SportsCam

[chip 0]

Does anyone know anything about something called the SportsCam Video System? I am interested in getting into camera flying, but have had some hesitation over having gear on my helmet. This looks like it might be a gentle way to get into the discipline if it's any good. Appreciate whatever feedback anyone might have.

[PhreeZone 20]

Search for SportsCam and lipstick cameras. They have been discussed a lot before.

Personally.. the quality is not near what the camera is capible of recording and I would'nt want to mix the footage with any footage shot through the camera since there is a large jump in quality with the normal camera lens.

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[sheldond 0]

I have used several lipstick cams, or cigar cams as I have heard them called, in several sporting events, such as curling, baseball, racing, just to name a few and their imaging capabilities are fairly decent. You lose video quality when you have to pass the video signal through different sources. In racing, the camera has to be hooked up to a wireless transmitter, which degrades the overall picture quality. And then it has to run through a TBC in order to be used in a production switcher. When you plug the lipstick camera into the video in or your camera and use it as a recorder, it records fine. To the average eye, no one is the wiser.

True, the lense is a little smaller, and might have a shallower depth of field, but when the camera is focused to infinity, your image should be fine. You get what you pay for, so be careful. Make sure you get the specs on the camera like lense size, ccd size, shutter speed, f-stop. Some of the higher end cameras are capable of delivering 450-500 lines or resolution, which is about the same to DV.

A couple of cons about these cameras, is that you would have to mount it differently to a helmet. I'm not sure how to do it myself, as I have never seen one or used one myself for skydiving. Another con is the fact that it will have to be wired into your camera, and then you would have to wear the camera somewhere on your body. Either in your jumpsuit on your belly, or elsewhere. And then you have to run the wires to the camera. That, I can already see being a big disadvantage.

Since I've already bought the miniDV camera, I am opting to buy a helmet to mount it on, instead of investing on a lipstick cam. When you consider the cost of a helmet and the lipstick cam, it will work out to the same. (You could mount the lipstick cam on a cheap protec).

If you feel brave and adventurous, and have some extra cash, maybe you could be the first to try out a lipstick cam for skydiving. Let us know first hand what it is like.

[DBCOOPER 5]

I've been experimenting with that exact thing.I got a small "board camera" also called a spy camera on ebay for about $60. I mounted it on a pair of ski goggles with shoe goo. Drilled a hole thru the goggles for the wires.I have a TRV 22 video camera that I wear in a fanny pack that has been modified with leg straps to keep it secure.Feed the wires thru a small hole in my jump suit and up thru a protec to the lens.I wear a neck warmer to keep the wires from beating my neck or disconnecting.Its still a work in progress.Picture quality is ok,and sometimes the colors are off slightly but is is very snag free.For a sight I just put a small dot on the goggles with a magic marker.The lens needs a 12 volt power supply to run.Its great for just doing fun jumps.

Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

[Cajones 0]

http://www.endlessfall.net/

Made by a skydiver for skydiving. Very suprisingly good quality. More expensive than a $60 camera from e-bay, but everything you need is included and all of the homework/footwork is already done.

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