[HPforGrownups] Re: Colin's camera?

[Iggy McSnurd]

No: HPFGUIDX 90260

> Dysis again:
> Any cameras that I know of work on batteries. Hmmm. Maybe I'm not
> exposed enough to this world . . . lol!
> 

Iggy here:

Ok, gotta step in on this one...

My mom was a photography major in college, knows a lot of professional
photographers from her PR business, as do my brother-in-law's family,
since 3/4 of them are graphic artists who deal with a lot of
photography.  Through this, I have acquired a pretty decent level of
knowledge in the field for someone who has never taken a photography
class.  (I can take some very good pics, know how to use a lot of
different cameras, and even know the basics of film developing.)

A good deal of very good quality, professional grade cameras are still
available without any electronics in them at all.  Even the more common
cameras that people use only have a battery in them to activate the
flash bulb.  (to be honest, the electronics in the early models... such
as the one Colin uses in the movies, have such a basic grade of
electrical system as to not even really count as electronics... it's
merely a very simple, quick activating circuit. Give me a battery, 2
small wires, and a flash bulb, and I can produce the same effect.)

Most of the electronics relating to cameras are either for the flash, or
for the "auto-film advancer."  (And even those are removable on most
professional grade cameras.)  The extension cable for the shutter
button, the timer, and the shutter itself, for example, are all purely
mechanical.  And unless you have an auto focus function, the focus
itself is manually operated.

I would also state the hypothesis that it's not ALL electronics that
fail at Hogwarts, merely the more complex electrical devices.  (I can't
imagine a school of sorcery not having some simple, hand driven
generator for some of their classes, like advanced potions.  After all,
if you don't have the skill to conjure a lightning bolt, how else will
you catalyze some potion ingredients?)

>From this, we can assume that simple things, like the flash on Colin's
camera or a basic pen-light (if anyone ever thinks to bring one and try
to use it) would actually works.  

For one thing, if there's a spell over Hogwarts that suppresses ALL
electrical reaction or conductivity, then people would drop dead at the
gates, any spells involving electricity wouldn't work and couldn't be
taught, and you'd never see a single thunderstorm in the sky over the
school.


Iggy McSnurd