urgent help - needed - what constitutes a "professional" camera

Lynton

Lynton

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Lynton (yes really!)
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Evening,

Have tickets to England vs Oz at Twickenham on 7/11 courtest of local rugby club.

Thought would be good to take the camera as tickets are north lower, under the posts.... who knows there may be a good photo opportunity........

Now knowing what sporting venues are like for silly rules (football - thou must not consume alcohol in sight of the pitch etc....) I gave the guys at twickers a call..

Me: "Hello, I have some tickets to England v Aussies on the 7/th. Will you get upset if i bring my camera?"
Him: "depends what it is."
Me: "Well a DSLR with a 120-400 bolted on"
Him: "is that a professional lens"
Me:" I think its the tog who is pro, not the lens
Him: "well, in that case no, as you might be able to hide something inside it?

for **** sake, I could hide more in my jeans or shoes......

Howefver, I need to ring the press office tomorrow...... who knows, maybe i can blag a dug out ticket

Staff Edit: Please don't bypass the swear filter
 
That lens would not usually be allowed inside a ground for a multitude of reasons. Same goes for SLRs in general though really. Non-photographers see an SLR and assume it's pro/semi pro.

Point and shoots, on the other hand are more accepted (although still, not always permitted) due to the snapshot view of them..

Silly really, I know plenty of people who own SLRs and couldn't take a photo to save their life ;)
 
purpleclouds - thanks for the reply.........

COuld you elaborate as i am genuinely at a loss....

If i were a pro/semi pro, i would be trying to blagging a dug out press pitch for the orkney's gazette.. am i being naive or do people see camera (£300 in my case) and lens (£550) not know the cost and think big lens = pro tog?

Am intrigued though as to what exactly it is perceived I can "hide" in a camera body and lens.....




All I want to do is capture a few shots of us spanking Aussie arse (can i say that here) and getting it printed off and put up in the clubhouse.........
 
people see camera with big lens and think oooooooo that must take good pictures and you must know what your doing, so steward doesn't let you in. Same Steward sees a P&S and isn't bothered, a generalisation i know and its not consistent......
 
My girlfriend and I went to see The Killers at Cardiff earlier this year. I was very wary of taking my SLR for the reasons stated above, so took my Panasonic DMC-FZ5 bridge camera instead.

My girlfriend was carrying it and we were searched whilst entering. She was asked if it was a professional camera and she said she didn't know. She was then asked if it had a detachable lens and she again said she didn't know and that it was her boyfriend's camera. They let her in!

Going by that, I suspect SLRs are a no-no, although I think some people got into see Muse in Teignmouth in September with SLRs. I think it is probably just down to who is on the gate at the time and what sort of a day they've had.

I don't think I'd risk it.
 
I don't see why they care to be honest.

I don't attend football/matches. If I were to go, I would not have thought twice of packing my camera and a long zoom.

What is there problem? It would be quite easy to /see/ whether there was something 'hidden' in the lens!


edit:
On the flipside, been to Walt Disney World recently.
All bags are 'searched' on the way in, for weapons (don't care about food or cameras, didn't even check inside of the flashgun pouch (580 EX), which could quite easily have been a taser).
Didn't check the laptop pouch, which could have had a hand-gun in.

One year, they didn't even open the camera part of the bag, which had 4 lenses and body in.

How well do they search going into these games? If I put the camera and lens in the bottom section of the bag, with a jumper on top, would they notice?
 
What I'd like to know - if you did take camera and long lens and they said it wasn't allowed. What happens next? Do they take it off you? Is so isn't that theft? Or do you get told you can't come in - if so what about a refund?

I was at wembley last Sunday and would have loved to have taken some pics but I figured it wasn't worth it. But lo and behold - hundreds of SLRs floating about - although mostly with kit lenses on.
 
I think you'll find Twickenham slightly less strict than a lot of football stadiums.

I have been many times and have seen spectators using SLRs with smallish / kit lenses, in front of stewards with no problem whatsoever. I think you might even get away with a small barrel zoom. Get a large white lens out you might attract some attention though!

I can't be bothered to risk having to leave my camera at the gate though. I've taken my compact P&S in many times.
 
http://www.rfu.com/TwickenhamStadium/GroundRules.aspx

15) Except for photography for bona fide private non-commercial uses, the possession or operation of recording or transmission equipment of any kind is prohibited within the Stadium. This includes without limitation photography, filming, audio or other recording or transmission, or the compilation or transmission of data, save with the specific authorisation of the RFU, such authorisation is hereby given in respect of photography for bona fide private non-commercial uses unless and until the RFU notifies otherwise.
Click to expand...

However most places will see a DSLR with large lens as pro kit and as such will probably remove it from your person before allowing you to enter. They would class it as pro recording equipment....

Q: What items am I prohibited from taking into the Stadium?
A: The following items are not permitted through the Stadium turnstiles:

Alcohol
Glass containers
Cans
Knives
Air horns
Professional recording equipment
Large flagpoles (1.5m or longer)
Pushchairs and buggies
Barbecues and gazebos may not be taken into the RFU car parks or used on the premises.
Click to expand...
 
If you want to be certain of watching the match, leave it behind.
 
Probably you'd need written confirmation to show to the gate people.
But you prolly need to do this way in advance.

Also means you couldn't sell those pics neither (if you tell them it's non commercial in your letter). However you would then be able to use to say you can get the shot :)

Assuming they are nice and let you bring your kit in.


Same thing happened a while ago at a concert. Ticket says no camera, so we bring a bridge one. Not checked. Got in far from the stage. Pics were dark etc.
Bloke next to us appears two mins before the start and whips out a telephoto. Prolly not pro but...
 
Perhaps, all you need to say, is that the camera is for private use?

Perhaps all they really mean is:
'If you are intending on selling any of them there photographs, did you /pay/ for the right license first?'
 
Goody13 said:
My girlfriend and I went to see The Killers at Cardiff earlier this year. I was very wary of taking my SLR for the reasons stated above, so took my Panasonic DMC-FZ5 bridge camera instead.

My girlfriend was carrying it and we were searched whilst entering. She was asked if it was a professional camera and she said she didn't know. She was then asked if it had a detachable lens and she again said she didn't know and that it was her boyfriend's camera. They let her in!

Going by that, I suspect SLRs are a no-no, although I think some people got into see Muse in Teignmouth in September with SLRs. I think it is probably just down to who is on the gate at the time and what sort of a day they've had.

I don't think I'd risk it.
Click to expand...

I've played with this rule a few times, opening night of Leeds academy I smuggled in a 450D and 30mm 1.4 in seperate pockets, was stood a couple of rows back fired of a few shots, stashed it, fired off some more, stashed again, avoided eye contact with stewards, girlfriend said they kept peering over to see where the camera kept popping up from! The same night a girl in the front row had an SLR removed from her, spoke to her after and she said she had to collect it from the front desk, if she hadn't gave it up they would have removed her with it.

At Nottingham arena (seated) I was told to put a Canon Powershot S5 IS (big P&S) away as the steward had been told "big cameras were not allowed", I then showed the 450D and Sigma 70-200 2.8 that was in my bag and he said "well I guess its not that big" (the powershot) and let me carry on.

Sheffield arena (seated) didn't care, shot away with the 450D.

Hyde park (Blur) had a very thorough bag and pocket search however they missed the 450D and 70-200 2.8 in the bottom of my Crumpler Pretty Boy, a steward inside saw me with it, congratulated me for getting it in and said "I have nowhere to put it so I wont take it off you, try and be less obvious"

I think it varies from place to place, but I would say if you have nowhere to put it (car boot?) should you be refused entry, then I wouldn't risk it. I'm sure anywhere they could put it onsite wouldn't be secure or covered if anything should happen to your gear.
 
You could probably get away with one of those micro 4/3rd systems and a dinky telephoto zoom (at least until they catch on)
 
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