Understanding the capabilities of the cameras is important for pilots as it does affect how the aircraft is flown/operated.
Some technical facts about the cameras.
R44 is a factory fit camera system (300mm max focal length lens) It can't be changed without re-certification.
The camera on the nose is indeed a safer way to work than hanging out the door. R44 is lower cost than turbine all good stuff! It has a wider angle which is great for cityscapes and landscapes. Its has a 21x zoom where the heavier gimbals are 36, 40 or 42x. It tops out at under 300mm where the others go from 800 to over 1000mm.
Cost of the latest gimbals is 2/3 the cost of a complete R44! and it is twice the weight.
To get the same max close up as the competition, GPIX has to be twice as close with a probable increase in noise at the event that is being filmed.
I'm suggesting that is what happened on Saturday.
Sky viewers were already being treated to show off mega zooms "look how far we are away" shots taken from a mile? away while GPIX was much closer to the river bank.
Mark Stevens said on air (and it has been reported) that he earlier asked the police to move the BBC helicopter away. He said it live on BBC news 24 , I think BBC news would have corrected had he got it wrong?
Here is a pic from GPIX camera in the morning, before they were reportately moved on.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...alerescue9.jpg
I didn't say GPIX was lower I said it was closerto the action than Sky.
I didn't say that it is illegial for singles not to have floats.
Loitering for 8 hours over the Thames in a single without floats at high tide into the night is not illegal.
Rattle, of course a twin over London with a Ultramedia gimbal will get a better range of angles than a single with a less powerful lens.
There isn't a right or wrong to this discussion as all aircraft were obeying the aviation rules.
The Laws of optics can't be broken either.
One mile stand off distance or two sir?
Creaser