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by dangerbird2 1618 days ago
They'd fare poorly, but for different reasons. Digital cameras can be vulnerable to IR lasers because their sensors are sensitive to infrared light. Human retinas aren't sensitive to IR, which ironically makes IR lasers more dangerous than visible ones, since they don't trigger the blink reflex which would otherwise limit the damage to the eyes.
2 comments

If the sensor surface ends up with visible scorch marks then I don't think it would matter much if it was sensitive or not
Whether or not the laser is in the visible spectrum matters quite a bit for it’s classifications/safety. According to IEC 60825–1 a laser from roughly over 1/2 a mW up to 5mW goes from class 2 to class 4 if it’s outside visible. A nearly 5mW laser could scorch many materials, given enough time.
Wouldn’t the IR laser be flashed anyway? How much time would they need to be on?