Sun burned sensor

[L Lenson]

With EF lens on R-camera, it tells me to put on lens cap when powered off. I refuse to do this. Has anyone experience what apertures is required to damage the sensor? I assume an f 2 may damage but what a about an f 4 lens?


I guess a slow wide angle lens where the sun spot is very small on the sensor don't have the energy to do damage. A normal lens at infinity will, Im sure.

One idea is to focus at close distance before turning off camera, I just think it will be difficult to remember. Another idea is to have a polarizer on the lens when shooting on sunny places like the beach. A third idea is to never leave the camera lying around, but to use a small camera bag.

 

[Klaus dk]

If you disregard the advice given, you must bear the consequences.

I don't see any problem in putting on a lens cap when the camera is not being used.

 

[Dareshooter]

With EF lens on R-camera, it tells me to put on lens cap when powered off. I refuse to do this. Has anyone experience what apertures is required to damage the sensor? I assume an f 2 may damage but what a about an f 4 lens?

I guess a slow wide angle lens where the sun spot is very small on the sensor don't have the energy to do damage. A normal lens at infinity will, Im sure.

One idea is to focus at close distance before turning off camera, I just think it will be difficult to remember. Another idea is to have a polarizer on the lens when shooting on sunny places like the beach. A third idea is to never leave the camera lying around, but to use a small camera bag.

A fourth idea would be to check your bank account has sufficient funds to cover the cost of the repairs that may be needed because of your refusal to take the necessary precautions in the first place .

 

[PicPocket]

It is easier to put a lens cap on then to put a protection lens on. Caps can be snapped on while mounting a lens takes a bit more effort

But if it has to be a lens, any lens that comes with a cap will do

A cap is a lens with zero aperture. That is one of the technology behind its protection mechanism

 

[boldcolors]

With EF lens on R-camera, it tells me to put on lens cap when powered off. I refuse to do this. Has anyone experience what apertures is required to damage the sensor? I assume an f 2 may damage but what a about an f 4 lens?

I guess a slow wide angle lens where the sun spot is very small on the sensor don't have the energy to do damage. A normal lens at infinity will, Im sure.

One idea is to focus at close distance before turning off camera, I just think it will be difficult to remember. Another idea is to have a polarizer on the lens when shooting on sunny places like the beach. A third idea is to never leave the camera lying around, but to use a small camera bag.

Hmm, never heard this before. So the sun rays are getting through the lens, hit the sensor and could potentially damage it because there is no mirror in between?

If so, what stops the same from happening if RF lenses are mounted?

 

[Klaus dk]

With EF lens on R-camera, it tells me to put on lens cap when powered off. I refuse to do this. Has anyone experience what apertures is required to damage the sensor? I assume an f 2 may damage but what a about an f 4 lens?

I guess a slow wide angle lens where the sun spot is very small on the sensor don't have the energy to do damage. A normal lens at infinity will, Im sure.

One idea is to focus at close distance before turning off camera, I just think it will be difficult to remember. Another idea is to have a polarizer on the lens when shooting on sunny places like the beach. A third idea is to never leave the camera lying around, but to use a small camera bag.

Hmm, never heard this before. So the sun rays are getting through the lens, hit the sensor and could potentially damage it because there is no mirror in between?

If so, what stops the same from happening if RF lenses are mounted?

Nothing. And the same warning applies. Don't leave an R-series camera in the sun without a lens cap.

 

[Franz Kerschbaum]

RF Lenses close the aperture on camera shut down...

 

[ffabrici]

With EF lens on R-camera, it tells me to put on lens cap when powered off. I refuse to do this. Has anyone experience what apertures is required to damage the sensor? I assume an f 2 may damage but what a about an f 4 lens?

I guess a slow wide angle lens where the sun spot is very small on the sensor don't have the energy to do damage. A normal lens at infinity will, Im sure.

One idea is to focus at close distance before turning off camera, I just think it will be difficult to remember. Another idea is to have a polarizer on the lens when shooting on sunny places like the beach. A third idea is to never leave the camera lying around, but to use a small camera bag.

Only us the camera inside or during the night .

My camera is a tool and I use it with care, but I don’t follow all the instructions to the point, and yes - I live with the potential consquences.

 

[Ephemeris]

It's a shame that the shutter can't be configured to close when it auto powers down.

 

[L Lenson]

It's a shame that the shutter can't be configured to close when it auto powers down.

Also an option to close the shutter when a lens is dismounted would be welcome too.

 

[drsnoopy]

It's a shame that the shutter can't be configured to close when it auto powers down.

If it did, people would complain that it slows down start-up time. You can’t win!

 

[R2D2]

It's a shame that the shutter can't be configured to close when it auto powers down.

Also an option to close the shutter when a lens is dismounted would be welcome too.

My shutter is closed when I change lenses. Of course I always do that after I've powered down.

