DSE

A while back, I saw an ad for a Rigger's power tool, can't find it in Search or looking through old posts and ads. Anyone got a link/contact?

They can indeed (and often do) purchase exclusive rights to a specific piece of video footage and/or photographs of the event. Why do you think paparazzi chase stars around so much? That's just one particular example. As the copyright holder of any media, you can decide to sell exclusively, sell in quantity, license for a limited period, or mix n' match. It all depends on the marketability and entertainment/informational value of your footage/content. Parachutist demands exclusivity as part of their deal. Photographers (I thought) knew this, as it's spelled out pretty cleary in their communications. And, it's very common in the professional world to demand exclusive. There is the news, and then there is the photographer's viewpoint of the news. News can't be copyrighted. Visual representations of the news can. Specific quotes regarding news events can be copyrighted as well.

That defining event that you wish you had your camera for - who knows what it will be, or when it will occur, but Fate's tangled skein has you destined for something interesting, so you had better be prepared to document it. Otherwise, you might look the fool. Quoted straight from the camera page... "Fate's tangled skein" would very much be around your camera mount in a bad deployment. Add to that the fact that it's terrible resolution with a crappy mjpeg codec that is difficult to edit, it's $100.00 of junk, unless you're wanting to put it on YouTube and nowhere else. On a television it's horrible. And everyone else mentioned the distraction. You fly differently when you wear a camera, especially in the early jumps. It's unfortunate, but it's natural, IMO

Trunk probably has a more solid answer, but getting LANC-like control via USB isn't all that easy. Even then, with the USB connection where it is, how would you get it to function efficiently?

I know one person with 4800 jumps, no cutaways. Another that has 2100+ jumps, no cutaway. Me...only 500 and no cutaways. Have had one that I was tempted to chop and should have, but I did land it OK, even w/two broken lines and a nasty tear in the topskin (that I couldn't see while under canopy. I'm very tempted to take a tertiary harness and do an intentional. Personally, I think they should be required for one of the higher ratings, such as a C or D license (a cutaway, whether intentional or not). If you have to have one as a TM, why not one as a coach, AFFI, or other rating?

The practice isn't only for the benefit of the readers; there are some very difficult copyright issues that may present in the event of a photo being published in similar magazines/competing magazines. It's no different selling stringer vid to a broadcaster. Unless it's "wide" news, it goes to the highest bidder or first option and nowhere else. Dunno about the skydiving publications, but in the broadcast/production world, it's a good way to never be published again.

You're assuming all DZO's think this way; I don't believe that's a fair assessment. It's understood that in the tunnel it's different, more personal, and in some ways more valuable, but don't you think there are DZO's out there that would like to know what others are doing? I'd surely like to know. I'd love it if I (and our other AFFI's) could fly in the air anywhere near as well as most of the tunnel coaches I've seen in the tunnel. And be compensated for it.

You won't regret not having IS on a 200mm... Farther out, absolutely, but on this one, you'll probably be very happy w/it. I have a Nikon 80-200 used for a RedRock kit without IS, and don't miss it at all. However, on a longer lens, it is certainly desirable, IMO. I'd rather have the insurance/warranty.

There are still course directors who will let you write a check for your ratings and same for renewals. It all in who you know. Please tell me who those people are. I've spend a couple hundred bucks on pre-course training dives with a course evaluator just to raise my awareness of the various circumstances that might be placed before me. On the flip side, as a video guy, I recently went out on a release dive where the student was causing the spin. Jumpmaster reversed his grip, it stopped the spin, he took back original grip. He was mismatched for her, he knew that going in and bulked up. When he released her, he sank. I watched him try everything to get up to her, but couldn't. He burbled her to drop her to his level. I thought it was an error on his part, til we examined the video. A student watching the vid exclaimed loudly that the student really screwed up flying over the instructor. Had I not known of it as a technique...I probably would have thought "how dumb of the instructor to fly directly beneath her." In other words, I realize you have a couple thousand jumps; but I watched a non-AFFI with a couple thousand jumps try telling the jumpmaster I was with, that he'd screwed up. The AFFI I was with has around 6000 skydives, of which at least 40% are AFF dives. BTW, when he debriefed the dive with me privately, he explained why, how, and when (if ever) that particular technique should be considered. In nearly 100 AFF videos, I'd never seen this used. However...if I can forego the education I'm getting, screw the training, I'd be happier to "buy" my AFF I rating.

