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Laser viewfinder for camera

 Project a laser rectangle for shooting-from-the-hip
  (+6, -2)
(+6, -2) 		  [vote for,
against]

A small laser projects a rectangle from your camera to correspond to the field of view. You don’t need to hold the camera in front of your face, just watch your subject and the laser will outline the result of the picture. Great for holding the camera at arm’s length for unique point-of-views.

Adjusting the zoom on the camera will obviously adjust the size of the projected rectangle. Such a simple idea, very cheap technology, easy and intuitive to use. Low powered class III red lasers won’t even blind people if the “crop” lines fall in their eyes!

—ServoMan314, Jul 12 2011

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       Smoke generator not included.
—normzone, Jul 12 2011
   

       //Low powered class III red lasers won’t even blind people if the “crop” lines fall in their eyes!//   

       Gives new meaning to the term "red-eye". [+]
—Klaatu, Jul 12 2011
   

       In order of people who would hate this from most to least:   

       Security people.   

       Anyone who was driving and was distracted by a laser in their eyes.   

       Anyone who happened to be sitting in/walking through the background of a picture and got a laser in their eyes.   

       Anyone who was trying to view a popular tourist site or event.   

       Anyone who was trying to take a picture of a popular tourist site or major event.   

       Everyone else.
—MechE, Jul 12 2011
   

       [+]
—pocmloc, Jul 12 2011
   

       I wonder if the people who voted this up have every used a laser pointer in daylight... or a camera.   

       BUT it does give me an idea!
—DIYMatt, Jul 13 2011
   

       obviously you would use this feature with the same discretion as you would a laser pointer... dont point at security people, moving cars, at the eyes of people, etc....   

       there are cases where the laser would be too bright/distracting (in a museum for instance) and other cases where its too dim (direct sunlight) so (just like any feature on any product) you use it when needed and when appropriate. but haters gotta hate...
—ServoMan314, Jul 13 2011
   

       // I wonder if the people who voted this up have every used a laser pointer in daylight//   

       good point... just use a 200mW green laser instead ;)
—Alpharaul, Jul 13 2011
   

       That was my thought as well, but that goes back to the whole blinding issue. I've got a daylight laser on one of my tactical rifles that might well be slightly more lethal than the bullet. Hmm... My other gripe would [MechE]'s #5, trying to take a good picture of something with a dozen big rectangles being projected onto it from different angles.
—Alterother, Jul 13 2011
   

       The laser should be projected through the lens so the rectangle would grow/shrink with the zoom.   

       Also, it might be easier to simply illuminate the four corners of an imaginary rectangle (and let the user figure out the field of view) rather than project a full rectangle.
—xaviergisz, Jul 13 2011
   

       Actually, now that I think about it, this wouldn't work: the laser is being projected onto a 3D surface, but the camera is taking a 2D image. The parts of the rectangle projected onto things in the foreground would actually appear in the picture, while the edges of the rectangle way off in the background would be well out of frame, potentially cutting off something you wanted to get in the shot.
—Alterother, Jul 13 2011
   

       The 3D/2D thing mentioned above is not a problem. The 2D image is simply a projection of the 3D surface, in exactly the same way that the laser would project onto that surface.   

       Digital cameras are available with large displays which are moveable relative to the camera body, making this idea redundant.
—Twizz, Jul 13 2011
   

       // obviously you would use this feature with the same discretion as you would a laser pointer... dont point at security people, moving cars, at the eyes of people, etc....//   

       Sites can't get people to obey no camera/no flash rules now (and I've accidentally had my flash on before myself, it defaults that way), what makes you think anyone is going to use common sense about a laser viewfinder?
—MechE, Jul 13 2011
   

       I was actually thinking about this as I am thinking of picking up a GoPro Camera which has no viewfinder or zoom. My idea was just to do the four corners of the rectangle.
—MisterQED, Jul 13 2011
   


 

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