I’m told that to photograph the solar eclipse with my smartphone I will need a filter to put in front of my camera to prevent damage to the sensor. My understanding, and maybe this is where I’m wrong, is that a camera that doesn’t have a telephoto lens can shoot pictures of the sun on a normal day without a filter. If that’s true what makes a solar eclipse different? It would seem to be like the more the sun gets blocked, the less energy makes it to the sensor, the safer it is for the electronics. Does it have to do with exposure time due to a darker scene?
In: Physics
Well you’re confusing the electronics and software with the energy given off by the sun. Just because your camera isn’t activated and the app is not turned on doesn’t mean that the energy given off by the sun isn’t hitting the sensors. Just because you walk under a roof, doesn’t mean the sun is no longer shining on the roof.
A sensor not designed to handle the intensity of direct exposure to the sun gets damaged whether or not it is trying to capture an image.
Latest Answers