jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Imagine this. Your daughter is practically guaranteed an Olympic medal, probably gold, and you will be there in the stands watching. You have over a year to do the research a decide what camera to buy to capture her performance. What camera do you choose?

Unfortunately, the father I saw on TV last night was using a little P&S with an LCD to document his daughter's gold medal performance. She was an American gymnast (I think - it all blurs together). :?:

Acountry330 Loc: Dothan,Ala USA

He probably did not give it a thought. Just used what he new. Only in later years wiil he be sorry he did not have a better photo. Maybe thay get photo's from the pro's.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That would be nice, but there are thousands of athletes.

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

Don't worry... She will be able to get photos from professional there....

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

If you've watched any of the action, you've seen the photographers swarming around the athletes. They'll have thousands of shots. In film days, there would have been a ton of photo paper discarded somewhere along the way.

Greg-Colo Loc: Fort Collins,Co

kinda like all the flashes going off in a stadium.
:-D

DavidT Loc: Maryland

Hey, Jerry, the father had very few options. The Olympics are extremely rigid in their rules for what the general spectators can bring into a venue for photographs. In one article, it states:

"Until now Olympic rules have limited the length of camera gear to 30cm at all venues apart from Wembley where all interchangeable-lens cameras are effectively banned.

However, a spokesman for Olympic organiser Locog this afternoon revealed a radical tightening of restrictions at venues nationwide.

He told Amateur Photographer (AP): ‘One [interchangeable-lens] camera with a 35mm [focal length] lens [is acceptable] but anything more is considered professional equipment and too large for spectator seating.'

The Locog spokesman confirmed that these rules apply to the general public, as opposed to accredited professional photographers, at the Games. ‘That's the rule being deployed now,' he added.

He said the new rules, which effectively outlaw zoom lenses on all changeable-lens cameras (consumer or professional-level), were drawn up after a consensus was reached between Olympic venues."

DavidT Loc: Maryland

Further, I would have been p***ed if I bought a 600mm Canon lens, took it to the Olympics to photo my daughter winning a gold medal only to find I wasn't allowed to use it!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I can understand banning tripods and lenses over a certain looong length, but DSLRs are so common now, and they don't bother anyone. Maybe they're afraid that a pro will pay the high price for the ticket and then make money selling photos. So what? :-(

chapjohn Loc: Tigard, Oregon

Next thing you will see is that spectators will only be allowed to use Polaroid instant cameras. lol

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

I'll let you know in just under a year.

snowbear

Many venues consider all SLRs and DSLRs professional cameras, and do not allow them. A few NASCAR racetracks have adopted this policy, as well as a number of concert halls.

rebride

I believe that father and wife were seating way up in the back back just the day before. Needed a longer lens than. Getting a medal moved them up to row 35.

FilmFanatic Loc: Waikato, New Zealand

So you can't have a DSLR with a 100mm prime but you can have a p&s with a 1000mm zoom because the lens is not interchangeable?

Emjem Loc: Perth australia

Tell us who she is so we can cheer her on