p.4 #2 · 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. ...Show more →
Yeaaaa! I'm not alone. Thanks for posting the picture - boy does that look familiar!
Edited on Feb 27, 2008 at 08:10 PM
Feb 27, 2008 at 08:02 PM
R.H. Johnson Offline • • • • [X]
p.4 #3 · 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...............
p.4 #4 · 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.
p.4 #5 · 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'.
p.4 #6 · 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...
p.4 #10 · 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).
p.4 #12 · 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 27, 2008 at 11:55 PM
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p.4 #13 · 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.
p.4 #14 · 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.
p.4 #15 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)
gfiksel wrote:
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.
p.4 #16 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)
astrolucida wrote:
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.
Depth of field isn't depth of focus... depth of focus values are greater in longer lenses, right?
p.4 #19 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)
ontime wrote:
Depth of field isn't depth of focus... depth of focus values are greater in longer lenses, right?
Correct. I was talking about depth of focus. Depth of focus is the distance behind the lens within which the image remains sharply in focus. It is proportional to the focal length.
p.4 #20 · So I destroyed my first camera (40D) the other day...(FINAL UPDATE)
hnilsson wrote:
Just have to share the story - my stupidity has hit a new low. How is that possible you ask? Read on.
About a week ago, I was doing some AI Servo testing with my 40D. It was a nice, bright, sunny day around here - which doesn't happen all that often in Feb. Oh, I was in a good mood. So I mounted my 40D on my biggest lens, and that was in turn mounted on my tripod. I wanted to make a couple of test images from my back deck. So far, so good. Then, wanting to try another lens, I was about to remove my camera from the first lens. But wait, I need to get a cap for the body. You see, I'm a bit of a dust freak. No problem, cap is ohhhhhh, 20 feet away. Right, I'll just scoot over and get it.
Within 10-15 seconds, I'm back to the camera. As I remove it from the lens, SMOKE COMES POURING OUT! What the heck A short circuit? Ummmm, no. Just before getting the cap, I had tilted my setup upwards.....and....are you ready for this....pointed the lens RIGHT INTO THE SUN. Yup, that's right. Big lenses are like a magnifying glass. And I had managed to guide those bright rays of light straight through the lens and into the camera. Result you wonder? Well, there's the mirror - burnt. Then there is the mirror box - burnt. Then there is the shutter curtain - burnt. Behind the shutter curtain, there is that sensor thingy............ you can figure out the rest.
My camera is now in the Canon hospital. I found out today that a repair MAY be possible but let's just say my 40D is on life support.
The moral of the story is that....well, this is where you get to add your theory and comments. And please keep in my that my ego is already bruised....Show more →
Get insurance next time, mine should cover bad things like this.
Thanks for posting the picture - boy does that look familiar!
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).