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I was reading some posts about how light can damage a camera by heating it up its internal components? Link: Can camera sensors be damaged by light?

If I shine a 150-lumen flashlight at a monitor or webcam constantly for 5 minutes will it result in damage? A simple explanation of why or why not would be very helpful. Will it cause overheating?

How does the magnifying glass effect apply to this

Thank you for helping me understand.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ What distance? optical to electrical power conversion is a risk. What is the distance? The light does not transmit heat so not much unless the surface is hot, \$\endgroup\$
    – D.A.S.
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 1:08

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If I shine a 150-lumen flashlight at a monitor or webcam constantly for 5 minutes will it result in damage?

150 lumen is a few hundred milliwatts, and it will be distributed over a wide area, so heating will be negligible. At that power level you would need a very small spot to do any real heating.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Would you say even if the flashlight was making surface to surface contact (Very Close) while on it would still not cause damage to a monitor or webcam? Thanks \$\endgroup\$
    – BunLad
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 1:09
  • \$\begingroup\$ @BunLad I think you would need to make that flash light a couple orders of magnitude brighter before there would be a problem. \$\endgroup\$
    – user1850479
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 2:36
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Most likely your fault is ignoring the O-to-E voltage convertion in each photovoltaic cell with -5V being a typical max.

Whereas an LCD or LED backlight does not such a low sensitivity to high impedance damage.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ In my scenario would it cause damage to the monitor or webcam, distance is about one inch \$\endgroup\$
    – BunLad
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 1:25
  • \$\begingroup\$ Probably...is my guess... \$\endgroup\$
    – D.A.S.
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 6:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ @TonyStewartSunnyskyguyEE75 You may well be right, but can you explain in more detail why you have come to this conclusion. Quick scribblings do suggest a surface brightness several times full noon sunlight (~= 100 klux) [based on several assumptions] but energy density is in the order of 600W/m^2 (assuming a say 400 mm^2 effective source area). \$\endgroup\$
    – Russell McMahon ♦
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 9:06
  • \$\begingroup\$ When I get time, I'll get the proof and example how a "smart" Nikon will defocus automatically. Does his? @RussellMcMahon Does he feel luckY? You can get filters to block IR,UV. So if using a smart Nikon and say you are watching a cloudy sunset then it goes bright instantly before setting. This defocus is self-protection (...) Some countries have reduced to 2x suspect viral rates in 1 day globe average is 6 days, China 40 days ....I digress...Yet most digital cams do not have this. protection measured by cell voltage. \$\endgroup\$
    – D.A.S.
    Commented Mar 27, 2020 at 17:48
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UV light over extended amounts of time (namely, habitually using a laptop in bright sunlight for months) can cause an LCD to "wash out", presumably due to the liquid crystals getting damaged. I doubt that any light considered safe for long-term human exposure will have much of an impact.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center. \$\endgroup\$
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    Commented Sep 7, 2022 at 4:51

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