Bolex camera in strong magnetic field, good or bad?

Thierry Loa · March 30, 2009

Hi,

I'll be filming an MRI scanning procedure in a hospital. The MRI scanner generates and uses magnetic field for the scanning. Would that affect my bolex camera, power battery and magazine? What type of metal is there in the bolex cam? Is it a safe setup? The camera will be left filming on tripod in the room while scanning occurs. Only patient is allowed in the room, on the scanner bed, and no one else.

Any advice.

Thanks,

Thierry .

Matthew Buick · March 30, 2009

Try attaching a magnet to parts of your camera, see if they magnetise. And I wouldn't imagine a magnetic field would actually damage your equipment permenantly.

Make sure you get a second opinion! :lol:

Topher Ryan · March 30, 2009

Make sure all of the doctors and techs know exactly what you are doing. People have been killed by oxygen tanks becoming projectiles coming straight into the tube. BE CAREFUL. Be explicitly clear with all the staff in what you want to do. You can do a google search for some of the accidents.

Topher Ryan · March 30, 2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRI#Projectil..._missile_effect

Click the video link within that entry to see metal objects crushing bricks in the MRI room.

Chris Millar · March 30, 2009

ha ha :lol:

funny, I had a mate film my PET scan (different scan, as far as I know same set up but I could be wrong) with a Bolex - he would have been about 2 meters away.

From memory it would have been my RX4 or his RX5 - lotsa metal !

No reason from a film perspective not to - but seriously, first talk to the radiologists, not us dumb dumbs ...

Edited March 30, 2009 by Chris Millar

Thierry Loa · March 31, 2009

Thanks everyone for your comments and advices. Good ones.

I've checked out some youtube videos and learned more indeed.

And I've also tried scanning my bolex rex5 with my fridge magnet to find potential magnet-attracting spots. Most of the bolex seems to be built with aluminium; the added motor's screws are magnet-attracting.

I think I will stage the scanning process so that the magnet will not actually go on then but to just have a person lay on the bed surface. I'll then do some shots of actual procedure viewed from the monitoring control room.