CTSkydiver

What is it about these helmets that the ringsights are sooo low... looks like you all sight with your teeth.

I started with one of the PhotoReceptor on the Record Light Red/Green solutions (that got power from the DC Jack) in '95. Used another one at some time later that worked the same way. Had to go back to it last summer when my new CamEye II broke off in the camera like yours did (Cry! - Finally bought a new camera). They work fine, but let me give you some things to look out for ... 1) no more warnings you are in Photo mode ... 2) and no more warnings that the battery is low / tape is almost used up ... Well, actually, you still get the warning for case 2. Sort of. The problem: With this setup you get a red light whenever the camera is in a "power on" mode, and that turns to a green light whenever the photoreceptor picks up light (from the tally light on the camera, you hope ... see #3). When your camera starts its warning about low battery, or

As for the eyepiece ... Is your camera top mounted or front mounted? If you're front mounted; and the bracket or helmet itself blocks any direct light from entering the viewfinder, than you probably don't need to do anything (I don't, but I have this set up)... If you are top-mounted, presumably you fly most often with the sun at your back, so it could be shining straight into the open viewfinder... which might screw up the cameras metering or exposure or something ... I'm not sure what, exactly, but the camera is designed to be used with your eye over the eyepiece (thus blocking any light) and since they (Canon) consider it important enough to mention covering the viewfinder if you are using a remote (in my 350D Manual) ... and actually provide a cover for the viewfinder in the basic kit ... it occurs to me you might want to cover it. Or you could try it both ways... I just don't see what the harm is in covering it ... how long does it take to slide on the cover, or peel back a piece (or a few layered pieces) of gaffers tape? Maybe you can jump them top mount and exposed without any problems... you can always try it both ways and see if it makes a difference.

The camera comes with a cover for the eyepiece, so you can avoid the gaffer's tape there (Hint: Check the carry strap!). Probably can't avoid using it on the lens though, to keep the zoom from, well, zooming. A little gaffers goes a long way, and is just as easily removed for ground stuff...

It works fine (the SunPak .45x with 30mm mount). I get no vignetting at full wide angle (on a TRV-17) even with a Tiffen Haze-1 UV Filter on the front threads (49mm) ... the Tiffen is front threaded as well. The field of view matches up almost exactly horizontally with what I can see through the viewfinder of my DigitalRebelXT when full-wide (18mm) on the Kit Lens. Since the viewfinder shows about 95% of the image, I think this is a pretty good match. The SunPak lens was $49 bucks and the filter under $10 from B&H. No stepdown rings; and 2 part construction letting you get at all the glass should you need to. Those .3x fish-eyes look cool for freefly but I'm gonna have to budget an external flash at the same time. Any wider and the Rebel's pop-up flash will become visible in the video (when in use).

I carry mine (FTN with TRV-D-Box and front-mounted still) with the rest of my skydiving gear in an inexpensive plastic (footlocker-sized) container from Wal-mart, carefully packed away with DZ t-shirts and jumpsuits folded just right to accommodate it. Poor man's solution, but it travels pretty well (assuming you travel by car and don't need to check it).

The only difference in the product specs on the Sony web site is this: Excellence tapes have a "2dB higher carrier to noise ratio (vs. PR) making it ideal for LP recording"

Did you mean 300D or 350D? Those will work with the Conceptus just fine no modification needed (Digital Rebel and Digital Rebel XT). If you got the 20D (big spender) you need the mod. Haven't heard of a 30D. EDIT My bad, there's a D30 (I guess from year 2000 or so?) http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canond30/ I thought maybe you left out a "0".

That's great, thanks! I like the gender change you added to the extensions, much cleaner with the female sockets in the helmet. That's exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for at the two Radio Shacks I visited today (the 2.5mm sockets you show, and maybe the male ends) ... but either they don't carry stuff like that anymore or they don't know that they do. What's that RF connection, and why did you use it?