R2

--
Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.
http://www.pbase.com/jekyll_and_hyde/galleries

 

[Simple Coffee]

...people would complain...

100% chance of that!

 

[Sittatunga]

With EF lens on R-camera, it tells me to put on lens cap when powered off. I refuse to do this. Has anyone experience what apertures is required to damage the sensor? I assume an f 2 may damage but what a about an f 4 lens?

I guess a slow wide angle lens where the sun spot is very small on the sensor don't have the energy to do damage. A normal lens at infinity will, Im sure.

One idea is to focus at close distance before turning off camera, I just think it will be difficult to remember. Another idea is to have a polarizer on the lens when shooting on sunny places like the beach. A third idea is to never leave the camera lying around, but to use a small camera bag.

Hmm, never heard this before. So the sun rays are getting through the lens, hit the sensor and could potentially damage it because there is no mirror in between?

If so, what stops the same from happening if RF lenses are mounted?

RF (and EF-M) lenses stop down to near minimum aperture without power, EF and EF-S lenses open up to full aperture without power. An unpowered f/4 EF lens will pass something like 20x the infrared radiation that an unpowered f/4 RF lens will pass, and the Retract lens on power off option in one of the C.Fn menus will focus any autofocus lens to near infinity, even if you've set it to MF and minimum focus. A polarising filter might reduce the infrared by a half at most.

It's not just the sensor you need to worry about either; there was at least one thread a year or two ago about melted plastic surrounds to the sensor. I think some of the shutter blades are plastic too. This isn't a new problem - Leica owners have been warned about burning their cloth shutters for over a hundred years.

 

[L Lenson]

With EF lens on R-camera, it tells me to put on lens cap when powered off. I refuse to do this. Has anyone experience what apertures is required to damage the sensor? I assume an f 2 may damage but what a about an f 4 lens?

Since nobody gave the answer I was after, I made a little test trying to burn a sensor a little.

Canon 550D, 85mm lens at f2.8. Focused on infinity, sun near corner of sensor. A ten minute exposure of afternoon sun did not cause any trouble. Sensor looks visually unaffected. No damage to image quality either. I assume the sensors of recent cameras are equally tough.

Zenith sun may be another story but who leaves their cameras pointing up.

So my conslusion is no caps is needed to prevent heat damage in normal situations. At least not for me. For others, please follow Canons advice and put caps on.

I guess a slow wide angle lens where the sun spot is very small on the sensor don't have the energy to do damage. A normal lens at infinity will, Im sure.

One idea is to focus at close distance before turning off camera, I just think it will be difficult to remember. Another idea is to have a polarizer on the lens when shooting on sunny places like the beach. A third idea is to never leave the camera lying around, but to use a small camera bag.

 

[BirdShooter7]

With EF lens on R-camera, it tells me to put on lens cap when powered off. I refuse to do this. Has anyone experience what apertures is required to damage the sensor? I assume an f 2 may damage but what a about an f 4 lens?

I guess a slow wide angle lens where the sun spot is very small on the sensor don't have the energy to do damage. A normal lens at infinity will, Im sure.

One idea is to focus at close distance before turning off camera, I just think it will be difficult to remember. Another idea is to have a polarizer on the lens when shooting on sunny places like the beach. A third idea is to never leave the camera lying around, but to use a small camera bag.

I don’t ever use lens caps but I do pretty much exclusively use telephoto lenses and they always have hoods on them. So far I haven’t damaged a mirrorless camera but many years ago I did cook the sensor and mirror box of a 1d mk3 by accidentally pointing the camera/500mm f/4 lens in the direction of the sun.

 

[Hadrian R]

The warning isn’t just about damaging the sensor, but the shutter curtain when the camera is powered off. The shutter curtain can be easily damaged from the sun being magnified onto it.

Sensors are pretty tough. I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot into the sun, but I wouldn’t leave the camera pointed at it for long periods of time.

 

[PicPocket]

It's a shame that the shutter can't be configured to close when it auto powers down.

If it did, people would complain that it slows down start-up time. You can’t win!

you can win, if its a setting people can choose

--
PicPocket

 

[PicPocket]

So my conslusion is no caps is needed to prevent heat damage in normal situations. At least not for me. For others, please follow Canons advice and put caps on.

Good for you. My take is I continue to use the cap the way I have for a long time. I have in fact never read the Canon advice, it just makes sense to me. And I don’t use it only as a heat damage prevention equipment. And in heat damage situations, I don’t have to think about whether it is a “normal” situation or not

 

[JohnSil]

If you disregard the advice given, you must bear the consequences.

I don't see any problem in putting on a lens cap when the camera is not being used.

On some lenses you have to remove the hood to get the cap on or off. That is a real hassle during a shoot. Sure to put a camera away for the night it's expected but not every five to ten minutes. It's easier to turn the camera off.

I'm not so sure that advise is as much to save the sensor as it is to save the battery life and to keep the lens from continually hunting for focus, which will kill the battery.

John