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I want to try photographing the solar eclipse in April but I don't know anything about doing that so I am wondering if my equipment will work for that. I basically have 3 questions. 1. Can I use my H-Alpha modified Canon T3i or my ASI533MC and which one would be better ? 2. I only have a Samyang 135mm and a Canon 75-300 kit lens, would either of those work or do I need a different focal length ? 3. What kind of filter do I need, would it be a lens filter or a camera filter ? And one more question on a different note................how do I do this without burning my eyes ? I am guessing looking through the camera visor to frame my pictures is not the greatest idea ? |
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1. Both will work, the T3i will probably be the simplest to use, but it depends on what you are more comfortable with. You always want something that you will be confident in using. Running the T3i with something like an eclipse orchestrator or solar eclipse maestro will probably be the easiest thing. 2. Both lenses can be used well for different things. If you want to do a deep image of the outer corona, the Samyang is a solid contender, but you will have to do some very difficult processing to deal with it. The 75-300 will give you more resolution, so this will probably be the better pick for you. You will want to zoom all the way to 300, and you should get some nice photos. 3. You need a front lens solar filter, I like to build mine out of the solar film sheets because it is cheaper. As long as the filter is secure, you can use your camera viewfinder without fear of going blind. When the diamond ring is close to starting you will want to quickly take off the filter for the total phases, and diamond ring. Solar glasses for the rest of the event will be helpful. 4. You should consider what mount you are using, if you are going for a corona image, you will need tracking. Tracking will also make the whole experience easier. |
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Take a look at this episode of The Astro Imaging Channel, from a couple of weeks ago. Very informative on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3XpveLolZw |
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Bray, I am a bit surprised that you suggest tracking, it's probably a bit of a stupid question but obviously polar alignment is out of the plan in day time so how does that work ? You just frame the target and start tracking ? |
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Eric Gagne: You should set up the rig the night before, if you can. If the eclipse starts after mid-day you can use the Sun to polar align (-ish) otherwise get the best digital compass and relay on that. Doesn't have to accurate. Solar rate suggested. |
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| I'd go the t3i route - just for simplicity. You will need to buy (or make using solar film) a proper solar filter for your lens. If you use the t3i with your 75-300mm kit lens it will be easy to find the sun at low focal length and then just zoom in to the 300mm focal length with the sun centred. Nico from Nebula Photos has been doing a video series on photographing the eclipse (including how to make a filter for your camera lens) that you should definitely check out. |
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Katelyn Beecroft: I watched Nico’s videos last night. I am looking forward to the next one which I think will be about tracking. I will probably use my star adventurer mini for this, it’s much more portable than the gti. I ordered this filter today. https://www.kentfaith.ca/KF01.2513_58mm-nd100000-solar-filter-16-6-stop-solid-neutral-density-f |
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| There are various low cost tools that allow one to get a fairly good polar alignment in the middle of the day. I use my iPhone and the app Polar Scope Align Pro. That way your EQ mount can track the eclipse without much issue. I have a 3D printed iPhone holder that has a vixen tail. I attach it to the mount, and then use the app to get an alignment. It uses the iphone GPS and compass for this process and is quite accurate. Once you are aligned, you can remove the iPhone and continue on with telescope and camera actions. This is an image of the setup in my kitchen:https://www.cloudynights.com/gallery/image/130754-gslhtpwgukur-1824x0-n1wmx-gxs/ You can read more about this app here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/polar-scope-align-pro/id970161373 There is a 3D design for the device on ThingIVerse here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3108003 There are also online firms that sell the device ready to go. https://www.ebay.com/itm/284280325758 |
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My thoughts on capturing the Solar Eclipse: Photographed the total solar eclipse in Nashville Tennessee back in 2017. In my view, it is less of a typical astro photography event and more of a traditional photography event. We had clouds at my location, which made it more challenging, but in the end more dramatic. The various exposure adjustments available on a camera were helpful. Would not have gone as well with my telescopes. When the eclipse starts, the light drops dramatically so adjustments are necessary. A telescope and solar filter would not have worked out in this situation. I used a Lumix GH5 micro 4/3 camera with Panasonic Leica 100-300mm, (200-600mm 35mm equivalent) 1/400 at f/6.3 for many shots. Bracketed exposures 3 stops (+3, 0, -3) and used the best exposures. Used 2-3 neutral destiny filters. This year, I will use Panasonic Leica 100-400mm, (200-800mm 35mm equivalent) Practiced settings on previous days photographing the sun. And don't forget a big umbrella for shade and to block indirect light! Full gallery with video: https://inspirationimages.zenfolio.com/p728398346    |
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Eric Gagne: You can use your mobile phone to do a rough polar alignment, it would be enough to track the Sun for the short time of the eclipse. It's also eady adjust your mount or tripod manually to take shots at key times during the event. This was my experience during the 2017 total eclipse: it was less of an astro photography event and more of a traditional photography. https://inspirationimages.zenfolio.com/p728398346?customize=3 |
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I have the Canon 75-300 mm lens. I use Thousand Oaks black polymer solar filter film sandwiched between two glass filters screwed onto the front of the lens. To get an idea of image scale, here's a recent image I took, somewhat cropped. My camera has a crop sensor. At 300 mm, the disk of the Sun is small, but large enough to discern some detail. The Sun - March 4, 2024 To choose the right exposure, you can try putting the camera in Program mode and choose Center-Weighted Average Metering or Spot Metering if your camera has that option. Alternatively, you can use Aperture Value (AV) mode and choose a medium aperture such as f/10. In my experience, the narrower the f-stop (f/18, f/22, etc.) the slower the shutter speed will be and the more likely that you will see camera shakes and any sensor dust in your frames, even after cleaning the sensor. I most often use ISO 200 for high quality. Aiming the camera is quite easy. An easy way I find is to turn your back to the Sun and adjust your aim while looking down the barrel. Just don't look at the Sun's reflection in the lens. When the barrel is completely in shadow, you can focus using autofocus in Live View. Focus on the limb of the Sun and when focused, switch to manual focus and your focus should be maintained for the duration of the eclipse. TIP: Wear a baseball cap to avoid accidentally looking at the Sun when behind the camera. For my larger telephoto, to aim I use a cardboard shield that I made with a rectangular window of Thousand Oaks Black Polymer solar filter film. It allows me to safely aim the camera while facing in the direction of the Sun. I have never seen a total solar eclipse yet, so I have no advice to give on totality. But I have successfully photographed the sunrise solar eclipse of June 10, 2021. I use a normal fixed camera mount. No tracking, but of course without tracking, each exposure requires adjustment.  Solar Eclipse - June 10, 2021 SAFETY TIP: Don't use any filter that isn't designed for astronomy. Also, there are some solar filters out there that are designed for photographic use only. You want to use one that is safe for BOTH visual and photographic use in case you want to look through the viewfinder. You don't ever have to look through the viewfinder, but looking through it using a properly made solar filter screwed on the front of the lens is no different than looking through a properly solar filtered telescope in principle. You can buy ready-made solar filters for your camera filter thread size. I prefer Thousand Oaks solar filter film. Hope this helps. |
