freeflir29 0 #1 May 15, 2002 Well....after looking....and talking about it.....and looking....and asking questions.....and putting it off.....I finally did it. I bought a video camera. I got a Panasonic PV-DC252D. It has a memory card, USB port, more special effects than I will ever fugure out how to use, takes stills in two differen't ways, and just about every other bell and whistle I have seen on a camera except night shot. I didn't really care about that...it's supposed to be OK in very low light, 1 Lux I think, but no night shot. I can manually adjust the shutter speeds while taking stills too. Looks like a pretty sweet camera and I got it out the door with a 3 pack of tapes plus the 5 hour battery for $1086 and some change. I was drooling over the Sony DCR-IP7 but at $1700 base price I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a camera. I'm a bit sceptical on how this thing will hold up so I bought the 1 year all inclusive warranty for $45. I figure jumping with it I'll probably get my money out of that. "Here I come to save the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildblue 7 #2 May 15, 2002 Let me know how that works out.... I don't think I've seen anyone try a panasonic before And if you do use the warranty - I wouldn't tell them you take it out of an airplane....You don't scare me! I got chunks of guys like you in my stool!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #3 May 15, 2002 QuoteI wouldn't tell them you take it out of an airplaneNo shit!!! "Honest I was just filming my son on the playground and it went all whacky on me!!!" Yeah....I haven't heard much about Panasonic either but at $850 base price I just couldn't pass it up......"Here I come to save the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #4 May 15, 2002 I've known a few people who used pansonic models similar to Sony's TRV series, they work just fine with nice fat colour reproduction, but the ones I saw required a base adaptor to get an analogue signal out, so were a bit of a pain.Enjoy your new baby Clay, I'm looking forward to seeing all sorts of video posted. What you need now is a firewire card and you can start hosing images of your frolics to the internet..Be sure to build yourslef a snag free helmet, befriend an experienced camera flier, lurk the photography forum etc, but I'm sure you had already considered this.....CyaD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #5 May 15, 2002 Quote Enjoy your new baby Clay, I'm looking forward to seeing all sorts of video posted *note to self.....make sure Clay doesn't get you drunk now for sure when you go to Altanta....*AndreaI'm high as a kiteI just mightStop and check you out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #6 May 15, 2002 QuoteWhat you need now is a firewire card and you can start hosing images of your frolics to the internet..Don't need it....camera came with a USB port already on it. I just plug into the back of my PC with the cable that came in the box. "Here I come to save the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #7 May 15, 2002 QuoteDon't need it.You may not think you need it, but you'll want it. USB == SLOW. Does the camera have a Firewire output/input? Seriously, you might want to consider trading it in for something that does.-Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrumpySmurf 0 #8 May 15, 2002 Well, if you shelled out the $1.7K for the DCR-IP7 - you would have wasted $1.7K.Here's a review of the IP7 and why it isn't well suited to our sport:http://www.pierltd.com/new/main/propage.cfm?part=572&cat=26&subc=34 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #9 May 15, 2002 QuoteDoes the camera have a Firewire output/input?Of course it does!!! Right on the front. http://www.pierltd.com/new/main/propage.cfm?part=572&cat=26&subc=34For the lazy......."Here I come to save the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LawnDart21 0 #10 May 15, 2002 Congrats on the camera! You'll be surprised at how many new friends you'll have at the DZ.....LOL....everybody loves the vidiots!! A few things I've noticed learned with cameras. 1) Get either a D-Box or a camera condom for it. Moisture from clouds can really do a number on the inside of the camera, I saw one jumper's camera just die after going through a big nasty cloud. (D-Boxes, although expensive, are a good investment as they also keep the camera safe when you are coaching students and they inadvertently crash into you. If you have home owners insurance or renters insurance, put the camera and your helmet and anything else attached to it (like a $120 Newton eye piece for example) put that all on your policy, it might translate to an extra $15 to $20 a month, but hey, if you chop it and it breaks, you get brand new stuff. Oh, and last but not least, start a sole proprietorship, call it "Clay's Skydiving Video Service", get an EIN number from the IRS for your new business and then everything you buy for the business (including the camera) is essentially a tax deduction. (The only downside there is that you have to declare income, like say if someone pays you $20 for a coach dive, it "should" be declared as income........Anyways, congrats and good luck!! (The chin cup is a great idea, in addition to keeping things more stable, the rachet releases on them are way easy to get off in a jam.)"I live to EFS"Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #11 May 15, 2002 Yeah, what Jimbo said re USB, (okay, okay, USB 2 is fast enough, but not supported by capture card people yet) its too slow and you won't be able to bring in full res movies for editing/compression. If you need advice on capture card types etc, let me know. Firewire in to your cam isn't a big deal, you can probably hack it to mod the input if it doesn't exist, contact me for details if required.I've also seen some good, and not so good cutaway systems, once you've chosen a chin cup, and fixing method, give me a shout, I could save you some pain/hassle.CyaD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrumpySmurf 0 #12 May 15, 2002 Thanx!