dldproductions 0 #1 September 23, 2009 Hey Guys.. I'm slowly gearing up for the 2010 season during which I'll begin training for filming tandems... I bought a CX100 and I'd like to get your general thought on the rawa vison helmet with CX100 box... It seems to me that it is a cheap yet reliable helmet but looks like the box is pretty large compared to the camera size... Is there any other options that you would reccomend considering that I'd like to keep the bill under 500$ for the helmet? Thanks Oliver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #2 September 23, 2009 if bonehead is still doing bonebonds where you can put $X down and in 6 months get $2X towards a helmet you could get a FTP or Mantle for on the order of $500... http://www.boneheadcomposites.com/welcome.htm I think you have to call to get it started but it can't hurt and IMHO a top mount option is more versatile/professional looking then any of the side mount helmets (which should not be intended to be taken to imply that you can't be professional and/or an excellent videographer using a side mount...) I just know that in my experience I felt like I quickly outgrew my RAWA and wanted something more along the lines of a FTP style helmet... \ my 2 cents... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dldproductions 0 #3 September 23, 2009 Thanks for the reply... Correct me if I'm wrong but, flattop helmets seems to be good for belly flying.. But considering the fact that I'd like to also be able to get shots while freeflying, I'm not comfortable with those big flat top helmets... Also.. is there a big weight difference between narrow type helmets such as rawa vison, FF2 compared to flat top helmets? Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #4 September 23, 2009 I freefly with my FTP and so does a few other people like Iwan, Norman Kent, Joe Jennings, etc... There is nothing different with flying an Flat top then there is a side mount.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #5 September 23, 2009 QuoteI freefly with my FTP and so does a few other people like Iwan, Norman Kent, Joe Jennings, etc... There is nothing different with flying an Flat top then there is a side mount.What he said... I don't freefly myself (other then the 5-10 seconds when exiting with a tandem) but I've actually seen Norman Kent Freefly with his Skysystems Vapor. Effectively the helmet is just a tool... it's our flying skills that are what is most important...Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dldproductions 0 #6 September 23, 2009 I took good note of that... What type of box or bracket you guys think are best suited for a beginer videographer while using a flat top helmet? Also.. What kinf of non-expensive wide angle would you suggest for the cx100? Any tips you can give me to lower the bill without effect on safety are more than welcome! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #7 September 23, 2009 I've used Manfroto Mounts, Stroboframe mounts, and Really Right Stuff Mounts... I like RRS mounts the best... as for a lens... I have to say I like my Century 0.55 which isn't an outlandishly expensive lens @ just over $100...Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blink 1 #8 September 24, 2009 Quoteif bonehead is still doing bonebonds where you can put $X down and in 6 months get $2X towards a helmet you could get a FTP or Mantle for on the order of $500... I can confirm that they were still doing when I ordered mine in January. I paid $400, and in 6 months, I had $800 in Bonehead dollars. Paid for a FTP, extra top plate, camera strap, and shipping, total was $799 :D Great way to get an awesome deal if you can wait. (It was winter here...) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dldproductions 0 #9 September 24, 2009 Great tips guys... thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckakers 425 #10 September 30, 2009 QuoteI freefly with my FTP and so does a few other people like Iwan, Norman Kent, Joe Jennings, etc... There is nothing different with flying an Flat top then there is a side mount. There is a difference bewteen top and side mounts when it comes to long-haul neck health. Top mounts - even though cameras are lighter than ever - increase the forces on the neck because of the longer lever between the weight (the cameras and additional helmet structure) and the pivot point (the base of the neck). Many top mount helmets also have a much larger signature to the wind which comes into play as well. Anything that creates a perpendicular force on the neck - prop blast, transitions, openings, HARD openings, etc. creates additional wear on the neck. As a vidiot with boatloads of camera jumps dating back to the days of the chest-mounted beta recorder, I have damage to my neck that makes differences in camera set-ups painfully obvious. In fact, I can tell quite a bit of difference at the end of the day since making a switch from a PC100 on a Bonehead to a CX100 on a Rawa. Both side-mounts, but the difference in weight and lower profile of the Rawa definitely made a difference. All other things being equal, having weight lower is better, at least from the perspective discucssed above.Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PharmerPhil 0 #11 September 30, 2009 QuoteTop mounts - even though cameras are lighter than ever - increase the forces on the neck because of the longer lever between the weight (the cameras and additional helmet structure) and the pivot point (the base of the neck). I respectfully disagree. The "lever" factor is in related to what position your body is relative to the force of opening. While it might seem that in a belly to Earth configuration, the top-mounted weight would act as lever on your neck, in reality, that is not your body position when most of the force of an opening canopy is exerted. Usually, the most extreme force is exerted not on initial deployment of the canopy, but after the canopy has been extracted, your body has been stood up (feet to Earth), and the canopy suddenly inflates. In this case, any weight that is not centered over your spine (including side-mounted cameras) will act as a lever. Unlike side-, or front-mounted cameras, cameras on top of your head are more centered over your spine and exert their inertia force in-line with your spine (compression), rather than as a lever force. Anecdotally, this year, I went from a top-mounted video camera and front-mounted SLR to a configuration where both cameras are mounted on top of my head. The cameras and the canopy are the same models I have been jumping for a couple of years, yet I have noticed much less stress on my neck using this configuration, and hope to never go back to a camera that is not centered over my spine. ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckakers 425 #12 September 30, 2009 QuoteQuoteTop mounts - even though cameras are lighter than ever - increase the forces on the neck because of the longer lever between the weight (the cameras and additional helmet structure) and the pivot point (the base of the neck). I respectfully disagree. The "lever" factor is in related to what position your body is relative to the force of opening. While it might seem that in a belly to Earth configuration, the top-mounted weight would act as lever on your neck, in reality, that is not your body position when most of the force of an opening canopy is exerted. Usually, the most extreme force is exerted not on initial deployment of the canopy, but after the canopy has been extracted, your body has been stood up (feet to Earth), and the canopy suddenly inflates. In this case, any weight that is not centered over your spine (including side-mounted cameras) will act as a lever. Unlike side-, or front-mounted cameras, cameras on top of your head are more centered over your spine and exert their inertia force in-line with your spine (compression), rather than as a lever force. Anecdotally, this year, I went from a top-mounted video camera and front-mounted SLR to a configuration where both cameras are mounted on top of my head. The cameras and the canopy are the same models I have been jumping for a couple of years, yet I have noticed much less stress on my neck using this configuration, and hope to never go back to a camera that is not centered over my spine. ... I understand your point - in fact I was "getting vertical" for opening shock back when many vidiots pitched and held onto their necks instead. However, any forces that are applied in a perpendicular direction to your neck - and there are many, including whatever amount a typical vidiot will have while being "sat up" - will create the extra forces I spoke of. While you may get your cameras overhead during deployment in most cases, that may not be the case with other vidiots. Also if you film your openings, the stress is pulling your neck backwards, which has the same but opposite effect. During those perpendicular forces, lower mounted weight helps reduce the lever effect, which can be significant when you consider g-forces too. BTW, I completely agree on the front vs top mount of the still camera.Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hairymango 0 #13 October 12, 2009 I got a Rawa for my 1st camera helmet, done 2000 video jumps since and it does the job for filming tandems and fun jumps. Yeah its not a flattop pro and I'm not norman kent, but like someone already said your flying skills are more important than your helmet. You don't have to go out and spend a ton of money. Good link for the info on the lenses for cx100 http://www.gethypoxic.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/61-cx100.html make it clicky I dont know? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jurgencamps 0 #14 October 12, 2009 QuoteI got a Rawa for my 1st camera helmet, done 2000 video jumps since and it does the job for filming tandems and fun jumps. Yeah its not a flattop pro and I'm not norman kent, but like someone already said your flying skills are more important than your helmet. You don't have to go out and spend a ton of money. Good link for the info on the lenses for cx100 http://www.gethypoxic.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/61-cx100.html make it clicky I dont know? Here you are. Click the url button, past the link, hit the url button again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EXTremeWade 0 #15 October 12, 2009 Quote I got a Rawa for my 1st camera helmet, done 2000 video jumps since and it does the job for filming tandems and fun jumps. Yeah its not a flattop pro and I'm not norman kent, but like someone already said your flying skills are more important than your helmet. You don't have to go out and spend a ton of money. I have had my Rawa for a long time. Its been really nice for all my tandem work, Freefly fun jumps, and any other video. It is so nice to have a really lightweight camera helmet and the Cx-100. I have a Rebel XTi and I still dont have issues wanting to take the whole setup out for any funjump. Sure, I have had some hard opening and some neck pain over the YEARS, but the Rawa still has yet to set some pain-trend in my book. Its 1. Such a safe and snagg freee design for what you pay for it, 2. Very Light, 3. CX100 Dbox is small and light, with smooth rounded edges, and 4. Its just all light! Fly your body for shots, not the camera Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hairymango 0 #16 October 14, 2009 you got any pics of your rawa with cx100 and still camera? Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hairymango 0 #17 October 14, 2009 thanks jurgen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dldproductions 0 #18 October 17, 2009 Thanks for the info... Have any of you ever tried the skydance headgear sonic? or the cookie mxv ?? what are your thoughts on those two? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
