Photography is an art, and the sun is a masterpiece. Who does not want to capture that shining piece of art? But, are you worried about whether taking pictures of the sun will damage your camera? Here’s what you need to know.
Can Taking Pictures of the Sun Damage Camera?
Myths and facts, if sun damages the camera or not?
Pointing your camera’s lens directly towards the sun for a long amount of time can definitely damage it. The lens will automatically act as a magnifier and multiply the intensity of the sunlight and may damage the internals of your camera and lens. Really long exposure against the sun can cause a great deal of damage to your camera’s sensors and your eyes as well. Besides it, nowadays, your camera’s shutter is usually made up of metal, which may get really hot if you keep your camera exposed to the direct sunlight for a long amount of time.
However, it is not necessary that this will happen. It is totally fine to take pictures of sunsets and sunrise, which won’t exactly create a lot of damage. It is only when you keep it for long enough that the camera may get permanently damaged due to excessive light, which causes overheating of the lens.
How to photograph the sun safely and without causing any damage?
If you’re interested in solar photography, you need to keep a few points in mind while doing it. First of all, when you are trying to take pictures of the sun, which is right above your head, it gets a bit tricky because, at that time, the sun is usually the brightest while compared to when it’s rising or setting.
You need to wear certified solar viewing glasses because looking at the sun with your naked eyes can cause permanent damage to them, especially a prolonged exposure of the sun. So it is important to take precautions. The very next thing you need to keep in mind is to not point your unfiltered camera and its lens directly towards the sun. You need to invest in good quality solar filters, which you can attach to your camera’s lens, which will prevent the lens and camera shutter from heating. The reason behind buying these filters is that they reduce the amount of light that enters your camera’s optical system, which prevents it from getting damaged due to excessive light and heating. There are certain accessories along with the solar filters which you need to buy before you plan on taking the pictures of the sun.
Conclusion
It is totally fine to try a different photography style and to experiment with solar photography. But what you are interested in is taking pictures of only the sun, then there are a few precautions which you should consider before getting started on it. Your camera doesn’t need to get damaged on the first go, but it still is very much possible, so you need to take some safety measures, both for your eyes and for your camera. I hope you’d have found this article helpful and have covered your major questionable concerns regarding sun photography and how to do the same.