oops... (was Re: Nology)

[Mos]

An option I have been exploring was to use an LCD panel infront of the
number plate which turns opaque when it detects a flash. I've seen things
like that used on welding goggles, but I'm wondering whether it would be
fast enough to activate in the case of a flash? How fast are the slave
flash units? Would they activate before the light from the flash reaches
the camera?
The LCD would in reality need to activate before the light reached the
number plate. If the sensor is mounted on the bumper, considering light
travels at around 3e+8m/s it doesn't leave much time for the LCD to
activate, but since it's been done with welding goggles I guess it could
work...
Just a thought..
Mos.
Oh yeah, Happy New Year  :)

On 1 Jan 1999, Tom Parker wrote:

M>Bill the arcstarter <arcstarter at hotmail.com> wrote:
M>
M>[killing speed camera photos]
M>
M>>Oh - that sounds nice.  I had thought about a constant IR lamp blaring
M>>on the plate to fog the film.  Possibly via infrared leds/diode
M>>modules...  Most b/w film is sensitive to IR or so I'm told...
M>
M>This might work, but I would think you would need a rather powerful source.
M>In order to completely burn out the film  you need a huge amount of light, I
M>have got usable images from film overexposed by 3 or 4 stops.
M>
M>I imagine a flash aimed at the number plate would be most effective. If the
M>flash is pointing at the camera, and is near the plate, you might have some
M>luck, but the camera will be doing its best to keep the light from the flash
M>in the area of the film where the flash is, not where the plate is. You would
M>only get light that is scattered inside the camera going from the flash to the
M>image of the number plate.
M>
M>At least, this is how I see it.
M>
M>The other problem with slave flash units is that they are very sensitive. If
M>they see any kind of very fast rising light source, they go off.
M>Photographers have problems with slaves triggering off strobes in shop windows
M>far away from where they are photographing...
M>
M>The local police claimed that the idea would not work. They didn't give any
M>convincing reasons for it. They went on about how fast the shutter is, but the
M>flash is much much faster...
M>
M>--
M>Tom Parker - tparker at nznet.gen.nz
M>           - http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Track/8381/
M>

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