Vamps and sunlight

[MentPatient]

Okay, I was rewatching Beneath You and I just noticed something.

Why is it that some vamps (namely, Spike and Angel) can stay in sunlight longer than other vamps before bursting into flames?
There was a flashback where both Angel and Spike held their hands in the sun and all they did was smoke.

It couldn't have been some senority thing that vamps gain with age as Spike was still a newbie in the flashback.
It also can't really be something about their threshold for pain 'cause even if they can mentally withstand it, they can't physically endure it.


Eh, too much thinking for someone of my lower mentality.

 

[zombie.apparatus]

you have a point... 🙂

 

[Wicked]

I noticed that. In Heartthrob James pushes a vamp into the sunlight and combusts instantly.

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

This, to me is just time. I mean if you have each Vampire taking ages to burn up then it fills up precious time also budget.
The scene with Angelus and Spike was to prove a point.
PLUS we could also argue a different case for its being reflected sunlight which might have some effect.
I mean we know Direct has this immediate effect, but does reflected sunlight lose any of the power thus taking longer to burn the Vampire?

 

[Summers Blood]

Well I was watching The Harvest today, and the bit where Buffy and Xander are escaping through the little room when they are being chased by Jesse and other vamps. Buffy's foot is caught by a vamp and she pulls her leg up and the vamp is still holding her. It takes quite a while for the sun to burn it's hand, and it only ends up smoking despite been in the sun for a while.

Considering this is the first season and that Jesse is a new vamp I don't think it's a seniority thing, just a special effects problem or something... Oh I don't know I'm rambling.