Hi all,
I have run into an interesting problem which I am sure has some optical solution, but I am having difficulty for some reason divining what that might be. I would love to hear any creative feedback anyone might have!
For the purposes of this situation, assume that there are virtually no budgetary or logistical constraints. Everything is on the table.
I have an potential application in which a laser would need to be filmed from a distance of about 50 feet. The catch here is that beam attenuation maps and other methods of masking are not really possible because both the laser and camera may be moving. To achieve the desired angle of view from the camera, the camera path is likely to fully cross the laser field between +/- 15 degrees from center on both the X and Y axis.
There is no real coordination between the camera and the show so we can't really program around camera movements.
So, the question is how to protect the camera sensor from a fatal laser hit while obtaining a reasonable video from the show.
My initial idea was to add a neutral density filter to the front of the camera and boost the sensitivity to try and get back some of the brightness. The issue there is that the colors seem to desaturate and just don't look right.
Does anyone else have a creative solution to this problem beyond praying and beefing up an insurance policy?