No, what I meant was ... are the cables and plugs physically the same? I know you need a CamEye's chip to do what the CamEye does. I'm not trying to replace a CamEye. Just wondering if the extension; built and marketed for use with the CamEye; would also function with the Canon 2.5mm remote shutter release. What I was thinking of doing is mounting a CamEye extension to my camera, and mounting the male end of the Conceptus to my helmet in an inconspicuous place, so that when I remove the still camera from the helmet, I don't have to remove the plug from the camera (saving wear & tear). Just as I plan to do with my video camera when my replacement parts arrive. On a side note, what the hell happened to Radio Shack? Didn't they use to sell electronics parts? I went in and asked for LANC plugs, or 2.5mm audio plugs, and they didn't even know what I was talking about. The owner of the store didn't even know what a "LANC" was. I pointed out the port to him on a Sony HC-21 video camera they had on display; and he tried to sell me RCA A/V cables. "What are you trying to do?" So I told them. "What are you trying to do?" Forget it, you wouldn't understand.

I'm pretty sure both plugs are 2.5mm "micromini" or "submini" plugs; I know that the Conceptus plug for Canon (and other?) still cameras physically fits in a videocam LANC port. I don't have a lanc plug handy unfortunately (broke my CamEye II off in my old camera). The CamEye has three leads to the plug. Is that the same as the Conceptus? Is there any difference to these plugs? Will the SkyTools extension video LANC also work with a Canon Digital Still Camera remote shutter release? I'm thinking that if Canon video cameras use LANC than it wouldn't surprise me if that's what their remotes are based on, but I don't see any documentation about that. Oh, specifically the DigiRebelXT (I'm aware the 20D and maybe others use a different plug). Thanks.

I thought video cards only were helpful for live previews. All rendering is done in the processor; the videocard only creates what you see on the screen in real time. [?] Go buy 10GB of ram, and tell us what it costs...

Highly objective (almost scathing) review here: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-DCR-PC1000-Camcorder-Review.htm At quick glance (I didn't really read much of it) I noticed a big downer right away: a non-expandable battery compartment. This means you'll need lots of batteries to get through a day jumping - you can't stick any big ones on it. Mentions it does well as a still camera (for a video camera) but that won't help you in the air. I personally hope Sony someday gets rid of all that touch screen bs and goes back to putting actual controls on their cameras. Their ticking off a lot of people.

How does this work ... multi-session (DVD-RW)? How do you author a menu for a title that doesn't yet exist? BTW, Great tip on meritline. Thanks.

Responding to Fuzzy: You can buy "slim" dvd cases in any walmart or office depot in 25 packs for about $0.40 each. For those doing low volume, it's an inexpensive way to package your product; so your customers can at least store their dvd on the same shelf as the rest of their movies. Easy to insert your custom printed labels; and the memorex branded boxes I've seen are clear, so double sided inserts can look pretty cool. Might be an affordable step up from cd jewel cases. You could also invest a lightscribe drive, or use inkjet printable disks. A step up from a sharpie, but a requires a good bit of prep time. Of course, not the same results as available through outsourcing, if your volume and budget can afford to do that.

You bring up some good points. For the poster who said the Titatium .45 had a high amount of vignetting, was a step ring installed? I specifically looked for a lens that didn't require one (I chose a 30mm threaded lens for my TRV-17) so this will put the (oddly similar to Titanium) lens I chose as close as possible to the camera's lens. It's threaded for a filter as well, unlike the sony; and I'd like at least a UV-1 haze on there. Some of you folks mention buying a super wide and zooming it in when you don't need all of it, but that doesn't work for me. I've got to have a unique lens for each goal. I like being able to reach up, hold the zoom in the wide direction for a bit, and know what I'm getting. To protect against it being nudged into the wrong setting. Anyway, what's does is done; I'll let you know how it works when it arrives next week.

Well, looks like I'm gonna find out. But you're right, they sure do look similar. Alas, if only the Sony wasn't out of stock...

