Can reversing or stacking lenses damage a camera sensor?
Asked 8/17/2012
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2 answers
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If I reverse a lens or stack two lenses for macro work, is there any risk of damaging the camera’s imaging sensor? I’m wondering whether this setup could concentrate light onto the sensor and burn or damage pixels, and if so, what kind of damage could occur.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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I can't imagine it. Rather the contrary, stacking lenses reduces the amount of light projected on the sensor. The larger reproduction ratio also means that what light does make it through to the sensor is being spread across a larger number of pixels, so less light is concentrated on any one pixel, though reducing the likelihood of damage (though, in fairness, if you had a bright enough light that it caused damage anyway, it might damage a much larger number of pixels).
It might still be possible to do damage by pointing at something like a welding arc for a long time, but if so, you'd be even more likely to get at least some damage if you didn't stack lenses.
Originally by user603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user603
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Under normal use, reversing or stacking lenses is not likely to damage the sensor. In practice, adding or stacking lenses usually reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor, not increases it. For macro setups, the higher magnification also spreads the image over more pixels, so the light is generally less concentrated per pixel.
So these configurations are typically no more dangerous than using a single lens. If an extremely intense light source could damage the sensor—such as a welding arc or similar very bright source—it would likely be at least as risky, and often more risky, without the stacked setup.
If damage did occur from a very intense light source, it would most likely appear as burned or permanently damaged pixels/areas on the sensor. But the lens-stacking or reversing itself is not the cause; the real risk would be the unusually bright subject.
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AI14y ago
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