The following is to share with the BASE community what we (myself plus a number of other jumpers) have learned about videoing BASE action using bullet cameras.
Few data about bullet camera (at least, the bullet camera lots of us are using).
Bullet camera type: 21CWSHRX
1/3" DSP Color Sony EXVIEW HAD CCD, High resolution - 480 TV lines - 470 kpix
S/N ratio: more than 50 dB
min illumination: 0.1 lux at F2.0
Power Source: DC 12V (no mention to range; from another source: tolerance: 10.8÷13.2V))
Operating current: 0.130A (my data (=end of 2003)) - 0.090A (updated from manufacturer website)
Power consumption: 1.5 W (when supplied with 12 V)
Positive features
1) quality of images indistinguishable from video shot with PC105 in daylight, and way better images in low light conditions (with respect to PC105).
2) very small dimensions and very low weight, you can put it on your helmet without noticing you have it on
3) outstanding capabilities in videoing in low light conditions: it is 70 times brighter than PC105 (whose min illumination is 7 lux) (see later in negative things about this feature)
4) possibility of using different angle lenses, for example 2.9mm-130°, 3.6mm-92° and 4.3mm-78°, and this lenses can be changed by user (quite easily).
Negative features
1) you have to keep a fanny pack on your belly for keeping your videocamera and battery pack (8AA alkaline batteries of 1.5 V each) and microphone
2) the dark/black areas of images are rendered not dark/black but dark/black with blue spots (these feature results to be very annoying to some of us)
3) quite sensitive to supply voltage; keeping the supply voltage at least (slightly above) 12 V seems to have very positive effect on the blue spots feature (=it improves and there are less blue spots)
4) the fact that lenses can be changed by user takes on the table the problem of humidity between circuitry/lens and front glass, that under certain conditions of environment temperature, causes to have a (big) humidity spot in the centre of front glass (joyfully annoying).
5) time required (about 30 minutes or so) to set equipment up for a jump BEFORE approaching scene of action and still few minutes to prepare things for recording just before action
6) time required (after the jump) to remove helmet with bullet camera and cable from your body (not immediate, let’s say 1 minute)
7) a rubber frame is need to protect plugs protruding 90° off the videocamera body (at least, in the case of PC105 that has got that funny small plug)
8) need of use of a LANC remote controller to power videocamera ON, to start recording, to stop recording, to pause recording (once you are full dressed up for action with rig donned on, it is impossible to activate videocamera recording otherwise)
My random comments on positive and negative features.
1) Manufacturer says that you could use bullet camera either with 8 AA batteries for 12 h (or so) or with 9 V (small) battery for 1 h (or so). The story of supplying the bullet canera with the 9 V (small) battery is simply FAKE - FALSE - VOID - BULLSHÌT. I used both a rechargeable NiMH 9 V battery and a standard alkaline 9 V battery. Results: images were really bad and all the screen was full with blue spots. My opinion: bullet camera is simply quite eager of current for its normal operation, which current for its normal working simply CANNOT be supplied by a 9 V battery.
2) sensitivity about supply voltage and use of AA rechargeable batteries (which have a nominal voltage of 1.2V each) can be overcome using a battery pack containing 10 AA batteries, so still keeping the nominal supply voltage (10 AA rechargeable batteries (my suggestion: get 2500 mAh NiMH batteries) of 1.2V each have an overall voltage of 12 V).
3) about the blue spots: yes, outside what is “seeable” in the dark part of image, things are dark with blue spots, but all the rest is seeable, when videoing "directly" with a PC105 you see nearly nothing, and if (in same conditions) you turn night shot or supernight shot on, with PC105 you get 1 colour and not so clear images in the end. I do have 2 videos of a S jump, shot at the same time, around sunset, the first through my bullet, the second of my exact jump, but shot by a PC105 from the landing. It was possibly just after sunset, the video shot from my bullet shows nice seable colours, the video shot from PC105 just gives contours with dark "inner". And there also on the net videos of bullet/PC105 that proves that in low light conditions bullet camera videos are way better than video with a PC105.
4) how to avoid central humidity spot on front glass when changing yourself the lens: once screwed in position the (new) lens (and have screwed it in the right position to have the right focus), clean lens and glass with special glass/lens product and then heat everything with a hairdryer or equivalent "heating system", keep everything under those conditions for several minutes/1 h or so, ensuring that around there is the driest air possible, and when everything is still jolly hot (careful to not destroy the toy with heat!!!), screw glass back in position; ad never touch it again (until next lens change).
This is what we have learned (so far) about usage of bullet cameras.
If anybody feels like adding some comments of his/her own, please add your posts here.
The more we know about bullet cameras, the better we can use them and have more fun doing better videos!!!!!
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