Ding Ding Ding.... Best question ever. This is my primary issue with P2... What do you store on....for me, the answer is currently storing on cheap "MY BOOK" HDD devices, and ultimate, on BD disc for backup. In the long run, this is a MUCH cheaper alternative, but it requires attention to detail. Two cases of tape cost 150.00, but the HDD system will store 8 cases of tape and costs the same. But tape can always be pulled off the shelf. And tape doesn't crash.

nothing wrong with the 20 mins, most of that is render time, yes? The one advantage Vegas has (IMO) over any app, is that you can run simultaneous copies of the app at once, therefore capturing in one instance, editing in another, rendering in a third. On our desktops at the office, it's not uncommon to have 5-6 instances open at once, performing various tasks. During trade events, I'll occasionally show off by opening up to 12 instances of the app. In the "real world" this doesn't work, unless you've got a quad dual core, but it's fun nonetheless.

And how much time is added with the capture and why/how is that about to go away? ... Capture time is about to go away, because of direct to stick, so rather than running a tape to your vid guy or capturing, you'll simply transfer. It's about 20% of real time. AVCHD ain't ready for primetime yet, unless you've got a BEAST of a machine. By November, it will be ready for prosumer use. Bear in mind as I said before, I've got most of the vid laid out in advance. I just need to change title names. In other words, it takes some pre-production setup. Sometimes I'll do something special (birthday overlay, etc) and those add a coupla minutes. I have a small library of graphics for birthdays, anniversaries, and leaving on a Mormon mission (those are popular reasons to jump here). But I don't have a template for those kinds of vids. With ripple enabled, you simply cut the chunks you don't want, stretch the ones you want slowed down/sped up, and everything stays relative. It's usually a total of 8 cuts/edits. I do it with a keypad, but you can do it just as fast with a mouse. ~extra crap at head of interview ~slow walkup ~cut extra crap before/after an alti shot ~cut extra crap before exit, after deploymentd ~duplicate/slomo exit/deployment Done. So, say seven mins of footage, it takes three mins to edit, that's approx 10 minutes to finished product. Takes about 4 mins to render, and deliver to student. Shorter vid takes less time. If I don't duplicate/slo-mo/color correct, even less render time, but very litte is taken off of the edit time. Using VB-based scripting, a lot is automated. I use a template builder found in "Ultimate S", which is a scripting tool/macro monster for Sony Vegas Pro.

Yesterday I made 13 camera jumps, edited all 13 of them in less time than any other camera guy. It's all about; a-having an intelligent, thought out workflow b-having a reasonably fast computer (I use a laptop, 1.83Mhz and/or a MacBook Pro) c-having some media prepped in advance. My DVDs for instance, not only include approx 7 mins of tandem vid, but also a reel of skydiving footage that encourages a T2, has AFF information, and some fun footage of various activities. TRT is 16-20 mins depending on what I shot on the ground. I use Sony Vegas, and have several templates laid out. Other than capture time (which is about to go away soon), I take approx 3 mins per video. Music is already laid in, it just needs to be rippled. Titles are already laid in, the name just needs to be changed. Transitions are already in place, length only has to be specified. My workflow? Finish ground/post jump interview. Drop gear on packing mat Go straight to computer, start capture. This takes 5-7 mins because it's real time. Put CF card in reader, start CD burn during capture. Now I go pack. By the time I'm putting my canopy in the bag, capture is usually complete, so I set my locking stoes, then walk over to computer, edit/tweak, then set to render to MPEG. Render to MPEG and AC3 is a one-button push, takes about 2-3 mins to render, so it gives me plenty of time to finish packing, but it doesn't matter much if I do or don't. I use DVD Architect, and have 10 pre-made menus that are pre-linked to my "extras" video. Drop a DVD in the burner (have to remove the stills CD that is already finished), and press "burn DVD." Finish packing if I didn't already do so. All that said, I do have two rigs, and occasionally have a packer (I only allow one particular person to pack for me) that helps me on days where I've got 13 vids. 14 vids if you count a fun jump at the end of the day in which I wore a camera and captured the event without making a DVD for the group. Today, I made eight camera jumps, every customer walked away with their video in hand. Additionally, Vegas allows me to capture one vid while editing another, and stll have a DVD burning while I'm capturing and editing. It *can* be done, and is done. In closing, bear in mind that I edit more or less full time 5 days a week, too. But I also put stuff in my video that you *can't* do with linear editing, such as repeating the exit with flash transitions, second exit shot at 40% speed, repeat deployment with transitions, deployment set to 40% of speed, plus at least one highlight of the jump, replayed at 40% of speed.

