[hagiri_11]

Would like to ask, is shooting the sun directly bad for the camera?

If it is, are there any steps that need to be taken first?

Just exploring the possibility of taking a picture of the sun using a telephoto, and see what comes out.

[SpecialK]

I would be more worried about your eye rather than the camera. Sunrise/sunsets are no problem, but noon-day sun would be a problem. But then...why? It's a yellow sphere.

[hagiri_11]

I would be more worried about your eye rather than the camera. Sunrise/sunsets are no problem, but noon-day sun would be a problem. But then...why? It's a yellow sphere.

How about using the live view?

I'm just exploring the possibility, just to see what happens and what I can see.

[seventhdr]

You need to be VERY careful. If you are using a telescope it will be concentrating the sun's rays on your sensor, and we all know what happens when we use a magnifing glass in the sun's rays on a piece of paper. It burns.

I'd be very worried about burning the sensor if you set a shutter speed which is too long.

I'd check websites for astro photography to see what they say.

Regards

Chris Stone

[Voytech]

Live View will expose the sensor to concentrated sun's rays and may cause damage. Same goes for your eyes when looking through the viewfinder. I'm now pretty sure I burned my retina a while back while taking a shot of the sunset with a 400mm lens.

[pixelsaurus]

I'm now pretty sure I burned my retina a while back while taking a shot of the sunset with a 400mm lens.

If this is true, you will have a permanent dark spot within your field of vision.
Shooting the sun does require care. I would, at the bare minimum, make sure the lens is fully stopped down. Alternatively you can use a solar filter. Thousand Oaks Optical - solar filters, solar eclipse viewers, H-Alpha filters, nebular filters, dew heaters, minus violet
These usually consist of glass or mylar which has an aluminium coating on at least 1 surface. The idea is the reflect the heat before it enters the optical system. In my earlys of astrophotography, I managed to burn a hole in the cloth on a Practika Nova B focal plane shutter. A repair was done using a piece of cloth sticking plaster and a black sharpie.

[Voytech]

Yes. I have the Dark spot. Luckily it's on the border of my peripheral vision.

[thazooo]

Be safe.

Baader AstroSolar Safety Film, Visual (ND5), Small, A4 Sheet (7.9"x11.8") $27.00, Baader Planetarium ASOLV-S,Telescope Accessories Accessories, Top Rated

[cadmus]

Welding masks have replacement glass filters. These used to cost <$3 to replace. I recall using them to observe solar eclipses with no (or minimal) damage to my eye. But this will ruin the color of the sun. (normally turning it green). But you could use it between you and the camera if not between the camera and the sun.

I wonder how homogeneous the surface (photosphere) is, if by using several hardcore filters of different color (freq) could you reassemble the sun surface images with some 'narrow band filter techniques' like you always see on Hubble telescope images. Would you see much texture/sunspots/

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