What hardware risk is exponentially increased when using a long telephoto lens pointed at the Sun?

Answer

The light energy is compressed onto a smaller physical target area on the sensor.

A longer focal length acts similarly to a magnifying glass, concentrating the Sun's energy. This compression increases the intensity hitting the sensor chip, which can physically damage delicate circuitry, potentially leading to dead pixels or sensor failure.

What hardware risk is exponentially increased when using a long telephoto lens pointed at the Sun?

#Videos

How to Photograph the Sun Safely - YouTube

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