flyinfree 0 #1 June 6, 2003 Just wondering what your opinions are on the best mini dv cam for skydiving that is out there. Getting ready to buy a new camera and just would like your input. blueskies flyinfree Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LouDiamond 1 #2 June 6, 2003 SONY, be it PC or TRV series. Anything else and you'll find yourself buying a SONY down the road."It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites flyinfree 0 #3 June 6, 2003 Looking at trv.. It is going to be mounted on a flat top narrow...best quality camera is what i am looking for, and any knowledge of upcoming releases that may be better Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #4 June 6, 2003 Define your terms. Best for; quality, size, price? I've already said a couple of times that I really like the value of the TRV19, but the lack of a couple of features is a turn off for some folks. The next model up, the TRV22, has most all of the bells and whistles that people want and is only $100 more. I'll probably pick up a TRV22 as my backup camera for this years Nationals. I was leaning toward a 19, but now I'm leaning toward the 22. As for quality of signal that actually comes off the tape, it's going to be very difficult to measure any difference through the entire line of single chip cameras from Sony. They all look pretty damn nice.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites flyinfree 0 #5 June 6, 2003 Price is no object. Looking for best quality video. (color and clarity) I would rather not buy something that is obsolete, as soon as i buy it. I know how hard that is though. What about the 3 chip cameras? Is weight a major isuue?? flyinfree Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #6 June 6, 2003 3 chip cameras have a couple of issues; weight, price and on some of them an issue where wacky things happen to them in freefall. I wouldn't recommend one for someone just starting out in camera flying. If you buy a Sony TRV camera made today, it should last you at least a couple of years. I've been jumping the same TRV10 for the last 4 years, have about 1100 jumps on it and it's only been in the shop once.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites KawiZX900 0 #7 June 6, 2003 if you're going to do a trv 950 why don't you go Sony VX-2000 or Sony PD 150 3.1 and 3.3 pds respectively... the vx 2000 is Sweet!!! Accelerate hard to get them looking, then slam on the fronts and rollright beside the car, hanging the back wheel at eye level for a few seconds. Guaranteed reaction- Dave Sonsky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ltdiver 3 #8 June 6, 2003 QuoteI'll probably pick up a TRV22 as my backup camera for this years Nationals. I was leaning toward a 19, but now I'm leaning toward the 22. What made you change your mind? ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #9 June 6, 2003 I'm beginning to think the composite video in -might- be worth it for some wacky dub sometime. Steady Shot -- doesn't look like the 19 has it. I'd have to check again to make sure. And lastly, the Memory Stick thing. I ONLY use that for sighting purposes, but it's really handy for that. Steady shot alone is worth $100 if, in fact, that is the case.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites blair700 0 #10 June 6, 2003 Sighting with the memory stick, could you explain or post a link?? Thanks Blair Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mark135 0 #11 June 6, 2003 QuotePrice is no object. Will you adopt me please? I still like the trv 11_______________ "It seemed like a good idea at the time" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites murrays 0 #12 June 6, 2003 QuoteI'm beginning to think the composite video in -might- be worth it for some wacky dub sometime. Steady Shot -- doesn't look like the 19 has it. I'd have to check again to make sure. And lastly, the Memory Stick thing. I ONLY use that for sighting purposes, but it's really handy for that. Steady shot alone is worth $100 if, in fact, that is the case. The TRV 19 has Super Steady Shot and a Zeiss lens.-- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Deuce 1 #13 June 6, 2003 Blair, you set up your ringsight and set the video camera on "stills" mode. Sight your target and push the Photo button. Take the camera off and look at the picture, if it's centered, you're golden. Tighten everything down and you're sighted. You can also do this with the photo mode to the tape, it's just more of a hassle to rewind the tape to see the photo. the memory stick is the media where the camera stores MPEGS and stills. I have a PC 120BT on a side-mount. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bmcd308 0 #14 June 6, 2003 >>Price is no object. Looking for best quality video. (color and clarity) << Then have you considered IMAX? It costs a little more, but looks great projected on larger screens. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #15 June 6, 2003 I assumed the 19 had Super Steady Shot, but then again, I had also assumed it had a composite video IN too. Looking on the Sony.com web site is really no help in this case, since that's where I got the information that the 19 didn't have Steady Shot. (Stupid Sony.com) Before I but either, I'll make one more trudge down to the electronics store and try both the 19 and 22 out again.