Can you disable a cam with a.....

[sdkid]

LASER.

Seriously-- someone insinuated they could come by and hit my cams with a laser and kill them.

Possible? Or is this the stuff of movies.... LOL.

Google yielded this result--- I wondered about any experiences among those on the forum....

Lasers Impact on Surveillance Cameras Tested

Hong Kong protesters have used lasers to undermine surveillance cameras. We test how much of an impact lasers actually have or not.

ipvm.com

 

[fenderman]

LASER.

Seriously-- someone insinuated they could come by and hit my cams with a laser and kill them.

Possible? Or is this the stuff of movies.... LOL.

Google yielded this result--- I wondered about any experiences among those on the forum....

Lasers Impact on Surveillance Cameras Tested

Hong Kong protesters have used lasers to undermine surveillance cameras. We test how much of an impact lasers actually have or not.

ipvm.com

The report tells you everything you need. A can of spray paint would do more damage.

 

[sdkid]

The report tells you everything you need. A can of spray paint would do more damage.

Yeah--- that article is good--- I was more interested in whether anyone dealt with someone trying to mess with a cam by using a laser on it...

 

[Purduephotog]

Yes, you can destroy a sensor with a laser. It surprisingly does not take a lot of power. Specifically you can destroy certain pixels and possibly rows. I've seen professional DSLRs ruined at stage events when a laser scans across the wide angle lens.

That said, is someone going to come by and pump your cameras? Probably not. But they could. And if they did it with an IR laser (green laser pointer without the crystal, etc), you'd never see where it was coming from, and the footage would be useless.

 

[sdkid]

Yes, you can destroy a sensor with a laser. It surprisingly does not take a lot of power. Specifically you can destroy certain pixels and possibly rows. I've seen professional DSLRs ruined at stage events when a laser scans across the wide angle lens.

That said, is someone going to come by and pump your cameras? Probably not. But they could. And if they did it with an IR laser (green laser pointer without the crystal, etc), you'd never see where it was coming from, and the footage would be useless.

I never considered concerts with laser light effects....

 

[area651]

Yes, you can destroy a sensor with a laser. It surprisingly does not take a lot of power. Specifically you can destroy certain pixels and possibly rows. I've seen professional DSLRs ruined at stage events when a laser scans across the wide angle lens.

That said, is someone going to come by and pump your cameras? Probably not. But they could. And if they did it with an IR laser (green laser pointer without the crystal, etc), you'd never see where it was coming from, and the footage would be useless.

So if you're like me and have a neighbor who insists on being a dickhead, it sounds like you could have your cameras ruined all b/c they want to mess with you. great......ugh
Fortunately for me, the neighbor I'm referring to me is behind me and the cameras I have out back are smaller, less conspicuous. I'm just waiting for the day though that he notices one I have to deal with him. They're not even pointed at him btw. But most people see the housing of a camera and instantly think you can see through walls or through the blinds on their windows.

 

[samplenhold]

But most people see the housing of a camera and instantly think you can see through walls or through the blinds on their windows.

Wait...your cameras CAN'T do that?

 

[Purduephotog]

Well, there are things you can do to limit the damage. Obviously. Just hitting you with a red or green laser pointer will suck but it'll also be recorded on the camera. So you'll have the video.
Not too many people would be bright enough to use an IR laser (because how can you see that), so there's that too.

Sadly as little as 5mw would be enough to do damage, but you're also going to be in better shape because the lens isn't as 'sharp' as a professional DSLR one. Ironically you could make it less damaging by making it more out of focus

 

[fenderman]

Well, there are things you can do to limit the damage. Obviously. Just hitting you with a red or green laser pointer will suck but it'll also be recorded on the camera. So you'll have the video.
Not too many people would be bright enough to use an IR laser (because how can you see that), so there's that too.

Sadly as little as 5mw would be enough to do damage, but you're also going to be in better shape because the lens isn't as 'sharp' as a professional DSLR one. Ironically you could make it less damaging by making it more out of focus

As you can see from the ipvm test, it is difficult to cause damage unless you are at close range and even then it takes time. They could do more damage with a can of spray paint or a baseball bat. This is a non issue.