The continental section of the United States had not experienced a total solar eclipse since 1979, and that wait turned the event on August 21 into something very special. Needless to say, observing an eclipse carries risks for our eyes and the equipment we use. The folks at Lens Rentals decided to create a kind of gallery with cameras damaged by the eclipse, and although the number of units was lower than expected, the Sun demanded the sacrifice of sensors, diaphragms, mirrors, and neutral density filters.
Looking at a solar eclipse without protection is dangerous, period. Damage to the retina takes hours (even days) to manifest, and since there is no intense pain, a person might think "nothing happened." Fortunately, most understand the risks, and over the years there has been a decline in the number of incidents. However, some cases shifted to conventional photography equipment. Recording the passage of an eclipse digitally is tempting, no doubt. Unless there is enough budget to "chase" eclipses around the world, one must take advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself. The solar eclipse of August 21 was the first to cross the United States from coast to coast in more than 38 years, and as expected, many pointed their cameras upward…
The Damage Catalogued
The folks at Lens Rentals, which rents photographic equipment in the United States, knew that with the arrival of the eclipse, revenue from damaged cameras would spike. In the days prior, they warned their clients and strongly recommended the use of solar filters to protect the lens elements and camera sensor. Obviously not everyone follows the rules, which results in a visit to the technical department, and the company decided to publish a small gallery with different examples of damage. Perforated shutters, burned sensors, melted diaphragms, and ruined neutral density filters (which "do not" protect the camera from heat) are part of the list.
Unfortunately, this type of damage is considered negligence, and the insurance offered by Lens Rentals does not cover it, but the company acknowledges that the number of damaged units was lower, and that clients showed honesty in admitting the problems. The next eclipse with similar characteristics will be in April 2024, so we hope users do their homework.