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #16 June 6, 2003 Ahhh . . . top secret sighting tricks of the stars! Sorry Deuce, I don't think I ever taught you this one. MOST camera flyers I know sight their cameras by wearing them and trusting some other weenie to accurately sight their camera while they're wearing it and adjusting their ringsight. I find this entire process, cumbersome, inaccurate and, in a word, LAME. I've seen camera flyers sighting cameras for other camera flyers sighting their sights and the results are sometimes so bad it would be funny if I wasn't going to be eventually called over to resight the mess. HERE'S the issue. Some people just can't figure out where the center of the viewfinder is. Folks, it's just not that difficult! Just draw imaginary lines from the four corners and that's the middle. I've explained this to people over and over and they still suck at it! As a result, I don't generally use other people to sight or check my sight. I do it all by myself and here's how I do it. I made this little reticule image and saved it to my Memory Stick. Then when I want to sight the camera, I turn it on and super-impose the reticule over the picture by turning on the luminance key. (Read your freekin' manual if you don't know what I'm talking about). Put the reticule on the target and sight the ring-sight with a mirror. Bingo, done. In reality, it's a bit more complicated than that and takes me maybe 15 minutes to get it just about right, but then again, I'm picky.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ltdiver 3 #17 June 7, 2003 QuoteThen when I want to sight the camera, I turn it on and super-impose the reticule over the picture by turning on the luminance key. (Read your freekin' manual if you don't know what I'm talking about). Put the reticule on the target... Your TRV10 taught you that... ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #18 June 7, 2003 Maybe I taught I taw a puddy tat, but the TRV10 never taught me anything about sighting my camera helmet. I saw the luma key option on the TRV10 and thought to myself, "how can I use this for good instead of evil?" and I came up with the idea myself.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ltdiver 3 #19 June 7, 2003 QuoteMaybe I taught I taw a puddy tat, but the TRV10 never taught me anything about sighting my camera helmet. I saw the luma key option on the TRV10 and thought to myself, "how can I use this for good instead of evil?" and I came up with the idea myself. Yes, you are correct about brainstorming how you could use it. I remember, with my little TRV8, being quite jealous in your camera's addition and wishing I could have the same affect with my camera. Very, very nice feature. ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites KawiZX900 0 #20 June 9, 2003 Click on Talk DV readem and weep Accelerate hard to get them looking, then slam on the fronts and rollright beside the car, hanging the back wheel at eye level for a few seconds. Guaranteed reaction- Dave Sonsky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites kallend 2,027 #21 June 9, 2003 QuoteAhhh . . . top secret sighting tricks of the stars! Sorry Deuce, I don't think I ever taught you this one. MOST camera flyers I know sight their cameras by wearing them and trusting some other weenie to accurately sight their camera while they're wearing it and adjusting their ringsight. I find this entire process, cumbersome, inaccurate and, in a word, LAME. I've seen camera flyers sighting cameras for other camera flyers sighting their sights and the results are sometimes so bad it would be funny if I wasn't going to be eventually called over to resight the mess. HERE'S the issue. Some people just can't figure out where the center of the viewfinder is. Folks, it's just not that difficult! Just draw imaginary lines from the four corners and that's the middle. I've explained this to people over and over and they still suck at it! As a result, I don't generally use other people to sight or check my sight. I do it all by myself and here's how I do it. I made this little reticule image and saved it to my Memory Stick. Then when I want to sight the camera, I turn it on and super-impose the reticule over the picture by turning on the luminance key. (Read your freekin' manual if you don't know what I'm talking about). Put the reticule on the target and sight the ring-sight with a mirror. Bingo, done. In reality, it's a bit more complicated than that and takes me maybe 15 minutes to get it just about right, but then again, I'm picky. A friend has attached a cheapo laser pointer to his helmet, aligned with the camera. When he wants to align his ring sight he just turns the pointer on, aimed at a wall about 20ft away, and centers his sight on the dot. I've even seen him do it in the plane after someone knocked his helmet while sitting down.