*heh*So how much you plan on charging for coaching with video? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #13 May 15, 2002 Yeah, I do a similar thing thru my own 'limited company' in the UK, I'm an independent contractor in the eyes of the law. So on a $20 coach dive as your example, less $18 manifest cost, less wear and tear on cam, less wear and tear on rig, you make very little profit, and hence pay little or no tax. Same goes for the puter, fuel costs to get to the DZ, wear and tear on my car, etc etc etc. All my gear is actually owned by my company, so I reclaim the VAT (equivalent to your sales tax I think) which gives me a rebate of 17.5%, and I can write off gear over a three year period, then buy it from my own company to own or sell (as a private individual) as I see fit.Tax evasion is illegal in the UK, tax avoidance is not, or so my accountant tells me.CyaD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #14 May 15, 2002 QuoteSo how much you plan on charging for coaching with video?Right now.....not a dime! Once I get the coaches course done and I'm helping someone with an A license card. Just slot. I'll even pack for myself. Sunday I was going to buy a slot for a video guy that was broke. I had done a couple jumps with a guy trying to get him to fly Head Down. I was getting a little frustrated because I didn't have video. However, we didn't have enough people for the Otter to go back up. It would have been worth me buying the slot to help that guy out. I love watching people overcome a new challenge. "Here I come to save the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #15 May 15, 2002 QuoteI love watching people overcome a new challenge. Like your first 0 in your weekend numbers? Justin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #16 May 15, 2002 QuoteLike your first 0 in your weekend numbers?Exactly...took me a while but I so over came that one in style."Here I come to save the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #17 May 15, 2002 Here's a link in case anyone wants to see what the camera looks like. It's advertised at 14.7 ounces which I thought was damn light!!! Should be nice and easy on my neck. http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-iaQRMmiwb6q/ProdView.asp?s=12&c=8&g=53700&I=133PVDC252&o=m&a=0"Here I come to save the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #18 May 15, 2002 Narce one, but my PC7 which is about 5-6 years old is smaller, and about the same weight, and has the same resolution.........My my how things change......Seriously though, it looks like a nice cam, but can you get a D-box for it, or will you have to speak nicely to Jeanie at bonehead?One big Q from me would be about the DV in, and also AV in, are these enabled?What is the filter thread size for wide angle lens attachment?And might I recommend a 0.3 lens from Max Cohn for you? I love mine......Its light weight and snag free, I know how highly you regard safety, and I feel this oft overlooked.CyaD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrumpySmurf 0 #19 May 15, 2002 QuoteOnce I get the coaches course done and I'm helping someone with an A license card.And when someone mentions to the A-candidate about ability to dock, visions of colliding in a sit and holding onto someones foot for dear life will come to mind - the idea of belly flying will never cross thier mind Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #20 May 15, 2002 QuoteOne big Q from me would be about the DV in, and also AV in, are these enabled?I'm still learning about all the features but I do know that you can dub both audio and video inside the camera. Once again.....not really worried about that. Nice feature I guess but I'll be starting out using the dubbing boards at the DZ. I have to investigate the whole WA lens thing. Not sure about that yet. It wont kill me if I can't put one on. This is just my first camera to get me started shooting video. It doesn't have to be the best out there. I'll have much more money to spend in the next few years to buy all the PHAT stuff. "Here I come to save the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #21 May 15, 2002 If you bolt it to your noggin, you will need a wide angle anyway for the Freeflying, Max's lens is good value IMHO.CyaD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #22 May 15, 2002 QuoteAnd when someone mentions to the A-candidate about ability to dock, visions of colliding in a sit and holding onto someones foot for dear life will come to mind - the idea of belly flying will never cross thier mindHahahahahahaaa....Actually I was thinking of building a helmet with a handle on the top. That way I can just exit holding onto that and PULL them HD while I stand...."Here I come to save the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutchboy 0 #23 May 16, 2002 Gee, I wonder were all the money to finish your license went. Enjoy the new toy!The DutchboyPhil's Flying Enterprises, Inc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrumpySmurf 0 #24 May 16, 2002 Until thier head pops off, of course Details, details right?At least you would have the coolest 'spaceball' on the DZ, a human head? "Johnny passed away 4 years ago after his head popped off during a freefly jump, but Clay made sure his head collected enough freefall time to quality for a 'D'." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #25 May 16, 2002 QuoteClay made sure his head collected enough freefall time to quality for a 'D'."No No...an AD-D I tell ya....."Here I come to save the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
