nippontiger

Depending on what you are filming you might be able to see some difference between 60 and 30 fps even at normal speed, but definitely much more apparent as you slow things down. With the narrower field of view, the vibrations and movement of the camera is more noticable - also, it becomes more tricky to get what you want in the frame. If file size wasnt an issue, I'd just film at 720p 60 fps. If it was an issue, Id go with 720p 30 fps and maybe a bit of 60 fps for anything I might want to slow down. Dont know about the anti-fog inserts - maybe a good idea on a snowy day?

From what I've seen people usually either mount them on the side or the top of their skiing helmet. Another option is to stick it to the end of a ski pole and you can use it to film yourself - that looks quite good. Not sure about resolution - Im guessing 720p is going to be good because you have the widest angle (170 degrees) and you can also film at 60 fps - this is nice if you want to make some slow-motion shots. You could go up to 1080p but your viewing angle is limited to 127 degrees - as you go to narrower angles, any camera movements become more distracting. You might want to experiment

Thats most likely due to a faster data service with Docomo. Hopefully Softbank can get their network speeds up over the next year or two - I think they are working on it.

In the UK, there's this guy nick-named the Naked Rambler who spends most of his time in prison in solitary confinement because every time he's released he takes his clothes off! In August this year he was sentenced to another 657 days having been arrested less than one minute after his last release - the judge told him he will spend the rest of his life in prison if he continues. http://en.wikipedia....i/Stephen_Gough

Perhaps early February is more towards the very peak of the season weather-wise, but weather is weather and you could end up with a mild week beginning of feb and a blizzard at the end - probably not a huge amount in it. Similar story in terms of numbers of people in the resorts. Feb 11th is a national holiday in Japan - national foundation day.

Seems most people, like myself, are hoping for a mid December start at somewhere high like Kagura. Seems reasonable for Japan. I wont have any money for ski trips until then anyway!

With Softbank, you can get the pack-houdai at, I think 4100 yen a month, or you can opt for a package which varies from I think 1400 yen a month up to 4600 a month maximum (pack houdai). So, if you dont use data (you can switch it off) and pay 980 for their basic white plan, 315 for the S! plan (whatever that is) plus the minimum data at 1400 = less than 3000 yen a month. Even without data you still have a lot of functionality you wouldnt have with a non-smart phone - ipod, games, applications, GPS (if you pre-download the maps via wi-fi which you can do with some applications) and you can sti

I guess Im just a bit unlucky with phones - my last Samsung was a complete disaster. I generally like the iphone despite some of its well-known drawbacks. If I do get another one, I'd be sure to get the two year warranty - the problems Ive had with my current phone seemed so start shortly after my 1 year warranty expired...

I tried asking Siri what the weather was like, and she understood me perfectly - even with my Yorkshire accent. Unfortunately she couldn't answer, because for some reason Siri cant tell you the weather in Japan, nor can she tell you directions or anything about nearby restaurants and so on. So basically, a lot of Siri's functionality simply does not work in Japan - even if it can understand your accent! I was also thinking of upgrading my 3gs to the 4s, mainly because my 3gs has a signal problem and the phone frequently has zero signal reception. Also the gps doesnt work anymore. I was thinki

Good luck finding any off-piste/side country at Happo - I think there are some off-piste routes down the back but you need to know what you are doing and I don't think you end up anywhere near a lift - perhaps a guide could show you round there. There is a well-used area of side-country coming down from the top heading down the left hand side (looking down the mountain) and bringing you back to the lifts around the Skyline area. Other than that Ive never found much else there and I've been there loads of times. I guess there are other areas there, but you will most likely need somebody to show

I think I'd be up for this - weekends would be good for me, but I guess I'd need a lift from either Ibaraki or the Tokyo area - I dont drive and there's no easy transport option from where I live.

All over the place, but especially Kagura and a trip or two to Hakuba. I'd also really like to get up to Fukushima again - a day or two at Nekoma would be great - its quiet at the best of times and I imagine there'll be hardly anybody there this year! Unfortunately, my friend who usually drives us up there has left Japan now.

Kagura is still number one for me! Also, I really enjoyed Kandatsu where I would often go when it was a powder day but expected to be windy - on windy days Kagura is often very limited with upper lifts closed, but Kandatsu is in a sheltered valley so most of it can stay open even when the wind is quite strong. I havent been there for a few years though - still never been when the Milky Way black run was open.

They know people don't like it but I think the reason they do it is to make it difficult for customers to know the actual price from advertising. It's basically an anti-competetive practice designed to prevent prices from being driven down and it really should be outlawed.

I got a pair of Icelantic Keepers and I love em! Check out my review in the reviews section...

I went for a few days in Kyoto and Osaka actually. Here's my reasoning: The situation at the nuclear power plant at the point I decided to leave was looking particularly serious - massive explosions occuring and it looked like a cascade of events spiralling out of control - 100 miles is not very far in the event of complete loss of containment or a fire in the fuel rod pool - the distance to Kyoto is certainly a lot better, if not perfect. Second, we had problems with power cuts, water cuts and shops closed or poorly supplied. Third, most of my friends had left and nobody was going to work tha

Thats great hhaidar! Glad to hear you weren't put off by the nonsence on the TV! Its been a pretty good late season for snow, so with a bit of luck you'll get some good conditions up there - wish I was going myself!

Thats great TB - and pretty much exactly what I did last Saturday - same runs and everything! Perhaps it was a bit busier than it was for you, but we also had amazing conditions - 50 cms of fresh and it continued belting down the entire day! Hoping to get some more soon....

I think part of the problem is the vast difference between how Japan and the problems here are being portrayed in the western media and how things actually are as experienced by the people living here. The majority of the articles I have read from news sources outside of Japan have focused almost exclusively on speculation about worst case scenarios. Even usually reputable sources such as the BBC have been guilty of this, The Guardian, more so and moving over to US news sources it starts to get ridiculous. There has been a lot of good progress at the NPP over the last week or so - electricit

I heard people in California had started buying up stocks of potassium iodide tablets. Based on that logic, residents of the US west coast might also want to avoid bathing in the sea there cos last summer, I pissed in the sea at Enoshima.

The articles posted from the western media are typical of the sensationalist scaremongering us people living near Fukushima have had to sift through in the last few weeks whilst we have being trying to make sensible judgements on what is actually going on, what the danger is and what we should do about it. Such articles have not been helpful to be honest. There is talk about cover-ups and the like, but to be honest I've yet to see any actual evidence of this, and at least some evidence to the contrary. For example, we are being kept up-to-date with radiation readings in the air and in tapwat

My original post here was reflecting on peoples ability to make accurate judgements about levels of risk and how those judgements are affected by immediate events. It wasn't directed at anyone in particular, and if anything it was just a reflection on a natural human response. Although it is a natural human response, it does not however, mean that it is the best response. Unfortunately, instead of getting some insight from people who decided they wont be coming on how they came to their decision, whether or not people can make accurate risk assessments in the face of extreme events etc. all

Yeah, my sentiments exactly. If you dont want to come here, dont come. I honestly couldn't care less.

The Fukushima thing is a mess and will likely go on for a while, but it is no Chernobyl as it is being made out to be in the western media. I imagine they will continue cooling the reactors and eventually be able to clean up and begin the process of decommission in the coming months. I think the local area - a few tens of miles from the plant will be strongly affected - especially farmers and so on. Most of Japans ski areas are well away from the NPP though. As I said in my earlier post, I can understand people holding out while they get things under control there. As for earthquakes, I was

Originally Posted By: window-cleaner There are plenty of ski destinations around the world that I want to go to. Places that don't have any of this shit going on, as pie-eater so funnily said in another thread. Forgive me for choosing somewhere that is not Japan. Weighing stuff up, other places win. Simple as. Not a hard decision. I totally understand your decision to go to another ski destination, but I think if that if you based that decision solely on current events (and I'm not saying you did), then that is an over-reaction. In 9 months time there simply won't be any of thi