So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

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Archive 2008 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FIN...

HinduG
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p.3 #1 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

I shall light a candle for you.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

Feb 27, 2008 at 11:39 PM

hnilsson
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p.3 #2 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

David Collomb wrote:
At least you are gonna be famous...
People will refer to you as the guy who burnt a 40D with a telelens with an unbelievable bad luck. I hope you will laugh about it later.
But right now I feel really sorry for you. Good luck for future of this story

PS: I really liked the story of the guy throwing rocks and finally its M5!!!

Thanks David. I thought about holding a wake - but it'd really just be an excuse to consume some "beverages" (like an excuse is needed).

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:10 AM

ifxbonz
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p.3 #3 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

How old is it did you buy it with American Express. It should be covered? I buy all items with a warranty with AMX because your manufactures warranty is automatically doubled up to 5 years. ie... a one year becomes a 2 year and a 2 year becomes a 4 year up to a total of 5 years. look into it the may pay for the repair or replacement......
Andy

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:10 AM

hnilsson
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p.3 #4 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

bbudman wrote:
David Collomb wrote:
At least you are gonna be famous...
People will refer to you as the guy who burnt a 40D with a telelens.

I think I read somewhere in the owners manual about not pointing your camera at the sun. I can only assume that Canon HAS seen it before or that would not have been written in there. On a side note, it sounds like you are taking it pretty well all things considered although there is not much you could do about it now other than let Canon try to fix it.

Anyway, I am sorry for you and thanks for being big enough to share it with the forum. Yep, your gonna be famous!

Gulp, this is not the way I have envisioned my rise to fame....

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:13 AM

hnilsson
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p.3 #5 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

ifxbonz wrote:
How old is it did you buy it with American Express. It should be covered? I buy all items with a warranty with AMX because your manufactures warranty is automatically doubled up to 5 years. ie... a one year becomes a 2 year and a 2 year becomes a 4 year up to a total of 5 years. look into it the may pay for the repair or replacement......
Andy

Damn Mastercard!!!

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:13 AM

Pixel Perfect
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p.3 #6 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

That's one of those stories you don't know whether to laugh or cry. Amazingly bad luck to have the lens at the precise angle to do this. I guess if there's good news at least you didn't tell that you knocked the whole setup off the side of a cliff and lose the big gun as well.

Hope you're back on track soon.

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:17 AM

Pixel Perfect
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p.3 #7 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

dcains wrote:
True, but to think the lens had the sun in focus, and at just the right angle, too. It's really hard to believe, and/or incredibly bad luck. If the sun happens to show its rays today, I almost want to grab a lens, and a separate mirror (not in a camera body), to see if I can toast the mirror. I'd be very surprised if the mirror gets warm.

A silvered mirror reflects about 99.99% of light, the mirror in the camera is only partially reflecting. And we don't know what the response of the camera mirror is to IR wavelengths, the relevant part of the spectrum. It would only need to abosrb even a few % in the IR to cause heating.

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:23 AM

R.H. Johnson
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p.3 #8 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

hnilsson, don't feel bad or alone. i was shooting one of my local hawks from the kitchen window a few years back. the phone rang and i answered leaving my 600l looking skyward. i saw a wisp of smoke coming from my 20D. i ended up melting the front or lower potion of the plastic mirror housing in my 20D. i was lucky. i did not burn out the camera as you did. but i do have a well defined melt spot on the mirror housing. my 2cents...............

lesson learned when ever i stop shooting for any reason i point the lens downward. you could be walking away from the sun with your rig over your shoulder pointed skyward at the unfortunate angle/direction and this could happen. and i does not take long to start smoking.

Edited by R.H. Johnson on Feb 27, 2008 at 05:08 PM GMT

Edited on Feb 28, 2008 at 01:08 AM

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:37 AM

Roy Pertchik
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p.3 #9 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

Well, I guess the auto focus worked! Seriously, sorry that happened to you. Bad luck. Did you have insurance? Will your credit card cover you new 40D?

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:50 AM

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p.3 #10 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

cogitech wrote:
hnilsson wrote:
jcbenner wrote:
10-15 seconds? really?

What time of day was this?

Mid afternoon....who would have thought the sun would be strong enough north of the 49th in February

Despite what we feel on earth in winter, the strength of the Sun does not change.

That's not true. The sun is stronger when it is higher in the sky because it has less atmosphere to go through. The sun is weaker in the winter months because it is much lower in the sky. Imagine how much hotter the sun is on your skin at noon compared to evening even when the air temperature is the same.

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:53 AM

hkitty
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p.3 #11 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

Thanks for sharing your story. Sorry about your misfortune and hope Canon can fix your 40D soon.

Feb 28, 2008 at 12:53 AM

hnilsson
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p.3 #12 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

R.H. Johnson wrote:
hnilsson, don't feel bad or alone. i was shooting one of my local hawks from the kitchen window a few years back. the phone rang and i answered leaving my 600l looking skyward. i saw a wisp of smoke coming from my 20D. i ended up melting the front or lower potion of the plastic mirror housing in my 20D. i was lucky. i did not burn out the camera as you did. but i do have a well defined melt spot on the mirror housing. my 2cents...............

lesson learned when ever i stop shooting for any reason i point the lens downward. you could be walking away from the sun with your rig over your shoulder pointed skyward at the unfortunate angle/direction and this could happen. and i does not take long to start smoking.

Yeaaaa! I'm not alone.

