DSE

Yours is exactly like mine, almost to the point I'd think you stole it. Red tape and all. Guitar string and all..:-) Broomstick handle, red electricians tape, and a .22 guitar string.

you'd make a great DP.

I'm aware of that decoder, but many people on the CreativeCow and DVInfo.net have reported serious dropouts/artifacting with that particular decode. Have you tried it yet, or just read the wiki? I'd be curious to know if it works for you. Once I saw the reports, I walked away from it since I already have ElecardStudio anyway (it was required for the funky Panasonic SD1 encodes).

Question for both you and Freefalle, why not just destroy the mold so the shell is one piece? Obviously I've never made a helmet, but in seeing the process so far, not clear on why it must be cut apart?

Which part of it? You're dancing around the question like it's a dirty little secret which only you hold. Are you aware of what USPA is? The Federal Aviation Administration recognizes USPA's successful leadership role in the self-regulation of skydiving. The association represents skydivers before government, the public, and the aviation industry. USPA supports and promotes skydiving competition and provides recommendations for skydiving training and instructional rating programs. USPA-issued skydiving licenses are recognized internationally through the International Parachuting Commission of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, which oversees all air sports. Example please? Membership in USPA is $50.00, plus the one-time $20.00 fee for an "A" license. After that, nothing is requisite. If one wants to move on and earn other ratings, there is the same $20.00 fee, but that's a prerogative. USPA may not be perfect, but the alternative is disconcerting. APF isn't any more perfect, I'm not a member of the CSPA, but my limited experiences with CSPA and their dropzones haven't shown me anything better, and the same can be said for when I've jumped in Europe. They're primarily a lobby organization that represents skydiving interests. In that mission, can anyone say they're not successful?

I had done the same, but found I was still missing one or two exit shots in the sequence. What sucked is that the quality of the shot would always have been awesome, had it been in focus. The crappy shots are always in focus.

I missed a lot of exits with the XT and autofocus, but have been using autofocus on the 40D, and pretty much kept it there. Haven't missed one, and I can't recall any out of focus shots so far. In other words, the way the various camera bodies measure focus will play a role in how you shoot.

Elecard. For the time being, that's the main/best solution for working within Premiere. You'll see an update shortly from Adobe that'll fix your problem. You've got an MTS reader on your system that Premiere is seeing; be happy you're even seeing video.

I really like a shallow DOF if I'm shooting with mountains in the background, as it causes the subject to really pop. If the sky is your background, ffff...don't worry at all about a shallow DOF. Shallow DOF is tough to achieve with really wide lenses and much distance between yourself and your subject. Great for shooting objects in the bar though.

Quite the opposite, actually.

I'm a loser AND a triple-digit midget. Wow...maybe I should walk away now, cuz I'll never catch up to you, JT.

if it's a bright sunny day, I'll often white balance on light blue. that does more than you'd think.

I assume you meant "consensus." What is "middle of the road about my comment?" Same question as before, do you understand what a lobby does/is? The concept is not at all complex. Since the beginning of time, a large body seeks representation and leadership.

Fast shutter speeds. Read Laszlo's excellent article in this month's Parachutist.

Major Matt Mason "action figures" with the moon walker. Really fun toys in a box of Cheerios (or other cereal) Remember those rubber-band windup snow mobiles, or the aircraft carrier that really launched airplanes? Penny candy. Innocence.

I've had this shirt (different colors though) and the accompanying bumper sticker for about 3 years...and drive through the rez in Arizona and New Mexico regularly. What's your point?

.... unless said person is a cop. or a judge. or a politician. or employed by the BMV. or a driver's ed instructor. the list goes on. I don't understand your post. You're suggesting that police officers, politicians, judges are beyond the law? Quite the opposite, they're held to a higher standard. [edited to add=I feel the same expectations should be applied to anyone who is a representative of our sport, or representative of any body of individuals.[/edit] Here in our small town of 400, a police officer was relieved of duty after he took his 6 year old on an ATV ride without either of them wearing a helmet. The child was injured in a rollover, and the insurance company wouldn't pay all hospital bills because the child and parent were in violation of state law. The officer was initially suspended, but later lost his job. However, he did not lose his license to carry a weapon, and is therefore employable as a police officer elsewhere.

Dunno. Never seen it. Utah is a non-helmet law state, unless you're under 18. If you get caught not wearing a helmet under 18, you may lose your license. If the passenger is a child under 18, you might lose your license and be charged with reckless endangerment. Outside of that, the difference is that the tandem instructor is given the rating based on understanding and complying with manufacturer requirements, and as a member (and in this case a Board Member) of USPA, the TI also agrees to abide by the rules of the governing organization. The manufacturer and governing body says "no 12 year olds on a tandem skydive in the USA." Texas has helmet laws identical to Utah; it's illegal for someone under 18 to not be wearing a helmet on a motorcycle or ATV. So...little difference.

