[Dean Sensui]

[Rafael Amador] “You have this NEXTO DI 500GB at 533 $$:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/613205-REG/Nexto_DI_ND27255054_Nexto_...”

The initial post requested systems that can work in the thinner air of higher altitudes.

This unit has a SATA hard drive, and those can operate properly only up to a certain altitude. Higher than that and the air isn’t dense enough to provide a safety cushion between the seek heads and the platters.

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Dean Sensui]

[Rafael Amador] “For your job I would pick this device:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=nexto&N=0&InitialSearch=yes

rafael”

The cost per gigabyte is much higher than the SSD drives at OWC: 240 GB is $750. Compared to a Nexto DI SSD where you’d spend more than $1200 to get 256 GB.

However, the advantage to the Nexto is not having to drag along a computer. But if weight is not too much of an issue, then the cost savings are significant.

And then there’s the option of bringing enough cards to shoot without having to transfer data, which is the most lightweight solution. But it’s also the most expensive. The approximate equivalent in 16 GB Sandisk Class 10 SDHC cards (total of 256 GB) would be about $1740.

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Dean Sensui]

No need to tear apart an existing enclosure when you can get a Firewire enclosure from OWC for a lot less. As for having one that’s “ruggedized” there might not be any need to do much of that. The solid state drive has no moving parts and is much less vulnerable to mechanical shock.

Or just get one that’s ready made: https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/MS8USSD060/

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Dean Sensui]

I didn’t know that applied to transitions, too.

Good to know. Just in case.

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Dean Sensui]

Interesting.

One option is to shoot on less-expensive SDHC cards and not transfer the footage until after you return home. Advantage is less cost than SxS cards. No need to haul a laptop and drives. Less power required as the only batteries to charge would be camera, audio gear and lights.

Or you can archive them to solid-state drives. Other World Computing has them available:
https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/internal_storage/Mercury_Extreme_SSD_Sandforce

They’re more energy-efficient and shock-resistant, too. It means hauling a portable computer along with the means to power it and the drives.

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Dean Sensui]

It’s also similar to some of the basic principles of skiing… which I don’t get to do much of here (Hawaii).

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Dean Sensui]

I shoot a lot on boats, since I produce a fishing show.

If I have to shoot from one boat to another, I stand in the center of the stern (rear of the boat) and keep my knees bent. The camera is also on a shoulder mount to minimize pitch.

The worst place to stand is in the bow (front) as that’s the part that pitches up and down the most. And the same goes for the gunwales (sides).

At NAB I took a look at a stabilizer that used a Kenyon gyro, but it didn’t provide enough inertia to overcome the sort of forces I usually encounter in open water. I don’t recall which Kenyon gyros it used. But I felt the gyros would have to be larger and, therefore, heavier, to provide enough resistance to keep the camera relatively steady.

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Dean Sensui]

[Don Greening] “”it’s two (click) two (click) two mints in one!””

Whoa. From the 70’s I think.

I doubt I’ll be using a DSLR anytime soon. ‘Cause I ain’t got one! 🙂

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Dean Sensui]

[Clint Fleckenstein] “I hit the twelve minute limit too. I believe it’s a FAT32 file size limit.”

The people who were working with the DSLR said it was a limit imposed by some European import control. Any longer than 12 minutes and the camera would be classified as a videocamera and subject to certain import taxes.

I’ve read that the tax threshold is actually something just short of 30 minutes.

Silly bureaucracy.

But aside from that, the overheat issue was just as serious.

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Dean Sensui]

Someone just talked to me the other night about their experience using a DSLR. They ran into two problems: Overheating and clip limits of 12 minutes.

You might want to check into those issues before committing.

The EX3 or EX1 are proven workhorses for long-form, reality-based projects. DSLR’s might not be suited to that purpose.

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing