Questions tagged [equipment-damage]
Your camera gear is broken, or might be broken, or you're worried something might break it.
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Can the sun damage the camera sensor? Under what conditions?
I want to experiment taking photos in which the sun appears. I'm afraid of what might happen if I take one with a narrower angle (where sun would be bigger). Can the lens act as a magnifying glass and ...
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3
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Can using an old flash damage a new DSLR?
I have been using my dad's old Metz mecablitz 18 B1 flash for a while with my Canon 7D and had no trouble with it, but just received some advice from a friend that using old flashes can fry the camera....
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Front element shattered, can I have my lens repaired?
Can I send in for repair a lens that has a shattered front element?
UPDATE: The front element was not shattered, it was the UV filter. Factory diagnosis: Lens assembly had been impacted; cleaned ...
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2
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How do I photograph the sunset without damaging my camera?
This applies to the Sony NEX-5R, and the iPhone 5S. I want to shoot a timelapse of the sunset. The Sony manual says not to point it at the sun. Other questions on photo.SE agree with that advice, but ...
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answer
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What could cause exposure problems after my camera got wet?
I had an unfortunate accident where my DSLR camera (and me) briefly ended up in a river. The camera wasn't fully submerged but it did get very wet. It still works, sort of, although the electrics are ...
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2
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Can I do anything about a Nikon d750 taking 5 minutes to power on after taking saltwater damage?
I have had a Nikon d750 for a year or so, and 6 months ago it took on a bit of saltwater damage. It still works, but twice in the past it wouldn't power on, once for two weeks and once for two days.
...
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Is it dangerous to do a lens change with power on?
I have just accidentally changed my lens over with the power on. In the manual it lists this as something you shouldn't do as a 'caution' . Can this cause damage? If so, what and how will I tell?
(I ...
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Do sensors wear out?
We all know that shutters wear out and they have a limited number of actuation's.
The question I have is, do sensors wear out too? Do they suffer any kind of damage after each shot?
Should I be ...
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5
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What is the effect of a scratched lens?
I have a lens with a small but significant looking scratch near the center. But I don't see any difference in the photos. Where does the imperfection show up? How important is it to get the piece of ...
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2
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Should I be concerned about sensor heat and the development of hot pixels?
Since I shoot a lot of pictures in Live View mode and from time to time I do some short movies, I've developed a paranoid sensation that I'm going to burn the sensor.
I'm aware that live view mode ...
- 5,034
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3
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Lens with small scratches on the front element - how do they affect IQ?
I am looking to buy a CANON 28mm 1.8 EF lens. I found an offer, significantly discounted, of a lens with small scratches on the front element.
The offer is very tempting. Here is a photo posted by ...
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21
votes
4
answers
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Can a laser pointer damage the sensor in a digital camera?
I once experimented with standing in a dark room and directing a laser pointer towards my digital camera with a long shutter speed while moving the two about. I made a few images that way; one was ...
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2
answers
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How do I dry water condensation off my camera?
OK, I did something very very stupid. I know it. I just wasn't thinking. :( In a nutshell, I didn't follow the advice here: How do I prevent condensation on a lens when outdoors?
So it's a very hot ...
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votes
2
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Is it normal for there to be tiny dust particles in a new lens?
I'm the owner of a new Canon 550D with a Canon 18-135mm IS lens.
While looking into the lens, I noticed what I think are two tiny dust particles (I would say smaller than 1mm) behind the first glass ...
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3
votes
1
answer
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Spilt Isopropyl alcohol on camera, now it doesn't turn on
I have 99.5% Isopropanol that I am using for cleaning electronics and optics(I specifically ordered it from my local electronics specialist; it is no knock-off, it is genuine pure IPA for a ton of ...
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3
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How can I test whether my camera is working after it was dropped?
Issue : How can I evaluate my cameras performance synthetically?
Scenario :
Bought a Nikon D3100 an year back.
Photos looked good enough.
The camera fell, zoom lens effected. But works.
Cleaned lens ...
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31
votes
6
answers
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Can I damage the focus system by turning the focus ring when the lens isn't mounted?
