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I've heard shooting into the sun is bad for the CCD. Is this correct? I was just looking at this thread: http://dslrusers.net/viewtopic.php?t=19107&highlight= but thought I'd post the question here rather than hijack shakey's critiques with my question

Rob

If you take the occasional landscape photo into the sun, I doubt you will ever run into any problems.

If you take time exposures directly into the sun however, I am fairly certain you will manage to damage your sensor in some way.

In other words, unless you deliberately do something stupid I don't think you have anything to worry about.

It could in 2 ways

One if you take a long time exposure looking directly into the sun (not likely)

or you have a long lens on and point it at the sun burning through mirror and shutter damaging the CCD (Even less likely)

the main risk is not to your CCD but to your retina by looking at the sun through a long lens and causing a burn and subsequent scar. the retina has few nerve endings so you do not feel any pain untill it is way to late.

Like everything else just be careful and think first

The main problem I'd be concerned about would be a damage to the lens if you had fast/tele lens pointed directly at the sun for an extended period.

It would most likely cause the internal optics of the lens to heat up, and in turn cause the lubricants/grease inside the moving parts to become liquid (and end up with oil on the internal surfaces of the lens or sticking aperture blades).

Damage to the Lens?
Most likely chance of damage to the lens would be with the coating of the rear surface having smoke damage from the burning CCD or CMOS sensor.

When you're walking around with your camera, or have it in the car it's getting hot purely from absorbing radiant heat from the sun.
Who hasn't left their camera in the car on a hot day?

Temperatures that will kill your dog and then your baby won't faze your camera much.

A fast tele lens pointed at the sun for extended periods will have less area exposed to the sun and will simply transmit the radiant heat energy to a focal point corresponding to your sensor if it's in focus.

Don't worry about the lens getting hot. It will be fine long after the back of your camera is a smouldering ruin.
(This is where your back up camera allows you to take an educational photo for the rest of the world)