Solar Eclipse Film Suggestion?

[amellice]

What would be your solar eclipse film suggestion? I wanted to shoot this with my digital camera but filters are sold out, so thinking that film would be my safe blanket.

 

[Bud Hamblen]

What would be your solar eclipse film suggestion? I wanted to shoot this with my digital camera but filters are sold out, so thinking that film would be my safe blanket.

You need the filters anyway. Sorry.

 

[Bud Hamblen]

Filters for the partial phase, anyway. For the total phase you need no filters. As for film, use your favorite color film. Be prepared to bracket widely as the different regions of the corona vary greatly in brightness. An exposure for the inner corona will not show the outer corona and an exposure for the outer corona will blow out the inner corona. A film with a good red response is better for showing solar prominences. Fred Espenak has a good guide to eclipse photography on line: http://www.mreclipse.com/SEphoto/SEphoto.html

 

[wiltw]

Until the eclipse is TOTAL and PERFECT (meaning that you cannot be off the exact path of the total occlusion by much at all, your VISION is at risk!
It is foolish to try any photography without protection of your vision, as you have to have perfect timing and perfect location along the path to SEE total occlusion...just a few seconds off and you put your vision in jeapardy!!!

 

[Michael Howard]

I'm pretty sure the OP is referring to Solar Film, to put in front of his lens to obscure the sun, not the film to put in the camera. I use Thousand Oaks solar film, in a 3x3 gel holder for my lens set up for the eclipse. It works beautifully. Only problem is, I doubt you can get any before Monday, unless you have a camera shop nearby that has it in stock.

If OP IS talking about film to put in the camera, then, yes, you still will need solar filtration (film or screw on filter).

 

[jim10219]

If you use a wide angle lens, you should be okay without a filter. The filter is really only necessary for telephoto style lenses. With a wide angle lens, like on your smart phone, there won't be enough light coming through to damage the sensor or film. Think about how many people have taken photos of sunsets or sunrises with the Sun in frame.

As for which type of film, I'd say use whatever you like best. The Sun is the purest form of white light around, so it's gonna have light in all parts of the spectrum. One film won't necessarily be better than another, just different (slightly). I'm bringing along some Rollei IR and Kodak Ektar. I'll also bring some Velvia 100 and some TMAX 100 just incase, but plan on using them more for other stuff than direct Sun shots.

If you're really concerned, you might check out what the astrophotography guys use. After all, the Sun is just a star. But I don't think that would matter much in this case, because those guys are trying to pick up the faintest traces of light, and we're going to be trying to pick up billions of times more!

 

[Paul Manuell]

I'm pretty sure the OP is referring to Solar Film, to put in front of his lens to obscure the sun, not the film to put in the camera. I use Thousand Oaks solar film, in a 3x3 gel holder for my lens set up for the eclipse. It works beautifully. Only problem is, I doubt you can get any before Monday, unless you have a camera shop nearby that has it in stock.

If OP IS talking about film to put in the camera, then, yes, you still will need solar filtration (film or screw on filter).

Ah, that makes sense. I admit, I originally thought the OP meant camera film and thought to myself why wouldn't he need a solar filter with film but would with digital.