Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA

I take my Sony RX10 III to events often. I keep it in my backpack or a very small case.
I shot Art Basel a few weeks ago in Miami. I am very careful how I shoot and when.
One issue in museums etc is that flashes are an issue with art. And viewers are disturbed.
Sporting events you can shoot as a guest. But some areas you can't be in. The newest RX100
has a lens that now goes 200mm and takes great images. It is tiny. I have the mark 4
and it is in my small carry bag all the time. Another point of paranoia is security of larger
cameras which they used to think could be armed by terrorists.
Never been asked to stop or leave. I was asked to video a protest in Florida about
a big grocery chains aggressive campaign against med weed owners stopping the bill.
I arrived in the parking lot with backpack. Cops outside the store were eyeballing me.
I walked over and asked then in a very nice way if the protest was on. I thought it was silly
but was asked to get a few shots of it. They relaxed and I videoed the protestors who were
allowed on the public street not the parking lot. I got what I wanted in 30 minutes.

captainbinary

It's a good reason to take another look at mirror lenses, first popular in the 1970s-80s. A 500mm f/8 is little bigger than a 'kit' lens and wouldn't draw much attention at all, but it is fixed aperture and manual focus. A modern Sigma/Tamron stabilised A/F 500mm optic is a veritable bazooka by comparison! Modern bodies offering IBIS, high ISO performance and focus peaking should be effective in negating the disadvantages of mirror optics. My Tamron 500mm f/8 is 3.5" long. If you need something shorter, you can find 350mm f/5.6 mirror optics on eBay.

scsdesphotography Loc: Southeastern Michigan

Hi Gary and all, move to Detroit. I already mentioned taking pictures at our ball field, but you can also image to your hearts content at our world class art museum (the DIA), no flash of course. Photography is also allowed at our zoological park. And you can also photograph our semipro hockey team at our local arena.

Flash restrictions are not unusual. One of three reasons is usually given. Using a flash can be disturbing and distracting to the other patrons, which is reasonable. Your flash might affect the performers on stage, this can also be reasonable if the performers are kids on a school stage, a poetry reading or the like. It is totally not true if your photographing a band at a major venue. There is no way your camera flash is going to overpower those huge stage lights. Most bands have come up through the ranks of playing at bars and small venues where there are no camera or flash restrictions and they're use to it.

The third reason given is that the output from your flash might degrade the colors in the artwork. Which can be true, sort of. Remember the paintings of the great masters of the past were meant to be viewed in daylight. They used pigments that were proven to be fairly light stable (Da Vinci experimented a lot with paint mixtures, some of them not so successful, IE. The Last Supper). And while UV is usually identified as the main culprit, extremely bright visible light can degrade certain media also. Which is why museums use archival glass over their artwork. It filters out the UV light to prevent fading. The main concern about this came out of the old flashbulb era. Those flashbulbs (the bulbs contained aluminum wool with an oxidizer) produced a lot of color degrading blue-UV light. Modern electronic strobes produce a lot of intense visible light, but not nearly as much UV light. But curators are stilled swayed by the old flashbulb metaphor.

The greatest disconnect I ran into on this was at the Fortress at Louisburg in Canada. The docent was keen to admonish me about using my flash inside (I wasn't, because I didn't want to aggravate my fellow patrons). So to make conversation I inquired as to why they had that rule. She responded that the light would fade the fabrics of the period furniture. As she is telling me this I'm facing three 8' x 16' uncovered windows which were allowing the midday sun to completely illuminate the room, so much for concern about fading!

gary m Loc: Cincinnati, ohio

To SCSdesphotography

I have been many time to Detroit as I used to live in the Cincinnati area. Detroit has some great places for photographers.

I rarely use flash indoors when taking DSLR pictures as my Canon 5D Mark III and lenses are fast and can usually take pictures with natural lighting (my preference as well).

My point of my posting, larger professional DSLR cameras have been banned at many events and public buildings if you use flash or not. The only users of these cameras are those that have press credential passes or special permission for these events.

I do not prefer to capture my pictures using a cell phone camera, if not allowed to use my normal equipment, then I will not pay or attend those events. Mirrorless cameras also will not be allowed where events ban DSLR cameras...only point and shoot and camera phones.

I recognize the event can do what they want, I now choose not to participate and fund such endeavors.

Wishing you the best in 2019

Gary

sloscheider Loc: Minnesota

I don’t remember a time when cameras WERE allowed. I’ve tried several times over the years with little success.

In 1987 I went to a Butthole Surfers concert at the Orpheus Theater in Minneapolis. I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt and my Canon A1 with a Tamron 70-210 lens. The front gate security didn’t blink an eye and I was amazed. Once I got to my seat and raised up the camera the stage security guard had a big problem. He didn’t believe I just walked in with it rhinking I hid it then laughed when he realized what I was wearing.

Winnipeg Folk Festival doesn’t have a problem with pro cameras, at least not since I’ve been going there.

Bipod

Your best for sporting events may be a fixed-lens camera with a large X zoom. Smaller
sensor means smaller diameter lenses give the same speed, so maybe go very small: 1/2.3"
(resolution will suffer, but that's OK if don't need to display large images).

Panasonic LUMIX FZ300 4K 24X F2.8 Long Zoom Digital Camera $399.99 list.
24X optical zoom. 52 mm filter thread diameter.
https://shop.panasonic.com/cameras-and-camcorders/cameras/lumix-point-and-shoot-cameras/DMC-FZ300K.html#srule=newest&start=1&cgid=lumix-point-and-shoot-cameras

Haven't tried it, but it looks like it might do the job. Good reviews.

The issue at the White House may be security related: they may be worried about weapons
concealed in long lenses. However, since the Daily Briefing rarely happens anymore,
it may not matter. And a press pass didn't get CNN's Jim Acosta (formerly of CBS) in.
But you could try getting a press pass from Fox, Pravda or Izvestia.

worldcycle Loc: Stateline, Nevada

I can be done. Get creative, I do it all the time. Of course you must be very discrete when using it. L series lens need a cut off black sock camo

scsdesphotography Loc: Southeastern Michigan

delkeener Loc: SW Rhode Island, USA

Officiously obnoxious self-important paparazzi can ruin many events for the paying customers.

delkeener Loc: SW Rhode Island, USA

I have a lot of luck avoiding confrontation by using the most innocent looking silvery, white or colored camera bodies. So avoid the "pro" look and the black body cameras. I try to look and act like an average joe just there for the event who happens to have his girl's pocketbook camera. Don't be a show off.

topcat Loc: Alameda, CA

I went to a Cirque du Soleil, and the announced that FLASH photography was not allowed. Most people were taking pictures with their phones, but a few were taking pictures with cameras. Maybe not long lenses but still with their cameras.