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Tactical Camera

Posted by samzenpus on from the guns-make-everything-better dept.

An anonymous reader writes "What do you get when you mount a Nikon D200 with a standard rifle stock? Why a Tactical Camera of course! One that no reporter would be caught with in a war zone or covering any armed action anywhere. What started out as a tongue in cheek project for April Fools wound up being quite the successful demonstration of concept. It features a fully functional trigger; it has controls for operating the shutter and auto focus; and for the patient shots, it has a mounted bipod. Carry sling optional."

9 of 137 comments (clear)

  1. Photo Sniper by Misanthrope · · Score: 4, Informative

    This was done a long time ago during the cold war, it's slightly less inconspicuous than a tripod, though much more likely to get you shot by the police.

    http://shop.lomography.com/zenit/fotosniper/

    1. Re:Photo Sniper by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 4, Informative

      Darn, you beat me to this.

      Modern equivalents (which probably function better for camera purposes but don't have the "cool factor" of using an actual rifle stock) are the BushHawk (highend unit) and the Agonic Stedi-Stock (relatively cheap, doesn't have the trigger switch and cabling the BushHawk has)

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      retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
    2. Re:Photo Sniper by tomhudson · · Score: 5, Funny

      Come on, this is slashdot.

      Q:What do you get when you mount a Nikon D200 with a standard rifle stock?

      A: "You can have my rifle-camera when you pry it from my cold .. " BANG!

      A2: Imagine a Beowolf cluster of those? BANG! BANG! BANG! RATATTATATATT! INCOMINGGGGGGggggggg ......

      A3: Netcraft confirms it - photo sniper is dead!

      A4: In Soviet Russia, photo shoot gets YOU!

      A5: Did it survive field testing?

      A6: Why does the "after picture" of the user look like the goat guy?

      A7: Why not just mount it in a Zune? They might still shoot you, but at least it would be justified.

    3. Re:Photo Sniper by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yup applying gun parts to cameras is old hat. I find it funny as kids "discover" new things that us old geezers have done for decades.

      Like a shotgun sight on the top of your SLR. works awesome for fast action or sports shots, you can shoot without looking through the lens and with both eyes open. I get perfect shots every time with it. and I dont get killed by that motorcycle that was 20 feet in the air and is now coming down wher I am standing.

      The fresh new hires for the local news look at my camera with questions, and then say "you cant get a good photo that way"

      I ask to look at their camera, they dont even have a focus prism. None of these "photographers" coming out of college know how to take photographs or how to use a camera. They all rely on autofocus and program modes.

      Athough IS lenses area godsend for still life or low motion zoom shots. but they are worthless for action shots where you are panning trying to catch a bike doing 200mph around a track.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  2. MANY reporters dead via shoulder mounted videocams by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    At least 4 or 5 cameramen in recent years in middle eastern police actions (wars) have been shot due to large shoulder stabilized videocams looking threatening.

    And the army always gets off, even if caught with witnesses

    http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/08/2008813164823716764.html

    Better would be to start hiding propelled grenade launchers in videocameras to even the score.

  3. Award time by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nikon D200

    The "D" stands for "Darwin"

  4. Re:This will get you shot... by cashman73 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Many dSLR photographers are already hassled enough just walking around cities with their lenses and multiple cameras and such, taking photos of buildings, bridges, and trains. Anybody caught with this thing is likely to have more problems than he bargained for,...

  5. Re:This will get you shot... by Chris+Burke · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sure, obviously it's a bad idea to run around with a camera attached to a gun stock. That's why instead I mount my camera to the front of my vest, with rows of cylindrical batteries with wires running to the camera (for extra picture-taking longevity) and a big digital timer (to indicate how long until I take a picture to anyone thinking of passing in front of me), and a dead-mans switch to activate the camera (for when I'm waiting forever for the perfect shot, and pass out just as the moment arrives). This should be much safer. Also great for those candid shots. People act different when they know you have a camera. So this way I can hide the camera-vest under my coat, and run up to people and throw the coat open so I can take a picture. Seems perfect to me.

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    The enemies of Democracy are
  6. You're thinking about this all backwards by xant · · Score: 5, Funny

    Taking pictures is illegal now and helps the terrorists. But we still have our second amendment rights. This cleverly conceals the dangerous camera as a harmless rifle.

    --
    It's rare that you're presented with a knob whose only two positions are Make History and Flee Your Glorious Destiny.