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Deuce 1 #22 June 9, 2003 QuoteQuoteAhhh . . . top secret sighting tricks of the stars! Sorry Deuce, I don't think I ever taught you this one. MOST camera flyers I know sight their cameras by wearing them and trusting some other weenie to accurately sight their camera while they're wearing it and adjusting their ringsight. I find this entire process, cumbersome, inaccurate and, in a word, LAME. I've seen camera flyers sighting cameras for other camera flyers sighting their sights and the results are sometimes so bad it would be funny if I wasn't going to be eventually called over to resight the mess. HERE'S the issue. Some people just can't figure out where the center of the viewfinder is. Folks, it's just not that difficult! Just draw imaginary lines from the four corners and that's the middle. I've explained this to people over and over and they still suck at it! As a result, I don't generally use other people to sight or check my sight. I do it all by myself and here's how I do it. I made this little reticule image and saved it to my Memory Stick. Then when I want to sight the camera, I turn it on and super-impose the reticule over the picture by turning on the luminance key. (Read your freekin' manual if you don't know what I'm talking about). Put the reticule on the target and sight the ring-sight with a mirror. Bingo, done. In reality, it's a bit more complicated than that and takes me maybe 15 minutes to get it just about right, but then again, I'm picky. A friend has attached a cheapo laser pointer to his helmet, aligned with the camera. When he wants to align his ring sight he just turns the pointer on, aimed at a wall about 20ft away, and centers his sight on the dot. I've even seen him do it in the plane after someone knocked his helmet while sitting down. Well that's what I do. Laser pointers are not precisely adjustable for windage and elevation. I have a airgun laser site on a scope base. I turn on the video camera, and turn on the site. looking through the camera at a point at least 25 feet away, I adjust the site for windage and elevation until it's at the middle point of my viewfinder. Then I look through my SLR and point it at the laser dot and torque it down. Double check for zero on both cameras, put on the helmet, and adjust the ringsight. Put some lock tite on the threads and tighten it down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #23 June 9, 2003 I love the concept of the laser sights -- I even used to do that a long time ago. The issue is matching them up with the actual center of the TV image and keeping them matched up. Deuce's solution works fairly well, but he (if I understand his previous posts correctly) removes it after it's all been set up, so it's not good as a final boarding check. Gaff taped laser pointers (at least in my experience) are pretty imprecise and the heat of the day usually makes the gaff tape shift around a bit too. As Deuce correctly points out the average laser pointer doesn't have precision adjustments and this is why I eventually ditched the procedure altogether. Lastly, you now have to sight THREE things; camera, sight and laser. Centering any two of which does not nessasarily mean that the third one is also aligned. For example, let's say I'm walking to the plane and decide to do a quick check. I turn on the camera, look through the viewfinder and hit the laser. Yeah, it's in the center of the viewfinder, but does that mean my sight is correct? No. Or, I can put the helmet on and hit the laser and see it's in the center of the sight, does that mean my camera is also aligned? No again. So, ultimately, I have to either trust the gear is aligned correctly to begin with, or bring in a third party to once again look throught the view finder of the camera while I wear the helmet and hit the laser. If all three line up, is it sighted correctly? -- well, again not nessasarily. What if the person looking through the viewfinder doesn't know where the center of the screen is? Back to square one . . . So, anyway, I love the idea of the laser sights, but the reality can still be quite ugly.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Deuce 1 #24 June 9, 2003 Well, the way I check it, and this works super with digital, is to place the ringsite on a target and take a picture with both the SLR and the PC120. I use the top of a tree, or something else that will show a definite point at the center of frame. Check the results and go. Yeah, I leave the weaver base on the D-box, and take the site off when I'm not sighting. Yeah, you have to fine tune it when you put it back on. I don't check center with the laser site, I check it with a photo, or video still. If I get all out of whack (hasn't happened yet) It takes about 5 uninterrupted minutes to get everything back in parallel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Cornholio 0 #25 June 9, 2003 Ok, enough of this shop talk. Pulling this thread back on track... I've also been looking at the TRV22 and the PC105 (the PC101 is no longer listed on Sony's web site although I'm really sure I can get a great deal on a closeout model right now) and the PC120 is out of my price range at the moment. The biggest differences I see is size, weight ( 3 ozs) and video image size ( 690k vs 340k ) How much of a big deal is this really ? also the $300 price difference is noted as well. Butthead: Whoa! Burritos for breakfast! Beavis: Yeah! Yeah! Cool! bellyflier on the dz.com hybrid record jump Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. 