DSE

Canon's alleged new strategy... NAB is two weeks away. Wonder what they'll announce Moving to CMOS means they're catching up with the pro stuff again...

National Association of Broadcasters. NAB show in two weeks

OH MY GOD! THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING! USPA raised membership by $6.00!! If they ran the organization like a business, they could be like Ford, GM, Merrill Lynch, CompUSA, KMart...and other very intelligently run businesses that are now either going, gone, or being merged. Me? I'm willing to forego that Supersize McNugget meal just once this year to pay the extra $6.00. Where is this famous "black list?" I've heard so much about it, but yet to see it. Where can I find a list of dangerous instructors, dropzones, etc? I've got names to add if they're not already there. Is the USPA perfect? Not by any stretch. Show us any industry/lobby organization that is. USPA is solvent, and as a sport we still have a voice. That is important to me.

The suits don't take that long any more. The advice to wait is solid, IMO. As to the rest of your question; Having had/flown both, the Phantom and Phantom2 are significantly better suits (in my opinion). I flew a Firebird for a week, then borrowed one from a friend that he wanted to sell. Found a used Phantom at the same time. Flew both of them back to back. I bought the Phantom. IMO, the Phantom or the Thunderbird are the best suits in their class.

It makes no difference where the files reside. Whether they're on a desktop, on a card, or on a DVD, the files will go onto the timeline. The hint is in the error message "unsupported format" which signals a problem with the decoder.

wish I'd taken pix of all the new birds... Here is JP, who did three flights today and ordering his first wingsuit. Sorry Jarno, no trademarked image on this one, either.

If it's a cracked copy, it's unlikely that it will open the files because the MPEG decoder is a separate authorization. If it's a pirated copy, I can't help you anyway.

I would have no clue why without more information. have dropped MTS files on Vegas Movie Studio Platinum several times, no issues whatsoever. You're using a licensed version, right?

I don't have an MXV nor a Flatlock, and I don't use a neoprene boot on a CX100. That said... I wouldn't put anything beneath the CX100 (or any other camera) that isn't rigid. I can't imagine you could compress the neoprene enough to make it hold the camera tightly enough to prevent movement.

The demo was of a complete edit, not render to MPEG 2 for DVD, as that component will vary with machines. The demo was timed from the second the card was removed from the camera to the time a finished project was ready for render. Render speeds can be as fast or slow as your system allows. We go a lot faster than 3 mins. We can turn out a completed DVD with custom menus, titles, names, etc in less than 10 mins on the average machine.

if Mama is like most women, dig a little deeper in the closet. I'll bet there are at least 30 pair that haven't been worn more than once. Very nice! You're in the PAC ad! Can I have your autograph, please? Delivered in person, of course?

I know what the websites say. I know what my own experience is with color charts, resolution charts, and real-world use. Yes, there are UV filters that CAN degrade your image. Even with those, I challenge you to a comparison and tell me which of two photos has and has not a UV filter. Yes, it will create a flare at the appropriate angle. Some people like this effect. Some people encourage this effect. Making a blanket statement like "UV Filters degrade your image" is strong, and not necessarily correct. For the amount of degradation they do, most folks would prefer to protect their lens investment if they've got more than 50.00-100.00 in their glass. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Merely using a lens adapter degrades your image. Far moreso than does a UV or Sky filter. Using a lens adapter also can cause flaring (and given the lenses most skydivers seem to buy, it's quite common). CCD's cause flaring too. So, until someone builds a CMOS camera with a 15mm lens (35mm equivalent) video camera... many will rightfully continue to use a UV or Sky1A on the front of their camera. Me? I use an ND to accomplish the same thing. The shot that won Scotty Burns the USA Today contest had a Sky on the lens, the video that is #15 on CNN.com has a Sky on the lens, all of my skydiving footage has a filter on it. Photoshop degrades your images too. I've seen your photos that are heavily cropped. Cropping seriously degrades images. So does recompression. Virtually anything on the front of the actual camera lens, any electronic image processing in camera, and any post processing "degrades" the image. Me? I'd much rather "degrade" the image in glass than in post. Back to the OP. Opteka is a jobber that buys OEM product and stamps their name on it. Some of it's decent, some of it is not. I haven't jumped their lenses, but am very familiar with their flashes and photoframes. I'll look at their glass at NAB if you'd like.

