Laszloimage

Jump, collect money, being happy... ...my next action series will be when I'm at the bar picking up girls -Laszlo-

Yes, that's what I do when I need it. I convert my RAW's with various exposure level and then apply HDR. It works pretty good for me most of the time. But I know lot of the softwares out there don't even have the capability for HDR. I use ULEAD's Photoimpact 10 (less than $100!!!) which has the HDR feature, I would say this application just as good and powerfull as PS CS. -Laszlo-

The DZ's where I work the waiver has a Model Release section too. So everybody who makes a jump (including fun jumpers) basically agreeing that their faces can be used anywhere by the DZ or the photographer wheter it's a video or a photo taken at DZ. But the video or photo taken home by tandems or anyone shouldn't be used else where, deffinetly not for advertisment without the permission of the photographer! -Laszlo-

I'll post a picture of the modified camera too, I was just lazy to take one. The intention of this camera of is not quality, it's a super light weight, but still providing descent shots. The 4oz becomes very nice when you have to make 40-50 tandem videos per week. I wish I had something like this when I started, now I wouldn't have any neck problems for sure. ...of courseI have a 5D and some nice glasses for real photography too. Tandem is a mass production. They get what they really pay for. So far obody actually complained about quality issues against my Elph which I've been using for over 3yrs. -Laszlo-

Fianally... I've succesesfully modified a Kodak V-570 point and shoot digital camera. It works with a bite switch with no problem. It can take 30-35 pictures during a skydive at 5MP resolution. The angle of view is 23mm in 35mm format (it's wider than my XT with the 15mm lens!!! 15x1.6=24). The whole thing is the size of the cigarette box and weights 4oz. I tetsed it yesterday while I was doing a tandem and took pictures of my camarea chick Carol Sternberg. The conditions were terible, which was perfect to do the test. Wet, dark, and big change in temperature very fast. The camera functioned and performed well. Now the question is: Will the camera work for a few houndred jumps? Please check out the attached pictures! -Laszlo-

Phil, I've been editing some videos for someone else using the HC-3 and my linear system. Of course I noticed the same exact issue when the video was recorded in HDV format. But when the footage was recorded in regular DV format (changed i n the menu) the HC-3 workt just like any other SONY Mini DV cam. But the quality was unbelievable. At normal day light the image from the HC-3's CMOS sensor was competing with my VX-2000's 3CCD! ...I don't know about the A1U but I would try use it in regular DV mode for tandems if you want to maitain the good old linear work flow. -Laszlo-

Thank you StratoStar and DSE to mention me. Yes I'm using a Canon Elph LT (only 4oz!!!). I can make the modification. This model uses APS film which is is more expensive but I found some cheap stuff online for $1.25 per roll. (have to buy 20 or more...) The 23mm lens provides a view as 28mm in the 35mm format. I've been ( so as lot of others) using mine for 3yrs without any problem. I currently working and experimenting with a similar size and weight digital poin-shoot camera (5Mp by Kodak). I'll let you guys know if it works... If anyone interested about the Canon Elph mod. please PM to me. Thanks! -Laszlo-

Very nice colors!

Check out the very bottom of this page: http://ranchproshop.com/accessories.php?brand=26 The XTi uses 2.5mm stereo plug -Laszlo-

The AF is based on contrast. If the light is to low there isn't too much contarst just dark spots in the picture so AF becomes more difficult. It also occures when you try to AF to a long distance towards brighter back ground which becomes the dominant light in your picture with out to much contrast. If the subject fills out the screen (and lit properly) and the camera doesn't shake too much the AF will be achived faster. HD vs SD AF more difficult due to the lot higher res. Higher definition has less tolarance of "softness" it requires a lot more accurate AF to get a sharp image. So it takes a bit longer to the camera's "computer" to figure it out while it receives1080 lines vs 480 (530 in PAL) 30 (25 in PAL) times in a second If I said anything stupid guys please correct me. -Laszlo-

I'm using the same flash but most of the time I set the falsh pwr manually. I wouldn't worry about the IR. I tried the ETTL as well, it works fine, but I still prefer the manual settings. -Laszlo- check out my site for the pics I took with 580EX (photos dated after Jan 5th 2006) www.laszloimage.com

