One of my planes is on the N register, mainly because it is more easily modified (changing windows, adding equipment etc.). Particularly the whole field approval procedure which has no easy equivalent in Europe.
I also 'use' my FAA certificate (commercially) much more than my EASA CPL - thus having that aligned is simpler.
I'm not sure that the FAA is less stringent on fundamental safety, if an owner wants to 'skip' bits of legislation he can do that under any registration.
Are you sure that the camera ship operation is illegal? Don't forget that aerial photography has some exemptions from the full 'commercial' requirements. I don't know what they are though - not something we do.
I object to being lumped in with the Sala crash - rather in the same way that the Airbnb murderer who has just been sentenced is always described as the 'Airbnb murderer'. Not sure Airbnb have done anything to deserve the link!
There was nothing more stopping Mr.Ibbotson (UK PPL) doing exactly the same flight in a G reg Malibu...The relevance of the aircraft registration is...?
And the guy who crashed with the twitchers was using a G reg...