SPy Shots - whats peoples opinions on this?

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nib1980

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Neil
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Hi All

I work for a Company(dayjob), no names, whose business can be afecting by spy shots of our work (automotive).

I have to sign agreements about cameras and photos, and I have no problems about this as it's my dayjob.

recently we had a spyshot of a vehicle that has to have been taken from atleast a 1km away (at least, probably nearer to 1.3km) yes we have gone to the effort of triangulating the images to work out the location of the shooter.

Surely the effort and cost of lenses and equipment cant make it worthwhile for a shot you'll only get £100 for from a magazine?

or am i wrong?

any opinions on this?

many thanks
 
Thats if they are selling to the papers! it could be from a competitor! in which case it could make the image MUCH more valuable..
 
Depending who took the shot, it could of been a competing car manufacturer or what ever it is you do trying to keep tabs on your new ideas...
 
To be honest, there are probably people on here who have the equipment to do something like that! If the gear was bought for the sole purpose of getting a spyshot, then it might be a bit excessive, but it's not hugely uncommon to have that sort of equipement!

Chris
 
1.3km really isn't that far, is it? About 0.8miles, roughly. I wouldn't have thought you'd need too much special equipment to get a spy shot, as long the car was in your field of vision.
 
Blimey, a few years ago my next door neighbor worked for Fords and had zebra striped prototype Mondeo on his drive for months before the model came out.

Could have had a shoot from about 1m of it. It did cross my mind.
 
Used to do work next to Ferodo Brakes test track, they used to have all sorts there with various disguises. Sometimes they would get very touch if we were there other times not a problem.

Think it must be how worried the actual manufactures are about what can be identified.
 
Most new cars look pretty similar and most of the technology is on the inside where no spy photographers can get. :D

In F1 other teams send "spys" down the grid before the start to try and check out other peoples latest parts.
 
A few quick calculations

Take a 600mm F4 lens and a 2x converter and clip it to a 1.6 crop camera such as a 50D or a 7D

At a distance of 1300 metres a the frame will be 85 feet wide. You could probably get a decent frame filler viewing the resulting image at 100% possibly even less.
 
Had a friend who used to take spy shots of cars, said on a good day he could make a small fortune if it was a Jag or BMW with the worldwide rights.
 
imho if they are in a public place and visable then its open season... and lets face it spy shots also help sell the car well in advance too by generating free PR so its not that bad really.

Yes you may loose out a bit some times but do true automotive companies really spy on each other in this way ? If so thats sad.

Terran
 
I don't know, £100 from 20% of the general UK car mags, plus €100 from 20% of the general european car mags would be quite nice plus $100 from 20% of the general US car magazines would be quite nice I think. Certainly enough from one shot to make me consider a week trip to see what I can shoot.

Just need to get some inside knowlege on what is due to be tested where and when, anyone ;)
 
There was a chap on here, playing with his new 7d, had a 2x extender, and I think, it was a 500mm lens. Showed some pretty good images of a sign-post taken I think 1 mile away.
That is ~£5k worth of equipment I think.
At minimum £100 per pic, that is 50 images. And you don't have to pay for film.
If you don't care too much about the speed/quality, then you can pick up a 1600mm canon type lens for around £250 which would do the job.
 
ccsnet said:
imho if they are in a public place and visable then its open season... and lets face it spy shots also help sell the car well in advance too by generating free PR so its not that bad really.

Yes you may loose out a bit some times but do true automotive companies really spy on each other in this way ? If so thats sad.

Terran
Click to expand...

the problem is it wasn't, we were at a exclusive track in Europe with security supposedly protecting the perimeter, the photographer say on a hill, outside the perimeter, looking in.

(we have asked for the security refund! lol)
 
you should always put a couple into the car and get them having a bit of nooky. Then you could sue the photographer for being a Peeping Tom with all that pointing his lens into their bedroom etc .......:D:D:D
 
artona said:
you should always put a couple into the car and get them having a bit of nooky. Then you could sue the photographer for being a Peeping Tom with all that pointing his lens into their bedroom etc .......:D:D:D
Click to expand...

A cunning plan foiled only by the fact that a motor vehicle is generally considered to be 'in public'
 
nib1980 said:
the problem is it wasn't, we were at a exclusive track in Europe with security supposedly protecting the perimeter, the photographer say on a hill, outside the perimeter, looking in.

(we have asked for the security refund! lol)
Click to expand...
Well thats a different issue, security did not do their job right..... does that mean the spy photog' was in the wrong ?

The 'exclusive' track... is it always exclusive or public some times ? If its public some times where there signs up etc etc..... a mine field of questions if you ask me.

Terran
 
nib1980 said:
the problem is it wasn't, we were at a exclusive track in Europe with security supposedly protecting the perimeter, the photographer say on a hill, outside the perimeter, looking in.

(we have asked for the security refund! lol)
Click to expand...

Ah right, but if the photographer was on public land outside the perimeter (unless the owner of the track also owns the surrounding area, in which case it's trespassing), there's not much you can do really. You say it was 'an exclusive track in europe', the more exclusive it is, the more likely there are going to be people trying to look in! Next time take it for a test on the M25 and no-one will bat an eyelid :D

Seriously though, and I've always wondered this, how much of a big deal is it for the manufacturers when these shots are released? Surely if gets them a bit of publicity, and all you can really tell is the general shape? Or do heads start rolling when the boss sees the new project all over the front of magazines?

Chris
 
I work at Toyota in Derby and when we have a new model knocking about on site they are OTT with bag checks etc checking for cameras. The issue is they want to protect themself from thier own customers, If a man plans to buy a new car then sees that in a few months the new model is due out then he will wait. In the mean time he may be swayed to buy one of the competitors models and origonal company looses a sale.
 
I think I know which "exclusive" track you might be on about, (although it could be one of three) and the security is very good, but at the end of the day (in England), if it can be seen from public land, or somebody elses land with their permission, it is your responsability to hide / disguise, anything that you don't want people to see. What the local laws are like - I don't know. There was an incident with me and and a pair of preproduction Range Sports during hot weather testing, where I didn't hang around to find out the finer points of foriegn law!!

I have had "spy" pictures published of several vehicles, and don't regret any of them.

As for the original question, if I see a picture that can be sold, I would take it and sell it - sorry. If I know their is the possability of getting a shot without breaking laws and hurting anyone, I would put a bit of effort in to get it. I would even go as far to bend a few rules, to get a shot if it was going to be worth the risk.

Security is your responsability, the more your company stands to loose, the more effort they should put into protecting the product. It isn't the photographer's fault for the demand that all of us put on the media for this type of shot, let's face it, if you saw your competitor's 2011 model on the front page of Auto Express, wouldn't you be tempted to buy a copy??????
 
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