On May 1st, immigration rallys were held around the country. One in Los Angeles got out of hand when the police tried to break-up the mob when it crossed into an area that was off limits.

News cameramen and camerawomen that got in the way were pushed around. I saw one police officer grab a camcorder and throw it to the ground. Another camera fell off a camerawoman’s shoulder when she was pushed to the ground.

That got me to thinking about solid-state camcorders like the Panasonic P2. With no moving parts, there is nothing to get out of alignment. If you have ever worked on a VTR or a optical disk unit, you know how precise and exact part alignment must be.

I wonder if Panasonic’s five year warranty applies to police damage?

Four members of the press required medical attention. But the cameras sure took a worse beating. From the footage I saw, the cameras were still working as they were tossed around.

You can see footage at:
KABC-TV 7

KCBS-TV 2