04-28-2014, 06:49 PM
Hi, Dave-
About the photos I can take being perfectly good...The answer is yes and no. Here is a photo where I think most people would say it was fine. It takes a close look to see anything wrong:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/handsoff/14047339614/
Here is an example of it at its very worst, before I even cleaned the sensor, though cleaning it would probably not have effected the large artifical comet flying through the sky:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/handsoff/14023953876/
By examining my photos I have determined (with the help of the input from here, and Flickr) what happened. As unlikely as it seems (the shutter is metal!) the hole WAS made when I tried to photograph the sun in order to create a flare. I WAS pretty stupid, as it turns out because I did have the camera on a tripod and I was using live view so as not to fry my eyes. I realize now what I did wrong. In between failed attemps, I think I must have used mirror lock up so that I could sight down the barrel of the lens from behind the camera in order to get the best alignment, but I did not what the sun in the viewer to be a distraction. So I locked up the mirror, thinking, if anything, the shutter would protect my eyes and the camera sensor. As it turns out it was the shutter that was more vulnerable than the sensor.
How could I have not noticed for two weeks? Look at the flower photo! Would you have noticed? Plus, I did notice that in the lower left contrast was not good. First I suspected the lens I was using, then I suspected that the sensor was smeared with something...Oil, or sweat, or something.
Let this be a lessen to you! (As if anyone else would need to hear this...) The sun in nothing to take lightly! The energy from it when focused even a little, can destroy. I probably am lucky I did not look through the viewer. At some level I knew I was playing with fire, but I wanted to get this effect.
Oddly enough, a little before or after, I did get the effect a little. It didn't even take the sun to do it. But I've sort of lost interest in the subject of creating unusual flares. Now, like everyone else, I will be avoiding them like the plague!
About the photos I can take being perfectly good...The answer is yes and no. Here is a photo where I think most people would say it was fine. It takes a close look to see anything wrong:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/handsoff/14047339614/
Here is an example of it at its very worst, before I even cleaned the sensor, though cleaning it would probably not have effected the large artifical comet flying through the sky:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/handsoff/14023953876/
By examining my photos I have determined (with the help of the input from here, and Flickr) what happened. As unlikely as it seems (the shutter is metal!) the hole WAS made when I tried to photograph the sun in order to create a flare. I WAS pretty stupid, as it turns out because I did have the camera on a tripod and I was using live view so as not to fry my eyes. I realize now what I did wrong. In between failed attemps, I think I must have used mirror lock up so that I could sight down the barrel of the lens from behind the camera in order to get the best alignment, but I did not what the sun in the viewer to be a distraction. So I locked up the mirror, thinking, if anything, the shutter would protect my eyes and the camera sensor. As it turns out it was the shutter that was more vulnerable than the sensor.
How could I have not noticed for two weeks? Look at the flower photo! Would you have noticed? Plus, I did notice that in the lower left contrast was not good. First I suspected the lens I was using, then I suspected that the sensor was smeared with something...Oil, or sweat, or something.
Let this be a lessen to you! (As if anyone else would need to hear this...) The sun in nothing to take lightly! The energy from it when focused even a little, can destroy. I probably am lucky I did not look through the viewer. At some level I knew I was playing with fire, but I wanted to get this effect.
Oddly enough, a little before or after, I did get the effect a little. It didn't even take the sun to do it. But I've sort of lost interest in the subject of creating unusual flares. Now, like everyone else, I will be avoiding them like the plague!