Laser Safety FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

If your camera sensor or video projector has been damaged by laser beams, the show was not necessarily dangerous for human eye:

Camera sensors and video projector LCDs are much more sensitive to light impact than human eye.

If filmed from a distance, lasers normally don't harm camera sensors, but if you zoom into the beam, the optics act like a burning glass - and focus the already very sharp beams to the sensor (which in most cases is also no "real size" sensor, but a smaller one -> even more impact)

Human eye does not zoom, and the reception area is much larger compared to the actually projected image on the retina.

 

Conclusion:

A safe laser show (class 3R in MPE area) does not harm human eye, but can damage your camera/photo sensor or video projector.