FrozenInTime
Well-known
Last week when I flew United to Spokane, I took only my E-P1 out of my bag and kept it handy in the seat pocket.
The flight safety instructions called for all PED ( personal electronic devices ) to be off during landing and take off. As a modern digital camera is fully of whizzy fast electronics to provide live-view and high fps/video capture, I considered the camera would be a reasonably good source of RF radiation - a EMC concern, so thought I had better not use it.
In the past this was not an issue as I would have taken out a M6 or SWC.
Anyone else carrying on a mechanical/film camera with the intent of taking grab shots out the window during the interesting bits of the flight - where modern cameras are effectively now banned for safety ? Or do you still take pictures with that DSLR/digital compact ?
Although I find the grab shots are far from great, they are good for memories - such as this from a prior flight on the way to SFO.
The flight safety instructions called for all PED ( personal electronic devices ) to be off during landing and take off. As a modern digital camera is fully of whizzy fast electronics to provide live-view and high fps/video capture, I considered the camera would be a reasonably good source of RF radiation - a EMC concern, so thought I had better not use it.
In the past this was not an issue as I would have taken out a M6 or SWC.
Anyone else carrying on a mechanical/film camera with the intent of taking grab shots out the window during the interesting bits of the flight - where modern cameras are effectively now banned for safety ? Or do you still take pictures with that DSLR/digital compact ?
Although I find the grab shots are far from great, they are good for memories - such as this from a prior flight on the way to SFO.
Al Kaplan
Veteran
Makes me glad that I've resisted the siren call.
David Murphy
Veteran
Very nice aerial shot. I take mechanical cameras with me in planes when I can (I'll post some photos later).
Spleenrippa
Yes, Right There
You know, I'm an avionics technician by trade and I've come across very few instances where personal electronics have affected the planes systems.
Usually it is the Blackberries that interfere with comms... I've always used my cameras, lappy, mp3 player, etc whilst flying. Granted, this is on military aircraft...
I've always wondered if most of the rules pertaining to "PEDs" on commercial flights were just so people aren't distracted, and could thus prepare themselves if the takeoff or landing goes south. Hmmm... Either way, better safe than sorry, I suppose...
Usually it is the Blackberries that interfere with comms... I've always used my cameras, lappy, mp3 player, etc whilst flying. Granted, this is on military aircraft...
I've always wondered if most of the rules pertaining to "PEDs" on commercial flights were just so people aren't distracted, and could thus prepare themselves if the takeoff or landing goes south. Hmmm... Either way, better safe than sorry, I suppose...
capitalK
Warrior Poet :P
I flew today shooting my M5 out the window. I was just behind the wing so it's probably going to be in most of the shots. I won't develop until about 2 weeks from now.
maddoc
... likes film again.
Since I don't own any digital camera, I always bring my film M Leica into the cabin and also use it during take-off or landing if I can get a seat near the window.
A few seconds before touch down at Chitose airport near Sapporo:
Ascending into the clouds after take-off from Kansai airport:
Over Frankfurt:
Touchdown in Haneda:
A few seconds before touch down at Chitose airport near Sapporo:
Ascending into the clouds after take-off from Kansai airport:
Over Frankfurt:
Touchdown in Haneda:
David Murphy
Veteran
Speenrippa I'm a flight instructor and I've had reliable reports from other pilots where the use of PED's deflected VOR needles. There was also a well-known crash a few years ago of an air ambulance on final approach in solid instrument weather. The one survivor of that crash told investigators that the last thing he remembered was a nurse turning on a cell phone. It's not clear that was the cause, but it's not a place to be fooling around with sources of interference. Cameras do seem an unlikely source (perhaps not if they have wireless interfaces though).
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sanmich
Veteran
Great shots Gabor!
Way over th usual crowd of from the plane shots.
Way over th usual crowd of from the plane shots.
maddoc
... likes film again.
Michael, thanks !! 
Most of the time it is pure luck having the right seat and the right weather.
Most of the time it is pure luck having the right seat and the right weather.Mephiloco
Well-known
I don't even turn off my cell phone. Sometimes I carry an extra set of headphones just for the wire, so I can listen to music during takeoff/safety procedures and when they bug me I just show them the wire from the dummy set.
No planes have ever crashed from my cell phone being on, though I usually lose signal just after takeoff
No planes have ever crashed from my cell phone being on, though I usually lose signal just after takeoff
FrozenInTime
Well-known
Guess I will stay a conformist. Even though I know there is an incredibly low risk of spurious emissions radiating out of camera then through the partially effective faraday cage of a fuselage or coupling onto wiring. I also know that taking a stand against all blanketing safety guidelines is futile.
Maddoc - great : shadows of the planes running across the ground are always fascinating.
Mephilco - that's perhaps a bit reckless : the worse case EMC scenario must be a GSM phone picking up a weak base station signal on approach then attempting to make multiple registration attempts at full power generating bursts through AM pickup on audio circuits. I would not want to do anything that would, no matter how unlikely, apportion any blame to me.
Maddoc - great : shadows of the planes running across the ground are always fascinating.
Mephilco - that's perhaps a bit reckless : the worse case EMC scenario must be a GSM phone picking up a weak base station signal on approach then attempting to make multiple registration attempts at full power generating bursts through AM pickup on audio circuits. I would not want to do anything that would, no matter how unlikely, apportion any blame to me.
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dmr
Registered Abuser
I've taken shots out the airplane window occasionally, both with totally brain-dead real cameras and with the Olympus P&S. Never been told not to.
Big issue I always notice is the window, scratched, foggy, or just very grody.
Big issue I always notice is the window, scratched, foggy, or just very grody.
rxmd
May contain traces of nut
I don't even turn off my cell phone. Sometimes I carry an extra set of headphones just for the wire, so I can listen to music during takeoff/safety procedures and when they bug me I just show them the wire from the dummy set.
No planes have ever crashed from my cell phone being on, though I usually lose signal just after takeoff
Most probably it won't be the plane crashing from your cell phone being on. It will be that you are making the pilot's work more complicated than it needs to be because you can't be bothered to switch off your bloody phone.
You're like a person on a bus who goes to the driver and insists on putting his book over the speedometer and then says that no bus has ever crashed from it.
martin s
Well-known
dmr said:
Brain-dead, never looked at it that way
martin
robinsonphotography
Established
This very thread topic is part of why I was looking forward to getting a Leica--my D700 has to go off for takeoff and landing, but I plan on keeping the Leica with me during those times to try and snap a few frames....
dexdog
Veteran
I take a certain joy from splainin' to the flights attendents that my cameraq doesn't have an on/off switch or batteries. Got some nice snaps in 2007 of the observatory on Mauna Kea, using a contax II. At work, can't post
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
...
Over Frankfurt:
...
Maddoc,
is that one of the plane's tail flaps catching up on it?
I'm at a loss as to what I'm seeing here, help me out?
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
I too was surprised. What is it?
BTW, really good shots from an airplane seat!
BTW, really good shots from an airplane seat!
Al Kaplan
Veteran
If you want some real excitement spend a few hours shooting from a helicopter with the door removed so you don't have to shoot through glass or have your view restricted by the size of the window. "Fasten seatbelts" takes on a whole new meaning!
dexdog
Veteran
Maddoc,
is that one of the plane's tail flaps catching up on it?
I'm at a loss as to what I'm seeing here, help me out?
Looks like the wing tip of an Airbus.