Are mirror-less cameras more susceptible to sun damage?
Aug 30, 2018 15:34:00 #
My understanding is that mirror-less cameras have their sensors exposed to light through the lens all of the time. I am very careful not to point my cameras at the sun unless it is dimmed by clouds, morning or evening .... However I often carry the camera with the lens cap off when doing a photo session. Just wondered if someone here knew if this was an aspect of mirror-less cameras of which care should be taken. I did a search on line and got a number of "be caerful's" but nothing definitive.
Aug 30, 2018 15:38:59 #
I am not sure if the "Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera" would have its shutter open or close when it's off as all of them have a mechanical shutter.
Aug 30, 2018 18:02:53 #
CaliforniaDreamer wrote:
No, the sensors in mirrorless cameras are not exposed to the sun at all times! You don't have to worry your film getting exposed without a lens cap, when shooting with a mirrorless film camera either!My understanding is that mirror-less cameras have ... (show quote)
Aug 30, 2018 18:30:48 #
Aug 30, 2018 19:11:26 #
`
The shutters are always open in my cameras
whether they are switched on or off. I never
worried about it and never had a problem.
Ignore all replies indicating that the shutter
is closed. Those peeps either do not have a
live view camera, or have never removed a
lens on the the one that they do have. The
naked sensor is in plain sight whenever you
remove the lens ... at least on the 4 brands
of live view bodies that I use.
Just a milligram of common sense would tell
you that you would have no viewfinder if the
shutter were always closed except during an
actual exposure. So, it's hard to fathom how
some of the above advice was concocted :-(
`
The shutters are always open in my cameras
whether they are switched on or off. I never
worried about it and never had a problem.
Ignore all replies indicating that the shutter
is closed. Those peeps either do not have a
live view camera, or have never removed a
lens on the the one that they do have. The
naked sensor is in plain sight whenever you
remove the lens ... at least on the 4 brands
of live view bodies that I use.
Just a milligram of common sense would tell
you that you would have no viewfinder if the
shutter were always closed except during an
actual exposure. So, it's hard to fathom how
some of the above advice was concocted :-(
`
Aug 30, 2018 21:49:23 #
speters wrote:
No, the sensors in mirrorless cameras are not exposed to the sun at all times! You don't have to worry your film getting exposed without a lens cap, when shooting with a mirrorless film camera either!
Though if you camera has a cloth shutter, the sun can burn pinholes or worse in the shutter. I had it happen to a Canon rangefinder recently. Current mirrorless cameras do not use cloth shutters so there is far less chance of such a problem.
Aug 30, 2018 23:50:36 #
Aug 31, 2018 06:03:05 #
User ID wrote:
... Just a milligram of common sense ...
Unfortunately, common sense -- despite its name -- is a rare quality.
Aug 31, 2018 06:43:48 #
Aug 31, 2018 09:11:41 #
ole sarg
Loc: south florida
In order to take of this perceived problem I always put a sunscreen on my lens with at least a SPF 30 rating. I wonder if this is causing blurry pictures?
Aug 31, 2018 09:59:02 #
Could the issue of concern be about the lens? Panasonic G7:
Aug 31, 2018 10:50:25 #
If the sensor is not exposed to the sun for a long time there should be no damage.
Aug 31, 2018 10:51:24 #
CaliforniaDreamer wrote:
My understanding is that mirror-less cameras have ... (show quote)
If the sun is filling the frame either camera can be damaged by a longer exposure to the sun. However, with a DSLR, your eye will be damaged before the sensor since it is in the direct optical path (assuming no use of a strong ND filter). With a mirrorless, no worries about destroying your eyes, but the sensor can be. Sales of strong ND filters and welding glass got a sharp boost August 2017 in the USA with the solar eclipse.
If the sun doesn't fill the frame it's ok to shoot into the scene, back lit by the sunlight, to create a deliberate "flare" effect which looks cool, but it's still a good idea to keep exposure time reasonable for handheld photography.
Aug 31, 2018 10:54:39 #
Haven't heard anything about mirrorless cameras being more susceptible to sun damage as long as a photographer uses common sense while shooting.
Aug 31, 2018 11:30:32 #
Shutter closed or open, the lens concentrates light and can be used to ignite a fire. So why the heck would you point a camera at the sun for anything more than less than a second be chance? The damage it can cause can be serious even if the damage was not the sensor itself. I don’t replace the lens cap when I’m out actively seeking subjects. But like carrying a gun, I am very conscious of which way the lens is pointing. Even when camera is on a tripod, I know it’s pointed towards the ground as I am hiking.
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