Skip Talbot
EF5
Happy New Year, folks. What are you adding, upgrading, or getting rid of equipment wise this year?
Everything is going tablets, but the software just isn't quite there yet on the Android and Apple platforms to match what we've got on the Windows platforms, and I'd say a laptop running Windows 7 or 8 or a Surface Pro is still your best option for functionality. The other platforms are quickly catching up though.
I can't handle chasing with a screen as small as a phone's or tablet's though. I need something bigger. The last couple of years I've been using a 23" ViewSonic optical touchscreen monitor connected to a laptop running Win 7, GR, and Street Atlas. It worked decently, but the optical touch required a little practice and isn't that precise, which is difficult to use with the tiny buttons in Street Atlas and GR. The touch feature on the monitor just gave out though, so I'm going to replace it.
Thanks to the Windows 8 release, touch screens are much more abundant and are coming down in price. I just bought a 22" Dell touch screen that uses a capacitative touch interface. There's no protruding frame, the monitor is significantly slimmer, and the accuracy is greatly improved so it should be a lot more user friendly screen and fit in the van better than the previous one. I'm also running Win 8.1, an operating system designed around a touch interface, and will be trying out custom navigation and radar software as well.
One other big change for this season will be new camera mounts and enclosures. It's time to retire that dome. I've been kicking around alternatives for a couple years now, but I think I have some decent options now. Something more along the lines of a rotating turret with a window. Domes are decent for streaming, but they'll ruin your shot with any number of optical drawbacks if you're trying to do any decent video work with one.
I'll probably spring for a 4G mifi/cradle this season too. Verizon's 4G coverage is awesome.
Other than that, I don't plan on changing my camera setup at all, and will be using a couple of Canon DSLR bodies and a Sony camcorder.
What about everyone else?
Everything is going tablets, but the software just isn't quite there yet on the Android and Apple platforms to match what we've got on the Windows platforms, and I'd say a laptop running Windows 7 or 8 or a Surface Pro is still your best option for functionality. The other platforms are quickly catching up though.
I can't handle chasing with a screen as small as a phone's or tablet's though. I need something bigger. The last couple of years I've been using a 23" ViewSonic optical touchscreen monitor connected to a laptop running Win 7, GR, and Street Atlas. It worked decently, but the optical touch required a little practice and isn't that precise, which is difficult to use with the tiny buttons in Street Atlas and GR. The touch feature on the monitor just gave out though, so I'm going to replace it.
Thanks to the Windows 8 release, touch screens are much more abundant and are coming down in price. I just bought a 22" Dell touch screen that uses a capacitative touch interface. There's no protruding frame, the monitor is significantly slimmer, and the accuracy is greatly improved so it should be a lot more user friendly screen and fit in the van better than the previous one. I'm also running Win 8.1, an operating system designed around a touch interface, and will be trying out custom navigation and radar software as well.
One other big change for this season will be new camera mounts and enclosures. It's time to retire that dome. I've been kicking around alternatives for a couple years now, but I think I have some decent options now. Something more along the lines of a rotating turret with a window. Domes are decent for streaming, but they'll ruin your shot with any number of optical drawbacks if you're trying to do any decent video work with one.
I'll probably spring for a 4G mifi/cradle this season too. Verizon's 4G coverage is awesome.
Other than that, I don't plan on changing my camera setup at all, and will be using a couple of Canon DSLR bodies and a Sony camcorder.
What about everyone else?