No, not saying that at all. Just saying it's an alternative to Sony. Sony has been developing MPEG encoders for 10+ years. This is Panasonic's first foray into MPEG. Which is odd...they've been very vocal and anti-MPEG for the past 10 years, anti-GOP, anti-1920HD...now all of a sudden, they've jumped on the MPEG/GOP/1920 bandwagon. Sony's picture is better. More saturated, less blocky, and (I believe) that Panasonic doesn't make DCT frames on a non-I frame block. This last sentence is entirely supposition pulled outta my backside, based on eyeballs, not frame examinations. Is this important? Kinda, but not really. Unless you're going from the sky to a bonfire in the same frame sequence.

I've shot with the SD5, not the SD3. The SD5 is mostly a repackaged SD1 with a better encoder and industry-standard file info. It could be easily used for skydiving as an alternative to the Sony CX7. The cards are more expensive, and still require drivers on your system, but that's a fairly insignificant point.

I don't wanna be their cheerleader, but to describe them as a "union gone bad?" Ridiculous. A good recent example is the a FSDO grounding an aircraft as the result of his interpretation of oxygen requirements on a skydiving aircraft. USPA was in immediate contact with the FAA. Do you think the FAA prefers hearing from 200 dropzone owners, 2000 skydivers, or two USPA representatives? Do you understand what a "lobby" does?

\ One thing you absolutely get, is a voice in Washington DC. Any time you have a large group of people, you're going to find an organizing body. That's Sociology 101. You might not like it, you might not agree with them, you might not appreciate anything they've done past/present/future, but they're gonna exist whether it's skydiving or insurance salesmen. I'm curious to understand the certainty that you'll never run into an obstacle of any kind wherein you might be required to pay for it. I'd give almost anything for that sort of self-confidence. In 35 years of driving, I've never once hit another vehicle. But I'm grateful for the insurance I have just in case it happens. USPA may not be perfect, and it surely has its flaws. On the other hand, I can't imagine a bigger mess than a bunch of skydivers attempting to police themselves on an individual basis, much less standing without an organized body in an FAA hearing.

I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. We're at opposite ends of the discussion, as I feel that if anything, the ringsight can eventually come off, not eventually be added. The ringsight absolutely is a safety hazard, no doubt. So is a camera of any kind. Especially sidemouns. Like anything else, it can be dealt with in a variety of methods, and can be effectively diminished as a hazard as well or better than any camera with a wide-angle lens, tucked corner, exposed excess chin-strap/ladder lock, flash mount, etc. Yes, you've got far more jumps than I've got. Conversely, I have a great deal of experience using these sights in ground work, and my instructors (two combined have more jumps than anyone alive) and those I've studied closely in the sport agree that a properly mounted, aimed, and implemented ringsight is essential unless you're flying 130 or greater lenses. Never have seen your work, it may be that you're at the level of a Tom, Norman, Mike, Joe, or a guy like Laszlo. All of them use a sight. Having jumped for several dozen jumps without a sight and using the paper asshole...I jump with a sight. That said, I'm sure you can teach me all sorts of things. Bottom line is "whatever works for ya" is whatever works for you.

As with many topics, I prefer to keep my opinion to myself on this one, but I've got to ask: What is illegal? I've gone over FAR section 105.45 several times and don't see anything regarding age in the regulations. Am I missing something? Bob Too many people mistakenly feel that the word "illegal" refers only to issues that a court may adjudicate. "Illegal" pertains equally to violation of rules within a specific organization. (FWIW, it's also a term we use in broadcast to describe color that goes beyond the NTSC standard.)

I'd have to debate your point to a degree, Dave. A concentric sight *does* provide distance info, and does help with framing more than a box drawn on a goggle. If the box on the goggle works for you, that's terrific. But if you're looking for very specific framing distances, the box drawn on the goggle can't help. The box on the goggle *does not* provide center of frame information that is legal/accurate at all distances. Parallax is different at close and far angles. A concentric can help you measure this, if you're into that sort of detail. Paper assholes, dots/boxes on goggles, popsicle sticks, bullseyes....they all work to get your subject in frame, and they work fine no matter what you're dealing with, until you want to be a photographer looking for specific measurements or length of angle. This doesn't just apply to skydiving, it applies to any shooting method without a sight window.