Disneyland is "banning" professional cameras

Like I said, I was guessing at the exact lens, but the thing was HUGE. The 200 only weighs 6 lbs., so it's not impossible, but would make for a very strenuous days. It could have been something else, but whatever it was, it was very, very, very large, and I wouldn't want to lug it around all day.

 

Did you try the 200-400/f4 Roger? Talk about a beast to hand hold! I got to try it out at an air show here in Indy. Between that and the 300/2.8 I think I can safely blow several thousand dollars on neat toys!

 

This is being discussed on a few other boards the last few days, too.

The rumor is that the rule was put into place - or is being newly enforced - after the paparazzi harassed Lindsay Lohan in the parks recently.

Another part of the rumor is that the DLR guards are applying the rule to lenses over 6" in length. It doesn't specify if that's extended or retracted length.

Being an ameteur who only takes pics for my own amusement, I would be extrememly put out if someone tried to stop me from taking my 300D and Sigma 18-125 into any park. I'm not a pro, and it's not a pro camera - but I am constantly surprised at how many people look at it and get that overly impressed look on their faces, as if I'm carrying a $40K Hassleblad rig. My camera harness makes it look even less consumer and more pro. If I wore a vest in the parks along with it, I'd probably get stopped at the WDW gates as a "suspected pro photographer" too!

To me it's all a load of hogwash, anyway. A skilled pro could get excellent pics with a $200 P&S POS with 12x optical zoom, and a cheap $20 tripod that fits in a kids backpack. That ain't me, of course, but still...

 

I do consider this an issue. Overly vague rules that can forbid a great deal more than they need to forbid so that they (or more to the point the guards) can use their own judgement are just never a good idea. There's always that one guard who's a jerk who decides to exert his or her power by cracking down on something insignificant. I once had a guard at WDW lecture me about using a smaller backpack because my bag took too long to check.

I SOOOO wanted to respond with commentary to the effect that the entire bag check procedure was only to create the impression of security, that in every time I've been through the check has never been thorough enough to keep me from smuggling any number of things through in various hidden areas if I so wished, not to mention the fact that all I have to do is stick something in my pocket and it becomes out of bounds to the entire procedure and if I wanted I could smuggle a veritable arsenal in under a loose fitting jacket and they wouldn't say boo. But I didn't. Heavens no, we can't comment that the emperor has no clothes, that's unpatriotic..


I'm sorry, what was I saying? Oh yes, no "professional" cameras. I am saddened to see this restriction show up there. I've gotten used to see it as standard legalese on the fine print for getting concert tickets, there's plenty of stories in the live music world of DSLRs getting blocked while people with P&S cameras stroll on through. I've even seen a more clear description that defines professional as meaning a camera with a detachable lens.

I get the point that overall the rule seems to be going unenforced, but like I said.. if it isn't needed then don't have it on the books. There's nothing preventing them from having a rule referring to behavior that detracts from the enjoyment of other guests, in fact I'm sure they already have it and it could easily be applied to someone walking around the park smacking people on the head with a 600mm F4. But a blanket rule giving their private police force carte blanche authority to turn down basically any camera that they (presumably not well educated on the subject of commerical photography) think looks professional does not please me.

 

Dan, even your vent brings up a good point - I typically go into the parks with only one lens, and if I wanted, I could easily fit my camera body in one pocket and lens in the other pocket of a typical pair of cargo pants, and stroll right on in through the no-bags entrance.