid of your helment(and cameras) by cutting them away(there goes about $3800 depending on equipment). People will dump in your face, take you low, and everything else that you can think of that is unsafe will happen. Don't get me wrong, it is very rewarding...skydiving wouldn't be the same for me without it...camerajockeys just have a different set of rules we have to play by. A camera adds alot more danger to an already dangerous sport. Keep jumping and having fun.Let me know if your ever jumping at Skydive San Marcos,Tx or Skydive Houston. I'll shoot some pics for you to take home. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, Tony SCR 14133

try www.taperesources.com for tapes and www.unidiscountfilm.com for film. Hope this helps. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, Tony SCR 14133

2 rigs...Javelin, Stiletto 120, PD143R. Javelin, Stiletto 107, PD126. Both with cypres, no RSL(too many cameras on my head). Exit weight..about 215lbs.

Quade, Didn't mean to upset you, glad he got to see both sides of the story. If you jump a ring site, carry a hook knife. We have had some deaths because of ring sites, don't want to have any more. By the way, Tim Hanrahan shot most of Quincy 99, Tom Sanders produced it. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, Tony

If you shoot 4-way, run a .6 wide angle, get about 8-10 feet above them and put your head in the burble. Not your whole body, just your head. Certain turns are going to move and slide, you just have to know what it will do. When I started shooting vids about 1000 jumps ago, the people that were training me told me not to use a ring site. If you have see the Quincy video for 99, one of the people that taught me shot about 80% of that. He is also the head videographer for this year at quincy. You don't just "hope" your pics turn out(I should have explainned better, sorry), you have to know where the camera is pointed. It comes with time. No ring site also keeps you from getting tunnel vision and allows you to see the big picture without pointing you head there(pereferial(sp) vision). When you start shooting other things, this will help you to see other shots that are outside your ring site. Hope ths helps. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, Tony

Try Kodak Professional E100VS. Go to www.unidiscountfilm.com It's slide film, but it's good for enlargements. They also have good prices on everything else. If you shoot slide film for enlargements, underexpose by 1/2 to 1 stop. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, T-

Forget the ring site, learn to "shoot the picture". It might take longer to get good pics, but there is one less thing for a line to snag on. If you get used to a ring site, you'll need it. If you don't have one to begin with, you won't need one. Comes down to personal prefrence. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, T-

Hey Lisa! I will count on seeing you then. Let you meet my "better half". Are you going to jump with my wife and me? Hope you don't mind "freak flying". See ya then. Blue Skies and Long Swoops, T-

I'll only be there on Friday, going to tour the east coast and Florida for awhile. Can ya make it?