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LouDiamond 1 #2 June 6, 2003 SONY, be it PC or TRV series. Anything else and you'll find yourself buying a SONY down the road."It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinfree 0 #3 June 6, 2003 Looking at trv.. It is going to be mounted on a flat top narrow...best quality camera is what i am looking for, and any knowledge of upcoming releases that may be better Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #4 June 6, 2003 Define your terms. Best for; quality, size, price? I've already said a couple of times that I really like the value of the TRV19, but the lack of a couple of features is a turn off for some folks. The next model up, the TRV22, has most all of the bells and whistles that people want and is only $100 more. I'll probably pick up a TRV22 as my backup camera for this years Nationals. I was leaning toward a 19, but now I'm leaning toward the 22. As for quality of signal that actually comes off the tape, it's going to be very difficult to measure any difference through the entire line of single chip cameras from Sony. They all look pretty damn nice.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinfree 0 #5 June 6, 2003 Price is no object. Looking for best quality video. (color and clarity) I would rather not buy something that is obsolete, as soon as i buy it. I know how hard that is though. What about the 3 chip cameras? Is weight a major isuue?? flyinfree Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #6 June 6, 2003 3 chip cameras have a couple of issues; weight, price and on some of them an issue where wacky things happen to them in freefall. I wouldn't recommend one for someone just starting out in camera flying. If you buy a Sony TRV camera made today, it should last you at least a couple of years. I've been jumping the same TRV10 for the last 4 years, have about 1100 jumps on it and it's only been in the shop once.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KawiZX900 0 #7 June 6, 2003 if you're going to do a trv 950 why don't you go Sony VX-2000 or Sony PD 150 3.1 and 3.3 pds respectively... the vx 2000 is Sweet!!! Accelerate hard to get them looking, then slam on the fronts and rollright beside the car, hanging the back wheel at eye level for a few seconds. Guaranteed reaction- Dave Sonsky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #8 June 6, 2003 QuoteI'll probably pick up a TRV22 as my backup camera for this years Nationals. I was leaning toward a 19, but now I'm leaning toward the 22. What made you change your mind? ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #9 June 6, 2003 I'm beginning to think the composite video in -might- be worth it for some wacky dub sometime. Steady Shot -- doesn't look like the 19 has it. I'd have to check again to make sure. And lastly, the Memory Stick thing. I ONLY use that for sighting purposes, but it's really handy for that. Steady shot alone is worth $100 if, in fact, that is the case.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blair700 0 #10 June 6, 2003 Sighting with the memory stick, could you explain or post a link?? Thanks Blair Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark135 0 #11 June 6, 2003 QuotePrice is no object. Will you adopt me please? I still like the trv 11_______________ "It seemed like a good idea at the time" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murrays 0 #12 June 6, 2003 QuoteI'm beginning to think the composite video in -might- be worth it for some wacky dub sometime. Steady Shot -- doesn't look like the 19 has it. I'd have to check again to make sure. And lastly, the Memory Stick thing. I ONLY use that for sighting purposes, but it's really handy for that. Steady shot alone is worth $100 if, in fact, that is the case. The TRV 19 has Super Steady Shot and a Zeiss lens.-- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #13 June 6, 2003 Blair, you set up your ringsight and set the video camera on "stills" mode. Sight your target and push the Photo button. Take the camera off and look at the picture, if it's centered, you're golden. Tighten everything down and you're sighted. You can also do this with the photo mode to the tape, it's just more of a hassle to rewind the tape to see the photo. the memory stick is the media where the camera stores MPEGS and stills. I have a PC 120BT on a side-mount. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bmcd308 0 #14 June 6, 2003 >>Price is no object. Looking for best quality video. (color and clarity) << Then have you considered IMAX? It costs a little more, but looks great projected on larger screens. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #15 June 6, 2003 I assumed the 19 had Super Steady Shot, but then again, I had also assumed it had a composite video IN too. Looking on the Sony.com web site is really no help in this case, since that's where I got the information that the 19 didn't have Steady Shot. (Stupid Sony.com) Before I but either, I'll make one more trudge down to the electronics store and try both the 19 and 22 out again.