PharmerPhil

Good description. Or you can just offer to buy beer for a local techie jumper who is good with a soldering iron...

Everything's on its way out...eventually. In inventory, I've still got lots o' SCSI drives, DATs, VHS tapes, Hi-8 tapes, Phillips Cassettes, reel-to-reels, LPs, 45s, etc, etc.

I love the "no hand hold" sign (with the hand holding it...).

Congrats! Fun ain't it? Here's one of Norm from a few years ago. (Of course, he got an even better shot of me...)

Is that an open grip on point one...(7 O'clock)

It seems odd (to me) that they went down to an APS-C sized sensor on this camera.

It's not just that. You first have to be safe before flying anywhere near a tandem student. I don't believe you can get this level of safety without doing a lot of non-student video jumps first.

Fortunately, this incident had a happy ending.

Looks good. My only comment is that all these components look way over-sized. The Radio Shack plug sticks out much further than pre-molded plugs, and I don't know if I would want that tooth breaker of a switch in my mouth. Whatever switch I use, I prefer to buy a cheap, non-OEM remote shutter release switch for the Canon (available from B&H or eBay), and cut off the plug and wire to use on my switch. These plugs are fairly low-profile, and I have sheared off the plug from a couple of SLRs in my time making the camera practically junk. Alternatively, you may try looking at Mouser Electronics for a larger variety of plugs and switches.

Not an IT wiz by any means but,... Are you using Safari? Have you tried Firefox? I have noticed some slowdowns with Safari lately, and I think it has a lot to do with what default DNS servers it looks up. If this is the case, there are some fixes out there, but it may be simpler to just change to Firefox first to see if this fixes it. If not,...well,...any IT wizzes out there? It also may be better to post to your question to a more widespread forum for more responses.

A couple of years ago I made the switch from the HC-1 (A1U actually) to the HC-5. I think the HC5 is 95 percent of the HC-1 for skydiving work, and is much smaller and lighter (plus the tape loads from the top). The size of the CX100 is still tempting though...

I have a new Vapor and love it (it is actually my second, but the first one was when it was a different company, and before the Wes Rich improvements). I initially wanted the Vapor because they are more comfortable (for my head), and have a wider top for more flexibility. A couple of points you asked about. First, I have no problem using or accessing my mouth switch. As far as the still camera mount, one reason I really like the Vapor design is that I can mount both my video camera and my still up top (and a flash when I want also) due to the wider plate. This keeps the weight centered over my spine, and has made for much more comfortable openings because you don't get the weight of the SLR pivoting your head forward on rougher openings. My neck really appreciates this mount, and it has made a noticeable improvement this year (my old Vapor had the front-mounted SLR). Also, it gives me much more visibility vs. a front mounted camera. You could always add a right angle bracket in front if you wanted too (there is plenty of space), but I see no good reason to mount a camera there, and some good reasons to keep it away from there. The above mentioned weight centering, the increased visibility, and keeping your lens further from bashing into aircraft, people, or risers. I also like the mechanics of the Vapor. When you take the top-plate off (four side-mounted screws) there is some padding, and then your head, with two convenient areas on either side for putting things like wiring, or blow switch mechanisms. When I have worked on friends' FTPs, it is always more of a hassle to snake stuff through what I can only describe as a sub-shell underneath the plate. Just my too sense...

Canon doesn't make a 10-22mm lens with IS.

Great Shots!!!

Sorry to be a smart ass earlier, but there is definitely a difference. First off, there is a difference in how clear the glass is. Rather than beer bottles, think of cheap magnifying glasses, or those plastic cereal prizes that offered "super magnification." Or those cheap one-piece goggles that most tandem students wear. Or, at the other end of the scale, remember how the hubble telescope was built and launched at a cost of billions or dollars, and then they found that the exact geometry of the lens elements didn't give NASA the resolution they had planned on. More importantly, most lenses aren't just a single piece of glass, but multiple pieces (elements) that work in conjunction to counter each other's short-comings and aberrations. Remember all those science experiments in high school where light through a prism of glass diffracted the different bands of light in different directions? Any time you send light through glass, you get an imperfect transmission. How well the pieces of glass work together, and what coatings they use, all work in conjunction (hopefully) to work as one well-oiled, or well-engineered machine.

Try looking at things through a beer bottle and see how they look.

FWIW,... I have used a hand switch on occasion when running two still cameras. It works well, but it is a hassle in my opinion. Definitely more difficult than simply putting a helmet on and sticking something in your mouth. Plus the fact that my hands have other things to do in a skydive, whereas my mouth doesn't have anything else to do (other than breathing that is). But I guess it is all what you are used to, or what you get used to. Hell. For many people, the idea of getting all the gear on, jumping out of plane, flying to where you want to be, composing a shot, and managing cameras on top of it all is a bit much to handle. If you can do all that, maybe simply plugging in another set of wires on your jumpsuit isn't too much of a thing.

I have bought them at RS before, but they always seem to be in limited supply. You could try Mouser. However, I find that the plugs you can solder yourself are larger than the pre-molded ones. It may be easier and lower profile to simply buy a non-Canon remote shutter release and cut the plug and wire off of it.

Good idea to keep the wear on the cheap wiring adapter rather than the camera body switch. I use just such an extension for both my SLR, and the LANC port on my video camera so I don't have to keep plugging an unplugging my Hypeye Mini (see attached). No. Using a blow switch does not disable the shutter release on the camera. I had mentioned earlier using an additional switch on the helmet just to put it in a more convenient location for holding the helmet assembly during landing shots while still being able to trigger the shutter.

Yes, it works for digital cameras. The Para-gear description is a little dated and not very clear. You do have to solder a 2.5mm (3/32-inch) plug onto the switch to use it with a Digital Rebel (or another appropriate plug for other DSLRs). But you don't have to take apart or modify your camera in any way. The bare 2.5mm plug is available at Radio Shack, or you can cut off one from a Canon or aftermarket wired remote shutter release.

It is not really exhaling, but putting positive air pressure into the tube using your mouth--not your lungs. It is a sealed system, so you don't really blow air continuously through the tube, but just use your mouth to pressurize the air in the tube. My description probably sounds more complicated than it really is. If you try one, it is extremely intuitive. And in reality, the part of the exit that is right for the perfect shot is really just a second or two, so it is not a long process. Para-gear has blow switches. Go to: http://www.paragear.com/templates/parachutes.asp?group=455&level=1 And scroll down about a quarter of the way until it says "Blow Switch." I'll bet others have these as well.

Don't believe it. Blow switches work great. I have a switch I have used for over a thousand jumps still going strong. I have to laugh when I hear of how often the other switches break. Yes you can take multiple shots (see post above from Icon134), and yes you can take photos with the helmet off your head (just route the tube so you can access it externally). Although I have been tempted to wire in a separate push-button switch in parallel though to have it in a convenient location for hand holding my helmet for landing shots. In my opinion, about the only down side to a blow switch is its size. But if you have a Vapor or other flat-top style helmet, there is plenty of room for it.

+1

I would think any kind of IS would be bad for a 3D rig. You need to have the two camera images lined up perfectly and not have them shift.

There are a lot of reasons that commercial movies on SD DVD look better than your consumer videos. Start with cameras (usually film) that cost more than many jump planes. Lenses that cost more than your rigs, cameras and helmets combined. With DPs, camera operators, focus pullers and directors that know how to get the most of this equipment. Lighting sets that costs more than many hangers, with teams of lighting designers, grips and electricians to get a certain look. Editors and editing equipment that take months to get the cut right. Don't get hung up on mega-pixels, HD, and whatever other consumer buzz word you may hear. You will not take a $600 camera and somehow magically make it look like a Hollywood movie because of a $1000 software package. Rant over. I'll let others answer your workflow question (although several different methods have been covered here). One guess is that your weak link may be your DVD encoder.