Some TI's have no problem to work with the camera man, others really have to work just to survive the landing... As a video dude you could make a suggestion, but you always have to rember the reason you're shooting the video because the student wants it and the TI's is doing the actual job. In the other hand unfortunately there are TI's with lots of jumps but still not capable to work with the camera man. (It's just like some people have more tallent to play music than others). ...yeh I'm not happy when I have to film a "not tallented" Normally some information exchange improves the situation. Personally I have plenty of expirince being both sides of the video camera, so I don't have a problem to find my camera person wheter it's the exit or the landing. -Laszlo-

You see...? that's why I said "if it stays on the market" This is just crazy. They never fully develop a certain system and they come out with something even newer. Last week luckily I had to shoot video for TV (paid a bit more than an avarage TM vid.) and they wanted 1080i format (they din't care HDV or another format as long as it was 1080 res). But I still not gonna buy an HD camera because as DSE posted now they coming out something even newer. If I had a chance to make real money with my gear (which means outside of skydiving) I wouldn't be worried if I had to buy new cameras within a year or two since I would make that $ back. To keep up with is extremly fast technological chenges and working at the DZ isn't easy... -Laszlo-

Well, solid state HD recording is existing for awhile now. But it's kinda too big for side mount. It's OK for top mount though [/url]http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=1881&A=details&Q=&sku=381410&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation[url] A mini DV tape is approx 12GB of data, so an 8GB card should be OK for 40min of HDV (the format of the HC5 or HC7) DSE knows it better but I'm pretty sure it'll happen sooner or later. When BluRay gets lot cheaper (and if it stays on the market) could be a descent option to store data since it has 50GB of space. -Laszlo-

…yes it would be a nice costumer service to replace those videos. But why should be that our responsibility? If you lose your cell phone because you were so drunk a night before will your provider replace it? Hell no, you’ll need to buy a new one. I always encourage them to make a copy or two of their videos (DVDs) just in case. Sorry it was abit off the subject -Laszlo-

Rule #1 is never trust in anyone. You should always keep everybody in your view. (at least if you film 3-way) The other thing is normally the camera guy pulls in place right at the break off, so you should have had at least some vertical separation (unless if you have to cutaway…). Shooting the jumpers “turn and track” is lot easier if you plan it with them, and the separation happens a bit higher than normal allowing you to get away from them safely. With lower experienced jumpers (like the video shows) the planning is lot harder, they have a good tendency to get lower or forget about the plan. You always have to be prepared for that to and abort your plan to take a cool shot and start to save your own butt. It’s always better to be disappointed and not having “THE SHOT” than get hurt. -Laszlo- ps. I wish you had that canopy played in slow motion. Yes I agree that was close.

Thank you Chucky! Yes Marius come and bought a 13x19 print. I didn't even have to chase him around the DZ... -Laszlo-

Thanks man! ...did you mean like girls??? anyway it was the 3rd attempt for this practicular one. -Laszlo-

Some "Old School" stuff... accuracy. By the way everybody should learn accuracy, it would improve the terrible canopy skills what we see these days. Learn to walk before you run! The dude in the pictue is Marius Ivascu -Laszlo- www.laszloimage.com

The exposure setting depends on the light, so I normally take practie shots on the ground before I jump. During sunsets I take shoths through the window to check the exposure. In this practicular photo I set my camera to 1/250 shutter and f9 and 1/2+1/3 power on my 580EX at 14mm coverage. I had a same problem before the flash didn't recycle quick enough. Check your batteries! I got screwed too once or twice because of the batteries. Right now I'm using rechargeable Duracell NiMH 2650 mAh. With these my 580 should recycle 1-1.5 sec at half power, and 2-3sec at full power. If it gets too cold out there could add up an extra second. -Laszlo-

AFF over Skydive City. Canon 5D, Sigma 15mm, and Canon 580EX flash. Full manual settings. -Laszlo- www.laszloimage.com