You just hit the nail on the head!!! This post is nothing more, nothing less than a blog. A blog is an online diary. And...some folks enjoy reading those "diary" entries.

Evidence?

CCD is a sensor type. There are two in-use sensor types: CCD-charged couple device CMOS-complementary metal oxide semiconductor Mumbo jumbo is that while both were invented at the same time, CCD was higher quality in the past due to the power and light requirements of CMOS. In the past decade, the cost and techno leaps of CMOS not only can provide equal/superior image, but is less costly. CCD has reached the end of it's developmental life. CMOS is more or less at half-life. Your cell phone and computer likely have CMOS imagers/sensors. Some folks think 3 ccd or 3 cmos are better, and this used to be true. It no longer is. Most of the newer high end cameras are going to larger, single chip sensors. Has nothing to do with the TRV part of your question but we all know how I love to vomit techno-jargon.

Jason Carter over Dillingham Field/Skydive Hawaii this morning.

this one was too easy to answer...

Happy Birthday Betsy. I hope it's a good one, filled with old amber and a glass.

Start with the REVIEWS tab above. The rest of your question is actually pretty broad. Most of the gear made today is very good, budget makes a big difference to the answers, as does whether you're buying new or used. For a first rig and a newcomer to the sport, buying used is usually a prudent thing to consider.

Laszlo makes them.

I disagree. I've been told more than once that a heel/calf/thigh/butt, shoulder slide is "more likely" to break a femur. I'd like to see data to support this statement, I don't believe it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that a long "alternative landing plan" be added to the FJC. I am advocating a discussion of botched forward motion landings and how to best manage them. I don't believe a proper PLF is the answer. Then you and the military studies at the time (and more recent studies in 2003) would be in disagreement. "Straight down" is relative. I'll abandon the topic now. PLF's are apparently the only acceptable landing plan for a botched flare, downwind, collapse due to rotor, or any other landing problem. I disagree with that concept, but democracy and all that. I would like to see any advocate of PLF-only as being the only acceptable, jump off a moving truck bed in the "line of flight" instead of saying "he/she shoulda done this, that, and the other thing while doing their PLF..." Thank Kim, for bringing up a subject that we talk about quite a bit at our DZ. Questioning the norm is how we learn new things.

it's very easy to make a 2.5mm to AV/D adapter. It misses some of the prototcols, but it does turn on/off/start/stop record as it should. If you don't mind spending 50.00 for the connector from Sony, cutting it up, buying a 2.5mm female connector for around 3-5.00, soldering it on, and your time is worth nothing, then it'll save you around 40.00 buying a Hypeye that is pre-made, has a 90 degree turn in it, and a better overall switch (in addition to a number of other functions/features).

Vegas Pro will run on any laptop made in the last say....2-3 years. If it'll run XP or Vista, it'll run Vegas.

I don't know when it should be taught as I haven't given it that much thought. It's worth a discussion, IMO. Turning on an AAD isn't part of the FJC either, nor was understanding an RSL part of my FJC, As new equipment comes along, so must new methods or components of instruction. Anyone that believes that a "proper PLF" is the best answer to botched forward landings ought to jump off a truck and see how it works out for them.

Thre is no conversion time with Vegas. In fact, I often edit small things (like a skydive) directly from the card, as it saves me 30 seconds or so. Then I save the project with media, re-spending those 30 seconds. Just did that last night with several wingsuit skydives, because I only wanted the clouds, not people. Was easier to edit off the card.