You must mean DVD Decrypter ([/url]http://www.dvddecrypter.com[url]). A great freeware program. You can use that to rip the disk to your hard drive; which will probably help you process it easier than right from the DVD. You can use Shrink (free) or Nero Recode to re-author the disks. Make sure DMA is enabled...

I pretty much had it centered on a FTN; not really an overhang or anything... and still not positive it didn't get bumped on climbout. My new cameras are tiny (to me). Going from a 35mm Nikon 2020 (at like 45 pounds ... or about) to my brand new Digital Rebel XT is sure gonna do wonders for my neck on go-arounds! I can't wait for one, just to realize how good I have it :). I'm also going with a TRV-17 I talked a family member out of (bought 'em one of those new tiny f'ers from Sony). I hate those new things. I want some damn buttons on my camera. The 17 line was the latest I could find that still had them. Docking Station? Phooey. The 3.5" display ain't bad, either.

What about this lens? Almost same dimensions, but this one (sunpak) is just a tiny bit shorter. Same price @ B& H, plus it is threaded for a filter unlike the Sony. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=285775&is=REG

Actually, I thought it might be more valuable as a "getting used to a tongue switch training tool" than any other use. I agree it won't help much in freefall if the light indicates your aren't taking pictures. However, I have been able to reach up and push the shutter release on the camera with my hand once when the RCA connection at the back of my neck (from my hand trigger) came loose filming a tandem. Felt it flopping around and figured I better make sure I take some pictures just in case. More useful would it be as to letting me know if I was firing off pictures unintentionally ... as when my trigger shorted out. Or maybe my fat tongue rests on the switch when I don't realize it. I know of the camRL, but that's $250 bucks. All I was interested in was an LED on the same circuit as the camera release. For a few extra bucks on the conceptus, would it be worth it then?

Wow, I missed that thread in my search; thanks for the link. I personally couldn't even find a camera shop in CT willing to take the camera apart for me. The ones that would take it said they'd charge me a flat-rate to "diagnose the problem" and then decide what to charge me (you know, to put it back together again). Hello?? It was pretty obvious what the problem was! I'm glad you had better luck. Kinda wish I'd read that thread way back when and thought about the potential of this happening... I didn't consider riser strike but I guess that's another possibility, I didn't notice problems with my cameye till I was under canopy. The camera I had exposed the lanc port quite a bit, being right on the part of the camera that sticks out on the right side (by the rec/standby button). Anyway, Skytools offered to send me a replacement plug and some instructions or have me send the cameye to them ... a credit to them. I'm gonna use a TRV-17 this summer; I guess the required D-box should prevent this from happening again.

Read up about it here. http://www.dcresource.com/news/newsitem.php?id=3039 Also a new camera, the D50. http://www.dcresource.com/ Too late to take away the Rebel crowd? I'd love to hear what you folks think. I was almost content to buy the XT. Guess I still will, unless there's a good reason not to ... apart from having to wait til May?

Great! Thanks for the link and info!

Well, sorry to revive an old thread, but I sheared off my brand new CamEye II plug in my un-D-boxed camera last summer (must have bumped the plug on climbout, it was bent when I landed. Dumbass me, I pulled it out and stuck it right back in. Habit, I guess.) The camera got real buggy with the plug stuck in it I had a bit more problems than normal, but eventually I got it running. I jumped the rest of the summer with a spare LED-sensor based thing and a lot of gaffers tape. But the plug is still in it, and it is too damn old a camera to bother getting it out. So here's my reason for posting... Is the emasculated CamEye worth salvaging? Can I get a new LANC plug and splice it on? Will someone tell me how to do that? Getting ready for the new season is a bit rough... I'm buying a new dv camera (w/ a new lens), a new Digital Rebel XT (with a 'nother new lens), and a new D-box ... oh, and then there's the new line set on my VE and the new audible and new cypres 2 (12 years) and the ... Can somebody help a brotha' save a buck or two? I imagine this can't be too hard to do, but I can't remember if the plug is a standard thing I can find at Radio Shack or not... I can't even remember who makes the things. Thanks, folks. I appreciate it.