Shooting the Sun

[Stuart C]

Hi,

 

What is the best way to shoot the midday sun without damaging the camera? What filters do you need? NDs ?

 

(Camera is a Sony HDV Z1)

 

Thanks,

 

Stuart Clegg

[John Pytlak RIP]

Hi,

 

What is the best way to shoot the midday sun without damaging the camera? What filters do you need? NDs ?

 

(Camera is a Sony HDV Z1)

 

Thanks,

 

Stuart Clegg

 

Although panning across the open sun probably will cause no damage, be careful about shooting directly at the midday sun for more than a few seconds. Most ND filters still allow infrared energy through, so the heating effect of the hot sun is still there. Remember how you can use a magifying glass to focus the sun on black paper to start it on fire -- a similar same situation applies to a camera lens and a CCD sensor, with the potential for permanently "dead" pixels.

 

Usually not a problem at sunrise or sunset, as most of the energy is absorbed by the atmosphere.

[Jamie Metzger]

Borrow stock footgage from Baraka ;)

 

Tons of ND .9's, or 1.2's, polarizer, and maybe an infrared reducing filter.

[John Pytlak RIP]

Borrow stock footgage from Baraka ;)

 

Tons of ND .9's, or 1.2's, polarizer, and maybe an infrared reducing filter.

 

Yeah, when you focus the sun on film moving through a camera, each frame gets only about 1/48 second exposure --- too short to really burn the film, although you may certainly flare or solarize the image captured. With a CCD or CMOS sensor, the pixels eventually get so hot they may permanently fail in the "hot spot".