Sunset Pictures

[Cobra351]

This is probably a dumb question, but

1) I'm new to the DSLR world
2) I'm good at throwing out dumb questions.

So here it goes!
I've taken many pictures of sunsets and the sun in general with my G3, only using the lcd screen to do so (aiming). With my 300d though I of course have to look through the viewfinder and directly at the sun. Is this safe?! It would seem not to me, but maybe I'm missing something. I'm mostly concerned with injury to my eyes as the camera can be replaced.

[Scottes]

No, this is not a good idea.

[mdude85]

if the sun is so bright that you risk messing up your eyes by even looking at it for a few seconds, it's probably too bright to take a picture and is going to hurt both your eyes and your sensor. I don't know what the deal is with being exposed to UV rays by way of glass and mirror, but I would assume the UV rays are diffused somewhat traveling through all those mediums. As a last resort I guess you could get some of those glasses that people use to look at the sun or at solar eclipses.

[Adam Hicks]

If you know that's what you're going to be doing, just wear dark sunglasses and try to squint while composing the shot. You should never look at the sun (duh!) especially with a telephoto lens!!!

Adam

[robertwgross]

Sunset shots are easier if you can get them with clouds in the sky (to block the worst of the direct rays), or if you wait until just after the sun drops below the horizon. Basically, you are trying to capture all of the colors in the sky without much of the bright spot.

If you really must shoot directly at the full sun, then consider using a solar filter. This is actually a piece of aluminized mylar (read: Space Blanket) that is stuck onto a round ring like a normal filter. It blocks about 99% of the sun, so that is so dense that often I can't even find the sun when I look for it with 1500mm of lens. However, this is just what you need for shooting a solar eclipse.

---Bob Gross---

[nosquare2003]

This is probably a dumb question




It's indeed a good question!

[Spargo]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but do UV filters not help this fact? As for not damaging the sensor anyway?

[Mark_Cohran]

Once the sun is low in the sky, i.e. a few degrees above the horizon, the risk is fairly minimal and you should be okay. The key is not to look directly at the sun for more than a few seconds.

http://www.mac-photo.net/images/Fury01.jpg[/img]

[robertwgross]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but do UV filters not help this fact? As for not damaging the sensor anyway?

A UV filter cuts out ultraviolet light and does not cut out any visible light. You can see that it does not cut out any visible light by holding it up in front of your own eyeball.

The sensor has its own UV filter, so about the only good that a UV filter does is to provide some mechanican bump protection to the outside of the lens.

---Bob Gross---

[Cobra351]

Thanks all for the info, I appreciate it. I might just have to do as some said, wait until the sun is completely down, when the clouds are still glowing. If I NEED a shot when the sun is up I'll just grab the G3.

Thanks again.

[Mark_Cohran]

Seriously, you don't have to wait until the sun is completely down. I shoot sunsets and sunrises all the time. And as long as you wait until the sun is low on the horizon and don't spend an inordinate amount of time composing the shot, both you and your camera will be fine.

[scottbergerphoto]

I shot this with a 10D, 24-70 f/2.8, ISO 400, Manual Mode, metered off the sky adjacent to the sun but not including the sun.
http://www.pbase.com/scottbergerphoto/image/25457140.jpg
Same means of metering, 1D Mark II, 16-35 f/2.8.
http://www.pbase.com/scottbergerphoto/image/31607971.jpg

Regards,
Scott

[Jesper]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but do UV filters not help this fact? As for not damaging the sensor anyway?

You don't damage the sensor by making a photo with the sun on it. Remember, the sensor is exposed only for a fraction of a second, when the shutter is open. However, you could damage the shutter if you point the camera at the sun for too long. I don't think an UV filter will help at all to protect your shutter or your eyes.

[robertwgross]

If you point the camera at the sun for a long time, how does that damage the shutter? How is it different from any other long exposure?

---Bob Gross---

[Jesper]

If you point the camera at the sun for a long time, how does that damage the shutter? How is it different from any other long exposure?

---Bob Gross---

.....Eh, no, the mirror is in the way ofcourse. I was confused. But it doesn't damage your sensor, unless you make a very long exposure of the sun, and why would you ever want to do that?

[tofuboy]

I'm not doctor, so take this with a grain of salt... I have no problem looking directly at the sun when it is just above the horizon. When it is at that position, the light is faded greatly, as the sun light has a lot of atmosphere to go through to get to you... much more then when the sun is directly overhead. Well that's just me, I'll have to see how my vision is 40 years from now to see if my thoughts are correct ^^;;

[robertwgross]

.....Eh, no, the mirror is in the way ofcourse. I was confused. But it doesn't damage your sensor, unless you make a very long exposure of the sun, and why would you ever want to do that?

Agreed.

I'll remember the long sun exposure problem next time I get my camera cranked down to ISO 10.

---Bob Gross---

[Jon]

The mirror's there (on a DSLR, but not a P&S), but it's often partially reflective, so some light's getting through to the shutter and/or metering cells. Leaving the camera pointed at the sun, and focussed at/near infinity does risk damage, if only from the heat buildup.