Forthcoming Solar Eclipse

artyman

artyman

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There is a partial Solar Eclipse on Friday starting around 0830 with a max around 0930, it's a total up in the Faeroe Islands or somewhere north and cold :)

Just finished constructing my solar filter to fit over my lens hood, and a test run in between the clouds. Just have to hope for a clear morning on Friday.

IMG_K0007.jpg


And a test shot

IMG_K0011.jpg
 
Yours is a bit smaller than mine but basically the same stuff from the look of it, been building mine up today but mine I've made to be big enough that I can use it on pretty much any lens...should be on the end of a 600/4 for the eclipse if all comes together...
 
You need Baader film, set between a sandwich of cardboard to hold it flat-ish.

I think you might have difficulty sourcing some for Friday at this late stage, most suppliers are sold out, but I dare say if you search hard enough, someone will have some.
 
I've got 16 stops of ND to hand! Is that safe?
 
There's a thread on this in just about every forum now................
Baader film still available from Telescope House. They got mine to me in 2 days last week. Pics of my home made filters on another thread, I've lost track of which one, but also in my TP gallery. Please don't take any risks with your camera, lens and most importantly your eyesight. Once you know damage has been done, it's too late. The Baader film is safe for direct viewing. You can knock up a solar viewer while you're making camera filters.
 
Mark twiglet said:
I've got 16 stops of ND to hand! Is that safe?
Click to expand...

In theory 16 stops should be okay, because basically the film is rated as a supposed 16 stops but I'm not going to go as far as to saying yes it will be okay as this is not something I have any experience of, however if a solar film that is effectively 16 stops is fine why shouldn't 16stops of ND also work...that said a sheet of solar film is not all that expensive and I think I'd rather use something made for the specific purpose than not...

Stacking multiple filters could however create flare issues as ever they would in any other situation
 
It is a filter which not only reduces the intensity of the light but removes/reduces other harmful elements such as Infra-red and Ultra-violet.

Let's face it, we're basically photographing thermo-nuclear activity! :help:
 
artyman said:
There is a partial Solar Eclipse on Friday starting around 0830 with a max around 0930, it's a total up in the Faeroe Islands or somewhere north and cold :)

Just finished constructing my solar filter to fit over my lens hood, and a test run in between the clouds. Just have to hope for a clear morning on Friday.

IMG_K0007.jpg
Click to expand...


Nicely done, but is the filter not supposed to be quite wrinkly?
To stop it from tightening too much and possibly failing!
Thus ending up with the possibility of camera damage or eye damage!!
Just going by info on an Astronomy forum I go on.

Hope you get a clear view of the event.
 
michael23 said:
Doesnt matter if its like that, no effect at all. It's better in a relaxed state from what i have read.
Click to expand...

What I meant, you just put it in better words lol.

As long as no one does any damage to eyes or equipment.
That's if we get a clear sky this time!
 
I just bought an A4 sheet of Baader film from https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/ (I went into the store as I wasn in the area) for £20.
I'm going to fashion one or two filters from it. One to use with my Canon 70-300 IS USM and the other to go on a 500mm mirror lens.
I do also have some welders glass, which is strong enough to protect eyes and camera sensor, but will give a green hue to everything, which will have to be corrected in LR. The welder's glass is about £1 a piece from amazon or ebay.

artyman, what lens is that mounted on?
Interesting idea to mount it to lens hood.
 
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It fits to the lens hood of my Sigma 120-300 f2.8 which had a 2X TC attached for the image of the sun. It slides on snugly and no danger of falling off, very important!!

The filter may look distorted but it is flat, that is just the reflection that gives the wrinkled impression.
 
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Just sorted Fridays partial eclipse. Hopefully the sun might shine and let us see it.

Built a filter from AstroSolar Safety Film, and card.

Filter will fit over my 70-300 mm (4/3 micro) lens attached to the Epl-5

The camera wanted to use 5th second with aperture of about f7, so will need a tripod on the day.

The sun photo here was 30th sec @f6.7, ISO 200 hand held.

Be interesting to play around with exposures to see if more sun surface detail is forthcoming.

