sm23221 Posted April 29, 2010 Share #1 Posted April 29, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Does anyone know the best way to protect the M9's sensor against cosmic radiation at high altitudes? Lead bag? Thanks in advance. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 29, 2010 Posted April 29, 2010 Hi sm23221, Take a look here Cosmic Radiation. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted April 29, 2010 Share #2 Posted April 29, 2010 You will need a special camera case - made out of at least 10 m of solid concrete. Some cosmic particles can still be detected in the deepest mines. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Calahan Posted April 29, 2010 Share #3 Posted April 29, 2010 Just how far up are you planning to go? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulrik Posted April 29, 2010 Share #4 Posted April 29, 2010 Digital cameras started to be used on Space Shuttle missions in about 1991 and it appears that after the restart of the shuttle flights in 2005 (the Columbia accident happened in 2003) digital cameras are beeing used exclusively in the space program. Digital capture allows to transmit the pictures back to earth during flight which is the essential advantage here. I guess NASA would not have abandoned their Hasselblad film cameras if sensor damage from cosmic radiation would be a real issue. Ulrik Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted April 29, 2010 Share #5 Posted April 29, 2010 If its going to be bad enough to need a lead bag for the camera I'd get some lead underpants as well. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 29, 2010 Share #6 Posted April 29, 2010 It is not a non- issue. Hot pixels are probably caused by cosmic radiation, and in the stratosphere it is bad enough to give rise to a higher rate of brain cancer with airline crew on the transpolar route. There is, however very little to nothing to combat cosmic radiation. Lead does not work, at least not in practicable thicknesses. Tin foil anybody? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-hawinkler Posted April 29, 2010 Share #7 Posted April 29, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Such an event would most likely just cause a soft error, i.e. a temporary glitch and not permanent damage to your M9 IMHO. K-H. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm23221 Posted April 29, 2010 Author Share #8 Posted April 29, 2010 I wonder why the Leica manual would bother to state this if it's not an issue? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-hawinkler Posted April 29, 2010 Share #9 Posted April 29, 2010 (edited) I wonder why the Leica manual would bother to state this if it's not an issue? Here is the quote from the manual: "Sensor • Cosmic radiation (e.g. on flights) can cause pixel defects." I think the emphasis is on "can". BTW, the same can happen to the electronic parts of your computer, memory, CPUs, etc, even at sea level, unless special care is taken in the design of the memory chips for example. Protecting CPUs would require some form of redundant computation. If you operate very large computer systems (say, acres of silicon) at fairly high altitude it can become a quite frequent event indeed. Best Regards, K-H. Edited April 29, 2010 by k-hawinkler Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
budrichard Posted April 30, 2010 Share #10 Posted April 30, 2010 Does anyone know the best way to protect the M9's sensor against cosmic radiation at high altitudes? Lead bag? Thanks in advance. There is nothing you can do. Cosmic radiation can be higher in energy than the world's most powerful accelerators and only deep within the earth in abandoned mines can one reduce the radiation.-Dick Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckw Posted April 30, 2010 Share #11 Posted April 30, 2010 Doesn't the Hubble Space Telescope have a digital sensor? It continues to work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
underground Posted May 1, 2010 Share #12 Posted May 1, 2010 Doesn't the Hubble Space Telescope have a digital sensor? It continues to work. No in fact it uses film, develops negatives, then scans to a database that e-mails it to NASA all on it own. Shoot film to avoid Cosmic Radiation on your sensor at high altitude. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digitom Posted May 1, 2010 Share #13 Posted May 1, 2010 (edited) Does anyone know the best way to protect the M9's sensor against cosmic radiation at high altitudes? Lead bag? Thanks in advance. Is this a joke? A lead bag.....:D:D I recommend to use a compact camera like the D-Lux 4 instead a M9, because due to the smaller sensor of the D-Lux 4, the statistical probability that the sensor is penetrated by cosmic radiaton is smaller. Edited May 1, 2010 by Digitom Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted May 1, 2010 Share #14 Posted May 1, 2010 (edited) I recommend to use a compact camera like the D-Lux 4 instead a M9, because due to the smaller sensor of the D-Lux 4, the statistical probability that the sensor is penetrated by cosmic radiaton is smaller. Fewer particles, yes - but isn't each one likely to do more damage to the more-closely-packed components on the smaller sensor? Does most of the cosmic radiation received on earth come from the sun? If so, you could reduce the possibility of damage by holding the camera so as to keep the sensor edge-on to the sun at all times! Edited May 1, 2010 by giordano Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted May 1, 2010 Share #15 Posted May 1, 2010 <snip> Does most of the cosmic radiation received on earth come from the sun? If so, you could reduce the possibility of damage by holding the camera so as to keep the sensor edge-on to the sun at all times!That would enhance the chance of capturing the cosmic particle - face on gives the highest probablilty for the cosmic ray to go straight through the sensor without hitting anything (atoms are 99-something percent "empty" as shown by Rutherford). Transatlantic submarine service is the only feasible solution - if non-nuclear powered. Or buy a camera on the spot and discard after use (my bin is available). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted May 1, 2010 Share #16 Posted May 1, 2010 ...or just not worry...? Sangfroid is in such short supply these days. Regards, Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 1, 2010 Share #17 Posted May 1, 2010 You could hide in a cave during sun-spot activity... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-hawinkler Posted May 1, 2010 Share #18 Posted May 1, 2010 (edited) Cosmic ray - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Origin Of Cosmic Rays Illuminated Origin Of Cosmic Rays: VERITAS Telescopes Help Solve 100-year-old Mystery K-H. Edited May 1, 2010 by k-hawinkler Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frc Posted May 2, 2010 Share #19 Posted May 2, 2010 B&W cosmic ray filter on the lens? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vladik Posted June 4, 2017 Share #20 Posted June 4, 2017 Why there is much negativity and smart arse comments? The men ask a question that is in response to note in Leica’s user manual. If you have nothing decent to contribute go fondling your special edition camera that you love sooo much. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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