Solar Eclipse tomorrow

[jimsolt]

I read there is a solar eclipse tomorrow, April 8, beginning at 5:21PM Eastern and there's more on the eclipse here (http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/HSE2005/PSE2005city1/PSE2005city1.html). It's very visible (barring clouds) in the SE US.
Now, what I'd like to know (and there's no time to go out and buy a book or send off for a mail order filter), is how to shoot it with Rebel XT without going blind and/or exploding the camera.
Any suggestions.
Thanks,
Jim

[mvonditter]

I read there is a solar eclipse tomorrow, April 8, beginning at 5:21PM Eastern and there's more on the eclipse here (http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/HSE2005/PSE2005city1/PSE2005city1.html). It's very visible (barring clouds) in the SE US.
Now, what I'd like to know (and there's no time to go out and buy a book or send off for a mail order filter), is how to shoot it with Rebel XT without going blind and/or exploding the camera.
Any suggestions.
Thanks,
Jim

Just a thought, pan from the dark side at f22 @1/2000 and work it from there. Should not hurt the camera, could hurt your eyes if you look through it to long. Your sensor will not see it until the shutter is pressed.:)

[robertwgross]

Jim, we just discussed a total solar eclipse a couple of weeks ago. This one is only a partial eclipse, so you may find it underwhelming. The light intensity will be just about the same as shooting directly at a full sun, so things might be damaged all the way from the camera to your vision.

---Bob Gross---

[LouDawg]

Just use some common sense--don't look at the sun through the camera or with the naked eye, it could hurt your eyes. :D Don't point the camera directly at the sun until you are ready to take a shot because it could damage something. I've shot the sun many times, for example in landscape shots, and it has never been a problem.

[DocFrankenstein]

Don't point the camera directly at the sun until you are ready to take a shot because it could damage something.
Uh? Damage what?

How can an camera get damaged from shooting the sun?

[mbze430]

it sure can. Remember the days of using a magnefying glass to burn ants? Well the Lens is the same thing. the end that goes to the camera is a dioptric lens...so essentially you can burn through the mirrors and even the curtains.

[who me?]

Uh? Damage what?

How can an camera get damaged from shooting the sun?

Depending on the conditions/lens size and how much of the sun is visible, Very easily actually.
Since the camera lens will be creating an image, no matter how large or small, it is still concentrating all incoming light. This will cause heat and will more than likely be pretty strong for theshutter and sensor too.
For example, if you take a 2" to 2 1/2" magnifying glass and create an image circle small enough to fit on an sensor, it will still be concentrating that light (and heat) which if you were to put you hand under it, you would feel the heat. This may damage the shutter if left long enough in one place. If the lens is a telephoto, it is essentially magnifying the image and intensity even greater.
Most solar filters that can be used visually have coatings that reduce the light to less than 1/1000 of the unfiltered light. Glass solar filters are coated with nickel and stainless steel as well as other coatings to filter the light and all UV rays. Mylar solar filters have similar coatings but are obviously not as durable as the glass ones but still function the same way.
I have a 13" telescope and if I point it to the sun without an eyepiece and put a piece of paper over the eyepiece holder that creates a 1 1/4" image circle, it only takes 1-2 seconds to start burning the paper. Granted, this is an extreme case but it is an example of the concentration of light from the sun.

As a suggestion, use a piece of paper and put it a little distance behind the finder to help you point the camera into the sun. This way you are not directly looking at the sun. Also, once you have the camera positioned properly to catch the sun, put the lens cap on until you are ready to shoot the sun.

I am not saying you shouldn't do it but please use caution. Obviously, your camera is replaceable but your eyes are not. If you have a ND filter, I would suggest using it first to reduce the light but that is all it will do as most of the harmful UV rays will still pass through to the eyepiece/finder. Depending on how much of the sun is covered by the moon, it may still be too intense for the sensor.

You might also try a pinhole type aperture on a large card and project the sun's image onto a white card behind the aperture. You could snap shots of this. I have seen this done many times and IF some of the sunspots are large ehough, you can see them in the projected image.
Also, if you have time try www.space.com, www.skyandtelescope.com or www.astronomy.com for more info on shooting the sun.

I hope this helped.

[DocFrankenstein]

Thanks...

So the only way to damage the camera would be to enable mirror lockup. :D

But otherwise you can leave it pointing at the sun for as long as you want.
so essentially you can burn through the mirrors
Burning through mirrors is an interesting concept. Shutter is the most vulnerable I think.

[robertwgross]

Uh? Damage what?

How can an camera get damaged from shooting the sun?

Yes, a long shutter allows internal parts to get heated up much more than they normally would. A fast shutter is safer.

---Bob Gross---

[iwatkins]

Remember the mirror is only half mirrored. Light still passes through to the shutter curtain behind and also the AF and exposure sensors. It will burn the inside of the camera if you point the camera (with a big lens) directly at the sun for any length of time.

Ian

[jimsolt]

With less than 3 hours to go before the partial eclipse, my needs have drastically changed.
It would appear that now in SE FL, what I need to shoot this eclipse is a filter that will part the clouds and allow me to see the sun in any degree of eclipse.
Time is running out. Any suggestions? :lol:

Jim

[robertwgross]

With less than 3 hours to go before the partial eclipse, my needs have drastically changed.
It would appear that now in SE FL, what I need to shoot this eclipse is a filter that will part the clouds and allow me to see the sun in any degree of eclipse.
Time is running out. Any suggestions? :lol:

Jim

Jim, I went through that solar filter stuff in detail in the earlier discussion. Did that work for you?

---Bob Gross---

[jimsolt]

Jim, I went through that solar filter stuff in detail in the earlier discussion. Did that work for you?

---Bob Gross---

No, but that is the fault of my not having the time, not the fault of the material. The sun is visible right now (the eclipse has just started) for the first time today due to cloud cover.

I just stepped outside to see where the sun was and I can't even look at it because it is so bright. Amazing change from the cloud cover when I couldn't tell where the sun was.

I won't be able to try anything unless something changes, but I'll keep a well shielded eye on the situation. Maybe with a partial cloud cover, something will turn up. It only lasts for 2 hours, start to finish.

I just saw a post from the other end of the globe where this happened at sunrise. Very nice.

Thanks for the advice.

Jim