Camera Flash?

[PepsNick]

I see a lot of pictures on the forum of new born chicks using a flash. Can this damage the eyes?

 

[CARS]

I'll ask next time

Sounds like a good idea for some Government funded testing

I've never had a chick die from a picture. I suppose if the flash was intense enough?? I have a bunch of baby pics and I can still see. I would avoid strobe lights for sure to avoid seizures.

(I'm really not trying to be smart, I just never would have thought about it before and all these thoughts are popping up in my melon now)

 

[PepsNick]

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Yep. Heck, the flash is probably bigger than the chick's eyeball. Remember when you go to the zoo and there are all these "no flashes please" signs?

 

[CARS]

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I never though about the no flash signs before.... You might actually be on to something.

Most camera flashes don't really have the intensity to blind. Some of the commercial cameras like pro-photographers use sting the eyes, but it's such a short-term effect that I would think that even a chick will recover quickly with a few blinks of the eyes (just like you or I).

 

[Uzuri]

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Yep. Heck, the flash is probably bigger than the chick's eyeball. Remember when you go to the zoo and there are all these "no flashes please" signs?

Those are to keep the animals from being upset by the flash, or from injuring themselves due to temporarily having their vision screwed up and falling or walking into something -- same as the no flash signs at sporting events.

 

[PepsNick]

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I never though about the no flash signs before.... You might actually be on to something.

Most camera flashes don't really have the intensity to blind. Some of the commercial cameras like pro-photographers use sting the eyes, but it's such a short-term effect that I would think that even a chick will recover quickly with a few blinks of the eyes (just like you or I).

Yep. I mean, I really doubt blindness could be an affect, but maybe bad eyesight?

 

[desertdarlene]

I've done a little research on this and studies have shown that flash does not hurt the eyes of baby animals or even baby humans. Most animals that are hatched/born with their eyes open have a good blinking reflex. I take photos of baby birds often and I worried about it, too.

Just to be on the safe side, though, I try to limit my flash to as little as possible. Also, I don't deliberately use flash on chicks/ducklings that are hatching or still wet from hatching. I want to make sure they have had some exposure to natural light, first. I did, however, observe some baby killdeer (a little brown plover) who hatched right in the middle of the fireworks show at the lake. They showed no sign of vision problems later on and can see, probably 1000 times better than I do.

 

[gryeyes]

I know the camera flash startles chicks, and it terrifies my call ducklings. But the relax pretty quickly afterwards, with some soothing words and attention.

 

[PepsNick]

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Sweet.

 

[HorizonSon]

I don't use the flash; it frightens the heck out of them