AS1

No single helmet is going to suit everyone, I don't anticipate changing my camera for some considerable time so I'm ok with having a specific helmet. I guess if you go through a lot of cameras and keep up to date with the latest it wouldn't suit. As for riser slap, is this a problem with the FF2? None of the reviews in the gear section mention this. The new one is only 12mm wider than the existing FF2. From what I've seen (the parts, but not assembled) I'm confident it should be possible to access the screen and output ports by opening the cover without disturbing the camera. I'll update when I know more.

There have been a few threads regarding sidemounting an HC5. I've been talking with 2K Composites and there is a solution on the way. The FF2 helmet has been modified to take the camera sidemounted leaving the top for stills if necessary. Although the HC5 is obviously wider than the PC series 2K have found a way to mount it which makes the new helmet only 12mm wider than the current FF2. The new one is to be called an FF3 (I think) and has a bungee rather than screw opening for the cover. Please bear in mind that I haven't seen the completed helmet in the flesh yet. I'll post photos and update when I have more info. I just thought anyone considering a new helmet might want to know this is coming soon.

***"We all know of instances where a video person has untangled a drogue bridle which had snagged on the tandem pair... in one case , I believe wrapping around the TM's neck....*** I don't shoot camera but by coincidence I was putting my first jump video onto DVD this morning and after it I found footage of the neck entanglement. I think it was 1990 (possibly 1991) and happenened in Sibson, UK. The drogue was entangled with the TMs neck on deployment and they went into a spin on their side, the TM blacked out. The CCI was filming camera and after a few attempts flew in and pulled the reserve. The TM woke up under canopy and landed uneventfully. The footage I have comes from Anglia TVs news. I can try to upload it if anyone is really interested. Some superb British understatement in the interviews. (he woke up under canopy feeling "a tad under par...") As I said I can't offer an opinion to the original question but thought this might help the debate. Oh yeah, everone had really bad hair seventeen years ago...

Different department. Armed Response is one thing, Static Protection another.

Statistics can be misleading but here one that might suprise our American friends Even the armed response officers in the UK are not routinely armed. They patrol in an unarmed capacity with weapons locked in the car and arm if an incident warrants it. Levels of authority have to be sought before they arm unless there is an immediate threat to life. How often are they armed? 7% of the time. So even officers with guns don't need them 93% of the time. (Thames Valley Police statistics) You REALLY can't compare the UK to the US.

Oh, and that is how gun crime is, huh, growind?? I am so confused Sorry to have confused you. Gun crime in growing for a number of very complex reasons including having porous borders with no effective control and a rise in drug related crime. If you want to massively over simplify the discussion of UK crime to "Gun crime is growing so we should all be armed" you need to spend more time in the UK. An small increase in a very small number of crimes is still a low figure. Of course I haven't seem all the guns in the US. In the same way that you have a twisted view on the UK I am happy to admit I don't have all (or even most) of the facts about the US. That was the point of my post. Americans cannot use their position to pass judgement on the position in the UK. Apples and Oranges.

How many times do we go round and round this arguement. Talk about two nations divided by a single language. In the UK we have and need gun control. Gun crime is rare (but growing). We have a culture of gun control. Very few people own guns. Very few criminals have guns. Very few police have guns. (Before we brits get all smug remember our knife crime rate is worse.) I've only visited the US occasionally but it seems that there are so many guns out there and the level of gun crime is so high that some people need the security of gun ownership. Seems reasonable. It also appears that with the sheer quantity of guns in the public domain any attempt at banning them would not remove them from criminal hands. You can't put the genie back in the bottle. It never got that bad in the UK before they were banned. It's worth bearing in mind that Hungerford in the 80s and Dunblane in the 90s were both atrocities committed with legally held weapons. Both led to control (semi automatic and assault rifles and handguns respectively).

Quote "The thing is, as a rookie myself it is very difficult to talk to more expierienced jumpers with criticism. I found mostly they will ignore you based on the fact that they have more jumps than you." I don't see the difference between 80 jumps and 150 jumps as that significant. Experience is what you know not how many jumps it took you to learn it. You are obviously more experienced than him in this respect. In my opinion you owe it to everyone to have a word. If you don't and he thinks his behaviour is acceptable he may do it again. If he puts someone else at risk (or God forbid worse) how will you feel? If he won't listen simply because he has 70 more jumps than you then I'd discuss it with an instructor at the DZ. If he still won't listen I wouldn't jump with him again. I have similar jump numbers to you both. I know its been said before but - plan the dive, dive the plan. When jumping with others with similar numbers to me we also have a "what do we do if someone";- goes low, floats, can't be seen at break off, etc etc etc. We try to think of all contingencies we can and plan for them. Egos and complacency. Get you killed one day.

That was the one, I spoke to the bloke he said he was after £350ish (I offered that up front but he wouldn't take it off ebay.) He must be delighted!

Still looking... An 18month old pc1000 just went for £620 sterling on ebay. Are they really worth that much?

Fair enough. Just searched the forums for "top or side mount" and the consensus seem to be side mount for casual use and top for pros. I guess this is starting to change now sony don't make side mountable cameras.

Maybe I didn't explain this properly, I need a camera for family reasons soon and I want to buy one that I can jump with when appropriate. I don't want to shell out a load of money on a camera and find in six months or a year that I can't jump with it. I've read the very valid reasons why I shouldn't jump one early. In the UK you need a C licence and the approval of the DZs CCI so there is no chance I will jump one with 130 jumps or so. So back to the point, If there are no safe side mounts out there new I'll have to get a used one. The Sony PC series seems to have a very confusing model line up. Could someone rate them in order of preference? ie is a PC1000 better or worse than a PC350 or PC109 or whatever. I know this might be asking a bit much but at least I'll have a shortlist for ebay. Many thanks to everyone so far, Its really good to have such a wealth of information / experience out there.

I appreciate the answer and agree with you but I need one relatively soon for non skydiving reasons (children) and there doesn't seem to be much point in buying one that's unsuitable.

I'm considering getting a camera in the next few months. Sony seems to be the consensus but which one? I know this question gets asked all the time but I've tried searching the forums and have been paying attention to new posts for a while. The more I read the more confusing it gets. Specs seem to change fast and the latest greatest develops problems so historical stuff is not that helpful. Thanks if you are still reading. Is there a camera out there I can:- 1. Buy new. 2. Side mount. 3. Use for recording stuff for my own amusement while I'm learning. 4. Still be good enough to use if I get more serious about camera work? 5. Is there any technology coming up in the next few months it would be worth waiting for? Thanks again.

Brilliant. Cheap stereotypes are no substitute for intelligent discourse. Sorry to offend your delicate sensibilities. How about answering the first question? (you own a cardigan don't you...)

How do skydivers reconcile saving the planet with causing aviation pollution for fun? I say sod it, ignore the cardigan wearing environmental anti SUV eco-nazi knit-your-own-yoghurt types. This is too much fun to worry about something as trivial as the planet.

Sounds familiar to me. 16 years ago I was on my 13th jump, 5 sec delay, round canopy, having gone through S/L system. A few months since 12th jump. Got to altitude, looked out, bit hazy, bottled it, landed in plane. On the ground got chewed out by JM. Total bollocking. I thought f**k this, I'm not in the army I'm a paying customer and left feeling totally unsupported. It took me FIFTTEN YEARS to get around to my next jump. My only regret is that I lost all this time to a sport I love through understandable feelings of fear and an arsehole JM. (I did loads of other fun stuff in the meanwhile though) You only live once.

A week should be enough to increase the limit on your credit card...