Still camera selection (my brain is melting)

[realpet 0]

I've been considering still camera purchase for freefall photography and now I have narrowed the models to:
- Canon 550D (Rebel T2i) & Canon EFS 10-22 lens
- Sony SLT-A55V & Sigma 10-20 EX DC lens
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 & Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7-14 lens

Using highly scientic comparison methods (http://snapsort.com/compare & rest of the Internet) I have collected following values (Canon/Sony/Panasonic):
Weight (with the lens above): 915/970/692 g
Price (Euro, roundup to closest euro): 1480/1328/2030
Continuous shoot fps: 3.7/10/5
Shutter lag, full autofocus (seconds): 0,252/0,220/?
Shutter lag, prefocused (seconds): 0,096/0,103/0,099 <- not sure about the Pana value whether this is prefocused or with full autofocus
Size (mm): 128.8x97,3x62/124x92x85/124x89,6x75,8
Resolution (MP): 18/16,2/16

Tongue switch is available for the Canon directly, Sony/Panasonic requires riggering unless blow switch is selected (available at least for Sony)

- Panasonic is more expensive as it is only available with a kit lens (14-42 mm) so no body-only option
- Canon and Sony have APS-C sensor, Panasonic micro 4/3

Would people please point out of all the relevant points that I am missing?

- Petri

[Zlew 0]

More info might be a little helpful as well. What are you wanting to use this for? Paid tandems/AFF, "general" use, shooting teams etc? Are you just wanting good stuff for facebook or to sell to a tandem student, or are you shooting for a Parachutist cover? What is your budget? Have you shot much camera before, or is this your first setup?

Canon has always been the gold standard for skydiving still cameras, but that doesn't mean another brand might not work fine for what you are wanting to do.


I see a lot of people that over-buy their camera gear (esp. on a first setup). You can get really good pictures with a pretty low cost setup if you know (or learn) what you are doing. There can be big advantages to the lower cost and lower weight of some of the base SLR's and Kit Lens cameras for a lot of applications.

[velocityphoto 0]

Please fill out your profile completely, it will help you get better responses!

A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................

[dontsplatmatt 0]

Quote

I see a lot of people that over-buy their camera gear (esp. on a first setup). You can get really good pictures with a pretty low cost setup if you know (or learn) what you are doing.

I met a guy that uses a Sony Cybershot for tandems. It isn't compatible with a bite switch or anything, so he just uses one hand to take pictures. To an untrained eye like mine, the quality looks pretty good, and I bet his neck thanks him for it.

[Zlew 0]

There are lots of good ways to get pics in freefall, and if that works for him, more power to him.
Where I was going was more along the lines of the fact that for most people, you will do just as well with an Rebel XS with the kit lens (for 500 bucks) as you would with a T2i with a 10-22mm on it for 1500.

Getting good photos is more about you knowing what you are doing, being able to be where you want to be in the sky, having the camera setup properly, than it is about buying the latest and greatest wiz bang setup. My advice is usually (for skydiving or photography in general) to get something basic to start with and learn on, and then start upgrading your glass, and eventually upgrade your camera body as you learn about what you want/need.

The T2i is a nice camera, and the 10-22 is a great lens...and if you have the budget for it...go for it! But you would proabably be just as happy for a long time with the 500 dollar setup (and it weighs less).

*edit- sorry nosplatt, thought your note was from the OP.

[billvon 2,991]

>I met a guy that uses a Sony Cybershot for tandems. It isn't compatible
>with a bite switch or anything, so he just uses one hand to take pictures.

A Canon G10/G11 will also be lighter on your head - and is compatible with external shutter releases.

[gearless_chris 1]

I heard of a guy that used to use a Polaroid for stills. He built a sheet metal box to catch the pictures as they came out of the front, and used his hand to push the button. That was a long time ago though, there's better options now.

"If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane.

My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole.

[realpet 0]

Quote

More info might be a little helpful as well. What are you wanting to use this for? Paid tandems/AFF, "general" use, shooting teams etc? Are you just wanting good stuff for facebook or to sell to a tandem student, or are you shooting for a Parachutist cover? What is your budget? Have you shot much camera before, or is this your first setup?

Canon has always been the gold standard for skydiving still cameras, but that doesn't mean another brand might not work fine for what you are wanting to do.


I see a lot of people that over-buy their camera gear (esp. on a first setup). You can get really good pictures with a pretty low cost setup if you know (or learn) what you are doing. There can be big advantages to the lower cost and lower weight of some of the base SLR's and Kit Lens cameras for a lot of applications.

General and tandems and teams and etc ;-), also I'm going to use the camera outside jumping.
Facebook is something that happens to other people.

The budget is there around the price level of the 3 options listed above i.e. ~€1500-2000.

What I'm mainly concerned at this moment is that is there some basic flaw in one of the setups above.

[DSE 5]

as big a fan I am of the Sony cams for video and film, and of what they've got coming for certain restricted applicatoins...I can't see the value in the Sony Alpha series cams. I haven't worked with the latest models at all, and they do have a new product team. However, even just last years models felt very cheap to me. Canon T2i fits right into your budget, and it's a known quantity in the skydiving realm

[sinjin 0]

i would get the canon series with the stock lens for the first couple of hundred jumps. You will bump your head on the door, have student knock it around in the plane, and drop it several times until you get your routine down. do that with a stock lens and you wont mind as much.. smash that 10-22 on the door frame, and you are going to be pissed, crying, and spending $$$. Also, when your blow switch craps out, you can ask your buddies who all have canon for one. stay with the tried and true skydiving camera. i have had around 10 pics in magazines from the rebel xt and stock 18-55 lens when i started.

dont let life pass you by

[realpet 0]

If (and most probably looks like it) I go with Canon, I willl also buy the stock 18-55 lens as the price difference on body-only and body+18-55 kit is €20 so I see no point not purchasing it :).

- Petri