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| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT KAP |
What is the best wind speed for KAP?
Many KAP'ers regard the minimum wind that will lift the rig as being the ideal wind. Their reasoning, which I believe is correct, is that cradle movement and particularly vibration is at its minimum in light wind. Also important is that the wind is steady as gusty wind will cause more camera movement. Experiment with your kite without the cradle in differing winds so as to get a feel for how hard it pulls in varying conditions. Remember that the drag/lift increases by the square of the wind speed so that a small increase in wind speed can double the pull.
Can the HiCam be used with other cameras?
Probably. Although we have designed it to be used by the Fuji and Olympus. However since both the Fuji and Olympus are particualy small most other cameras will prove to be too big.
Is the difference between the Fuji and Olympus pictures noticeable?
Very much so. It's not that the Fuji gives bad pictures, but the difference is unmistakable. The success rate of the Olympus is also greater with less photos being lost to blurring.
How high can the HiCam go?
The timer can be set to a maximum of about two and a half minutes. That does not sound like a lot, but with a steady wind and good technique the cradle can get surprisingly high (at least 200 to 300ft). It must be remembered that most good KAP pictures are taken from about 100ft above the ground when detail is still clear and the aerial perspective is at the most striking.
What is the best film to use?
ASA400 or faster film is ideal for KAP. Very fast films ASA800 and above can be grainy limiting the amount the negative can be enlarged, but faster films have improved dramatically in the last few years.
What size kite do I need?
The kite that we use is about 2m in wing span and will lift both the Fuji or Olympus. Any stable kite capable of lifting at least 300g in a steady breeze will be fine. A smaller kite will be able to lift the rig in strong wind although the results are likely to be poor.
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