Calling all Eclipse experts

marcr1230

marcr1230

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So it looks like I going to see the eclipse on July 2 in Argentina

I’ve read a couple very good posts on eclipse shooting

I have one E-M1.2 body, a 7-14/2.8 and 40-150/2.8

I was thinking about setting up the wide angle and doing a time lapse
The sun will be low in the sky, I’ll need to confirm how low but pretty low as the eclipse occurs just before sunset in Buenos Aires

I will be west of there, a town called San Juan Argentina , east of the Andes
( I think)

I could rent or buy a second body - use it with the 40-150, or even obtain a 300/4.0

I have Baader Astro filter polymer on the way

I’ve never shot an eclipse before

What’s the crowd’s experience and suggestions?

I saw the eclipse in Nashville in 2017, it was spectacular

Thanks
 
Never tried to shoot a Eclipse personally.

But the wife and I did see the 17’ Eclipse. Made the bandit run down to Kentucky from Michigan in about 8 hours.

We had one of the telescopes set up with the solar projection plate and watched the whole thing via the plate. It was prettY darn impressive.

Best of Luck!
 
Be careful.

When I shot the solar eclipse in 2017, the intense sunlight damaged my sensor.

Here are my specifications:
August 21, 2017
1:46 pm Central Daylight Time
Chicago, Illinois
United States of America
41.8781° N / 87.6298° W
Fuji X-Pro1 digital mirrorless camera body with Nikon adapter
Nikon 1000mm f/11 mirror lens mounted on the X-Pro1 body (the angle-of-view is equivalent to 1500mm lens on a 35mm film camera)
ISO 100
f/11 aperture
2-stop neutral density filter
1/4000 second shutter speed
2-second time delayed shutter
Sokkia tripod (wooden)
Wimberley gimbal tripod head


Solar Eclipse 2017 by Narsuitus, on Flickr
 
The image size of the sun (or moon, for that matter) is .9 mm diameter for every 100mm of focal length. So, to catch the corona and allow some space around that with a 13X18mm sensor you should probably try to go to no more than 500mm focal length. That will give you a 4.5mm sun image diameter at the sensor plane.
As to damaging sensors, can't give you any advice there. I'd be using film if I wanted to photograph an eclipse.
 
I know this isn't what you are aiming for, but this is mine for the partial eclipse in the NE August 2017. The Cheshire Cat.

Monocular (half of a pair of Binoculars) pointed at sun, creates a clean image with no danger to eyes or sensor.

170821-Solar-Eclipse Image-Large-IMG_8675.jpg
 
More seriously, this is the best 2017 eclipse photo I found (not mine). Look at the eclipse with good sky and trees for context. Ignore the political commentary.

No, I don't know anything about the process for getting the eclipse image.

170821-Trump-Eclipse-Role-Model.jpg
 
I was present at the total eclipse of the sun here in Oregon in 2017. I prepared extensively for it and even went to a couple of workshops to ensure I got the best images I could.

First of all, the camera I used was a D700. The lens I used was a 70-300mm. For all of the images I took, I used 195mm as the focal length, f/11 as the aperture and ISO 200. The camera was mounted on a tripod and I used a Nikon MC-36 Intervalometer to capture images every 10 seconds. I had bought a Polarie Star Tracker expecting to use it but I ended up not using it. Since I did not use it, I had to reposition my camera every so often to allow for the rotation of the earth. I used various shutter speeds and the following images will show the effects of the varying shutter speeds on my images.

D700, 195mm, f/11, ISO 200 and shutter speed 1/2000 second

large.jpg


D700, 195mm, f/11, ISO 200 and shutter speed 1/1000 second

large.jpg


D700, 195mm, f/11, ISO 200 and shutter speed 1/250 second

large.jpg


D700, 195mm, f/11, ISO 200 and shutter speed 1/125 second

large.jpg


And finally the diamond ring image, D700, 195mm, f/11 ISO 200 and shutter speed 1/125 second

large.jpg


I hope this helps you to get an idea of the settings that worked for me. Make sure you practice, practice, practice before the actual eclipse so that there are no surprises and you know what to do, especially given the short time you have during the eclipse to capture images. As I recall, I used an app on my phone that was very helpful, especially with the timing of the event. I do not know if there is such an app available for the eclipse you are going to.

If you have any questions, feel free to holler at me. I'll do my best to answer them.

Ellen
 
Thanks everyone for the info - here’s a summary of current questions

1. Is managing 2 cameras too much to try? One on a tripod w intervalometer set, one handheld

2. Would you handhold a long tele lens/body or shoot everything from a tripod

3. Baader film - reviews say it imparts a blue cast or removes color - any experience- how to best get a natural color background, a sequence of partial and total eclipse and composite them on one final image?

4. Timing - hard to do everything but the web site I read said to remove the filters about 40 secs before totality and shoot Bailey’s beads , chromosphere and corona - I imagine exposure is changing dramatically from filter on to filter off ( partial to totalility) and then on again - how to manage all this other than practice?

Thanks
 
marcr1230 said:
1. Is managing 2 cameras too much to try? One on a tripod w intervalometer set, one handheld
Click to expand...


Shooting Solar Eclipse by Narsuitus, on Flickr


Solar Eclipse (2012) by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Two cameras on a tripod was not to difficult for me to manage when I shot a partial eclipse on May 20, 2012. I used a film camera on a wooden tripod with a gimbal head (set-up on the right) and a digital compact camera on an aluminum tripod with a pan/tilt head (set-up on the left).

I have never tried shooting an eclipse with a handheld camera.
 
If it is your first total eclipse I would strongly advise setting the photo gear aside and enjoying the show. Totality is fleeting and can be a very intense and emotional experience, and fumbling with photo gear could result in disappointment. Better to have good safe glasses and maybe a h-alpha scope for viewing during partial phases. There will be plenty of photos taken by others to enjoy later.

I have only experienced one thus far, and I received similar advice...

Enjoy - I am envious!
 
This would be my second - I saw the one in 2917 in Nashville- it was amazing, I thought,”why haven’t I done this before, when is the next one?”


Well - the next one is here

gdi said:
If it is your first total eclipse I would strongly advise setting the photo gear aside and enjoying the show. Totality is fleeting and can be a very intense and emotional experience, and fumbling with photo gear could result in disappointment. Better to have good safe glasses and maybe a h-alpha scope for viewing during partial phases. There will be plenty of photos taken by others to enjoy later.

I have only experienced one thus far, and I received similar advice...

Enjoy - I am envious!
Click to expand...
 
I traveled to Nebraska last eclipse, had a great time! Since I knew that there would be many, many great pictures available that would be much better than what I could do, I concentrated on all the great street, park, little-town people pictures that would be available, and that most people would be welcoming to a snap-shooter walking around, and they were. I did aim the camera at the sky a couple of times, handheld, and other "dark of night at noon" pictures that are more meaningful to me now.
 
A tripod is essential unless going for projected image. Try a few shots of the moon to see what problems handheld throws up...


Regards, David
 
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