DSE

Sorta. All DVDs are "Blu-ray compliant" excepting HD DVD, which is exclusively Toshiba's format. The DVDs that the included burner burns are no different than the DVDs you burn in your desktop. My problem with the SDHC cards is that they require specific drivers. Not a problem if you only have one computer, but it becomes problematic if you go from place to place with your camcorder. The Panasonic also has a lower mean bitrate than the Sony, but it's not enough to cause anyone to see a huge difference, unless the image being recorded is a high-motion scene. The battery time you reference isn't actual, it's what the manufacturer *says* you can get. Wait'll you use it in real life. The required use of the LCD panel (due to the lack of EVF) eats batteries faster than the manufacturer suggests. They set battery life based on half-time use of the panel. Sorta like basing the life of a tire based on perfect road conditions. You'll like the SD5, we bought one as a test and crash cam. The two forces you can be sure of; ~solid state memory, HDD memory, or DVD recording on cameras are the future forever. ~HD is here for the next 8-10 years. IMO, buying anything but an HD camcorder today, is foolish.

For what it is, I'm a big fan of the CX7. Have several skydives with one. I'll have a couple of em' at Eloy next week for those that want to peek at one. A 16GB card (spendy right now) will hold 2.5 hours of HD in HQ, and over 6 hours of SD (think DV) quality vid in widescreen format. Cards might seem a PITA right now; get used to it. Tape-based camcorders are very much on their way out; No SD-based camcorder is being manufactured after the first of the year, and HDV has about 2 years of life as a manufactured model, perhaps less, depending on sell-through. CF, SDHC, and Memstick are the primary future for skydiving, and HDD/DVD drive for soccer moms/dads. I wrote a review for Studio Monthly, can be found HERE HTH

Thanks to all for the PM's, room managed, help was appreciated, 'specially from NWflyer and Monkeycndo. There are a few rooms still available during the boogie dates at Motel 6, RedRoof Inn in Eloy, and quite a few in Casa Grande if you don't mind a short drive.

Any reason this wouldn't be useful as a top plate? They sent me samples, and they are as sturdy as solid CF, but almost half the weight. Moreover, much easier to work with. But looking for a reason they wouldn't work. I've got the samples soaking in water overnight to see what happens (they claim "nothing adverse will happen." Care to comment?

Both Laszlo and I jump wider (not longer) plates. Bonehead doesn't offer them; you get to make your own. The Bonehead plate is longer, so it creates a shelf

FTP of course, with or without a wider plate.

Change of plans again....airlines aren't too cooperative. Arriving Friday/21, fairly late. Leaving around noon on the 2nd.

Which 1957 Gibson?

they're sold out for the duration. That was my second choice. Either way, we'll be there with lots of cams, lots of fun, and a smile. Looking forward to meeting so many of teh DZ.commers that will be there.

Any suggestions for lodgings? The two options I thought I had open to me are both no-go, and not finding much over the web.

he's in Utah. 3.2 beer.

Howzabout we keep this thread focused on lenses and bad sales deals, and start a new thread about jump numbers?

Well said. The internet *should* absolutely be a tool for drawing consensus, allowing bi-directional information flow, and moving the organization forward. And am willing to do my part whatever it might be, to assist to that end.

Why? No discrimination against Waycool or favorism towards Cookie, I'm just curious as to why you'd recommend Waycool over Cookie?

yes, but he wouldn't want to be mounting a 25mm thread on a 30mm thread lens. 30mm thread lens on a 25mm mount would be OK, however.

Well...the Cookie lens is a much more expensive lens, albeit not a zoom-thru. I'd probably try to sell it on DZ.com and buy a Cookie or Royal with a correct mount ring. or contact Cookie and tell your story. Maybe they can help. Or...just accept that you've got an overpriced wide angle lens on your camera; it might be a fun story to tell. I like telling a story about my $250.00 coffee mug.

Not sure what you'd like me to say....not a trade I would have made but if you like this glass better....doesn't matter what I think. FWIW, the lens you posted in image http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=93940; is a Tokina/Kenko, looks like the KUW 042 or the SGW05 (i'm almost certain it's the KUW 042). In either event, neither lens retails for more than $99.00. Kenko makes perhaps 30% of the various wides in the low end, under various names and OEM's. They have a "pro" series, but the lens you posted isn't one of them. Pretty wide for a beginning camera flyer, but if it suits your flying ability or what you're shooting (close in belly or freefly) then it works for you, yeah?

Ditto

I beg to differ. Getting a multicast stream from a single camera isn't remotely close to "a lot." I could tell you how to do it over the phone. The problem isn't getting the feed to the people, it's getting the "people" feed to the BOD in real time. That *could* be accomplished by having a specific text forum that would allow up to XXX subscribers to input questions and responses in real-time, and the BOD would need to have a text wrangler to weed the crap from the relevant messages in the text forum. You have a DV camcorder, you probably have a laptop, I'm certain they have a network connection that is at least 512Kpbs. That's *all* you need to stream it live, aside from a fixed domain presence, which can be temporarily used free of charge from places such as no-ip.com or dyndns.com. Edited to add: Jan, I own a couple of Play systems and a Tricaster with switcher. I'd be happy to send one of them to you. All you'd need is your camera and network connection, it's a one-two setup. And the Tricaster can set up a chat room for up to 100 participants.

my apologies to the OP.

That's *exactly* what they're claiming, yes. Of course, they also baptized Simon Wiesenthal, too! No matter the guy lived as a Jew, was famous for his dedication to his religion, and died as a Jew, buried in Israel...it wasn't good enough for the Mormons, so they baptized him into their church after he died. Difference being, it isn't LDS canon that Simon Wiesenthal came to them after his death begging to be baptized. Only the founding fathers did so, as referenced in the previous link. Hey! Here's a thought...maybe Simon Wiesenthal is endorsing Mitt Romney!

I don't disagree....to a point. >I really couldn't care less about a DZO writing off a trip as a business expense, it's *his* expense, not mine, yours, or USPA's. >No way could USPA afford to have a mult-point video conference with a camera at every DZ, let alone major DZ's feeing in. Not to mention the latent chaos. I can see a multi-user text input with a streamed cam from a BOD meeting, and agree that something of the sort would be most beneficial. I'm a big proponent of streaming media, but also am aware of the costs associated. Who pays those costs? (BTW, it's already been proposed that the BOD meetings are streamed unidirectionally on a multicast.) My regional rep is in Colorado. Who pays the costs associated with a few of us traveling to Colorado for our region? Right back to the point of "those who can afford to be involved are involved, those who can't afford it are excluded." Easy for those that live near their regional headquarters, not so easy for those of us that are 12 hours away. Since skydiving isn't my profession, I can't even write off the costs of attending. So it still ain't democracy at it's finest, internet or not. Just out of curiosity, how many letters have *you* sent to the USPA advocating a position/change?

I s'pose for those of us that don't have family outside the "wife and two kids," then the wife and two kids are "family." Easily interpreted in either direction.

Democracy works the same way; if you don't have time to get off work and vote...then of course those that do have the time are 'favored.' How would you restructure the organization so that everyone from the smallest DZ to the largest, most active DZ in the world has an equal voice? Seems everyone has a comment on what's broke, a few have solid comments on how to "fix it." and fewer still make any kind of commentary at all, thus assuring status quo. Little Red Hen?

I think it was the "As I can't stand to spend more than about 1 min with my "family the wife and 2 girls " comment that is "rather sad." You're right SonomaTommy....folks here don't know your family, so on the face of it, it's a pretty sad commentary. Just wait til the day your girls aren't around to be around... Either way...have a terrific holiday at the DZ. If ours wasn't under snow, I'd probably be there too.