Good DV camera for camera flying?

[kizza 0]

Hey guys, I am pretty new to skydiving so obviously jumping a camera is a long way off for me, but I do want to be able to do it one day.

Anyway, I'm totally into editing video and such, so I am thinking of purchasing a DV camera for reasons other than skydiving... uni etc. But I was hoping you could fill me in on what makes and models of DV cameras are good for camera flying, so that if and when I do get to that stage I will be able to use it for that too!

Thanks heaps

[alain 0]

it's been told many many times here, but once again:

all SONY PC's rules
(forget the other ones)

[PhreeZone 20]

Sony PC and TRV series are the only real options.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[pbla4024 0]

Sony PC (PC2, PC6, PC8, PC9, PC101) is standard at my DZ.

Fido

[Rainmagnet 0]

I was going to ask the same question, so would like to follow this thread. Are any of those models current? I am in the UK, so maybe the model numbers differ(?) but none of them are n the current Sony handycam catalog.

Also, I am a Mac user, so does anyone know if ay camera manufacturers are particularly suitable for use with Macs? Some of them seem to come supplied with PC only s/w.
Thanks

Mike

[alain 0]

the last sony PC series was PC-8 PC101 PC120
the new ones are PC-103 PC-105 PC-120 (so far)

all of them have a firewire IEEE1394 port that works fine with PC's and Mac

the PC-103 is only DV-out: you can copy from the camcorder onto the computer but not the other way, which is usefull if you want to archive your editing work on DV tapes

[chachi 0]

I believe the PC series is now over priced for someone getting into camera flying. The new TRV 19, 22. 33 are not only perfectly adequate with all ports ie, IEEE, Lanc, memory stick, they are also the same size pretty much as PC 101, 5 etc, they fit on a side mount helmet. They are also about 700+ CDN cheaper, I am not sure what the US dollar difference is but I am sure a big difference. Might want to investigate. I put this camera on my friends sidemount. it fits and weighs about the same.

~Chachi

[Rainmagnet 0]

"so far" huh..?
You know something we dont?


The 120 has higher res ccd, but also has stills capture etc which adds to the weight, so it looks to me like the 105 is best option..?

[pbla4024 0]

I got my PC101 one week ago for something about 1300$ (36 500 CZK), cause it is out of date model.

Fido

[alain 0]

Quote

"so far" huh..?
You know something we dont?

nope it's been arround for a while and will not for ever... just another 0.02 euro

Quote

...so it looks to me like the 105 is best option..?

as long as you can find the 101 it's the way to go: it's allready a proven skydiving resistant tool, it will do the same job as the 105, for less money and with a better battery in the roiginal package: you can't go wrong with one of those...

[kizza 0]

sweet. thanks for the advice guys :)

[Rainmagnet 0]

OK, so now Im looking for a pc101. Can anyone tell me what is the actual difference between digital cameras in different countries.

I know UK = PAL, USA = NTSC, France = SECAM, etc etc, but I have seen French guys use the camers in the UK and vice-versa, so at what point does the encoding method become a problem?

I am asking because I see a lot more cameras for sale in the USA (and mostly cheaper than in UK), but dont know what kind of problems I may be buying myself into.

Thanks

[Gadget 0]

In france it isn't secam but it is pal/secam.That's why the frence can use them in the uk.But you can't use a NTSC camera as the americans are in the uk and europe.It 's an other system with more or less lines.

If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes???
My logbook

[nacmacfeegle 0]

More or less right Gadget, PAL and SECAM are kinda compatible, for our purposes they are comp.
NTSC is not compatible with PAL or SECAM.
NTSC has a different frame rate (number of pictures per second) NTSC has 30-ish frames per second, PAL has 25.
You can still get PAL cams from the US, but you will have to order them specifically as such.
You can buy dual standard TVs and VCRs, most modern European equipment is now dual standard.
Cameras are a different issue though, and firewire transfers are possible, but not always successful.

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[Rainmagnet 0]

OK. Thanks guys, I think thats all I need to know (except which helmet to buy!).

next topic...
:)

Mike

[Gadget 0]

So i stand corrected again.

If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes???
My logbook

[alain 0]

if you use a PAL camcorder on a secam tv set, you will kinda get the pictures and sound but not the colors.
any camcorder sold in France is PAL (same as the rest of europe) and most of the tv set and video recorder are compliant with both PAL and Secam.
Secam was another wierd French stuff back in the end of 70' : no one cares for it anymore...

[nacmacfeegle 0]

No biggie Gadget, its all good.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson