Talk About Camera Envy... police investigators

[fightin14]

I like rockwell but I do think he may be alittle Bipolar, Last week I swear I thought he was going to sell off all his digital equipment based on his dailly posts.

 

[table1349]

I am an Arson investigator and I use a d200 with an 18-200 nikon lens and it works great. In the past 5-10 years digital photos have become excepted in court there is really no questions about tampering. Digital cameras have been a great investigation tool especially when you are on a tight budget. I do some work with the local sheriffs office and they use p&s so i typically take the pics for them. Also I can not imagine why in the hell that investigator needs a sb900 for that line of work.

A body in the back yard in the hood on a dark night takes lots of light to iluminate the whole scene. Much easier to have that much lignt and dial it down then not have what is needed in the first place. It's kind of like probable cause, you just can't have too much when it comes to court.

 

[fightin14]

I agree with you but a 600 or even a 400 will do they job for court room pictures. hell spot lights work for crime scenes that is what is used most the time. These pictures dont have to be gallery perfect. I have photographed several crime scenes and it does not have to be perfect. It is nice to go to court with perfect pictures but not a must.

 

[kundalini]

I have noticed the CSI TV shows are sporting Nikons. I don't watch them very much, but I have noticed. And often with the Nikon R1 flash.

 

[Big Bully]

A body in the back yard in the hood on a dark night takes lots of light to iluminate the whole scene. Much easier to have that much lignt and dial it down then not have what is needed in the first place. It's kind of like probable cause, you just can't have too much when it comes to court.

Do to photograph the evidence do you use portable lights or just the flash?

 

[fightin14]

I have used both it just depends on situation. I work part time for that local Sheriffs office that I mentioned earlier, if it is in a house it is typically a flash. but if it is outdoors portable lights because you typically have a larger scene to search for evidence so the lights are already up. Also I take alot of pictures at diffrent setting to make sure that what I am trying to caputure shows up.

 

[Dubious Drewski]

Wait a minute, the officers were using the 18-200? Hmm. I guess it make sense that they'd need versatility more than they'd need image quality.

 

[table1349]

Do to photograph the evidence do you use portable lights or just the flash?

It depends on the situation. There is a phenomenon know as the CSI effect. On CSI and shows like it they not only have every piece of equipment known to man but a whole lot of equipment that does not exist.

If the scene requires it and there is a source of electricity they we will use flood lights. Otherwise we use hot shoe strobes. A crime scene can be very small or very large. That is where having the extra power comes in handy. Forensic photography is a whole different world of photography than most are used to.

 

[table1349]

I agree with you but a 600 or even a 400 will do they job for court room pictures. hell spot lights work for crime scenes that is what is used most the time. These pictures dont have to be gallery perfect. I have photographed several crime scenes and it does not have to be perfect. It is nice to go to court with perfect pictures but not a must.

Keep in mind the term perfect picture has a whole different meaning when it comes to forensic photography. Overall photos are just as important as photos of individual pieces of evidence. An overall at 2:00 a.m. of the front of a residence where a homicide occurred means the whole front of the house needs to be lit as well as the front yard area. That one photo is very important, but does not require pulling out the flood lights and setting them up. Like I said, you can always dial it down if you have too much power, but you can not dial it up if you do not have enough.

 

[fightin14]

gry you are right on with the CSI effect and it is annoying at best. I understand what you are saying about power it is all the other little things the 900 probably does that is not needed. You won't ever hear me decline the availabilty of power. More potential power = happy me. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, guns, lighting, etc...

 

[jstuedle]

I know it's cool to have the most expensive stuff, but if you read the reviews and listen to ....... Ken Rockwell, the SB-800 and 900 are a waste of money, unless you have a need for the excessive power and the extra features, which he says nobody uses.. Maybe I'd like to own one for the wow factor, but as for functionality, I have yet to have a bad exposure from my SB-600.

First, I agree Ken is a biased simpleton with a healthy dose of moron thrown in for good measure. I also agree with you stsinner the SB-600 is fully capable of correct exposures. In today's world a TTL flash that does not give consistent accurate exposures will not stay on the market. This is the minimum to expect of a modern flash. The SB-800/900 have a place. The lack of power, commander features, high voltage input and absence of PC socket keep the SB-600 from my serious consideration as a mainstay flash. If using multiple TTL wireless features the 600 can't meet minimum. The serious wedding shooter wants the ability to use a Quantum Turbo or SD-8a pack. The Strobist needs the PC socket for Pocket Wizard triggering out to 1600 feet. And sometimes even 2 800's on a dual bracket is not quite enough punch when using an umbrella. The SB-600 is a fine flash I'm sure but it can't fill the SB-800's shoes.

Sorry Chris for hy-jacking your thread. BTW, the PD most likely went with the SB-900 as it's flash head will go out to 200mm. It's zoom range more closely matches the lens range.

 

[Big Bully]

It depends on the situation. There is a phenomenon know as the CSI effect. On CSI and shows like it they not only have every piece of equipment known to man but a whole lot of equipment that does not exist.

If the scene requires it and there is a source of electricity they we will use flood lights. Otherwise we use hot shoe strobes. A crime scene can be very small or very large. That is where having the extra power comes in handy. Forensic photography is a whole different world of photography than most are used to.

I have to admit I am one of those CSI nerds who loves to watch Vegas and Miami. But I also keep in mind that it is a TV show and not everything you see on TV is real. But it was CSI that got me interested in forensics, but I don't know which area I would want to do or how to do it. But it is facinating!

 

[chrisburke]

I have to admit I am one of those CSI nerds who loves to watch Vegas and Miami. But I also keep in mind that it is a TV show and not everything you see on TV is real. But it was CSI that got me interested in forensics, but I don't know which area I would want to do or how to do it. But it is facinating!

the thing that i find hilarious about CSI.. is that we all think its the coolest show in the world... but when you look at it.. it really is lame.. its people looking under microscopes at nose hairs.... they add techno music, and thats why we think its cool...

 

[djacobox372]

Wait a minute, the officers were using the 18-200? Hmm. I guess it make sense that they'd need versatility more than they'd need image quality.

Quality photos are more often the result of a more versatile photographer then a sharper lens.

 

[table1349]

I have to admit I am one of those CSI nerds who loves to watch Vegas and Miami. But I also keep in mind that it is a TV show and not everything you see on TV is real. But it was CSI that got me interested in forensics, but I don't know which area I would want to do or how to do it. But it is facinating!

I detest CSI. Not from an artistic standpoint but from a real world standpoint. The CSI Effect has caused us to work that much harder in court. It used to be that you presented the evidence in the case. Now because of the expectations of Juries you have to present why you don't have some pieces of evidence that they feel that you should. Fingerpints or the lack there of is a very complicated thing if you understand what goes into the leaving of a useable print. Juries figure that you can pull them off of anything including thin air.