Heat Distortion

[Go4EVA!]

Is there any way to avoid "heat distortion" effects (not sure what else to call it) when shooting in sunny conditions, with a long lens, over a great distance? My gut tells me that there is no way to dodge such atmospheric distortions. Please advise if I'm missing something here -- like increased shutter speeds? Use of a CPL? Can the distortion be edited out in PP? Something else?

(Note: I was in Florida last month and had a chance to photograph the last Space Shuttle launch. It was hot, sunny, and breezy. I was standing approx 4 miles away, with my 40D plus 100-400 maxed out.)

[SkipD]

The only way to reduce the effect is to get a lot closer to the subject and that may not even do the trick. Light from the distant subject is being bent (usually many times) while going through the heated air, and there's no way to straighten out the light (at the camera) to take the "wiggles" out of the image.

[Go4EVA!]

Thanks -- that's what I was afraid of....:)

[PacAce]

You could wait for a very cold day. ;) :lol:

[Stocky]

You could pick a different part of the EM spectrum. Higher frequency rays wouldn't be effected as much.

[lmulderi]

Huh?

[Go4EVA!]

...or maybe I can simply put an ice-pack on my lens! :lol: