Well, this was a long time coming. Apparently, Canon brought out a 4K 8 megapixel camera at their 2010 Expo for shooters all around the world to drool over. While the body may look like an oversized hair dryer, it’s what’s on the inside that will make Canon blow you away. The camera can shoot in 60p at a full 4K resolution, a 2/3rds inch CMOS sensor, and a fully functional flip-out HD LCD. Unfortunately, this is just a concept camera and Canon has said that they have no intention of bringing it to market so those of you who already started to count the remaining savings in your bank account, can safely deposit your money away. I can’t say for sure why Canon would ever dangle the 4K carrot in front of us without a solid release date, but they are definitely not the first to do so (read: RED cameras). All of the ranting aside, the camera is actually not meant for video capture (as if anyone really believes that) but instead is a “multipurpose image capture device.” This means that one is supposed to use the device like a camera that is constantly taking photos giving users a ton of potential pictures to choose from when it comes time to edit. Capturing photos this way sounds mildly innovative but one still can’t help but think that the camera would just do better as an incredibly high resolution camcorder. Nonetheless, this camera at least marks Canon as an intentional competitor in the emerging 4K camcorder market while at the same time proving that 4K is the next big revolution to hit video. I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing more of these kinds of cameras soon so keep a keen eye out on the market.

It’s been known for some time that looking into a laser can damage your eye. However, it’s been only recently that people are finding that lasers can damage their HDSLRs as well. Some of the reported damage has been minor such as small areas containing a few dead pixels, while other reports have included major damage including extensive areas of dead-pixels and laser image “burn-in”.

Similar to the eye’s retina, image sensors can be heated by the concentrated beam of light emitted from a laser, resulting in irreversible damage. According to the International Laser Display Association (ILDA) website, international safety standards have set the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) for laser light to a level that isn’t harmful to the human eye. However, there isn’t an MPE standard for cameras with image sensors (e.g., CCD and CMOS chips). Meaning what is safe for your eyes may still be unsafe for your camera.

The IDLA website does give some suggestion as to how to go about shooting an event containing laser lights. First, indirect laser beams should not cause any damage to your image sensor. This means you can record laser beams that are projected onto a wall or screen, or record them in midair. The basic rule of thumb is avoid laser beams coming straight into your lens. The more directly the beam hits your sensor, the greater the chance and degree of damage that will occur. If you can’t see the laser source in your viewfinder, your camera should have a higher chance of making it out unscathed.

Though some have had to learn the hard way, the rest of us can learn by their mistakes. If you’re going to film a concert or event that has laser lights as part of the show, be sure to take the necessary precautions to ensure your HDSLR survives to shoot another day.