can the sun..

[skibby]

mess up your cameras? I was pointing my camera at the sun (taking a picture of the cloud) and I was wondering if the sun can mess up your camera/pictures

[PhotosGuy]

If your pointing an SLR at the sun it can really cook your retina! And you won't feel it happening. Some say it's OK at sunrise & sunset. I've done it then with an 600 f-5.6 & I can still see, but I wouldn't make a habit of it.
I'm not sure of the effect it might have on a digital cam. Maybe someone else knows more on the subject.

[Conk]

There is a thread in the eos forum. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=30297

[nosquare2003]

I think that doing the composition through the LCD screen may be better in such situation, if not using an SLR/DSLR.

[G3]

Yes. It can damage the shutter and the image sensor, not to mention your retina. Remember cooking ants on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass? Same principle.....

[Josh]

Yes. It can damage the shutter and the image sensor, not to mention your retina. Remember cooking ants on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass? Same principle.....
hahaha...I remember that...it was so fun then....now I look at kids doing that and say..."why are kids so cruel today, I never did such cruel things!!! *evil laugh*"

[John_T]

There are a couple of stories from people who used an LCD hood with a loupe on it (I have one too), who relatively briefly put the camera down or stood with in their hand in such a position that the sun struck the loupe just right and burned a hole in their LCD.

The sun will eventally destroy anything left in it, but also just the heat of the sun can warm up a digital camera to a point where the image noise will increase. The higher the temp, the more electronically unstable the sensor becomes.

[Bruce Hamilton]

Remember cooking ants on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass?
Camera lenses cook them so much faster... :lol: