PharmerPhil

I don't know either program, but I would imagine that Elements would include a tutorial (and manual). If not, a good book (possibly from Peachpit press) would be worthwhile and might contain a tutorial. I personally like having a book next to my computer when I'm learning a new program so I don't have to keep switching programs or screens while learning. I highly recommend spending some dedicated time to use one of these tools and really learn the basics of your NLE first rather than just muddling through and trying to learn as you go. It is an investment in time that should pay off in saved time in the long run.

Years ago I had one of the original Digital Rebels (300D?) come off my helmet on opening around 4k at a boogie. Another jumper found it in the woods while looking for a jettisoned main the next day. The lens was pretty crunched, and looked like it took the initial hit. The camera turned on, but gave an error code (I looked up the code and it said "You idiot, you dropped your camera from 4k feet," or something like that). So I returned it to the national retailer I bought it from and had them send it in to Canon under my last two weeks of standard warranty. I figured they would say it had been dropped and deny the claim (at which point I would mumble something about the damn kids). But what did I have to lose, right? Surprisingly, they returned it in working order. The tag simply said "Replaced light box." They even replaced the battery door which I had taken off previously for a custom mount. I quickly sold it on e-bay...

Since when did they ever?

No camera (that I am aware of) will export MiniDV video over its USB port. Yes, you could theoretically use a USB/video converter, but then you still aren't capturing the video through the camera's USB port, but through its analog output ports.

Your students didn't use USB. It is impossible to capture video from the TRV-18 using USB.

I competed in freestyle at the 2002 and 2003 Nationals. Some of the most challenging but rewarding flying I have ever done. I didn't really have the freefly chops, so I competed mostly on my belly (with twelve pounds of weights, and a back-breaking arch). As mentioned, freestyle varies from very fast (stand-up back loops) to very slow (pinwheels), and you have to know the routine, and have to work very closely with the performer. Also, unlike RW where you basically can only cost your team points, in freestyle the video is judged and scored also. And there are some compulsory moves that are very challenging that include video maneuvers (full eagles, and some wacky barrel roll and cartwheel maneuvers). It is good if starting out to get some team coaching. Meriah Eakins and Missy Nelson are both very successful freestylists with a wealth of info. Carl Eakins and Gregg Gasson come to mind for excellent freestyle camera work.

Hmmm,...Is this a real student? If so, this is one of the dangers of videoing AFF students. This one seems too distracted by the camera to pull his/her chute. If I see a student paying too much attention to me rather their instuctors or altimeter (particularly at pull time), I get out of their face and move around to where they they can't see me. Priority one and all that.

+1 I have a 3/4-inch piece of webbing that goes over both my video and still camera on my SkySystems Vapor Wes Pro. It doubles as my way to keep the LCD screen closed on my HC-5. It is one click away from accessing the screen, and adds that added piece of insurance against hard openings. I'll see if I have a pic to post.

I would be quite surprised if any features like high-speed sync would work cross-platform. If you want any special features such as high-speed sync, TTL metering, auto-zoom etc. you would either have to use a flash from the camera manufacturer itself, or a third party flash such as Sigma or Metz that is made for the specific camera you are using. Otherwise you are manual mode only, or flash metering alone. I can't see spending the money for a 580 unless you have a Canon camera.

I love clouds underneath formations or under tandems. The reflected light is beautiful, and it keeps the image from being so contrasty. It's great videoing people who don't wimp out because of,... uh,... urban haze.

+1

I use FCS exclusively, and have never really used any version of iMovie. But I did look at it and IMHO it looks kinda toy-like. FCE at least operates like a real NLE app. Maybe it has more than you need for simply doing tandems, but for $100 I'd go for it. It would also make the transition to FCS, or most other pro NLEs real easy.

As long as there is enough visibility to see the green light... I try to keep my camera's lens in my crotch on the plane with my hands over it. Particularly if I'm sitting in the door. No comments, I'm serious.

Remember Video CDs (VCDs)? They looked awful and never caught on here, but were selling like gang-busters in China and other parts of Asia less than ten years ago. More so than DVDs.

I don't have Final Cut Express, but I use Final Cut Studio regularly, and I think this part is the same. First FCS won't import AVCHD file natively. It will transcode it on import to something else (usually ProRes for FCS, but I think AIC for FCE). Once you have a clip in your browser, and you drag it into a new, empty timeline, Final Cut will ask you if you want to change the timeline to match the file's type for best performance. Click "Yes." For example, if you have a HDV file, and an empty DV timeline, and you try to drop the HDV file in to the timeline, it will ask you if you want to change the timeline to match the clip. Note that this will only work if you don't have any other files already in the timeline. It only happens on the first clip you add, and only asks you if your timeline and the clip don't match. You can ignore the prompt, and/or put clips of different types into the same timeline, but if they don't match, it will have to render the timeline before exporting. Whether you can view in real time without rendering first I believe depends on how powerful a machine you have.

Amen. That needs to be said (and heard) more often.

DSE - You can't use "stock" footage to show the actual tandem student's face on the plane, the student's buddies, or the student's landing. parachutist - You got me on this one. That was one of my earliest tandems on the HC-5. The fuzziness was because the HC-5 is slow to focus (this never happened on my PC-1, TRV-38 or DCR-900). I use manual focus in freefall, but auto focus on landing and ground footage. Unfortunately, the HC-5, and other Sony HDV cams, are very slow to auto focus at long distances (you can hear me saying "f%&#" in the vid). Since this video I simply and quickly zoom into anything (usually the ground) after changing to auto-focus to lock focus. Once it achieves auto-focus, it stays locked on. Many examples of good zoom and auto-focus can be found on any of my favorites here. But manual focus and zoom settings for freefall distances wouldn't work for the long-distances involved in landing shots anyway. Although if I had left it wide-out, you probably wouldn't have even been able to tell 'cause the tandem pair would have been too small to matter (or to see clearly). No thanks. I will use the right setting for the shot, not a "one-size-doesn't-fit-anything-ideally" setting. ...

Not me. I use a zoom many times on each tandem skydive. Maybe not in freefall, but I often use it on ground footage before the jump, zooming in on the pilot's hand on the throttle on take-off, the customer's face right after wheels up, the student's friends further back in the plane, and most importantly, on the tandem pair descending under canopy before landing. Never had a bust because of a zoomed in vid on a tandem. But I think vids I see shot with only one very wide lens setting the entire time are kinda amateur looking. Just my too sense...

I hope you know that your separation horizontally is irrelevant in this case. It is separation in the relative wind that is most important. Regardless of your horizontal position, if you can see their backs (when they are belly flying), you are in the kill zone. Of course, that's where a lot of RW videographers spend most of their time...

Good tips, but I would be cautious about mounting the video camera that far back using this method. Particularly if the camera has any form of image stabilization. What looks fine on the ground in a static test, might introduce edges of your helmet when IS kicks in during freefall.

If you are going to mount both video and stills, I think you are much better off putting both on top rather than one on the front like you woud have to do on a "narrow" model. That being the case, I wouldn't get either "narrow" version, and instead would get the full sized helmets. Of these, the Vapor offers the most width for putting two cameras on top. And personally, I prefer the Vapor as far as fit (for my head) comfort, and accessibility. When you take the top-plate off the Vapor, everything is accessible. I just did work on a fellow videot's FTP, and the sub-shell inside (as best as I can describe it), makes wiring and working on the helmet more complicated than necessary. With the Vapor, remove four screws, and the entire plate lifts off, making it very easy to work on, modify, etc. Just my too sense...

I respectfully disagree. The "lever" factor is in related to what position your body is relative to the force of opening. While it might seem that in a belly to Earth configuration, the top-mounted weight would act as lever on your neck, in reality, that is not your body position when most of the force of an opening canopy is exerted. Usually, the most extreme force is exerted not on initial deployment of the canopy, but after the canopy has been extracted, your body has been stood up (feet to Earth), and the canopy suddenly inflates. In this case, any weight that is not centered over your spine (including side-mounted cameras) will act as a lever. Unlike side-, or front-mounted cameras, cameras on top of your head are more centered over your spine and exert their inertia force in-line with your spine (compression), rather than as a lever force. Anecdotally, this year, I went from a top-mounted video camera and front-mounted SLR to a configuration where both cameras are mounted on top of my head. The cameras and the canopy are the same models I have been jumping for a couple of years, yet I have noticed much less stress on my neck using this configuration, and hope to never go back to a camera that is not centered over my spine. ...

Not tall, short (unless you were just being funny). Before deployment, the jumper should pass the handle from right hand to left, and then reach up and gather the flag and stow it in his/her left hand. Do this and repeat until pull altitude to minimize the amount of material in the breeze (you really don't want material flopping above you when you deploy your pilot chute). If the jumper has a problem, let go of the whole assembly before deploying the main parachute.

Here's one of the Harvard Business School banner in freefall. And here's a "Thank-you" flag in freefall. My advice is to make it very sturdy, and short. Sew on a strong material at the bottom with good handles. The top will whiplash the most, so anything you want to be readable should be towards the bottom. On the "thank-you" flag photo, I actually photo-shopped in part of one of the letters (I forget which). because there was no frame that had every letter legible at once. Also, have the talent practice stowing the flag (left hand) at a pre-planned altitude so you can use it again when the first jump doesn't work so well...

It's easy enough to practice on the ground. Just video some people at the same distance at night and play with your settings. You don't have to wait until you are in freefall to see what it looks like.