For the sake of human life on the ground, I hope his next attachment plate has some safeguards built in.

astrolucida wrote:
I think what might have happened is that the mounting plate acted like a leaf, spinning quickly around but dropping relatively slowly to the ground.

As the two cameras most certainly have a different weight but not that much different, the system is not in balance and hence one side of the plate would turn down and that would put the whole system spinning. Also, the plate would absorb most of the force when hitting ground.

Oosty wrote:
I don't think the relative mass makes any difference at all. Gravity acts equally on all bodies irrespective of mass which is why a brick and a penny dropped from the same height will hit the ground simultaneously.

Of course they will drop at the same speed - after all, they were attached together by the mounting plate.

However, the mounting plate would not stay horizontal if the weights at its ends are not the same. There is force of gravity affecting to the plate and to each camera. The force depends on the weight of the object, so a heavier object is subjected to a larger force. Though, getting a heavier object moving does require a proportionally larger force, so if the cameras were dropping individually (and in vacuum), there would be no difference in their speed.

But in this case the cameras were attached together, on the mounting plate, and there is air. The air causes a force that resists the falling. This force is acting on the underside of the mounting plate, equally everywhere. However, the heavier camera is pulled more by the gravity, so the plate tilts towards that side.

Now comes the part where only speculation is available. The mounting plate will most certainly begin rotating, but does it rotate horizontally or vertically or both, regularily or irregularily? How much does that rotation affect it aerodynamically? Anyone willing to borrow two cameras and a mounting plate for some tests?

Something I found unusual about is the amount of dirt on the camera and almost none on the video giving me an impression that the camera fall on soft ground and the video end up on hard ground or water. If that is the case the video actually performed better in this drop test.

wow. maybe the mud cushioned the fall.

Takes a lickin!

I imagine the video was already running when he jumped...so, did the video tape survive showing a free-falling camera hitting the ground? It would be great to post it (if it survived of course)

Omar

omarlyn, you read my mind

Magic, just magic! I'm....not going to try this though. haha

Awesome. I wonder what would have happened if the XT had a battery grip and a 17-55/2.8 IS?

My old point and shoot fell down a cliff and hit a ledge about 6 feet down. When I got it back, it kept working (and still works). It was a 2MP HP.

Oosty wrote:
I don't think the relative mass makes any difference at all. Gravity acts equally on all bodies irrespective of mass which is why a brick and a penny dropped from the same height will hit the ground simultaneously.

True. Forget about the cameras though. I wonder then... How does the skydiver make it alive... Uhmmmmm...

what saved it was it's weight.

If it was a 1 series, the impact would've created a mile-wide crater and the camera would be on it's way to the Core.

Adam L wrote:
If it was a 1 series, the impact would've created a mile-wide crater and the camera would be on it's way to the Core.

Lucky it's weather sealed.

I thought the 1 series come with parachutes.

I doubt there is any sensor dust left on that XT

Calin Leucuta wrote:
I sold my first DSLR (Rebel XT) to my buddy from Florida

Mental note: If I see a post on the B/S forum, username Calin Leucuta, selling Rebel XT "for a friend" - DO NOT BUY!!!

Sounds like another successful UPS delivery.

Truly an amazing story. The last pic is my favorite.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

chiliman wrote:
Sounds like another successful UPS delivery.

that's probably how he found it.... must've been a door mat out there for it to land under....

Normally when stuff like this happens you keep it as secret as possible.

Otherwise you might be getting a visit from the FAA for not securing your camera rig properly (and not having a safety leash).

I believe the fine is rather large as someone can easily get killed this way.

carlsbadbum wrote: ...Never underestimate the strength of composite plastice, that's why Boeing is building the world's first composite jetliner.

Which had its first flight on Tuesday morning. (No, I didn't take any photos.)

It was cool (but not as cold as last week) and raining here at launch time; and due to weather the planned flight was cut from 5 hours to 3, and it stayed west of the Cascade Mountains; but it was a successful flight by most counts.

Gives another meaning to "Plastic Fantastic."