Camera lenses literally melted during the solar eclipse

Will people ever learn?

A camera rental company found its cameras and lenses severely damaged after people took them to shoot the solar eclipse last month.

This, despite warning users not to point their cameras directly at the sun.

Online rental shop LensRentals told renters that solar filters had to be attached to lenses to protect them and camera sensors during the eclipse.

Naturally, some people didn’t listen.

Here are the results, from burnt shutter systems:

To damaged sensors:

This Nikon D500 saw its mirror melt:

And this Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens (which costs a casual $11,499) had its aperture blades destroyed:

“The most common problem we encountered was sensors being destroyed by the heat. We wanted everyone to buy a solar filter for your lens and also sent out mass emails and fliers,” said Zach Sutton, the editor of LensRentals in a blogpost.

“Hopefully [this] will serve as a warning to those who are already prepping for the next eclipse in 2024.”