need help !!!

[-Sam-]

hey, ive recently been taking photos of sunsets and sunrises, i love photgraphy and have produced some great shots but heres my question, i went out today and shot some photos of the sun setting, i started taking them a little earlier as i wanted to get the whole sun going down....when i transffered the pictures to my computer i notcied red dots on all the pictures, (only the sun ones) i am now worried, have i damaged the camera ?....can taken photos of a half setting sun damage the sensor ?

In all the pictures i took after the sun ones it seemed fine, the red dots were gone and the camera functioned correctly, i guess all im looking for is feedback if the shot i took could damage the camera.....i attached the shot.

thanks in advance. -Sam-

[Nagasaki]

Hard to tell but it looks like a little lens flare which isn't aproblem.

[-Sam-]

thanks for the reply, so taking shot of the sun at that height is ok ?..i was under the impression that taking shot of the sun at any time was bad but i then heard from someone that its only bad when its at its hottest like 2oclock in the afternoon ?

are my type of shots safe ?

[Nagasaki]

I can't give any guarantees but I wouldn't hesitate to use my digicam to take photos at sunrise or sunset. I wouldn't take any direct shots of the sun at any other time, although I might include the sun in a landscape shot.

[perdendosi]

The spots you're seeing constitute lens flare -- the reflection of a light source on the various elements inside your lens. Often photographers wish to get rid of it, but sometimes it's desired-- you can even add lens flare in Photoshop or many 3D modeling programs.

I would agree that the sun, at this angle, would not do any more damage to your CCD than a very bright manmade light. As to the harmful effects of shooting the sun, see:

http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/v...amp;forum_id=9

(It was two threads below yours in the "Newbie Help" section!)

[djb]

looks like lense flare as the dots appear hexagonal (6 diaphram blades?) to me. Not to worry.

dennis