Thanks for posting the picture - boy does that look familiar!

Edited on Feb 28, 2008 at 01:10 AM

Feb 28, 2008 at 01:02 AM

R.H. Johnson
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p.3 #13 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

hnilsson, unfortunately we are not alone any more. i was so embarrassed at myself for this blunder that i have never told this story. hope that canon can repair your camera. cheers...............

Feb 28, 2008 at 01:16 AM

HinduG
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p.3 #14 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

Quercus wrote:
That's not true. The sun is stronger when it is higher in the sky because it has less atmosphere to go through. The sun is weaker in the winter months because it is much lower in the sky. Imagine how much hotter the sun is on your skin at noon compared to evening even when the air temperature is the same.

Actually it is true.

On earth, we feel that less of sun's strength for reasons you've pointed out, however, the sun's heat is constant.

Feb 28, 2008 at 01:26 AM

ericjohn
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p.3 #15 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

Oh man, do I feel for you. One of those 'if only I had...' moments that you'll kick yourself over for years. I know, I took my new 20D & 70-200 2.8 IS out in a small sailing dingy last year - maybe I'm the dingy?

Anyway, camera & I went for an 'impromptu' swim. I was able to hold the camera over my head until rescue arrived, but then they put the camera down in the bottom of their boat, which was full of water. Canon sent it back un-opened with 'not economical to repair'.

I'm kicking myself now as I re-tell the story.

If only I had used my head...

Feb 28, 2008 at 03:03 AM

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p.3 #16 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

I'm not quite getting this either. The image hitting the mirror would have been out of focus. The only focused image would have been on the focusing screen. How did the mirror and sensor get burned?

I've shot photos with the sun directly in the frame a many occasions, often leaving the camera in position on the tripod for some time as I fussed with composition and took multiple shots.

I'm not necessarily saying it didn't happen, but I am saying I don't quite understand how it would occur as described here...

Dan

But I am sorry that have damaged your equipment...

Edited on Feb 28, 2008 at 03:05 AM

Feb 28, 2008 at 03:05 AM

DavidP
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p.3 #17 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

Ouch . . . I fried my 550-EX once, using a fresnel lens to "boost the output" of the light (by focusing it more tightly).

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Feb 28, 2008 at 03:23 AM

MindGame
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p.3 #18 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

Ouch, sorry to hear about this.
Hope Canon can do something about it at a decent price.

Feb 28, 2008 at 03:28 AM

HighLife
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p.3 #19 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

omg man, wow, i wish i could say i feel your pain....however i dont think i could even imagine what you are going through.

Edited on Feb 28, 2008 at 04:05 AM

Feb 28, 2008 at 04:05 AM

hnilsson
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p.3 #20 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

danmitchell wrote:
I'm not quite getting this either. The image hitting the mirror would have been out of focus. The only focused image would have been on the focusing screen. How did the mirror and sensor get burned?

I've shot photos with the sun directly in the frame a many occasions, often leaving the camera in position on the tripod for some time as I fussed with composition and took multiple shots.

I'm not necessarily saying it didn't happen, but I am saying I don't quite understand how it would occur as described here...

Dan

But I am sorry that have damaged your equipment...

Well Dan, I can tell you it happened. Ever fry an ant with a magnifying glass? Of course not, none of us have, right

Perhaps you weren't using a long lens. I might not have believed it either if it didn't happen to me. But as I found out posting this here, I'm not the only one to do it (whew).

Feb 28, 2008 at 04:53 AM

hnilsson
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p.3 #21 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

DavidP wrote:
Ouch . . . I fried my 550-EX once, using a fresnel lens to "boost the output" of the light (by focusing it more tightly).

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Yikes. Some boost.

Feb 28, 2008 at 04:54 AM

hnilsson
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p.3 #22 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

Pixel Perfect wrote:
That's one of those stories you don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Hmmm, I tried them both...now it is kinda funny.....kinda.

Feb 28, 2008 at 04:55 AM

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p.3 #23 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

MindGame wrote:
Ouch, sorry to hear about this.
Hope Canon can do something about it at a decent price.
Right now they are counting the beans, trying to figure out if they can make more money by repairing it or declaring it DOA....forcing the purchase of a new one.

Feb 28, 2008 at 05:29 AM

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p.3 #24 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

danmitchell wrote:
I'm not quite getting this either. The image hitting the mirror would have been out of focus. The only focused image would have been on the focusing screen. How did the mirror and sensor get burned?

I've shot photos with the sun directly in the frame a many occasions, often leaving the camera in position on the tripod for some time as I fussed with composition and took multiple shots.

I'm not necessarily saying it didn't happen, but I am saying I don't quite understand how it would occur as described here...

Dan

But I am sorry that have damaged your equipment...

Apparenly the lens was not focused at infinity so the Sun could've been focused on the mirror. In addition the depth of focus is large for long teles.

Feb 28, 2008 at 05:54 AM

astrolucida
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p.3 #25 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)

gfiksel wrote:
danmitchell wrote:
I'm not quite getting this either. The image hitting the mirror would have been out of focus. The only focused image would have been on the focusing screen. How did the mirror and sensor get burned?

Apparenly the lens was not focused at infinity so the Sun could've been focused on the mirror. In addition the depth of focus is large for long teles.

Actually, the depth of field is short for long lenses. However, the power of Sun is large enough to heat the parts even when the beam is unfocused.

Feb 28, 2008 at 07:14 AM


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