Welding and damaging camera stuff / eyeballs

[mooge]

hey everyone,

1.
I was taking photos of Lucas welding in the shop and one of the guys told me that I could damage my camera doing so. Is this true at all? I doubt so for film, but I was using the NEX... and it's technically not mine so I'd rather not fry it (though I've already got epoxy and bondo or something on it).

2.
Does having a ground glass protect at all against the UV or whatever it is that'll fry my eyeballs emitted by the welding arc? I was thinking I could sneak my rolleiflex around the welding curtain...



cheers.

 

[newsgrunt]

My D3 and D4 cameras have been used in welding shops with no probs that I can see. Maybe they're concerned blasting the sensor with extremely bright showers will overload it ? Dunno, I wouldn't worry. Your eyes however….

 

[Keith]

I've taken numerous welding shots over the last few years with film and digital cameras and never had a problem.

Eyes are a different matter though and the occasional bout of flash from the process is a painful reminder of the care needed.

 

[mooge]

Sounds good. thanks guys.

 

[Tom A]

Use a UV filter on the lens - much cheaper to replace than a pitted front element. Also use safety glasses on yourself - again, cheaper than an eyeball! The sparks are hot and can burn you badly. If you are really going to be close to the arc - tripod the camera, use a cable release or remote control of some kind - and for yourself, use a welders face mask.

 

[VictorM.]

Don't be careless around a welding arc: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/welding/eyes.html

The correct eye protection is mandatory to prevent serious eye damage and eventually blindness.

 

[Scrambler]

Welding flash burn to eyes is a very real thing - advice re protection above is good.

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Eyes_-_flash_burns

The impact on your camera is another thing - I would be rather surprised if this affected your sensor. After all, it's no different to prolonged exposure to sunlight, and the "mirrorless" design of the NEXi also means shutterless other than immediately after pressing the shutter.

But a UV filter would mitigate any possible impact.

As for the ground glass - probably not a great idea even with that in between. A UV filter on the viewing lens would reduce the flash a little but I would use welding goggles (on you) to view.

As for spark burns, do stay well back!

 

[Brian Atherton]

mooge,

I reiterate all Tom A, VictorM, Keith and others have posted: one can't be too careful around welding, especially with eyesight.

In the 80s and 90s I photographed a lot of welding and welders in industrial environments. I learned the hard way, after having my Rollei 2.8's lens pitted by sparks, and a decent jacket ruined. Use a filter and coverall.

Also take care in setting up your shot: use a tripod and cable release or remote, or use a tele lens to give you a comfortable distance from the welding. Use eye protection for yourself or look away once welding begins. I found a small fill-in flash can be useful.

 

[sevo]

Welding arcs could zap video camera tubes, but they will not damage sensors. That is, they eventually might do so in the long run, by fading the RGB filter matrix - but unless you operate CCTV cameras in fixed installation on a production line with welding machines, that is no issue you'll ever encounter.

Eyes are another matter - always wear protective eye wear. And so is glass - use a filter (a UV filter will also take care of UV-related exposure, colour balance and focus errors).

 

[Sparrow]

... I recall way back in the 1980's buying one of the really early panasonic video cameras as a graphic feed to a textile CAD system ... I think I read in the instructions that high-intensaty light would leave permanent shadows on the sensor

 

[willie_901]

Just to be clear, the UV energy amplitude suppression with typical lens filters is not designed to eliminate UV light energy from a welding rig. Compare the filter and the window in a welder's visor.

The lens filter obviously protects the lens from damage and it can't hurt with UV energy filtering. But there is still a lot of UV getting to the sensor. As others have indicated above apparently welding UV does not typically damage a sensor.

 

[mooge]

Oddly enough, I'd never thought about spark burns.

So blind shooting or LCD-display it is, I guess.

thanks guys!