Some pictures to compare... Here's one picture with the Canon 14mm L ($1700) and Canon Rebel XT camera, another with the same camera and the Sigma 15mm fish eye ($370 at the time when I bought it), and one ore with the Sigma but combined with the 5D. We tested out some lenses and we had to conclude that the quality difference is pretty much the same between Sigma and Canon lenses. The advantage of the Canon is when you using full auto setting (AE and AF) in a low light or in a diffcult light condition it will perform slightly faster and more accuratelly. I've been using AF for the attached pictures but everything else was manual. As the images are showing the light is "pretty difficult" but since the exposure was set manually which means the apeture (affects on focusing) never changed made AF lot easier for the lenses. ...of course I use lot of manual focus too set based on the Depht of Field Calculator. -Laszlo- www.laszloimage.com

Once I lost a canopy bacause of the camera wing. I was sit flying whit my BEV SUIT while filming the tandem exit. As soon as the drouge was out I flipped back onto my belly. But while I was in the sit the air pushed the inside edge of the camera wing over the corner of my cut-away pillow, so when I turned on my belly as the wing was going back to the opposite direction it yanked out my handle. Of curse I didn't know about it until I deployed the main. First I thoght I had a pilot chute in tow and took 2-3 seconds to realize my cut-away handle was pulled already (luckilly I figured out pretty fast). So I had to deploy reserve (what I just packed a night before) in teminal speed with the camera gear on my head. I fixed the wing issue with an extra clip on each wing on the inside edge. They keep the wings close to my body, preventing them to go over my emergency handles when I'm in tha sit position. It could have been lot wors, It could have popped my reserve right into the face of the tandem pair. In the other hand it's very hard to do camera work without wings. I know a few tall skinny guys (like 6 feet plus and only 150-160lbs) they actually can fly without wings filming tandems. But flying in a burble of the 4-way for example everybody pretty much needs a wing. The best answer is to be aware of the extra risk of the camera wings, so that reduces the chances to make a mistake. Pull higher, have a hook knife or two, and ask others about their bad stories and not to repeat them. -Laszlo-

I agree what you said about the RSL. Also you have to become a "dirty high puller". While you shooting the video you have to be altitude aware. It will happen the Tandem will “smoke it down” or the AFF gets into a trouble at pull time and get low. In situations like those you have to realize what’s going on, get away and deploy high. Personally my bottom end is 4,000feet. It happened a few times I was open higher than the tandem I was filming. “I getting paid until 4 grand” I always say… So you have to calculate it every jump to be able to pull no lower than your hard deck. For example my TimeOut is set to 5,500feet when I film tandem, if no pull was initiated by 5,000 (3sec later) I start tracking away and get my pilot chute out by 4,000. There’s no such rule I or any other camera person have to video the TM deployment! That’s only a cool option. The other safety features are AAD, hook knife, good free fly friendly rig, common sense (hard to explain...), knowing your own limitations, and taking constructive criticism from others. Editing… I see lot of the guys talking about computer editing their TM/AFF videos on a computer. The only problem with that is the time. Some busy DZ’s you have to come up with the product within 20 minutes (personally I even pack for my self too). Other places mailing out their videos a few days later when definitely there’s a time for computer editing. You mentioned you’re in school and they have Final Cut Pro but you don’t have a money to buy your own. Actually as a student you should be able to buy an “academic version” for the small fraction of the retail price (I did it with AVID stuff). …just make sure you don’t start to use it for major production, so you won’t bump into legal issues. Or get a different, cheaper, but still very powerful software. DSE is the real man to take advise from this field anyway. -Laszlo-

DSE explained pretty much of it…. In addition I would say turn on the marker on your camera’s display. It should be in the menu somewhere. This one has a few options. Select the one where your camera records 16:9 but puts a 4:3 marker (normally a white frame) to your display. When you shoot your video make sure your framing of your subject stays within the 4:3 marker. When you display your 16:9 footage on a 4:3 screen make sure the video gets cropped and not squeezed (looks funny). Of course in freefall you won’t be able to see any of your camera display. So my advice practice on the ground a bit and develop the “FEEL” to keep your subject within the 4:3 margin. But again as DSE said already the bottom end is very soon 16:9 will became the everyday standard, so I would keep shooting in wide format. -Laszlo- www.laszloimage.com