pilotdave

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Everything posted by pilotdave

  1. pilotdave
    Auto focus works fine for landing shots with that lens. You won't get a whole lot of background blur. Like someone suggested, it's possible to lower your shutter speed and get some motion blur in the background, but that's a different effect. To maximize background blur, use a wide open aperture (though expect more out of focus shots doing that). Be close to your subject and far from the background. Use as much zoom as you've got. Some 18-55 landing examples below... For better background blur, ya really need a longer lens or one with a wider max aperture. Dave
  2. pilotdave
    The entanglement people worry about is between the main and the camera helmet, so it has nothing to do with the RSL. It is all about snag points on the camera helmet. I jumped with my skyhook connected for a long time... until I added a ringsight. That's when I decided, based on other peoples' incidents, that I had increased my probability of an entanglement enough to disconnect my skyhook/RSL. Dave
  3. pilotdave
    Our DZ has had a packing machine for years. It's always broken though... I swear one of our packers is messing with it so he doesn't lose business. I think it needs a whole new flux capacitor. Guess it won't be back in action this season... Dave
  4. pilotdave
    I predict that within a few years, that will change. We'll see far fewer variations in suits and there will be an "ideal" wingloading. Just like CRW. Dave
  5. pilotdave
    http://marcusantebi.com/creeps.jpg Dave
  6. pilotdave
    Nope, MA. But I did see $3.61 in CT about 10 feet from the MA border. I figured it'd be cheaper across the border but I was wrong. Pretty strange. Dave
  7. pilotdave
    3.65:15:0 $3.65... cheapest gas I've bought in a loooong time. Saw $3.61 at another station but passed it thinking another station would be cheaper. I heard one DZ is planning to lower jump prices... woohoo! 10 4-way videos on saturday, other stuff on sunday. So sore today. Dave
  8. pilotdave
    A lot of skydivers visit my website... 84.01% windows 8.31% apple 6.54% linux/unix Not sure if it counts in the apple number already, but 0.07% iphone. Dave
  9. pilotdave
    About the same as the tongue switch... just pushing at a different angle. I thought the tongue switch was hard to use when I first got it, now it's no problem. This is just going to take getting used to. Dave
  10. pilotdave
    They even have skydiving! Dave
  11. pilotdave
    My tongue switch was dying on me (this one lasted longer than my last 3), so I decided to grab a new one while I was at a DZ with a gear store. Course that DZ happened to be the Ranch where they only sell Lazlo's mouth switch, so that's what I got. I haven't jumped it yet, but I think I need more practice on the ground. First few times I tried it (on the ground without the camera attached), I couldn't figure out how to press it. Need to do some tongue excersizes I guess. I finally figured it out on attempt #4... But I think I'm going to have to practice before I jump with it.
  12. pilotdave
    Something definitely sounds wrong. Don't just discount it as being a cheap lens problem... The kit lens might not be the best, but it works fine and autofocus should work too. You shouldn't need to go buy a new lens to be able to take exit pictures... Dave
  13. pilotdave
    I have over 1400 jumps and have never stowed my slider behind my head. I finally got some slider stops (slink hats) when I got my canopy relined last year (at least 800 jumps or more on the lines and no major wear, just out of trim). I just haven't found the need, and it complicates things. I think most people do it because they see other people doing it, not for the performance increase or to prevent wear on their lines. Dave
  14. pilotdave
    I don't do malfunctions. Well, that's my story so far and I plan to stick to it. I really should just sell my reserves because I don't plan to use em. I'm at about 1430 jumps now with no cutaways. But I know some people that had their first cutaways after about 2000 jumps or more... one had his first 2 cutaways about a week apart. Dave
  15. pilotdave
    The sky systems one is magnetic. Looks really nice... But I'd recommend not stowing your slider behind your head for a while. There's really no need. Dave
  16. pilotdave
    If you want, upload a short, "uncompressed" (in quotes in case DSE is reading this) clip to skydivingmovies.com. Doesn't need to be a whole jump, just enough to see what the quality looks like. Dave
  17. pilotdave
    Only retrofittable on older vector 3s and sigmas, not on javelins or anything else. It can be done by the factory or a specifically approved rigger, and there aren't many of those. It is an easy retrofit though... stick the rig in a box and ship it. What could be easier than that?
  18. pilotdave
    I MIGHT know a couple things about that. Whatcha need to know? Dave
  19. pilotdave
    This thread and not all the accident reports from the last 5, 10, or 15 years? Why do skydivers need to experience things first hand to learn old lessons? Why does an accident have to happen in Canada to get Canadians thinking about seatbelts? We're no different anywhere else. We always need it to happen at home before it really sinks in. Dave
  20. pilotdave
    Depends on the dropzone. The USPA doesn't say anything about B-license qualified. They say B-license. Personally I had done everything other than water training when I made my first night jump (so I wasn't even B-qualified), but some dropzones are more strict than others. Dave
  21. pilotdave
    I think we're in the good old days right now. We'll realize that in about 20 years... or probably less. Skydiving is still relatively affordable and accessible. It's almost completely unregulated. We're in the "golden age" of wingsuits, and progress is being made so quickly in almost every other discipline. I don't see this sport getting any better in the future than it is right now. Times are good! Dave
  22. pilotdave
    What stops someone from posting a fake address? You'd mail something to each person you might want to buy from or sell to? Face it, we're all anonymous on here unless you make the effort to find out about the other person yourself. Skydiving is a small community. There aren't many people buying or selling gear that are completely unknown to the rest of the skydiving world. It shouldn't be hard to do a little background check and buy or sell in safe ways. A lot of sites have buyer/seller feedback sections. That might help a little, but most people aren't constantly buying or selling so I don't think it would be used much. Don't give money to strangers. Luckily there are no strangers in skydiving. Dave
  23. pilotdave
    Probably not insane but uninformed. Read the sticky post at the top of this forum. 130 or 160 jumps is very early to be jumping a camera. 200 is the generally recommended minimum, but I'd consider it a very bare minimum. To me, 500 is a bit more reasonable, but I know that it is physically impossible to wait that long these days. You might not care what's in frame now, but you will after about 2 camera jumps and it will change the way you fly and take your attention. It just happens, whether you want it to or not. Dave
  24. pilotdave
    Yeah, custom function 2 on the 400D. Dave
  25. pilotdave
    Does the 10D have long exposure noise reduction? Doesn't seem to help THAT much on the 400D, but it does help. Dave