Can you point the camera at the sun?

JC
Posted By
Jane Carter
Jun 13, 2004
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253
Replies
12
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Closed
Last year I took these pictures with the Coolpix 990,
<http://www.pbase.com/image/22451516>
but in the instruction book for the CP 4300, it says Do not point this camera at the sun, or whatever.
And we were just out working in the yard when I noticed a really neat ice-cloud around the sun with a shimmering blob of a rainbow. By the time I got in the house, to look for the 990, it had faded.
Would I ruin the CP 4300 if I had tried to get that picture? I forgot to say that I had a polarizing lens that I held over the lens for this picture. edit again, I realized that I did take these pix with the 4300 with the polarize lens.
I guess what my real question is, can you point them at the sun without the polarize lens? I am not too good at this stuff, and dont want to do anything that would ruin it. Thanks in advance,
Jane
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CS
Chuck_Snyder
Jun 13, 2004
Jane, I’d be a little concerned about pointing my camera directly at the sun. The lens would tend to concentrate both the light and the heat energy, sort of like a magnifying glass. Have you ever fried ants with a magnifier? Would hate to see that happen to the inside of your camera. On the other hand, if the polarizer is on and it’s not heavily zoomed in, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. But personally, I wouldn’t risk it…just one opinion.

Chuck
JF
Jodi_Frye
Jun 13, 2004
Beautiful pic Jane. I envy your surroundings ( only in the summertime of course 😉 )
JC
Jane Carter
Jun 13, 2004
Thank you Chuck, I have a more whatever_you_would_say, a ‘thicker’ polarize lens, maybe if I used it very quickly, that it would be OK.
Never fried the ants, but did light lots of paper and cardboard, till my father caught us.

Hi Jodi, The summertime is when it is really nice here, but the tourists are here too, and that’s when we hit the fresh water lakes and only go to the salt water beaches at my brother’s house, the private ones. Crowds are not my bag. We need to bring our dogs, grandkids, and food and drink.
Then September arrives, its like Heaven! Still very warm and the crowds are gone. Jane
RF
Robert_F_Carruth
Jun 14, 2004
Jane,

Every digital imaging device I own (3 Sony Camcorders and 2 Olympus Cameras) has a warning about the effects of sun on CCD’s and LCD’s but in each case the wording refers to prolonged continuous exposure. The latest from the C-740: "Do not leave the camera pointed directly at the sun. This may cause lens damage, color failure or ghosting on the CCD." The camcorders also warn against long exposure of the LCD viewfinders to direct sunlight.

However, each manual explains how to handle exposure problems when the sun is in the picture. One example from the section on AE Lock: "Next compose your shot again with the sun in the frame and take the picture."

Another warning, when using an optical viewfinder, is about eye damage from direct viewing of the sun or a bright light.

Film camera focal plane shutters can actually be burned through during long sessions such as leaving the camera pointed at the sun to track a solar eclipse.

All that said, if I had as much invested I probably would request clarification by email or phone directly from Nikon. I like the hard copy answer of email in case of a dispute.

Hmm… Think I’ll see if I can burn paper with a polarizing filter and magnifying glass if we ever get enough sun.

Bob
JC
Jane Carter
Jun 14, 2004
Hey, I will just go for it! Use the polarizing filter and do things quickly as I did before.

(My old focal plane camera, the Calypso, is no longer working, but when it did, it was wonderful, and most of my slides are from it or the Nikonos IV, I must get these scanned in someday.)

Jane
RH
Ron Hunter
Jun 15, 2004
Jane Carter wrote:
Last year I took these pictures with the Coolpix 990,
<http://www.pbase.com/image/22451516>
but in the instruction book for the CP 4300, it says Do not point this camera at the sun, or whatever.
And we were just out working in the yard when I noticed a really neat ice-cloud around the sun with a shimmering blob of a rainbow. By the time I got in the house, to look for the 990, it had faded.
Would I ruin the CP 4300 if I had tried to get that picture? I forgot to say that I had a polarizing lens that I held over the lens for this picture. edit again, I realized that I did take these pix with the 4300 with the polarize lens.
I guess what my real question is, can you point them at the sun without the polarize lens? I am not too good at this stuff, and dont want to do anything that would ruin it. Thanks in advance,
Jane
If you are the kind of photographer who points then waits while thinking about the grocery list, and running through the names of all your grandkids, or the presidents in order, or whatever (I see people do this all the time), it wouldn’t be a good idea. If, however, you are like me, and you point, and shoot within a couple of seconds, it shouldn’t hurt the camera. Just make sure everything is ready for the shot before pointing the camera a the sun, and remember that if your eye is at the viewfinder, IT TOO is subject to damage.
NH
noel_hsu
Jun 16, 2004
Jane,
I have been using a 950, then 990, and now a D100 without any problems after shooting into the sun. I think the mirror in the D100 does keep the light from hitting the focal plane until shutter-release. This does however direct the concentrated beam into your eye! As advised, limit the exposure; like all else – it is the dose that determine the damage. Have fun!
JC
Jane Carter
Jun 16, 2004
Thank you, Noel, I will be able to continue this, but will be very very careful. I have that polarize lens right in the camera holder, so it will be with me most of the time. (Funny thing about my polarized sunglasses, when I view my LCD Mac screen, it sure looks strange!) Jane
SB
Stu_Bloom
Jun 16, 2004
<http://www.earlvillepost.com/pix/sunset.jpg>
SB
Stu_Bloom
Jun 16, 2004
Yes, you can point your camera at the sun, as long as you do it quickly.

<http://www.earlvillepost.com/pix/sunset.jpg>

Minolta A1
RH
Ron Hunter
Jun 16, 2004
wrote:

Yes, you can point your camera at the sun, as long as you do it quickly.
<http://www.earlvillepost.com/pix/sunset.jpg>

Minolta A1

Those who like to wait and wait before snapping the picture probably should refrain. I have seen people who wait so long, I would need to shave again before they get it done… Sigh.
JC
Jane Carter
Jun 17, 2004
Hi Stu, I do have a lot of sunsets that I have pointed directly at the sun, film and digital. Yours is very pretty, and I think that my camera would be OK for that amount of light too. Like these,
<http://www.pbase.com/jcarter/October_cape_cod_sunsets>

But it is the daytime with the high sun where I was afraid. I figured that the polarize lens would cut out some of the ‘radiation’, never looked at it up close but the pictures did come out OK. I usually wear polarized sunglasses when I am out, as I have spent lots of time in the tropics without proper eye protection. My eye doctor said that is some of my problems now.
My old Sony video cam did OK with the sun too.
We must be careful, cameras can be replaced, but the eyes do wear out fast with too much sun. Jane

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