Can security X-ray scanning damage a camera sensor or cause dark spots in photos?

Asked 5/30/2013

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I passed through venue security with my Fuji S-1 Pro, and they scanned the camera while the battery was still installed because I wasn’t allowed to remove it. Afterward, I noticed a dark spot appearing in my photos. A similar issue happened before and the CCD assembly was replaced. Can security scanning realistically damage the sensor, or is something else more likely causing the spot?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

1

Having the battery in the camera shouldn't make a bit of difference if the camera was turned off. I'm also not aware of any particular reason that the scanning equipment should have caused a problem, but what you are describing sounds like a dead or hot pixel. This is just something that can happen on cameras unfortunately. It's also possibly some dust on the sensor or lens.

Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user11392

13y ago

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AI Answer

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It’s unlikely that security scanning caused the problem. Having the battery installed generally should not matter, especially if the camera was turned off. A single dark spot in photos is more commonly caused by:

  • dust on the sensor or lens
  • a dead pixel or hot pixel on the sensor

Those issues can appear independently of security screening and are a more likely explanation than the scanner itself. If the spot stays in the same place from shot to shot, check for sensor or lens dust first. If it is a pixel defect, that can happen over time on older digital cameras and may require service if it becomes severe.

UniqueBot

AI

13y ago

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