White spot on sensor after pointing at sun.

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MLse7en

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Name
Mark
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Hey guys,

So, I wanted to make a shot with a flare in the frame. I didn't notice when I got sun into the frame when I was composing.

DSC_1364.jpg


After firing the first frame I saw that the sun is in the frame. I recomposed and took the sun out of the frame and took anotherone.

DSC_1408.jpg


DSC_1436.jpg


The problem is that sun has left a ovrexposed spot in the frame. I have a feeling that I have fried my senson on my dearest D7100. Have you guys met a problem like that before? Have you got any suggetions on fixing it?
 
Interesting
but i have no idea as ive never pointed my camera at the sun
how long was it pointing at it
 
:( Not long, the shutter speed was 1/8000 But looks like it was long enought to burn a part of the sensor...
 
That is interesting I've not seen anything quite like that before so will be interested to see what the end result turns out to be cause wise, as lets face it literally millions of photos are shot directly into the sun every year

It clearly does look like that area is over exposing some how! Very intrigued
 
MLse7en said:
:( Not long, the shutter speed was 1/8000 But looks like it was long enought to burn a part of the sensor...
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Dont think you have ruined it as you clearly see detail in last shot almost like you lit that area with a torch. I would expect if ruined to be all white spot and no detail. That area appears to be more acceptable to light. You may have just stumbled across a decent way of doing night photography without need high ISO's patent it quickly.
 
In the 1st shot the sun is at the edge of the frame but the supposed damage in the following shots isn't.

I can't see how you can fry a sensor and yet have such good detail remaining in the window blind shot.
 
A couple of things may have happened, either you burnt the IR filter on the sensor or the coating on the lens.

:)
 
Tintin124 said:
Dont think you have ruined it as you clearly see detail in last shot almost like you lit that area with a torch. I would expect if ruined to be all white spot and no detail. That area appears to be more acceptable to light. You may have just stumbled across a decent way of doing night photography without need high ISO's patent it quickly.
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This does sounds funny, but at this point this is my only body. I am thinking of doing photo in PRO level, propobly I am going to place my logo there... I am thinking of naming my brand "Sunny Pictures".
 
Rob 80386 said:
A couple of things may have happened, either you burnt the IR filter on the sensor or the coating on the lens.

:)
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I have tried different lenses and the problem persists. So, it should be the sensor area.
 
MLse7en said:
I have tried different lenses and the problem persists. So, it should be the sensor area.
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In that case it's definitely the IR filter on the sensor, which is why you have detail in the window shot.

:)
 
woof woof said:
Well, there's detail in the window shot but not in the sky shot.

Hmmmm.
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This is cause the sky is already bright. Im sure if he takes a shot in black OP will get some detail. The sky is already bright and that part of sensor is now more suspitible to light so it has blown the sky.
 
Tintin124 said:
This is cause the sky is already bright. Im sure if he takes a shot in black OP will get some detail. The sky is already bright and that part of sensor is now more suspitible to light so it has blown the sky.
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Well, there's your answer then. It may be a million to one once in a lifetime thing but if that's what it is... it's fried :(
 
speak to Nikon, it shouldn't be possible to fry a sensor in this way. I take it you have try taking battery out, different ISO settings, visually checked the bottom right of the sensor for damage with a torch/loupe?
 
Alright, you guys got me thinking here. I have made a simple test where I didd a picture with:

ISO 100
DSC_1462.jpg


ISO 6400

DSC_1461.jpg
 
woof woof said:
Well, there's your answer then. It may be a million to one once in a lifetime thing but if that's what it is... it's fried :(
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Or he has just discovered a new amazing night photography sensor if he can fry the rest of the sensor to be the same. No need for high ISO.

@MLse7en does this occur with different settings and ISO's

Edit: OP has beaten me to it.
 
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psenior1 said:
speak to Nikon, it shouldn't be possible to fry a sensor in this way. I take it you have try taking battery out, different ISO settings, visually checked the bottom right of the sensor for damage with a torch/loupe?
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I have uploaded two different pcitures with different ISO settings. At this point my battery is too low to lock mirror for cleaning, so I can't inspect the sensor. I will put my battery pack on charge to see if I can inspect it later.
 
Very strange. If the sensor was killed, the spot would be black. I'm going for a hole in the shutter.

Edit: check it in live view. If the mark disappears, it's the shutter.
 
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At least if its the shutter that would be cheaper to fix than the sensor.
 
HoppyUK said:
Very strange. If the sensor was killed, the spot would be black. I'm going for a hole in the shutter.

Edit: check it in live view. If the mark disappears, it's the shutter.
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I was thinking that too, but I'll be honest I don't know enough of the technical working/spec, I'm almost wondering if its possible that a tiny bit if dirt could cause a shutter to not quite seal fully, if I'm not mistaken it is made up of several blades (for want of a better phrase)
 
if that was the case id suspect and wedge shame across most/entire frame
but a hole in the shutter (maybe its lost a pin/rivit?) might do what hes getting, so at 100iso the sensor isnt sensitive enough for the short time before the mirror comes down and covers the shutter. but at 6400 iso im guessing the sensor is sensitive enough to notice that extra light
 
HoppyUK said:
check it in live view. If the mark disappears, it's the shutter.
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That sounds right.

