[mdlug] OT - IR jamming

[Aaron Kulkis]

Dave Arbogast wrote:
> 
> Kristian Erik Hermansen wrote:
> 
>> On Feb 16, 2008 6:26 PM, Dave Arbogast <mdlug3 at arb.net> wrote:
>>  
>>
>>> I was just in DC with my top of the line SLR digital camera. I was in
>>> the right place at the right time to take photos of a motorcade entering
>>> the big house. I was about 12 feet from them and 16 feet from the inter
>>> gate as it opened. (I shot for several newspapers in the day, so you
>>> could say I'm not am amateur.)
>>>
>>> OK, shoot, shoot, shoot.  Daylight, immediate response pro camera.
>>> What's the problem ?  This was a high raking official as the tailing
>>> S.S. Tahoe had the back 3 windows open and 3 armored soldiers with
>>> fingers on their machine guns. Yes, they gave me the evil eye for trying
>>> to take their photo from 4 meters, but my camera refused to take their
>>> photo.... it took many photos minutes before they arrived and many more
>>> minutes after the iron gates closed behind them.
>>>
>>> The only explanation is IR / RF  jamming of my system. I wish I had gone
>>> to manual focus as I do often, but I have never held down the shutter
>>> release with no result.  The guys following up the rear were too cool.
>>> None of the other motorcades we saw that day had the heavy artillery
>>> exposed in the trailing SUV ready to fire.
>>>    
>>>
>> What model camera was this?  Of course, I am sure there are many ways
>> to accomplish what you believe has happened, but check out this
>> article...
>> http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/HP-Developing-Picture-Jamming-Technology-to-Block-Unwanted-Photographs-.htm
>>  
>>
> Very interesting.... I was guessing they were using something from the 
> military to block laser guided whatever. It would be IR and certainly my 
> focusing system would not be happy about it. I tried to get another 
> chance but all the other motorcades last week were low value guests and 
> didn't have the tailing gunship.

I know that U.S., British, and Russian main battle tanks
have all had something referred to as an "IR-dazzler" which
are designed to defeat two common uses of IR-lasers on the
battle field -- IR-laser guidance systems (TOW-2, Javelin,
many of those "smart bombs" that the Air Force uses, etc),
and IR-laser rangefinder systems (found on tanks, and also
what modern autofocus SLR's use)


> 
> I have a Pentax K10 D. Its greatest asset is the anti-shake is in the 
> camera body so I can use my long glass lenses from my newspaper days. 
> Most of the others put the anti shake in the lens, rendering the older 
> high end lenses much less useful. Its over 10m per shot and allows full 
> manual for every option including turning off anti shake and auto focus. 
> Both are a single separate switch.
> 
> They claim it is rain proof and the body has water seals for everything, 
> but I worry about the lens, so I still shield it.
> 
> -dave
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