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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Filmimg lasers with Epic/Scarlet ?

Just follow one simple rule and things should work out just fine: NO LASERS DOWN THE LENS BARREL.

Hopefully you treat your camera like your face... You know to never shine a laser in your eyes, so don't aim a laser at the camera sensor. It's just not worth the risk.
 
Gunleik Groven said:
I've seen this 1sthand.
It is a really bad thing for you and costs about 8.5k$...
Click to expand...

That's the risk i cannot afford. Can you think any other way, that is not film?
 
Carlos Dueñas said:
That's the risk i cannot afford. Can you think any other way, that is not film?
Click to expand...

Thing is that as long as you don't expose the sensor directly to the laser, you're probably good. But, there's allways the risk in uncontrolled situations, like the one you describe.

Film would be pretty safe! :)

Hahahaha
 
If you were able to properly protect the lens/sensor from the intensity of the laser through filtration, you MIGHT have some success... but the filtration required would likely kill your low light capabilities...

You could research purchasing a small sheet of laser safety glass to mount in in your filter tray, but you would need to identify the type(s) of lasers being used in the disco, and obtain the appropriate filtration(s)... and then do a lot of testing... Which obviously could be quite costly if it doesn't work.

As an example, for eyewear:
"Eyewear must be selected for the specific type of laser, to block or attenuate in the appropriate wavelength range. For example, eyewear absorbing 532 nm typically has an orange appearance, transmitting wavelengths larger than 550 nm. Such eyewear would be useless as protection against a laser emitting at 800 nm. Furthermore, some lasers emit more than one wavelength of light, and this may be a particular problem with some less expensive frequency-doubled lasers, such as 532 nm "green laser pointers" which are commonly pumped by 808 nm infrared laser diodes, and also generate an intermediate 1064 nm laser beam which is used to produce the final 532 nm output."

Long story short, if you can find any way to ONLY shoot off axis from the actual laser emitter(s), you improve your chances, but even refelcted laser light can still ding the camera sensor.

(Definitely worth checking out wikipedia for more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety ...)
 
Carlos, DO NOT FILM IN THE DISCO WITH THE LASERS ON !!!

Let me be more specific:
DO NOT FILM IN THE DISCO WITH THE LASERS ON !!!

Whatever you think will work.will not.
No filtration. No "best practice". No promises from the guys with the lasers. No promises from production.

The only guarantee is, that your sensor will be damaged.
A sensor replacement is 8.5K.


I have seen the footage when it happens.
Fascinating seeing a sensor die...
 
U can't film them without risk, u just have to change the amount of risk.
Wide angle lenses are smaller risk then tele. Check the laser guys if they can fade out the lasers as they go in the crowd and film from there.
If u film from a tripod u can ask if they black out that spot...

@Jonas Those shots are necessary if u want to capture an event...

We captured this event with 10 EPICs, they had 72 lasers... We mapped out the FOH camera from the lasers

 
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While I applaud Stijin for the titanic task of 10 live epics, and I am sure that you guys did all the precautions possible,
I would not want to rent/own an epic that did this kind of job.

3:46 ... kiss your mysterium-x slowly good night. :crazy:


I can only tell what I saw, and the sensor died from less than that.
I am sure you guys have good insurance clerks.

...

But it looks certainly amazing!
 
CK Olsen said:
If you were able to properly protect the lens/sensor from the intensity of the laser through filtration, you MIGHT have some success... but the filtration required would likely kill your low light capabilities...

You could research purchasing a small sheet of laser safety glass to mount in in your filter tray, but you would need to identify the type(s) of lasers being used in the disco, and obtain the appropriate filtration(s)... and then do a lot of testing... Which obviously could be quite costly if it doesn't work.

As an example, for eyewear:
"Eyewear must be selected for the specific type of laser, to block or attenuate in the appropriate wavelength range. For example, eyewear absorbing 532 nm typically has an orange appearance, transmitting wavelengths larger than 550 nm. Such eyewear would be useless as protection against a laser emitting at 800 nm. Furthermore, some lasers emit more than one wavelength of light, and this may be a particular problem with some less expensive frequency-doubled lasers, such as 532 nm "green laser pointers" which are commonly pumped by 808 nm infrared laser diodes, and also generate an intermediate 1064 nm laser beam which is used to produce the final 532 nm output."

Long story short, if you can find any way to ONLY shoot off axis from the actual laser emitter(s), you improve your chances, but even refelcted laser light can still ding the camera sensor.

(Definitely worth checking out wikipedia for more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety ...)
Click to expand...

This above information is correct. Yet, it can be done safely. I have not used an epic but I was a consultant for a university in the optoelectronic lab in electrical engineering, and I used ccd/cmos imagers all the time. Infact, I have taken far more powerful lasers in the megawatt range and shined them directly at the the sensor for a laser beam profile. It is highly technical but doable. It doesn't cost much to do it either. I agree with most who post here. You would need to understand laser safety and do the calculations to reduce risk and take all the needed precautions. It can be done safely.
We do that in the lab all the time. You can get band-stop, notch,and other rejection filters (precision windows with thin films) for each wavelength in Optical Densities(OD) of 3 to 4 or more. These clear like filters will easily pass all other light except the specific wavelength range of light. Refer to ANSI z136.1 to calculate safety for your sensors, your eyes, and everyone else within laser range. Make sure the establishment has complied with these standards also before deciding to do a shoot for your own safety. A joke in the lab is we align the laser with the remaining good eye. Yet, we take laser safety seriously. They should have also done this for their patron's safety as well. I have designed, built, and been a laser safety officer for my installation where I did pulse laser portrait holography of people that emitted megawatts of power, and it was done safely for the person being photographed. You can also reduce your risk by reducing the acceptance angle that your lens will accept a laser beam by fashioning lens hoods as well as using the proper filters and ODs.
 
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