Though we have this odd effect in that the ISO 100 image was fine but the ISO 6400 image had a bright spot. We need to explain that, and I don't know what the sensor is doing in live view mode, so I'm not sure how definitive the live view test is.

Here's another observation. I can't see the Exif data of these test images, but I'm willing to bet that the affected ones have a faster shutter speed than the unaffected one. Faster than about 1/250th the shutter is never fully open, whereas slower than about 1/250th it does open fully, so if the problem is the shutter then this might have something to do with it.

I suggest repeating the test shots, but the time using the aperture to vary the shutter speed rather than the ISO. I think we can all agree the lens isn't going to be causing the bright spot, so if you fix the ISO and vary the shutter speed (making sure your range extends faster and slower than 1/250th) that will leave the shutter as the only variable.
 
StewartR said:
That sounds right.

Though we have this odd effect in that the ISO 100 image was fine but the ISO 6400 image had a bright spot. We need to explain that, and I don't know what the sensor is doing in live view mode, so I'm not sure how definitive the live view test is.

Here's another observation. I can't see the Exif data of these test images, but I'm willing to bet that the affected ones have a faster shutter speed than the unaffected one. Faster than about 1/250th the shutter is never fully open, whereas slower than about 1/250th it does open fully, so if the problem is the shutter then this might have something to do with it.

I suggest repeating the test shots, but the time using the aperture to vary the shutter speed rather than the ISO. I think we can all agree the lens isn't going to be causing the bright spot, so if you fix the ISO and vary the shutter speed (making sure your range extends faster and slower than 1/250th) that will leave the shutter as the only variable.
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This sounds like an idea. I am going to be home after 3 o'clock, then I will post some more test shots with variable shutter speeds on the same ISO.
 
HoppyUK said:
Very strange. If the sensor was killed, the spot would be black. I'm going for a hole in the shutter.

Edit: check it in live view. If the mark disappears, it's the shutter.
Click to expand...
I will try live view today in the afternoon and give you some feedback.
 
Rob 80386 said:
A couple of things may have happened, either you burnt the IR filter on the sensor or the coating on the lens.

:)
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Can't be lens coating, as the light isn't focused as it passes through the lens... it achieve focus at the sensor. This is nothing to do with the lens... plus, the OP has changed lenses and the problem persists. Besides... lens coatings are designed to help the lens transmit MORE light to the sensor, not less. Removing lens coatings makes the lens less efficient, not more :)



psenior1 said:
speak to Nikon, it shouldn't be possible to fry a sensor in this way.
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When shooting video or using live view it perfectly possible.

Lasers can have a similar effect.

http://photofocus.com/2013/09/14/beware-lasers-can-kill-your-cameras-sensor/


Be warned.

However... @ 1/8000th? I seriously doubt the sensor is damaged. There's just not enough time for heat build up. Having said that, there's very little heat build up with laser damage, so the jury is still out on that so far as I'm concerned.

I'm not sure after reading the thread, but when you were composing that first shot with the sun in the frame... were you using the viewfinder, or live view? If you were using live view, then there's a chance you could have damaged the sensor, yes.
 
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Pookeyhead said:
Can't be lens coating, as the light isn't focused as it passes through the lens... it achieve focus at the sensor. This is nothing to do with the lens... plus, the OP has changed lenses and the problem persists. Besides... lens coatings are designed to help the lens transmit MORE light to the sensor, not less. Removing lens coatings makes the lens less efficient, not more :)





When shooting video or using live view it perfectly possible.

Lasers can have a similar effect.

http://photofocus.com/2013/09/14/beware-lasers-can-kill-your-cameras-sensor/


Be warned.

However... @ 1/8000th? I seriously doubt the sensor is damaged. There's just not enough time for heat build up. Having said that, there's very little heat build up with laser damage, so the jury is still out on that so far as I'm concerned.

I'm not sure after reading the thread, but when you were composing that first shot with the sun in the frame... were you using the viewfinder, or live view? If you were using live view, then there's a chance you could have damaged the sensor, yes.
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I was using viewfinder. I remember that I got a tear in my eye after pressing shutter release, I guess we all know why that happened.
 
Then you've been very unlucky if it's sensor damage, but I'm struggling to imagine what else it can be apart from sensor damage or shutter damage.
 
Just out of curiosity, try running the sensor clean program in the camera. i have a Canon so I can't advise but I'm sure some knowledgable members here will be able to help :)
 
Norkie said:
Just out of curiosity, try running the sensor clean program in the camera. i have a Canon so I can't advise but I'm sure some knowledgable members here will be able to help :)
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I tried that yesterday and it didn't help :(
 
I've just been trying to reproduce this and failed. I have an old film body (mirror taped up and the shutter curtains removed) that I use for finding the NPP of lenses using a laser. I popped on a Zeiss 85/1.4 and focussed at infinity and then put a piece of black paper where the film would be. I could see the bright spot focussed on the back of the paper to keep it positioned but couldn't get the sun to mark it let alone burn it.....30 seconds or so and it's bright and sunny here.
In the scenario described by Mark then the sensor/shutter curtains would have only been exposed to this for the very brief time that the mirror was up.... <1/100 second.

Bob
 
He hadn't confirmed whether he was using live view when that was written.

Regardless of what caused it, it's obviously a problem with the sensor or shutter, so yes.. it needs to go back to Nikon.
 
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