LASER into CCD
 

HI,

when filming events with Lasers (Lasershow etc.) - is there a way to avoid damage?

ULi

Don't film into the beam!

Try to shoot so that the laser source is is pointing away from the camera. Shooting a beam from the side of a beam pointing away from you should be fine, it's only if the beam is directed into the lens that you may have an issue.

This may be totally wrong, but ya gotta believe that if they can shine a laser into people's eyes--that fan kind of effect?--its got to be of short duration and low power. I'd think that kind of beam wouldn't hurt a camera.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

Hmm. Just thought of something. Lasers work with persistance of vision-like TV portraying motion out of still images. The light of a moving laser may be very dim. And will likely not show the entire lasered image--might want to use a slow shutter.

If you read the instruction manual of the camera it clearly states not to shoot a laser. I did once (before reading the manual ofcourse) and it did not damage the ccd. But I would not take the risk again.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2332151/laser1.jpg

well, just to let you know - I´ve already filmed Laser Shows (concerts + laser, weddings + laser, events+laser) with PD150, Z7, EX1 + pdw-F350, no damage yet. And of course, letting the laser "wall" wipe over you and the cam (frontal!) is a great effect...

I know that the laser can damage CCD/CMOS , and always thought: is there a way to 100% avoid serious damage when a laser hits the CCD? ND ? Was I just lucky?

Or simply have a 300$ cam with me for not getting the production camera broken??

;-)

ULI