Monkey Kam alternative

[Rixter 0]

I dont get to skydive much but I try to keep up on the tech I saw in the DEC 03 Parachutist an article on the monkey kam and could not help but laugh at my stupidity for not doing that when I thought of it a year ago (hind sights 20/20). Any way for 75.00 cheaper check out these guys, their set up is better in my opinion see what you think.
Rick
D14636
the "street cam kit"
http://www.bulletcam.com/products.htm

If ya aint hooked a parafoil ya just aint lived!

[CaTo 0]

although it is small, and for my neck it would do wonders (see also http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=780508;#780508
but for me it is no option (just like the monkey-kam bay the way):

(quote from the site)
Your camcorder MUST have AV INPUT CAPABILITY, otherwise known as ANALOG INPUTS. If you are buying a new camcorder, look for one with Analog Inputs. This is to say that you must be able to record TO your camcorder FROM your TV. This is the definition of AV INPUT CAPABILITY. You can NOT use the DV Inputs on your camcorder if they are in the form of IEEE 1394 or FIREWIRE. NO FIREWIRE CONNECTIONS CAN BE USED

I am still looking for a not too expensive firewire camera, something like the sony DFW-sx900 http://www.1394imaging.com/products/cameras/dfwsx900/ but then cheaper. I have not found something like that...

Caren

[teamhypoxia 0]

here's the response I recieved when I asked about their lenses

"We do not carry different lenses. We may be able to purchase them through
our supplier. I would have to check with them on the pricing."

[NeilQ 0]

I have an RF concepts hi-res bullet cam, and think you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference between the footage using it and the camera itself

I jump it with a PC9

http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/helmet_cameras.htm

Stay safe

Neil

[mountainman 0]

Do you guys think this is the way cameras in skydiving is going ?

Seems interesting... light, high quality and small.

http://www.brandonandlaura.com

[AndyMan 7]

I don't, but I've been known to be proven wrong.

I think skydiving has been going away from the idea where you have a remote lens connected by cable to a recording unit. These used to be quite common, but we're now just seeing the last of them being retired. They proved unpopular because jumpers disliked the idea of runnning a cable from their helmet to somewhere else on their body. The last DZ I know of that used a lot of these types of setups was skydive chicago, and they just retired them this year.

Myself, I know that the size of the lens matters in photography. I know that while incremental differences are tough to notice, big differences in lens sizes do make a difference. My next camera will probably have a bigger lens, not a smaller one. Personally, I'd rather add size and get a bigger picture then shrink the camera and suffer image quality.

I do like the idea of small, and I'm thrilled that Sony continues to make cameras smaller. I'm going to skip the Micro-MV format, but those cameras are TINY.

I do look forward to when we have memory-chips big enough to hold digital video, then cameras will be able to get rid of their tape transport mechanism, and they'll get rediculously small. This is where i think video is going.... Tiny self contained cameras in one piece, bought off the shelf.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[CaTo 0]

Quote

I have an RF concepts hi-res bullet cam, and think you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference between the footage using it and the camera itself

I jump it with a PC9

hi neil,
what kind of lens are you using with your camera? After my first reaction (see above) I did some reading on the site you presented, and it looks better than I thought, so i am seriously considering byuing one. But not sure of the lens. I was using a .45 lens on my sony cam, not sure what the AOV (angle of view) is...
looking at the internet site of rfsolutions, i think i need a 2.9 mm? (130 aov)?

Caren

[riggerrob 643]

Quote

I don't, but I've been known to be proven wrong.
I do look forward to when we have memory-chips big enough to hold digital video, then cameras will be able to get rid of their tape transport mechanism, and they'll get rediculously small. This is where i think video is going.... Tiny self contained cameras in one piece, bought off the shelf.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Memory chip cameras are already sold by MUSTEK and a few other manufacturers, Too bad their image Quality is not up to SONY standards. They are already ridiculously tiny and ridiculously cheap!
At $300 I could not go wrong with the Mustek DV2000 and have been using it to video family etc. Even sewed up a hand-mount for the DV2000 and took it on a tandem dive.
The biggest limitation on Musteks is the difficulty in attaching after-market lenses.
I would buy a Mustek DV4000 if I could figure out how to attach one of Max Cohn's 0.3 Diamond wide-angle lenses.
In conclusion, resolution on video cameras with memory-chips is not up to miniDV standards, but will be in another 2 or 3 years.

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