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #16 June 6, 2003 Ahhh . . . top secret sighting tricks of the stars! Sorry Deuce, I don't think I ever taught you this one. MOST camera flyers I know sight their cameras by wearing them and trusting some other weenie to accurately sight their camera while they're wearing it and adjusting their ringsight. I find this entire process, cumbersome, inaccurate and, in a word, LAME. I've seen camera flyers sighting cameras for other camera flyers sighting their sights and the results are sometimes so bad it would be funny if I wasn't going to be eventually called over to resight the mess. HERE'S the issue. Some people just can't figure out where the center of the viewfinder is. Folks, it's just not that difficult! Just draw imaginary lines from the four corners and that's the middle. I've explained this to people over and over and they still suck at it! As a result, I don't generally use other people to sight or check my sight. I do it all by myself and here's how I do it. I made this little reticule image and saved it to my Memory Stick. Then when I want to sight the camera, I turn it on and super-impose the reticule over the picture by turning on the luminance key. (Read your freekin' manual if you don't know what I'm talking about). Put the reticule on the target and sight the ring-sight with a mirror. Bingo, done. In reality, it's a bit more complicated than that and takes me maybe 15 minutes to get it just about right, but then again, I'm picky.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #17 June 7, 2003 QuoteThen when I want to sight the camera, I turn it on and super-impose the reticule over the picture by turning on the luminance key. (Read your freekin' manual if you don't know what I'm talking about). Put the reticule on the target... Your TRV10 taught you that... ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #18 June 7, 2003 Maybe I taught I taw a puddy tat, but the TRV10 never taught me anything about sighting my camera helmet. I saw the luma key option on the TRV10 and thought to myself, "how can I use this for good instead of evil?" and I came up with the idea myself.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #19 June 7, 2003 QuoteMaybe I taught I taw a puddy tat, but the TRV10 never taught me anything about sighting my camera helmet. I saw the luma key option on the TRV10 and thought to myself, "how can I use this for good instead of evil?" and I came up with the idea myself. Yes, you are correct about brainstorming how you could use it. I remember, with my little TRV8, being quite jealous in your camera's addition and wishing I could have the same affect with my camera. Very, very nice feature. ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KawiZX900 0 #20 June 9, 2003 Click on Talk DV readem and weep Accelerate hard to get them looking, then slam on the fronts and rollright beside the car, hanging the back wheel at eye level for a few seconds. Guaranteed reaction- Dave Sonsky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,027 #21 June 9, 2003 QuoteAhhh . . . top secret sighting tricks of the stars! Sorry Deuce, I don't think I ever taught you this one. MOST camera flyers I know sight their cameras by wearing them and trusting some other weenie to accurately sight their camera while they're wearing it and adjusting their ringsight. I find this entire process, cumbersome, inaccurate and, in a word, LAME. I've seen camera flyers sighting cameras for other camera flyers sighting their sights and the results are sometimes so bad it would be funny if I wasn't going to be eventually called over to resight the mess. HERE'S the issue. Some people just can't figure out where the center of the viewfinder is. Folks, it's just not that difficult! Just draw imaginary lines from the four corners and that's the middle. I've explained this to people over and over and they still suck at it! As a result, I don't generally use other people to sight or check my sight. I do it all by myself and here's how I do it. I made this little reticule image and saved it to my Memory Stick. Then when I want to sight the camera, I turn it on and super-impose the reticule over the picture by turning on the luminance key. (Read your freekin' manual if you don't know what I'm talking about). Put the reticule on the target and sight the ring-sight with a mirror. Bingo, done. In reality, it's a bit more complicated than that and takes me maybe 15 minutes to get it just about right, but then again, I'm picky. A friend has attached a cheapo laser pointer to his helmet, aligned with the camera. When he wants to align his ring sight he just turns the pointer on, aimed at a wall about 20ft away, and centers his sight on the dot. I've even seen him do it in the plane after someone knocked his helmet while sitting down.