Roman Abramovich's Eclipse has anti-photo 'laser shield'

[edesignuk]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/09/22sep09_eclipse43.jpg

If you ask a young boy to spec out his ideal boat, you might hear of helipads, swimming pools, missile-proof hulls, mini-submarines and laser shields. Well, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is one of those people with the time and money to listen to his inner child, and he's gone and put all of the above together inside a $1.2 billion 557-foot vessel of luxury and excess. The Eclipse will attempt to repel paparazzi with a laser system that is said to "detect CCDs" (we suspect they mean it detects the autofocus light), and responds with an intense beam of light that precludes unwanted photography. We don't know how well the automatic system will work, but it must be fun to manually point the lasers at the paps and go "pew pew!"Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/22/roman-abramovichs-eclipse-has-anti-photo-laser-shield/).

That's pretty cool, in an entirely I have far too much money kind of way :o

[u49aa2]

It must be really nice to have extra cash :rolleyes:

[Jaffa Cake]

I expect it'll probably be parked in Hull Marina when Chelsea visit in January, so I'll nip down with my camera and try it out. :p

[Dagless]

CMOS is still okay?

[maflynn]

If its detecting the autofocus signal, one easy way to get around this is to put your camera on manual focus (most dslrs allow this)

[stridemat]

Imagine having $1.2 billion to spend on something. I can dream...

[electroshock]

Intense beam, eh? More light, in other words -- which will certainly help the paparazzi if it's dark enough they're needing the autofocus assist light in the first place. :D

I'm not sure why they aren't also using the sonic stuff that's had a few uses in the pirate-infested waters off Somalia in the last year or two. In this case, it could encourage the paparazzi to discontinue their pursuit if subjected to painful ear-splitting directed noise.

Why don't they just employ a huge dome with a reflective mirror coating or use a polarized filter coating? They certainly seem to have the money for that stuff. :rolleyes:

[djellison]

Manual focus and no flash with a long lens, gives out nothing that could be 'detected'. Furthermore, there is scope for such a system to cause injury - ESPECIALLY if a laser hits a lens which someone is looking through. Not sure I entire bye the story as being either feasible or legal.

[sikkinixx]

Funny when I clicked reply, the Google Ad banner up top said "Millions of hungry children need your help", just what I was thinking.

[edesignuk]

Not sure I entire bye the story as being either feasible or legal.Legalities? pfffft! SQUILLIONAIRE!

[Don't panic]

meh.
stratosferic costs for a system that would not work (by design) on the vast majority of SRLs, associated to major liability issues.
If the system even exists, and i have some doubts, Abra has been ripped off bigtime.

but i am sure he will compensate with the missile defence system :D

[arkitect]

Who cares about his $1.2billion yacht.

It is his dastardly plans for an ultra-secret "invisible-from-earth" $35billion space station we should be talking about. ;)

http://www.mi6.co.uk/images/stills/moonraker_s_12_500.jpg

[Melrose]

That's just stupid. I'd never heard of him before. It's not like he's some huge celebrity with a list of angry stalkers...

[edesignuk]

That's just stupid. I'd never heard of him before. It's not like he's some huge celebrity with a list of angry stalkers...He's a billionaire Russian that owns Chelsea Football Club, he's pretty well known here I can assure you.

[Melrose]

He's a billionaire Russian that owns Chelsea Football Club, he's pretty well known here I can assure you.

He sounds like a James Bond villain.

...is Chelsea Football Club the same as Manchester United?

[edesignuk]

...is Chelsea Football Club the same as Manchester United?Are the Chicago Bulls the same as the LA Lakers?

[dmr727]

Imagine having $1.2 billion to spend on something. I can dream...

Yeah, no kidding. Private yachts of this size are pretty much the pinnacle of wealth. It puts even the Gulfstream owners to shame - at least someone can justify the utility of a G550. This thing is essentially a $1.2B floating penis. :p

[edesignuk]

This thing is essentially a $1.2B floating penis. :p...aaand what a penis! :eek: :D :p

[Melrose]

^^ :D

Are the Chicago Bulls the same as the LA Lakers?

I was trying to be funny. :(

[arkitect]

This thing is essentially a $1.2B floating penis. :p

The Mediterranean is a good sized bath tub… ;)

[jessica.]

CMOS is still okay?

I LOL'ed.

[Jaffa Cake]

...is Chelsea Football Club the same as Manchester United?They're pretty much much of a muchness. Both are 'big four clubs', both are under foreign ownership, and both have a significant proportion of their support based in London.

I'd like to see Roman steer that thing down the Manchester Ship Canal, mind.

[mahashel]

Time to break out my old Pentax K1000 35mm, I suppose. ;)

[obeygiant]

Detects the auto-focus light? I thought they stopped using infrared or "beams" to focus on anything. Cameras now us contrast to focus.

[Mousse]

They say the system detects CCD's. Any DSLR that has an autofocus system (pretty much all of them) uses a CCD in the autofocus sensor.

If it only detects the CCD sensor that actually captures the image, every DSLR will defeat this system easily. The sensor isn't exposed until the shutter is pressed (no "live view" shooting allowed;)). Heck, film cameras would fair even better.:D

If such is the case, it's time to whip out the old bellows camera (http://licm.org.uk/livingImage/BellowsCamera.html) (much higher resolution than those puny digital cameras);).

[Consultant]

Funny when I clicked reply, the Google Ad banner up top said "Millions of hungry children need your help", just what I was thinking.

Or this one. Pew pew!

I can haz Sharks with laser beams?