New technology: Anti-photography projector

[Andy_T]

Take a look at this article at ZDNET:
http://news.com.com/Crave+privacy+New+tech+knocks+out+digital+cameras/2100-7337_3-5869832.html

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed an anti-photography device:
A combination of video camera and projector can detect a camera lens (based on the reflectivity of the lens coating) and shower it with a concentrated beam of light, washing out any photos.

Best regards,
Andy

[Longwatcher]

I am not concerned. It will work great on camera phones. It will have problems with DSLR.

With a DSLR it will start failing as you add lens hoods, ultra-wide angle lenses, polarizer filters. ALso CMOS (as used by Canon) is less detectable then CCD.
Shuttered cameras with high shutter speeds (AKA DSLR) will also be less detectable.
And high-end DSLRs can also be set on manual to compensate some what if needed.
And longer lenses/distances will also overcome the system's range. It should work real good with 50mm lenses on older DSLRs though.

So I am not worried about this technology very much affecting my DSLR.
But at the same time DSLRs are very noticable cameras so you would be able to visually see if someone is trying to take a picture. As opposed to phone and P&S cameras, which are hard to ban as a class.

Lastly, it is a college project which means about 5+ years away from production.

Also forgot one correection: It is the reflection of the CCD sensor back through the lens they are detecting, not the lens itself.

[Andy_T]

Also forgot one correection: It is the reflection of the CCD sensor back through the lens they are detecting, not the lens itself.

That's what I thought as well ... the article was a bit unclear here. An other article referring to it claimed that it would also work with film cameras (but film is not as reflective as a sensor).

This should really not be much of an issue for a DSLR, then, as the shutter exposes the CCD only very briefly.

I think the technology might be aimed at preventing bootlegging in cinemas.

Best regards,
Andy