But for the eclipse, not sure the detail is important

View attachment 32835 View attachment 32836

Mj
 
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For sun surface detail such as sunspots you need to underexpose a bit to get the brightest bit in the image (the sun's disc) into the non-highlight area of good perceptible detail, and you probably also need to boost contrast. The sun should be in the middle of your image and your aperture chosen for best centre sharpness, usually a wider aperture than best edge to edge sharpness. You may also need to focus manually rather than AF, since AF uses a wide open lens which may be too bright for accurate focusing.

Check the NASA etc sun image websites to see what sunspots there are to be seen. They move quite slowly, but there's only a few around at the moment. No point in trying to see them if they're round the backside. But very useful to know they're there if you can't see them in your image.
 
Woohoo! :banana:

Got some Baader film from Sussex Astronomy Centre just down the road. Now to use my Blue Peter skills to construct a filter!
 
chris malcolm said:
For sun surface detail such as sunspots you need to underexpose a bit to get the brightest bit in the image (the sun's disc) into the non-highlight area of good perceptible detail, and you probably also need to boost contrast. The sun should be in the middle of your image and your aperture chosen for best centre sharpness, usually a wider aperture than best edge to edge sharpness. You may also need to focus manually rather than AF, since AF uses a wide open lens which may be too bright for accurate focusing.

Check the NASA etc sun image websites to see what sunspots there are to be seen. They move quite slowly, but there's only a few around at the moment. No point in trying to see them if they're round the backside. But very useful to know they're there if you can't see them in your image.
Click to expand...

yes thanks for that. I have since taken some more sun shots, exposure in the 200th to 400th allows me to see sunspot(s).

Manual focus is hopeless for me, the EPL enlarges the image whilst I turn the focus ring. I can't see well enough to focus properly, the image is darting around the screen. Big draw back for DSLR's without an eyepiece. Autofocus works well enough, though it hesitates a bit to get focused.

Also tripod (Manfrotto £120 worth) is a bit of a struggle as well. I position the sun in the middle of the screen, and then tighten up the ball head. when I let go, the heavy lens drops down and the image is barely on the screen at all. So have to offset the image to get the sun somewhere the middle of the screen. I need a lens mount for the 70-300mm but not sure where to het one.

Mj
 
Mark Johnson said:
Also tripod (Manfrotto £120 worth) is a bit of a struggle as well. I position the sun in the middle of the screen, and then tighten up the ball head. when I let go, the heavy lens drops down and the image is barely on the screen at all. So have to offset the image to get the sun somewhere the middle of the screen. I need a lens mount for the 70-300mm but not sure where to het one.
Click to expand...
You don't need a tripod, surely. You should easily be able to achieve shutter speeds which are good enough for hand holding.
 
hollis_f said:
Here's my construction - LINK



Nope.

Proper solar filters will block IR as well as visible. ND filters let through quite a bit of IR and it's the IR that fries sensors and retinas.



As long as it's grade 14 or better it should be fine.
Click to expand...
What about an infrared filter? I've got one of them too?
 
Looks like we are mostly going to be clouded out anyway :(
 
Don't forget

1. We are in the UK
2. This is the weather forecast

Just been outside today to find its blue sky, unlike the forecast which like Friday is for "light cloud"

I recall the 1999 eclipse in Cornwall was thick cloud but the sun appeared at the very last moment through the clouds and the condition changed.

So I refer to No. 1 & No. 2 above.....and Mr Fish
 
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ABTog said:
I just bought an A4 sheet of Baader film from https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/ (I went into the store as I wasn in the area) for £20.
I'm going to fashion one or two filters from it. One to use with my Canon 70-300 IS USM and the other to go on a 500mm mirror lens.
I do also have some welders glass, which is strong enough to protect eyes and camera sensor, but will give a green hue to everything, which will have to be corrected in LR. The welder's glass is about £1 a piece from amazon or ebay.

artyman, what lens is that mounted on?
Interesting idea to mount it to lens hood.
Click to expand...


The Widescreen-Centre in Dorset St London still have Baader film sheet and a variety of sizes of solar filters as of yesterday afternoon for those able to call in there.

They were snowed under packaging urgent courier orders though, with piles of packages awaiting collection.
 
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