FS4-PorHD and Helicopter shoot
by Frank Tucker
on
Jan 21, 2008 at 6:43:20 pm
I have tried yet again to use the FS4-PROHD as a recording device when shooting hand held from a helicopter. I was using a Canon XLH1 and had a gyro attached to the camera to assist in stability. When I play back the clips recorded on the FireStore, I get many stops and pauses in the captured clips that are not evident on the tape used to record as backup. I believe this may be related to "G" loading when gusts and up/down drafts are encountered and the hard disk drive fails to record under these conditions momentarily. It may also be a result of EMI interference. I have read ans seen advertised the Samsung SSD drives are available in 32 and 64 gig capacities and are plug and play compatible with similar ATA and SATA drives used in notebooks. I would seem that these drives couls easily be adapted to the Firestore and provide more reliable recording under extreme use conditions such as shooting from a helicopter, airplane, moving vehivcle (off road) etc. The SDD drives also consume less power and would extend the recording time of the current batteries.
Will Firestore be offering this type of device in the near future? How many other users would like to see this type of adaptation and would be willing to send in their existing drive to be upgraded (price permmitting)?
Re: FS4-PorHD and Helicopter shoot by Tim Robinson on Mar 21, 2008 at 5:14:31 pm
I can tell you I went on a skiing shoot with my firestore and HD cam and that the tape was the only reliable source. My opinion and experience with computers... that unless it's recording to tape or memory, you'll always have an issues with hard disk or disk drive recorders. The heads on disk recorders and burners are aimed at such SMALL areas on the disks that even the slightlist vibration can throw them off. While faster recording, smaller devices and even better cases may help "jump" past any errors, it will always be a risk for slight gliteches.
Tim Robinson
tim@erobinsons.com
Pride-Mobility-Products
Corporate Video Editor
Re: FS4-PorHD and Helicopter shoot by Frank Tucker on Mar 21, 2008 at 6:33:50 pm
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the replay. I totally agree with your assesment and only hope that the big anouncement of the new Firestore product (based on thier e-mail marketing for NAB) is a solid state memory device. This will solve this type of problem. I only hope they pay enough attention to sheilding the device to prevent EMI interference.
