I'd like to shoot sunsets. I'd never point any lense at the sun at any other time, is it safe to do so at sunset? Or is it still too intense. Is there aspecial filter I could use to protect the optics?

Hi
I'd be really careful.
Here are some of the things I'd concider:
1.)always remember you have a ND filter built in... use it.

2.)If you notice in most sunset shots the sun is low on the horizon.

3.)Most sunsets are shot with a graduated orange filter, with foreground being so dark you can't see the orange except on some tall grasses but most people are so captivated by the beauty of your sunset, they won't notice it(the orange grass.)

( THE ND AND ORANGE FILTER TOGETHER WILL CAUSE A VERY LARGE LENS OPENING... REALLY REDUCED DEPTH OF FIELD... MOST SUNSET SHOTS HAVE EXTREMELY SHALLOW D of F)

4.) If you notice the sun is so high that you can't kook into it, don't point you lens at it. The closer it gets to the setting horizon the easier it is for you to see with the naked eye

5.) Usually a key for you is if the sun is already orange get ready to shoot!

DON'T SCREW UP! REMEMBER IT'S YOUR LENS AND YOUR CAMERA!

BRUCE

I'd heard it was okay to point the camera in the general direction fo the sun, so long as your lens was not directly lined up with it. If you aimed toward the sun, but at an angle (10, 15 degrees away from it) this is supposed to be okay. Am I totally wrong?

That's a pretty good assessment of the situatiion, but you still have to be very careful. Once the sun is setting, the danger of doing anything to your camera decreases. At least wait till things start to turn orange.

Bruce

Does the aperture and shutterspeeds protect the CCD? The shutterspeed is entirely virtual isn't it, but a closed aperture should reduce the intensity of the light as well. I must say I have had the sun in the lens, on wide-angle shots especially, with no preblem up to now (touchwood).