Quote:I see. I would understand that it should not be a big issue shooting into the Sun if (1) shooting in dawn or sun set time instead of noon; (2) using a non-tele lens and not putting the Sun at or near the center of the frame; and (3) avoiding long exposure.
I am a little bit confused about point (2). I think the main purpose of it is to avoid the sunlight straightly hitting the sensor.
I don't think so. The main purpose is to limit the amount of direct sunlight entering through the lens. A telephoto lens has a bigger physical aperture size than a wide-angle lens. So at the same F-stop, you'll let more light enter the system with the telephoto lens - which is the main worry here.
That said, I shoot into the sun a lot, and I've never had any issue whatsoever (except for blown highlights and lens flare
). I think common sense is a good guide here (I don't think anybody will take his 400 mm telephoto and shoot directly into the sun in the middle of the day, it just doesn't make any sense).