Welding photography

Yes, shielding the lens will work. An ordinary filter plate will stop UV and IR, and attenuate visible light to a suitable level.

The camera needn't be in a box. Just a piece of filter plate over the lens will suffice. You can get a round 50mm (2") disc in darkness up to shade 14 from these guys:

Some cameras use IR or visible light from the camera for autofocussing in what the camera perceives as "dark" conditions. That optical path would have to be unobscured, or the camera set to manual focus if that's possible on the Sony.

That camera takes a 58mm filter. All you'd need to do is buy one of those 50mm round welding filters for $2.49 from

See "Cokin filter holders" as well

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

Even if the IR focus LED is left uncovered, the IR from the welding will completely overwhelm it, so you really need manual focusing.

This camera has a manual focus mode, and I can take a laptop out there to make sure the setting is spot on. I was just concerned if the brightness would confuse/overwhelm the camera.

Steve

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You will definitely need the filter as mentioned before. If you want to do something quick and dirty, one or two layers of aluminized mylar can also work as a filter for a camera, as will exposed and developed B&W film.

Without a filter, the focused IR and UV might be enough to damage the color filter layer on the CCD. One of the freeway traffic cameras I see on the morning news has several permanent streaks across it from the rising sun.

This was my question: to avoid avoidable camera damage.

Steve