Can using a camera lens like a burning glass damage the lens internally?
Asked 5/16/2011
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I briefly used a camera lens to focus sunlight like a magnifying glass. Afterwards, while cleaning it, I noticed a tiny curly mark or filament-like feature inside the lens, apparently between the front and second element. It is almost invisible unless lit from the side with an LED, and image quality seems unaffected. Could focusing sunlight this way permanently damage internal coatings or elements, or is it more likely something that was already there?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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I would say at least for most practical purposes the answer is no.
First of all, you only get intense heat where the light comes (at least close to) in focus, which does not happen inside the lens.
Second, you only get heat when the light is absorbed -- but a typical lens transmits virtually all the light, which translates to absorbing essentially none of it. A lens can't absorb any significant amount of light and still function even reasonably well as a lens.
Originally by user603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user603
15y ago
0
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Probably not, at least for practical purposes. A lens produces the strongest heating only near the point where light comes to focus, and that usually is not inside the lens itself. Also, lens elements are designed to transmit most light rather than absorb it; if they absorbed a lot of energy, they would perform poorly as optics. That makes internal heat damage from briefly using the lens as a burning glass unlikely.
Based on the descriptions and photos, it is more likely that the mark was already inside the lens and only became noticeable because you inspected it very closely under directional light. Small internal dust, fibers, or minor imperfections can show up this way and often have no visible effect on image quality.
If the lens still focuses normally and your photos look unchanged, there is little reason to worry. If you want peace of mind, compare images against earlier ones or have a technician inspect/clean it, but the evidence here points more toward a harmless internal speck than burn damage.
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