shooting solar eclipse

Paul Howell · Apr 27, 2017

I will shooting the 2017 solar eclipse, hopefully a sunny day in Casper Wy. Plan is to shoot with Minolta 9, ND 2 filter and polarizer Ektar 100 with 400mm lens, camera set to program mode, spot metering. Any thoughts, good, bad, or who knows?

Cholentpot · Apr 27, 2017

I was thinking of rolling out my Lubtiel and shooting the whole thing on one frame. I'm not sure how to calculate but it'll look cool if I can pull it off.

Leigh B · Apr 27, 2017

My wife has viewed every solar eclipse that's occurred anywhere in the last 50 years, with only 2 exceptions. She's shot most of them, and organized tours to view some, so we have some experience in this effort.

You definitely need proper solar viewing glasses, and a proper solar filter on the lens.
Failure to do so can cause you to be blinded permanently.

Some appropriate wensites (the links are correct as shown - don't add www to any):
http://eclipse2017.nasa.gov
http://eclipsewise.com (Fred Espenak's site)
http://eclipsophile.com
http://www.eclipse2017.org
http://eclipse.aas.org

sites for filters and viewing goggles:
http://www.thousandoaksoptical.com
Dead Link Removed

Paul Howell · Apr 27, 2017

thanks for the info, I will take time to read all the material. I have viewing goggles on order, will look up filters for the lens.

zanxion72 · Apr 27, 2017

Get a piece of baader and cut it down to your lens size. At that size it won't be very expensive and will deliver you a stunning view of the solar eclipse.

AgX · Apr 27, 2017

"piece of baader" = solar eclipse filter from the german firm Baader

paul ron · Apr 27, 2017

if you have any old 5.25 floppy discs... they make great solar glasses. cut in half, attatch rubber bands to keep each side on your ears.

Wallendo · Apr 27, 2017

The solar eclipse will pass over my county and I have been thinking about options. After reading around, it seems there are pitfalls in almost every scenario, most dealing with how to properly aim the camera.

So far the safest way seems to be a non-analog camera with live view. The worst that can happen is I burn out the sensor, but at least my eyes are protected. I have also though about using some type cardboard background to aim the camera indirectly using my Yashica Mat (solar filter over taking lens and looking at a reflection on a piece of cardboard for the focusing lens).

I would be interested to see her other APUG'ers plan to address this.

Leigh B · Apr 27, 2017

I think Live View is a good idea.

You need the solar filter on the lens throughout the eclipse except during totality.
Then you remove it so you can see the corona, which is only visible when the sun disk is covered.

Live View will let you know when to remove it and when to replace it without damaging anything.

- Leigh

Sirius Glass · Apr 27, 2017

Without a good filter the cloth focal plan shutters can have the Sun burn holes in them. That had happened to Leicas, and that was the reason Victor Hasselblad would not use cloth shutters and insisted on metal shutters. Problems with the metal shutters were the reason Hasselblad discontinued the Hasselblad 1000 and Hasselblad 1600 in 1957.

Leigh B · Apr 27, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
...that was the reason Victor Hasselblad would not use cloth shutters and insisted on metal shutters.

I never heard of cloth between-the-lens shutters.

Learn something new every day.

- Leigh

Sirius Glass · Apr 27, 2017

Leigh B said:
I never heard of cloth between-the-lens shutters.

Learn something new every day.

- Leigh

Cute. You really need to learn to read. I clearly stated focal plane shutters. In this universe focal plane shutters are near the film and not in the lenses.

Leigh B · Apr 27, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
Cute. You really need to learn to read. I clearly stated focal plane shutters. In this universe focal plane shutters are near the film and not in the lenses.

It appears you sent your sense of humor to the cleaners... and they lost it.

- Leigh

Bill Burk · Apr 28, 2017

My best luck was photographing indirectly, an image projected by a telephoto lens onto black construction paper.

zanxion72 · Apr 28, 2017

The best filters are those made for visual observing the sun with telescopes. They are not ND filters, but sheets from materials looking like aluminum foil, and they produce excellent results. For sure, one should not let the camera pointing at the sun for too long.

tezzasmall · Apr 28, 2017

The best advice I can give you and others, having traveled to Romania from the UK, to especially view the eclipse, is to be totally prepared and only try and take a couple of pictures. Watching the whole thing from start to finish is totally amazing and the experience will stay with you for a long time. From the darkening of the sky and land, followed by a chill towards the total eclipse time. You really want / need to just look and experience the whole scenario - it is totally amazing, especially if you are watching a full totality!!!

Also as said by others, make sure you only view it for the most part through eclipse viewing glasses or filters.

But most importantly, enjoy!!!

Terry S

paul ron · Apr 28, 2017

tezzasmall said:
followed by a chill towards the total eclipse time. You really want / need to just look and experience the whole scenario - it is totally amazing, especially if you are watching a full totality!!!

ive only seen one total umbra and you are absolutely correct about that feeling you just cant capture on film... during totality, the light seems to vibrate. its an eerie feeling you can only experiance n tell about.

bsdunek · Apr 28, 2017

Some years ago my Brother and I took photos of an eclipse. I used a glass for arc welding and it worked very well. My Brother was using Dad's Leica M-3, and left it pointed at the sun without the welding glass for just a moment. Dad was not amused about the perfect, eclipse shaped hole in the shutter. My Brother had to foot the bill for replacement.

Bill Burk · Apr 28, 2017

You might practice before the event to get good at it.

tedr1 · Apr 29, 2017

An astrophotography guide was published by KODAK, reference AC-48, that includes information about solar eclipse photography. In particular there is a helpful table for exposure during the various phases of the eclipse, the page is attached here. Note that KODAK recommends exposure bracketing of 1,2 and 3 stops on both sides of the nominal exposure.

Paul Howell · Apr 29, 2017

Thanks for the link, would have thought that even with a ND filter of 5.0 would need a higher shutter speed. I just ordered a telescope solar filter that will fit my 400, will also get a 5.0 for my 100 to 300 and set the camera to Auto Bracket, will shoot with 2 set ups, a Minolta 9 and 800Si.

shooting solar eclipse

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