newbie A1 evf/lcd question

I just received my new A1, thanks to all the great info on this forum. I took it out last night to try a few sunset shots. When I aimed the lense toward the sun (sun is at top of frame) a bright white line from the sun to the bottom of the lcd and evf showed up. It didn't show up on the actual pic. However the white line was so bright it was difficult to see anything else in the evf and lcd. Has this happened to anyone else? Is this normal when shooting into the sun? Is there a problem with my new A1? Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Yep, i get the same, dependant on the scene i'm shooting, i sometimes get a red vertical line down the right hand side, but not in the end results, never realy thought aobut what it is, but the one thing i will say, and that is i dont know if it is wise to be pointing your lens directly at the sun, not only for you camera but your eye sight.

Tiff said:

I just received my new A1, thanks to all the great info on this
forum. I took it out last night to try a few sunset shots. When I
aimed the lense toward the sun (sun is at top of frame) a bright
white line from the sun to the bottom of the lcd and evf showed up.
It didn't show up on the actual pic. However the white line was so
bright it was difficult to see anything else in the evf and lcd.
Has this happened to anyone else? Is this normal when shooting into
the sun? Is there a problem with my new A1? Any insights would be
greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

The manual warns against pointing the camera directly at the sun. While I have never intentually pointed the camera at the sun, I noticed a few weeks back while in a parking lot on a bright day (almost every day here in Arizona) that I would get vertical white lines from every reflection in the view. These reflections were off of the chrome parts of all the cars. I had dozens of these little white vertical lines in the EVF. I didn't notice them in the LCD, however I rarely look at the LCD when taking photos.

Bottom line, I was so concerned that I sent the camera to Minolta for warranty repair. I got the camera back last night and have not had a chance to check it out.

This is normal, it's called blooming. Each ccd pixel can only hold so much electrons and when it is full, they spill over to the ajacent side. It can be right/left or up/down, depending on the design of the chip.

You do not have the blooming in your real photo because when using the EVF (or LCD, it's the same), the ccd chip works in another mode, kind -a like a video camera, with a (semi-)fixed shuttertime, which is to slow for the lightsource. I do not know the exact shuttertimes used for viewing, but for the sake of argument asume it's 1/30 or 1/60. This is in contrast with the 1/500 or 1/1000 at which you would take that picture and thus not expose your ccd pixel long enough to cause blooming.

A second reason is that also because of the video mode, the mechanical shutter remains open ALL the time. So when the image is taken off of the CCD chip (by pulling it downwards, the pixel receiving the sunlight continues to receive sunlight, and this gives you the effect of a vertical line). When you take the picture, the mechanical shutter closes, the ccd is read at least one time to clear it, the shutter is opened and closed after the picture is taken, then, this time with the shutter still closed, the picture is pulled off at the bottom, and while this is happening, there can be no new light falling on the sensor, thus no streaks.

The difference between the two phenomenae is: real blooming goes up AND downwards starting from the blownout pixel, where as the second effect only causes the line to start from this blownout pixel towards the bottom. (and left-right for differntly designed ccd chips). Btw, the Sony chips have realy good anti-blooming devices designed in them, so in real pictures, it is a very rare thing to see.

Conclusion: NO problemo !!!

Ronald.

Tiff said:

I just received my new A1, thanks to all the great info on this
forum. I took it out last night to try a few sunset shots. When I
aimed the lense toward the sun (sun is at top of frame) a bright
white line from the sun to the bottom of the lcd and evf showed up.
It didn't show up on the actual pic. However the white line was so
bright it was difficult to see anything else in the evf and lcd.
Has this happened to anyone else? Is this normal when shooting into
the sun? Is there a problem with my new A1? Any insights would be
greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

small correction:

Ronald Schollaerts said:

The difference between the two phenomenae is: real blooming goes up
AND downwards starting from the blownout pixel, where as the second
effect only causes the line to start from this blownout pixel

Click to expand...

