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DP Merrill LCD Heat Sensitive?

Started May 14, 2021 | Discussions
Human Elements
Human Elements Senior Member • Posts: 1,051
DP Merrill LCD Heat Sensitive?

I was out shooting with my new-used DP1 Merrill in the desert the other day. It wasn't super hot (75F) but the sun in New Mexico is powerfully direct. I had the camera on a tripod with the LCD facing sunwards (it was late afternoon) for maybe five minutes while I was waiting for the clouds to move across the scene. And after the shot, I realized that the spot where the AF/MF mode is shown had a series of dark lines across it, with a washed-out pixel zone surrounding it! As if I'd dropped it on that spot.

I suspected the sun plus the camera's internal heat since the zone got slightly over time. Leaving it in the bag didn't seem to help but it didn't get bigger after a certain point. Fortunately, when I got home and the camera had a few hours to cool, the spot became insignificant and was entirely gone by evening.

Is this a normal thing?

 Human Elements's gear list:Human Elements's gear list
Sigma DP1 Merrill Sigma DP2 Merrill Sigma DP3 Merrill Fujifilm X-T4 Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R +2 more
Sigma DP1 Merrill
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Ceistinne
Ceistinne Veteran Member • Posts: 3,256
Re: DP Merrill LCD Heat Sensitive?

Human Elements wrote:

I was out shooting with my new-used DP1 Merrill in the desert the other day. It wasn't super hot (75F) but the sun in New Mexico is powerfully direct. I had the camera on a tripod with the LCD facing sunwards (it was late afternoon) for maybe five minutes while I was waiting for the clouds to move across the scene. And after the shot, I realized that the spot where the AF/MF mode is shown had a series of dark lines across it, with a washed-out pixel zone surrounding it! As if I'd dropped it on that spot.

I suspected the sun plus the camera's internal heat since the zone got slightly over time. Leaving it in the bag didn't seem to help but it didn't get bigger after a certain point. Fortunately, when I got home and the camera had a few hours to cool, the spot became insignificant and was entirely gone by evening.

Is this a normal thing?

Never a good idea to leave LCDs or worse still Sensors open to the bright sun especially through the lens.

S

 Ceistinne's gear list:Ceistinne's gear list
Sigma SD1 Merrill Sigma dp2 Quattro Sigma SD9 Sigma SD10 Sigma SD14 +5 more
Human Elements
OP Human Elements Senior Member • Posts: 1,051
Re: DP Merrill LCD Heat Sensitive?
1

Live and learn. Fortunately, the burn is in the far edge of the frame, only blocks the AF/MF icon, and isn't permanent. Just fades in as the camera heats up on an already warm day and fades out over time.

 Human Elements's gear list:Human Elements's gear list
Sigma DP1 Merrill Sigma DP2 Merrill Sigma DP3 Merrill Fujifilm X-T4 Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R +2 more
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