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The event guide said no “professional cameras.”
When fans asked what that meant, the answer was simple: if the lens twists off the camera body, it is not allowed in.
Phones are fine; small point-and-shoot cameras are fine.
The moment the lens detaches — whether it is a beginner DSLR or a professional press camera — it stays outside.
No measurements.
No size limits.
Just: does the lens come off?
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Same Ban, Different Cameras: How a Bayonet Mount Became the Only Test That Mattered
Here is where it gets odd.
A Sony RX10 IV — a large, heavy camera that shoots cinema-quality 4K video with a powerful zoom lens — was allowed in. The lens is fixed; it does not detach.
A Canon 250D — a beginner camera sold at every shopping mall in Malaysia for around RM 3,000, smaller than most handbags — was banned.
The kit lens twists off.
The rule was not about how powerful the camera is; it was not about whether the camera is used professionally.
It was purely about one mechanical feature: a bayonet mount, the twist-and-click joint that connects the lens to the body.
A mall camera and a RM 25,000 press body ended up in the same banned category because of that one shared feature.
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Why Sepang Fans Did Not Expect This
Sepang has always been relaxed about cameras.
For years — MotoGP, past F1 races — fans walked in with large lenses without anyone stopping them.
That was one reason local photography enthusiasts looked forward to race weekends here.
This year, Sepang applied the same strict standard used at Las Vegas, Zandvoort, and Saudi Arabia.
Nobody announced the change clearly enough, and fans found out at the gate.
Not every circuit does it this way.
The rules change depending on which country hosts the race — Formula 1 management leaves the decision to each local organiser.
| Circuit | What Is Allowed |
|---|---|
| Monza, Spa, Canada | Bring whatever you want |
| Silverstone | DSLR allowed, lens must be under 400mm |
| Australia, Mexico | DSLR allowed, lens must be under 300mm |
| Singapore, Abu Dhabi | Camera and lens combined must be under 30cm |
| Suzuka | Under 26cm — or buy a special photographer ticket |
| Las Vegas, Zandvoort, Sepang 2026 | No detachable lens. Full stop. |
Suzuka sells a separate photographer ticket that gives access to dedicated shooting zones where larger lenses are allowed.
Sepang offered no equivalent.
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At the Gates: Same Camera, Same Rule, Two Different Answers
Sepang security this weekend was managing 100,000 people, five entry checkpoints, and a transport system under serious strain.
At some gates, staff barely checked bags.
Fans reported walking in with Canon R6 bodies and 200-800mm zoom lenses without anyone stopping them.
At other gates, fans with the same equipment were turned away.
Same camera, same rule.
Different gate, different outcome.
This weekend had already seen thousands stranded on an unlit highway in the rain, counterfeit merchandise stalls operating outside the main gate, and fake online storefronts harvesting credit card details from fans who thought they were buying official gear.
The camera rule was one more thing that did not go to plan.
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READ MORE: [Watch] Train To Busan At Sepang: Bahrain Planned For 37,000, Malaysia Sent 100,000
READ MORE: Malaysians Test Their Fortitude As Queues To Get Into Sepang Begin
READ MORE: You Cannot Watch F1 From The Roadside At Sepang, PMX Said Watch RTM Instead
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Sepang Said No Big Cameras At The F1, Then Some Gates Let Them In Anyway
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