Dude, you can still buy horses if you search hard enough. I'm going to buy like 10 and stock up. Can't wait to see you in the air with that, Matt!

Their customer service has a lot to be desired. I sent a pair in for repair, it's been so long with no reply, correspondence, or acknowledgement from them that I simply bought a new pair. Buy em' from PD, at least that way you'll get good customer service.

Now that the horse era is over, what are you going to do? Kodak recently announced the death of several of their film stocks too. Hollywood is going digital. Norm Kent, Joe Jennings, Tom Sanders...all have been jumping HD for over two years. I can see how those with helmets made for a specific camera might be unhappy, but time marches on. Better pictures, lighter camcorders, faster transfers, NLE systems. It's all good, IMO. Everyone loves progress, it's change that they seem to resist.

If you deffo want to learnt o skydive then go straight into AFF. I didn;t even do a tandem before going into it since i knew i wanted to learn. However if you're still unsure do another tandem but don't be fooled into thinking you'll learn anything from the tandem which will help u in AFF. AFF you are in control, tandem you are a passenger. Tim Maybe at your DZ. At ours, a T2 jump involves the student learning turns, altitude awareness, responding to the AFF hand signals, forward movement, and deploying the parachute. Additionally, canopy control is discussed while under canopy, and the student controls the canopy for almost the entire T2 skydive (at our DZ). Some DZ's require a second tandem before beginning AFF. Ours doesn't require it, but it sure is strongly recommended. Tandem, IMO, is the most effective means of teaching the first aspects of AFF.

how is that a clarification? You're moving too slow to pop it at 1k (decision) and moving too slow to pop it at 750. Either way, the Cypres isn't likely to fire if you have a low speed mal on a 1K "hop n' pop" emergency exit, right? So sounds like both you and Diablopilot are recommending that illusioneer deploy his main on a 1K emergency exit?

Jim Cox was a helluva guy, awesome photographer, and had done a tandem skydive. Was very sad to receive this phone call. He was an amazing portrait photographer/stills photographer, and loved flying nearly as much as he loved taking pix. He stayed "New York" even in Phx.

I received a $100.00 tip for video once, and when I went to split it with the TI, found that he'd received the same. My first tandem, I tipped $25.00. I've received a few $5.00 and $10.00 tips as a videographer. That said, no different than anywhere else, tips aren't expected but certainly very appreciated and gratefully accepted. If the TI makes you laugh, shows you a good time, and doesn't hit on your wife/girlfriend, at least buy him/her a cold soda.

Exiting from 1k, I going straight for the reserve. If your main has any snivel to it, you're screwed. If your main doesn't have snivel to it, you're still likely moving too slowly to pop a Cypres in the event of a mal. Even a high speed mal isn't going to give you much time to deploy your reserve by the time you figure it out. Remember that we fall 1000' in the first ten seconds. Your main is already going to open slowly due to the slow speed at which you exited. You *really* think that exiting at 1K and going for your main first is a good idea?

L&B simply has the best customer service anywhere I've experienced. Have had a couple products that have needed parts, repair, or replacement. In all cases, they've been immediate and super to deal with.

Really? I never would have known that. Thx for the info. I'm curious as to why someone would make such a video. Only Canon has interchangeable lenses on their consumer/prosumer camera. No one builds cheap lenses for the 1/2 and 2/3 cams AFAIK. Where could I see a copy of this glass comparison video? OEM product ranges from "absolute shit" to "reasonably good." A guy like you or I can't get access to high end OEM.

That statement makes no sense. I'm probably reading it wrong. BTW, Tamron isn't a bad lens at all once you get into the high end. Same with Sigma, once you're away from their bottom end lenses.

How do you block a username? I have someone constantly PM'ing me (23 today alone) that I'd *love* to block.