what happens if you take a photo without a lens?

1. Don't try it. The digital sensor is electrically charged and is therefore a huge dust magnet. Once you get dust on it, it will require cleaning, especially if you shoot images at f/11, or f/16, f/22.

2. The image will be similar to a shot of an out of focus wall. It could be dark, or white, or anything in between depending on the shutter speed, ISO and ambient light.

I've done this. All of my SLR cameras can take a photo without the lens (from my old manual film cameras to my newer autofocus film cameras to my digital cameras). Nothing happens other than the picture does not come out.

As far as dust, you can get that even if you don't shoot without the lens (for example every time you switch lenses, dust can get into the camera). But you can always get a dust cleaning kit for your camera.

You expose the film or sensor with light all over it, like letting light into a cupboard when you open the door.

The lens is there to form an image.

Some cameras won't work without a lens attached.

Some will operate but the 'image' will be as apparent as the light on a brick wall in an open space when it's got sunlight on it....all lit up but no image of the Sun anywhere to be seen on it.

Two things:

1) Since there is nothing to focus the light, all you would get is an entire frame that is more or less the same tone and color depending on your shutter speed.

2) You are going to get a lot of dust on your sensor. When you take a photo, the sensor has a static charge when active which will pull dust out of the air and cause it to stick to the sensor.

As long as you protect your lens from getting scratched, bumped or anything else? No. Now if you were shooting directly into the sun? yes, you could damage your sensor.

i don't know about anyone else but when i had a D40x it wouldn't let me take a photo without the lens on.

You get a lot of white. The camera probably won't fire anyway.

Go ahead and try, you wont hurt a damn thing... Geeeze...

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