KY Derby LF not welcome

[gleaf]

Heard "no large cameras" on the news last evening.. The adjusted rules are..

What to Know
Read This Before You Head to the Track!

As you plan your trip to Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby weekend, be sure to review the list of items that are permitted and those that cannot be brought into the racing facility.

Small cameras – none equipped with detachable lenses or lenses of 6” or more **

Banned Items on Kentucky Derby and Oaks Days

Cameras with detachable lenses, or equipped with a lens that is 6” or longer
Tripods

** Patrons could be required to turn on electronic items

[Steve Goldstein]

Seems like they don't want the pros to have any competition. I can understand no tripods, but not the rest. I wonder if they'd let in a monopod...

[IanG]

Strangely excessive rules, but similar to many concerts etc.

Ian

[p martinez]

After the Boston Marathon I would imagine the big concern is regarding public safety rather than competition with the "pros." One could probably hide a lot of bad stuff in a tripod leg or what appears to be a big lens.

[chacabuco]

Yeah the press release states that the changes are due to tighter security,

"These are not wholesale changes, but these would not have happened without the events that happened" at the Boston Marathon, Churchill Downs spokesman John Asher said Thursday"

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/track-beefs-security-kentucky-derby

[evan clarke]

The place is privately owned, unfortunately they can do what they want..

[MIke Sherck]

Heck, everyone knows that only terrorists have detachable lenses or lenses longer than 6"... They make terrifying weapons!

Mike

[Steve Goldstein]

After the Boston Marathon I would imagine the big concern is regarding public safety rather than competition with the "pros." One could probably hide a lot of bad stuff in a tripod leg or what appears to be a big lens.

One could probably hide a lot of bad stuff in the clothes one wears, if one, or a group, were so inclined.

There was a lot of security at the Boston Marathon, but unfortunately absolute security at any public event is pretty much impossible unless the public is barred. Churchill Downs could put in scanners like at an airport, which would then enable them to lift the camera restrictions, but I doubt they'd do that, and they probably don't have the time before this year's Derby even if they wanted to.

This is one of the sad things about all these terrorist events. Every time one succeeds, or even gets detected and prevented, freedom erodes for everybody. We all suffer, which is exactly what the terrorists want. So in a sense they win every time, which I find very depressing, and I don't see any easy way out of the cycle.

But I'm probably veering off into the political, so will stop here because I really don't want to get myself banned.

[Brian C. Miller]

So what? Beyonce has banned professional photographers from her concerts.

This is security theater. It doesn't actually make anyone safer. It's all about looking like they're doing "something." And nobody needs to actually physically hurt someone to cause massive losses. There was a (WSJ) Twitter hoax (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323735604578441201605193488.html) that caused a loss of $200 billion in two minutes.

[BarryS]

They should also ban horses and mint juleps. Imagine sending a horse loaded with mint juleps into the crowd--that could do a lot of damage.

[Nathan Potter]

I think Homeland Security and the FBI will be upset. After all it was the plethora of photographic equipment at the Boston marathon that enable ID of the bombing suspects.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Jim Noel]

How about a mini-Speed or Crown graphic?
Technically they follow all uses except for interchangeable lens.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Seems like they don't want the pros to have any competition. I can understand no tripods, but not the rest. I wonder if they'd let in a monopod...

My walking cane is of carbon fiber and has a ball head under the top.

[BrianShaw]

6 inch... in focal length or one of the overall camera dimensions?

[Len Middleton]

My walking cane is of carbon fiber and has a ball head under the top.

Just tell them it is less than 6", as it is only 300mm, depending upon how good you think Security is in metric conversion...

[jp]

This is pretty standard for major sporting events. Probably closer enforcement of it as a result of the marathon events. I went to a celtics game and took my medium format TLR because of the requirement of non-removable lenses. Still many people had smaller DSLRs and weren't hassled.

[C_Remington]

6 inch... in focal length or one of the overall camera dimensions?

Good one.

[Leigh]

I expect their concern is with the physical size of the object rather than the nature of the object.

They don't want anything large enough to hide explosives.

- Leigh

[Marc B.]

I wonder if security checks under the ladies hats at the Derby. You could hide quite a lot in some hats worn on Derby Day.

[AuditorOne]

Everyone knows that people who carry cameras with interchangeable lenses are security risks. They may actually take photos of Churchill Down's staff doing something they really don't want publicized. Of course, pressure cookers are always welcome.

[John Kasaian]

So I take it that a pin hole (lensless) camera made from a pressure cooker will be welcomed at Churchill Downs on Derby day?:rolleyes:

[AuditorOne]

But it may be a rule violation if you extend the bellows further than 6 inches. :)

[gleaf]

I shouldn't turn this into a rant thread... so consider this sarcasm...
wonder if we can start a panic over the danger of mega pixels... then get anything with an image size over 999 Kb considered a large camera....

And take care around that so very dangerous chemical
Di Hydrogen Monoxide.

[Drew Wiley]

Horses aren't exactly chemically inert ...

[jp]

Horses aren't exactly chemically inert ...

That's how horsepower numbers get inflated. Oops, wrong thread. It's a mix of kinetic and potential energy.

[soeren]

I shouldn't turn this into a rant thread... so consider this sarcasm...
wonder if we can start a panic over the danger of mega pixels... then get anything with an image size over 999 Kb considered a large camera....

And take care around that so very dangerous chemical
Di Hydrogen Monoxide.

Also known as diprotoniumoxide. Very dangerous especially when inhaled
Kind regards