Advertisement

Behold the cameras destroyed by the solar eclipse

Avert your eyes if a melted $11,500 Canon lens terrifies you.

The eclipse came and went amidst a media hullabaloo. Much of the coverage focussed on where and how you could watch the event. And, almost every report carried a word of warning: Protect your eyes. Trump didn't listen, but most others did. Photography enthusiasts were also probably aware of the fact that the eclipse can also put cameras at risk. After all, the last thing you want is to damage your expensive piece of kit. Well, as it turns out, some people weren't in the know. As leading camera rental company Lensrentals points out, a bunch of its pricey snappers were damaged by the event. And, it's got pictures to prove it. Another word of warning: Look away now if you don't like seeing broken camera equipment.

The photos include one of a Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens that had its aperture blades partially melted by the sun during the eclipse. Another image shows a Canon 7D Mark II, which had both its shutter and sensor burned by the heat. The album of horrors also includes pics of a melted mirror on a Nikon D500, and a $11,500 Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II lens -- again taking damage to its aperture blades.

Although the majority of the gear came back unscathed, it seems the owners of these rentals didn't heed the company's advice. Lensrentals had repeatedly warned customers to attach a solar filter to the end of lenses to protect the lens elements and camera sensor.

"This is just a few of the pieces of gear we've gotten back that have shown damage from the eclipse," wrote Lensrentals. "[They] will hopefully serve as a warning to those who are already prepping for the next eclipse in 2024."