A camera store shows off gear wrecked by the solar eclipse

In the days and weeks leading up to the total solar eclipse over the United States last month, there were plenty of warnings for spectators: make sure you protect your eyes and camera equipment. LensRentals, a Tennessee-based camera rental shop, rented out a number of lenses before the event and warned customers to make sure that they use solar filters. Not everyone did.

The store posted up a series of images on its blog, showing some of the cameras that were damaged during the eclipse. Blog editor Zach Sutton wrote that they weren’t out to criticize their customers, but wanted to show what happened, and that it’s fortunate that they have a repairs department.

The most common problem, Sutton wrote, was damage to sensors and shutters, but that they also saw damage to mirrors, lens irises, and even some built-in filter systems. Fortunately, Sutton explained that they were pleasantly surprised that fewer than expected pieces of equipment were damaged. Hopefully, photographers will be more prepared for the next eclipse.