Aldwych DSLR ban

and to follow on from causton's post.... is also open to a variety of interpretations...

Both Amateur Photographer and the British Journal of Photography have reported and questioned the ban... the latter of which has also issued a FOI (Freedom of Information) request to TfL.

If this is a move by TfL to covertly test a policy to prevent photography on the underground without actually banning it (making it harder for images to be captured in low light without using flash, by preventing cameras that allow you to capture better images in lower light) then two things may happen...

• Sadly the irresponsible element of enthusiasts will choose to use use flash... as many tourists do on platforms (I hope no member/reader of the forum does)
  
• Non-DSLR cameras compete and sometimes surpass the performance of older DSLRs in lower light conditions.... they certainly will increasingly equal the performance of mid priced DSLRs in the future... so the ban is effectively pointless in the first place

Note the term has been used of ‘professional camera’. A DSLR is NOT indicative that the user is professional... countless enthusiasts have them to capture non-commercial images for their own personal use. I personally have a pro-sumer Canon DSLR aimed at higher end amateurs that would equate to very low end camera for a professional. That’s not to say that a professional wouldn’t simply use a high-end compact camera to get around the rule in the first place.... making it redundant and undoubtedly a nonsense rule.

Is speed through the station an issue?? Can anyone genuinely tell if which photographer, whether they be holding a compact or DSLR, will take longer than another to pass through a station. Simply top and tail each group with a Museum volunteer/staff member to ensure that no stragglers get left behind or hold up the group.

On a personal note, my opinion is that railway companies can come across as a hero, or a zero in their dealings with their customers. Unless TfL have got an outstanding reason, something they have failed to explain to date*, whoever has suggested this rule and possibly imposed it upon the LT Museum, isn't so much of a zero... but has intentionally put TfL in negative territory....

* IMO if the spiral staircase was genuinely the reason then all photography would have be banned just on the staircase... and not just DSLRs for the entire visit!

Lets wait until the FOI request materialises

If any DSLR ban is introduced and enforced as strictly as the so-called booze ban, I wouldn't think enthusiasts have too much to worry about.

(Except that staff would rather bully gricers than drunks.)

Could it be because they themselves want to do a high deffinition photoshoot and charge for it? Or some kind of commercial contract relating to the sites function and paying customers?

Good thing. There's so much nasty dust down there, I'd hate to get any into the workings of my DSLR. Maybe I'll take my Bronica ETRS down with me instead.

According to the British Journal of Photography TfL has done some backtracking

IMO reading between the lines I rather get the impression that TfL are trying to control the taking of images on their property (perhaps generating an additional stream of income).

If I'm right a vastly inflated amount would be charged at an official photography event/visit