Ronald S said:

towards the bottom. (and left-right for differntly designed ccd

Click to expand...

should be towards the top when the image is read off by the bottom.

Ronald S said:

chips). Btw, the Sony chips have realy good anti-blooming devices
designed in them, so in real pictures, it is a very rare thing to
see.

Click to expand...

Ronald, Thanks for the great info.....you put my mind at ease.

I had read the manual that noted not to point the camera at the sun for any length of time due to potential damage to the CCD. However, when taking sunset shots it is difficult to avoid some sunlight. This may be a dumb beginner question, but does everybody avoid sunsets where the sun has not completely set for fear of CCD damage?

Thanks, Tiffany.

Ronald Schollaerts said:

You do not have the blooming in your real photo because when using
the EVF (or LCD, it's the same), the ccd chip works in another
mode, kind -a like a video camera, with a (semi-)fixed shuttertime,
which is to slow for the lightsource. I do not know the exact
shuttertimes used for viewing, but for the sake of argument asume
it's 1/30 or 1/60. This is in contrast with the 1/500 or 1/1000 at
which you would take that picture and thus not expose your ccd
pixel long enough to cause blooming.

A second reason is that also because of the video mode, the
mechanical shutter remains open ALL the time. So when the image is
taken off of the CCD chip (by pulling it downwards, the pixel
receiving the sunlight continues to receive sunlight, and this
gives you the effect of a vertical line). When you take the
picture, the mechanical shutter closes, the ccd is read at least
one time to clear it, the shutter is opened and closed after the
picture is taken, then, this time with the shutter still closed,
the picture is pulled off at the bottom, and while this is
happening, there can be no new light falling on the sensor, thus no
streaks.

The difference between the two phenomenae is: real blooming goes up
AND downwards starting from the blownout pixel, where as the second
effect only causes the line to start from this blownout pixel
towards the bottom. (and left-right for differntly designed ccd
chips). Btw, the Sony chips have realy good anti-blooming devices
designed in them, so in real pictures, it is a very rare thing to
see.

Conclusion: NO problemo !!!

Ronald.

Tiff said:

I just received my new A1, thanks to all the great info on this
forum. I took it out last night to try a few sunset shots. When I
aimed the lense toward the sun (sun is at top of frame) a bright
white line from the sun to the bottom of the lcd and evf showed up.
It didn't show up on the actual pic. However the white line was so
bright it was difficult to see anything else in the evf and lcd.
Has this happened to anyone else? Is this normal when shooting into
the sun? Is there a problem with my new A1? Any insights would be
greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Excessive light does not damage the CCD but when you're talking about direct sunlight, it has an IR component which will heat your ccd, (as with a magnifying glass). That's where the danger lies. So a sunset/rise should be OK, or thousands of small (sun) reflections in water, or too much light from cold sources is no problem either.

One thing to remember is that excessive and longlasting light could alter the colored filters which are located on your ccd (but this could be an overreaction of myself ).

As with all things, moderation is a good guide.

Ronald.

Tiff said:

Ronald, Thanks for the great info.....you put my mind at ease.

I had read the manual that noted not to point the camera at the sun
for any length of time due to potential damage to the CCD.
However, when taking sunset shots it is difficult to avoid some
sunlight. This may be a dumb beginner question, but does everybody
avoid sunsets where the sun has not completely set for fear of CCD
damage?

Thanks, Tiffany.

Click to expand...

Thank you again for the great information!

Ronald Schollaerts said:

One thing to remember is that excessive and longlasting light could
alter the colored filters which are located on your ccd (but this
could be an overreaction of myself ).

As with all things, moderation is a good guide.

Ronald.

Tiff said:

Ronald, Thanks for the great info.....you put my mind at ease.

I had read the manual that noted not to point the camera at the sun
for any length of time due to potential damage to the CCD.
However, when taking sunset shots it is difficult to avoid some
sunlight. This may be a dumb beginner question, but does everybody
avoid sunsets where the sun has not completely set for fear of CCD
damage?

Thanks, Tiffany.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...