Sparrow
Veteran
If the sun can burn through a cloth shutter that is well in front of the focal-plane why doesn't it damage the sensors on these auto-focus mirror-less digital cameras?
Jockos
Well-known
I think any camera manual will say something like:
"DON'T POINT THE CAMERA DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN"
for a reason.
Then theres also this:
I think the rangefinder shutter goes where the light rays are crossing, i.e. where the light is most intense.
"DON'T POINT THE CAMERA DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN"
for a reason.
Then theres also this:

I think the rangefinder shutter goes where the light rays are crossing, i.e. where the light is most intense.
Bobfrance
Over Exposed
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
Sensors are quite "hot" electronic components - often rated above 10W in operation - and have a fair bit of cooling applied, like being mounted on a copper or aluminium plate (some PhaseOne sensors were even attached to a Peltier element). So no, they cannot suffer heat damage due to sun exposure.
However they may suffer "burn-in" (a drop in sensitivity) or Bayer filter fading from extended exposure to intensive light - before buying a digital camera that has been on window display you should indeed check whether the sensor has suffered.
However they may suffer "burn-in" (a drop in sensitivity) or Bayer filter fading from extended exposure to intensive light - before buying a digital camera that has been on window display you should indeed check whether the sensor has suffered.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
Then theres also this:
![]()
I think the rangefinder shutter goes where the light rays are crossing, i.e. where the light is most intense.
Well, that is what we commonly call "focus" - when focused close up, infinity focus can indeed rest on the shutter. But of course that does not mean that the sensor or film cannot have the sun (or another strong light) in focus...
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
Eek. The audience there would have had a few nice reasons to sue the heck out of the light crew - a laser capable of zapping a camera is not merely beyond legal limits, it is dangerous...
randomm
Well-known
Well, that is what we commonly call "focus" - when focused close up, infinity focus can indeed rest on the shutter. But of course that does not mean that the sensor or film cannot have the sun (or another strong light) in focus...
And if that diagram was right, then we could all just make our shutters very very small indeed
Bobfrance
Over Exposed
Eek. The audience there would have had a few nice reasons to sue the heck out of the light crew - a laser capable of zapping a camera is not merely beyond legal limits, it is dangerous...
Seems like it may be reasonably common. If you search on youtube there's quite a lot of examples of this happening at live events.
d__b
Well-known
Sony at least seems to think so. On my Nex 5 the lens aperture is automatically stopped all the way down, when turning the camera off. Also the camera strap seems to be designed to make the cam point towards the floor, when carried over the shoulder.
Jockos
Well-known
I thought the image flipped once before reaching the film/sensorWell, that is what we commonly call "focus" - when focused close up, infinity focus can indeed rest on the shutter. But of course that does not mean that the sensor or film cannot have the sun (or another strong light) in focus...
EdwardKaraa
Well-known
I've seen burned in sun spots in earlier video cameras, and quite a bit less in P&S.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
I thought the image flipped once before reaching the film/sensor![]()
Not exactly - the rays cross at the (for our purpose rear) nodal point of the lens (and in a extreme retrofocal lens that place might be somewhere behind the physical lens). However they don't cross in a point, but rather on a aperture sized and shaped area...
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