Solar eclipse

Welding glass is a bout 10 stops and has a colour cast- usually green.
The colour cast can be removed by altering the white balance, but I don't think 10 stops is enough to protect your eyes or the sensor.
I think closer to 20 stops is preferable. 10 stops is about a factor of 1000 and you need a factor of 100000.
Solar filters are available.
 
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Welding glass might be enough to protect a sensor but it is NOT suitable for viewing the Sun with the old Mk I eyeballs. It'll block some of the visible light but lets far too much of the damaging stuff through. It's easy enough to replace a camera but (as yet) impossible to replace your eyes.
 
You need something like this:-

Marumi introduces ND100,000 for solar shooting
Feb 18, 2015
By Damien Demolder

Japanese filter brand Marumi has introduced a collection of neutral density filters for its DHG (Digital High Grade) range.

The company has announced a ND 100,000 filter for shooting solar eclipses. This model cuts light by 16.5 stops, so will also be useful for extreme long exposures in normal conditions.

Marumi's DHG range uses low reflectance coatings on the rear face to reduce flare and reflections from the surface of the lens, and the rim of the glass is blackened to prevent internal reflections.

For more information see the Marumi website

Except they are now getting in short supply with only three weeks to go.

:(
 
Nice one, Ian.
Marumi make some pretty good filters.
 
ND100,000 that'll make for some extreme long exposure photography

will need to look into those
 
I am getting a bit confused on how to shoot this partial eclipse safely??? Some people say you have to protect your lenses with special foil and other say it's safe to shoot as long as you use your live view?
Anyone some clear instructions? I'll be at work during the eclipse, but I hope to squeeze out during the climax, so I have to get it right, who can tell me more about camera settings???

Thx heaps!!!!
 
savyo said:
ND100,000 that'll make for some extreme long exposure photography

will need to look into those
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That's what I thought.... in fact, I'm sure the shutter will still be open when the next eclipse comes along
 
SnEm said:
and other say it's safe to shoot as long as you use your live view?
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It may be "safe", but take a look at the photos in this article to see what just a bit of sunlight can do to a camera. Then imagine all that energy focused directly on to your sensor...
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OK thanks a lot, know what to buy this WE!
And any tips on the camera settings?
 
SnEm said:
And any tips on the camera settings?
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If you're using a big enough lens, you can spot meter off the sun (once you've got your solar filter in place of course). Apart from that it's hard to say because it depends so much on exactly what filter you're using, and on how clear the sky is on the day.
 
kendo1 said:
I think closer to 20 stops is preferable. 10 stops is about a factor of 1000 and you need a factor of 100000..
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20 stops would be 1,000,000.

Would an infra red filter work for this?


Steve.
 
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Steve Smith said:
20 stops would be 1,000,000.

Would an infra red filter work for this?


Steve.
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I said closer. 10 stops at a factor of 1000 is not nearly enough.
If I remember correctly the value should be about 16, which comes out at about 100000.
I very much doubt that an infra red filter would be of the correct magnitude. (just Googled and they are about 7 stops ish)
Custom made filters are available to keep eyes and cameras safe quite cheaply- somewhere about £15 to £20- which is a lot cheaper than a new camera or going blind.
 
10 stops is 1024.
16 stops is 65,536
16 2/3 stops is 1,040,449 (which is very close to your 16 stop suggestion for 100,000)
20 stops is 1,048,576

I read somewhere that the light reflected from the moon is 1/1,000,000 of that from the sun directly. So you can take shots in moonlight using the sunny 16 rule + 20 stops (or should that be moony 16?!).


Steve.
 
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Steve Smith said:
I read somewhere that the light reflected from the moon is 1/1,000,000 of that from the sun directly. So you can take shots in moonlight using the sunny 16 rule + 20 stops (or should that be moony 16?!).
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Yes.
 
Steve Smith said:
10 stops is 1024.
16 stops is 65,536
16 2/3 stops is 1,040,449 (which is very close to your 16 stop suggestion for 100,000)
20 stops is 1,048,576

I read somewhere that the light reflected from the moon is 1/1,000,000 of that from the sun directly. So you can take shots in moonlight using the sunny 16 rule + 20 stops (or should that be moony 16?!).


Steve.
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I doubt it, maybe a typo :)
 
kendo1 said:
I doubt it, maybe a typo
Click to expand...

If 10 stops is 1024, 20 stops is 1024 x 1024 = 1,048,576.

It's the 16 2/3 stops I got wrong. It should have been 104,044 (or 104,044.9 to be far too accurate).


Steve.
 
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Jannyfox said:
For the price of a sheet of Baader film (I ordered mine on Monday night, it arrived today) why risk damaging your camera, lens and possibly your eyesight as well????
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:agree: It's cheap as chips, works 100% without any colour cast and it's safe. I made a filter in about 10 mins, I figured that I wasn't going to become a solar tog so why spend £££s on a glass based filter.
 
Steve Smith said:
If 10 stops is 1024, 20 stops is 1024 x 1024 = 1,048,576.

It's the 16 2/3 stops I got wrong. It should have been 104,044 (or 104,044.9 to be far too accurate).


Steve.
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Oops, I had a typo! I got the right one wrong.
 
Going to throw this in here as its about the Eclipse. I'm lucky enough to be on the Isle of Lewis so will see a 95-97% eclipse, however I only have a 23mm lens at the mo so going to shoot a wide shot of this to be different. I'm guessing pointing that towards the sun is all right as its pretty much the same as a sunset right?
 
mata.morrison said:
I'm guessing pointing that towards the sun is all right as its pretty much the same as a sunset right?
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Yes, except that the little bit of the sun which you can still see will be much brighter than at sunset. It's the intensity of the sun that's potentially harmful, not the total amount of illumination, so you still need to take precautions.
 
I'm just wondering how much you might see of the occlusion with a 23mm lens? What camera body is that with?

I wouldn't even dream of trying it without the proper filter(s).
 
Its a Fuji X-E1 so crop factor has to be taken into account. I've seen a fair few photos from previous eclipses that were taken at wide angles basically giving you a dim landscape with bright sun and black dot in the middle. Ah well will see what happens/what I come up with. I have a piece of welding glass I could use but that's pointless at that focal range as I wouldn't get any thing else but a tiny dot.
 
Anyone know where you can get solar filter film on next day delivery? All I have found has been on amazon with an estimated delivery of the 27th March. May have left it a little late......
 
I would think that there will be a lot of compact cameras and camera phones out on "the day"

then it will be "the governments fault for not warning us"
 
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