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #22 June 9, 2003 QuoteQuoteAhhh . . . top secret sighting tricks of the stars! Sorry Deuce, I don't think I ever taught you this one. MOST camera flyers I know sight their cameras by wearing them and trusting some other weenie to accurately sight their camera while they're wearing it and adjusting their ringsight. I find this entire process, cumbersome, inaccurate and, in a word, LAME. I've seen camera flyers sighting cameras for other camera flyers sighting their sights and the results are sometimes so bad it would be funny if I wasn't going to be eventually called over to resight the mess. HERE'S the issue. Some people just can't figure out where the center of the viewfinder is. Folks, it's just not that difficult! Just draw imaginary lines from the four corners and that's the middle. I've explained this to people over and over and they still suck at it! As a result, I don't generally use other people to sight or check my sight. I do it all by myself and here's how I do it. I made this little reticule image and saved it to my Memory Stick. Then when I want to sight the camera, I turn it on and super-impose the reticule over the picture by turning on the luminance key. (Read your freekin' manual if you don't know what I'm talking about). Put the reticule on the target and sight the ring-sight with a mirror. Bingo, done. In reality, it's a bit more complicated than that and takes me maybe 15 minutes to get it just about right, but then again, I'm picky. A friend has attached a cheapo laser pointer to his helmet, aligned with the camera. When he wants to align his ring sight he just turns the pointer on, aimed at a wall about 20ft away, and centers his sight on the dot. I've even seen him do it in the plane after someone knocked his helmet while sitting down. Well that's what I do. Laser pointers are not precisely adjustable for windage and elevation. I have a airgun laser site on a scope base. I turn on the video camera, and turn on the site. looking through the camera at a point at least 25 feet away, I adjust the site for windage and elevation until it's at the middle point of my viewfinder. Then I look through my SLR and point it at the laser dot and torque it down. Double check for zero on both cameras, put on the helmet, and adjust the ringsight. Put some lock tite on the threads and tighten it down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #23 June 9, 2003 I love the concept of the laser sights -- I even used to do that a long time ago. The issue is matching them up with the actual center of the TV image and keeping them matched up. Deuce's solution works fairly well, but he (if I understand his previous posts correctly) removes it after it's all been set up, so it's not good as a final boarding check. Gaff taped laser pointers (at least in my experience) are pretty imprecise and the heat of the day usually makes the gaff tape shift around a bit too. As Deuce correctly points out the average laser pointer doesn't have precision adjustments and this is why I eventually ditched the procedure altogether. Lastly, you now have to sight THREE things; camera, sight and laser. Centering any two of which does not nessasarily mean that the third one is also aligned. For example, let's say I'm walking to the plane and decide to do a quick check. I turn on the camera, look through the viewfinder and hit the laser. Yeah, it's in the center of the viewfinder, but does that mean my sight is correct? No. Or, I can put the helmet on and hit the laser and see it's in the center of the sight, does that mean my camera is also aligned? No again. So, ultimately, I have to either trust the gear is aligned correctly to begin with, or bring in a third party to once again look throught the view finder of the camera while I wear the helmet and hit the laser. If all three line up, is it sighted correctly? -- well, again not nessasarily. What if the person looking through the viewfinder doesn't know where the center of the screen is? Back to square one . . . So, anyway, I love the idea of the laser sights, but the reality can still be quite ugly.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #24 June 9, 2003 Well, the way I check it, and this works super with digital, is to place the ringsite on a target and take a picture with both the SLR and the PC120. I use the top of a tree, or something else that will show a definite point at the center of frame. Check the results and go. Yeah, I leave the weaver base on the D-box, and take the site off when I'm not sighting. Yeah, you have to fine tune it when you put it back on. I don't check center with the laser site, I check it with a photo, or video still. If I get all out of whack (hasn't happened yet) It takes about 5 uninterrupted minutes to get everything back in parallel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cornholio 0 #25 June 9, 2003 Ok, enough of this shop talk. Pulling this thread back on track... I've also been looking at the TRV22 and the PC105 (the PC101 is no longer listed on Sony's web site although I'm really sure I can get a great deal on a closeout model right now) and the PC120 is out of my price range at the moment. The biggest differences I see is size, weight ( 3 ozs) and video image size ( 690k vs 340k ) How much of a big deal is this really ? also the $300 price difference is noted as well. Butthead: Whoa! Burritos for breakfast! Beavis: Yeah! Yeah! Cool! bellyflier on the dz.com hybrid record jump Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
