Bill_K

Thanks DSE, there are a couple of guys at my DZ that use Mac's and want to switch to CX-100's, but due to the issues we've had with my files have waited. What should I tell them, how would they be able to convert these files as part of their work flows on their mac's? In the future I'll convert files before giving them to them. I'm a big believer in SDHQ for normal tandem work. I just can't see shooting HD for normal every day jumps.

I don't use a Mac, but I do shoot with a CX100 and I shoot in SDHQ and from time to time give the MPG files to people with a Mac and I have been getting a lot of complaints that the video is either choppy or they can't work with it at all. I'm not 100% sure what version of MAC they are using though. Can you offer any advice on what I should tell them so that they can use and edit these files? Each time I've given them to somebody they want to edit them. It's not just to watch. Thx, BK

Kewl, glad that I could help. You'll like the CX-100. It's a great camera.

I'm using the Raynox HD-3032PRO, 37mm, 0.3x and I set my canon 10-22mm lens to around 14mm and the two match up very nicely. Hope that helps, BK

520 0 0

BZZZ, wrong answer. But you have to make one yourself: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3291237;search_string=realpet;#3291237 - Petri OK.

There is a reason they don't have their face shields... it becomes very impractical. Want to keep it from fogging up on the plane, can't camera's are in the way. Want to open it up to clear your ears under canopy, can't cameras are in the way. I'm sure it can be done, but it's just not very common or practical.

Thanks for pointing that out. Probably not interested at this point, but video in general is probably headed that way. Any opinion on these laptops? For what it's worth, I'm using an HP very close to what you've got spec'd out and it's doing great so far. Not on Sony Vegas Pro yet, still on studio and we've probably edited 150-200 videos with it since getting it. It works pretty well all in all so far. The eSata is the bomb!! Super fast!!

Are you using soft links or hard links on your risers? On my old canopy, the slider grommets had dings and bumps and burrs on them. In talking to my rigger about them, he suggested switching to soft links, which I did. My reason for asking is that if your using hard links, and your grommets have some of those combined with an old line set, you could be getting more friction than you normally would and that could be contributing to it hanging up. As others have suggested, you really should look at finding a way to get the lines replaced. Ask around, you can probably get it done for more reasonably than you think. FAR cheaper than a new canopy and it goes without saying cheaper than your life! See if you can trade work with your DZO or do some extra packing or something. Take a few weeks off of jumping and send that budget to fund new lines. Your life is worth that.

Congrats Andy and gang, that's awesome!! Is there video online yet?

+ 1 on the external batter pack. An external battery pack will make a huge improvement in recycle time of the flash. This is the one that I use. Quantum Turbo 2x2. http://www.qtm.com/?page=3121&qmode=c I simply wear a weight vest under my jump suit and clip the battery pack to the front of the vest, zip the jumpsuit up over the battery, and run the cable up the neck of the jumpsuit and to the flash. The routing of the cable is such that if I ever have to cut away the helmet, the cable will pull easily out the top of the battery. Are these little battery packs really ~$400?!? At 3.5lb, I can understand why you where it on a vest. I may have to just stick with the flash and regular batt's for a while until I can make an upgrade like that.

Ah yes, I missed that part. I've been reading a ton on the strobist blog, I had no idea. I'm really thinking I just need to invest in the 580 and start playing anyway. Thanks Monkey, that made me laugh pretty good.

DSE, do you know anything about these. I just got a news letter from B&H and these where listed so I thought I'd ask. Thx, BK

Thanks, checking it out now.

Hey DSE, can you recommend some good reading on flash do's and don'ts? I really want to get that exact flash, but before I shell out the $$'s I want to do my home work and have a better understanding of how it works, how to make the best use of it, etc. I.e. I want to learn how to use it before I add one to my helmet and start jumping it.

Thank you for your post!! I was on a solo head down last weekend working on my body position, etc. I noticed that something did not feel right on my left side probably 25-30 seconds into it. Being solo I went to my belly and slowed down and took a look; sure enough my riser cover was flapping and my toggle starting to work loose. I ended the skydive early and had a little longer canopy ride. As soon as I felt it in free fall I thought of this thread, which I had just read like two days prior. Thank you for taking the time to post this, I don't know if my experience would have gotten worse or not, but thanks to you I had thought about it before hand and knew enough to get off my head and deal with it. So thank you again!

Awesome Matt, congrats!!

Thanks DSE, I'll convert them and give them to him this weekend.

he want's to edit the pieces together using iMovie.

Hello All, Hoping maybe one of you guys can help me out here. I shot a video of one of our TI's taking his brother-in-law on a tandem this past weekend. I just did it for slot and gave him the raw footage afterward. Turns out he uses a mac. I shot it with my CX-100, but I shot it in SDHQ, not HD. So I gave him the raw MPEG's and he can't use them. Is this normal? Is there something he can install or use to make use of these files? I believe he said that this was an older mac, not one of the newer ones. Thanks much, BK

i dont think an impact wrench should be used for that! LOL -

Had that problem when i first got it. took the plate off and used epoxy to fix it. havent had a problem since! 7 screws hold on that plate, super easy to fix. He actually pulled the nut through the plastic. I had read about you doing that and was going to try and fix it for him, until I saw that.

No problems. Just the door a little lose. I usually try to keep a back up camera if possible, but with these it seems like the only problem would be my fucking it up. Doing something stupid (dropping it, hitting it etc) or losing a helmet. So I will hold off on a back up. I can tell you from personal experience early on that provided the fall is not to far, a drop won't kill it either. I dropped mine onto the dinning room table, it then bounced off and hit the hardwood floor. When I first turned it on the focus was all wacky. I took the wide angle off, reset the manual and auto focus and put the wide angle on and have not had one single issue with it. I've been having the spare or no spare debate too. One of our other video flyers just had to send his back because he broke out the attachment point on the bottom of the camera. However his was caused by using a camera condom on every jump and he was always having to tighten it down to keep it from moving. As a result over about 3-4 months it broke that nut loose and finally gave out completely. I have a condom for mine too, but only use it when it's actually raining and I know that I'll probably have use of it.

I have around 100 tandem videos and a bunch of other wing suit, belly, free fly stuff on mine since May and like Free also don't have it in a box. So far the only thing that I've noticed is a few dings on my wide angle lens housing where it's been bumped on the door a time or two. My screen seems to be tight still. I do notice that the half moon plug where the hype eye D plugs in does seem a little loose now though. So far that is the only thing that I'm really keeping an eye on though. Are you having any issues with yours?

Thanks Dave