I have a couple lenses that don't have an internal focusing system, and whenever I want to put them back in my bag, I turn the focus ring to make the lens shorter.
I noticed that when the lens is set ...
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13
votes
4
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4k
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Is it risky or difficult to wet clean an image sensor?
I've discovered spots on the image sensor of my DSLR camera that cannot be cleaned using a blower bulb, so I would like to know the risk of problems, such as further image deterioration or damage to ...
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4
votes
2
answers
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How long can an SD card last in salt water?
I dropped my camera in the ocean (Don't care about the camera and shame on me). I'm trying to get a scuba diver now. It's been in there for 24 hours, as of this post.
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1
answer
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What causes the focus confirmation lights to blur?
I recently saw that the red lights on some of the focus points are blurred.
The lights in this picture are lights shown during the selection of focus points. As you can see the lights in the lower ...
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votes
8
answers
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How can I photograph welding?
My partner is creating a sculptural work using MIG welding and has asked me to document the process. I have a few questions regarding how to photograph it?
Looking at the arc can damage your eye-...
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4
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I accidentally refrigerated my lens for a month. Should I be worried?
When preparing for a hike, I ended up putting my whole backpack in the fridge to cool the water in the Camelbak inside of it. The hike was canceled, and I'm the kind of guy that doesn't really care ...
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3
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How should a DSLR camera, lens, and battery be stored?
How should a dslr camera, lens, and batteries be stored if they aren't going to be used for weeks-- if not months? Is it dependent on manufacturer (Nikon, Canon, etc)?
Is there any risk of damage if ...
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votes
2
answers
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DSLR in sand and salt water
Doing a stop-motion by the sea, the Nikon D5200 camera and tripod got overrun by a wave and submerged in salt water, and then on sand. From reading this forum thread, this one, and watching this video,...
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Is it sensor damage? Or dust?
I have been trying to shoot partial solar eclipse today with my Nikon D3100, and later noticed this spot on images:
I do not have special sun filter, but i tried my best to cover lens with disk from ...
- 1,007
6
votes
1
answer
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Can videoing burning magnesium damage a camera sensor?
I have possibly had the misfortune of videoing a bright performance of burning magnesium at night before I realized what it was. I probably filmed it for 10-15 seconds and now I am wondering if it ...
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votes
3
answers
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How long is too long to leave the shutter open before prolonged exposure to light damages the sensor?
I'm about to start exploring the world of long exposure shots, using my Canon EOS M. The camera has a standard max exposure time of 30 seconds, but in bulb mode I can keep the shutter open ...
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votes
4
answers
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How to tell if an impact to the camera caused any damage?
Today I dropped something on my camera's body, on the back of camera on image magnifier buttons. there is no signs of damage on the LCD or body and the buttons are working. I actually dropped the ...
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votes
1
answer
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Can removing the lens while pressing the DoF preview button damage the equipment?
I know there's hardly any risk to your equipment when dismounting the lens while the camera is on, but can you damage it if you dismount the lens while the aperture is closed down?
With the Canon EOS ...
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3
votes
4
answers
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How to remove oil from aperture blades?
If you go on ebay or other second hand places, you'll see a fair amount of lenses that have oil on the aperture (particularly on older lenses).
I've done some reading and it looks like this oil is ...
- 1,748
2
votes
4
answers
2k
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Zoom ring clicks after dropping my Canon 18-55mm IS II kit lens; what to do?
I recently dropped my Canon EOS 600D attached to the 18-55mm IS II lens inside the Canon camera bag from a height of 3ft, and the zoom ring after that is really tight, and I hear a clicking sound when ...
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0
votes
1
answer
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Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VRII - Aperture not working?
My question is pretty straightforward: this lens' aperture stopped working for some reason. What could it be the cause?
Me and a friend of mine tried it in studio, attached to a D750, and when we ...
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31
votes
12
answers
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Are airport x-ray scanners safe for DSLRs / lenses / storage media?
While traveling by air here in India, one is instructed to remove all electronics like cell phones / media players / laptops and pass them thru the X-ray scanners separate from the rest of one's hand ...
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29
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7
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Is it ok to breathe on the front glass element of a lens to fog it and clean it?
Nikon specifically recommends not breathing on the glass elements to clean them as harmful acids in the breath can damage the coatings on the glass.
However, I've read on many other websites that it ...
- 1,072
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votes
8
answers
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How to use a tripod on the beach without damaging it?
The site already has a good example of what to consider in regards to camera and lenses around sand, but I specifically am wondering what considerations to make when using a tripod near sand. Many ...
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3
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Will the vibrations of a motorcycle be harmful to a DSLR?
I am considering a Canon 70D for motorcycle touring. Considering the vibrations that a motorcycle will put the camera through, is this a good choice? Are the vibrations a legitimate concern?
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5
answers
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Using carbon-fiber tripods in cold weather: safe temperatures, precautions, and effects of failure
I'm considering buying Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 carbon-fiber tripod legs with a Manfrotto 498RC2 ball head, but I've read that carbon fiber can break at low temperatures. (Note that the 055CXPRO3 uses pull-...
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4
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How to recover footage from a bent SD card?
I have an SD card that was left in a MacBook Pro and subsequently bent directly across the lining of where the SD card sticks out from the SD card slot. The card is not detected by computer or camera, ...
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5
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How safe is CHDK?
I've played with time-lapse photography using my father in law's Canon Rebel, using a USB cable, gphoto2 and an Ubuntu laptop. I want to create similar videos using my own A590 IS, but it cannot be ...
- 1,147
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Could an old Nikkor-P lens damage a DSLR?
Someone was interested in buying my D3000 body (I had upgraded and want to keep the lenses). He had a very old Nikkor-P lens, which seemed to fit onto my camera alright. But the LCD screen said "lens ...
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Will a laser beam damage a non operational CCD?
I am looking for an answer to this question all over the net and can't find any answers.
It is clear that a strong laser beam will damage CCD while it is in use(filming), but what about if the camera ...
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Can using an old flash damage a new DSLR if it never fired?
my daughter found my old flash (20+ years old) and tried it on her canon T3i. It didn't recognize it and it never fired, but she tried the shutter button. Could this have damaged her camera even if it ...
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votes
2
answers
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LIDAR burnout; ways to check for damaging infrared lasers before shooting besides looking for posted warnings?
The BBC News article Driverless car laser ruined camera describes a situation where a particularly powerful infrared laser from the LIDAR of a prototype car at the CES show damaged the sensor of a ...
- 1,817
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votes
2
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Can't auto-focus at full zoom
I have a Canon 1000d, and the standard lens EF-S 18-55mm. Recently I was out taking photos and I've noticed that if I zoom in fully, the lens can't auto focus. I can still take shots using manual ...
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4
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How to fix a bent lens mount hook/tab?
I dropped my lens and it got bent at the little metal hooks/tabs that latch it to the body. Is there any way to fix this kind of damage (see image)?
You can see the bend to the left (the hook is ...
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3
answers
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Can a camera or lens get burn in?
I took a picture of the sun today, and I was thinking about how the sun can damage your eye, I was wondering if the camera or lens could get damaged by this, or get burn in like some screens do?
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4
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How can I easily tell if a sensor or lens is damaged?
I am pretty interested in recognizing any damage to digital camera in very low level (without any advanced tests).
For example, how can I identify the damage of a sensor or lens?
If there are any ...
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votes
3
answers
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How can I tell if a camera sensor is damaged?
I own a Sony a6500 and primarily use it for filmmaking. I was trying to clean the mirrorless sensor and used a rocket air blower to get dust out of the sensor but accidentally knocked it against the ...
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votes
4
answers
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When changing between manual and auto focus, should I change the setting on both the body and the lens?
I use my DSLR (Nikon D500) for both photography and video, and I prefer autofocus for photography and manual focus for video (to get rid of autofocus noise).
There is an option for changing between ...
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votes
4
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Does a digital camera lose its abilities in taking photos if it is left without use or used too often?
One of my friends mention to me that a digital camera (especially of the Superzoom type) will lose its abilities in taking photos (as compared when it was first brought) if it is left without use for ...
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