Originally Posted by
CKBA
St Paul's from BA431 (AMS-LHR) on 16 July 2018.
One thing I've noticed that there is a vast difference in the clarity of the windows on different aircraft types: this being an A319 - which I find to be about the best (along with the other 319/320/321's). With a full resolution photograph you can easily make out the colour of people's clothing from many miles away (and 1000's ft altitude).
In contrast I find that the 787's have really poor window clarity, and odd colour casts across photos taken through them (taken without a polariser - and with the window 'dimmer' fully 'open'). I presume that the 787's have polycarbonate-type windows?
The 787 windows have a gel between two layers - an electrical charge is used to alter its opacity, but I suspect even at maximum opacity, it is like having a thin stocking over your lens, or a thin layer of vaseline over the lens as the used to use in old Hollywood for the the star's close up!