Is it too late to order a Solar Filter for the Eclipse?

The bottom line here is there's no MacGyverying something to work. If you intend to shoot the eclipse with a long lens, telephoto or telescope, use a solar filter or don't image the partial phases.

If your in 96% now can you drive a few miles to get to 100% ? It shouldn't be that far for you .

People in the KY/IL/IN/MO area sure got lucky. Sunny, with a high near 91. About 20° too hot for me, but it's obviously the clouds that are important here.

Correct , partial phases demand Solar Filters . Sorry but trying to keep you from permenantly damaging your eyes . However you can setup a pinhole technique and take images . That way no damage to your camera or eyes . Look online , lots of great ways to do a pinhole . BTW even at 96% it still is not safe to try imaging the sun without a filter , Sorry .

Ok, another possibly dumb question, if I'm using my drone at this time, would I be able to do 360 pans since the lens is a 28mm lens? Or should I avoid aiming it at the sun completely? I'm reading about some cool things that will happen during the Eclipse and it would be cool to capture some of that on video from the air.

CameraMan wrote in post #18430920
Ok, another possibly dumb question, if I'm using my drone at this time, would I be able to do 360 pans since the lens is a 28mm lens? Or should I avoid aiming it at the sun completely? I'm reading about some cool things that will happen during the Eclipse and it would be cool to capture some of that on video from the air.

If your imaging the crowd from above with a drone be ready for plenty of upset people if you get it in front of their view of the sun especially those imaging . Drones can cause hostility , be prepared . As far as pointing the camera at the sun , same principle applies as a regular camera .

I'm going to try and be around no people then. There is a private lake nearby that I have access to. I might try there.

CameraMan wrote in post #18430943
I'm going to try and be around no people then. There is a private lake nearby that I have access to. I might try there.

Watch this video and you can see why you need a proper solar filter .

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=uXsJYpFlva4

At 28mm it's no different than shooting on a regular day with the sun in frame somewhere.

I say that with a drone or live view in mind. I wouldn't look through a viewfinder with a wide angle lens and assume that's safe for the eye. It's only safe for the camera.

Celestron wrote in post #18430945
Watch this video and you can see why you need a proper solar filter .

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=uXsJYpFlva4

Wow that is very interesting! Thank you for sharing that....

I've taken such shots with a 18mm but it mainly washes out a good image. I've had better luck using a Polarizer Filter adjusted properly for reflections also but still would end up washed out using a 18-55mm lens . But I would not image the sun with a zoom lens without a filter .

What you saw in the video is why we highly express warnings with viewing the sun . People don't realize how fast and how much damage they can get from a scope or binoculars or a camera with a big lens or zoom lens without a filter . Cooks your eye in a few seconds .

Celestron wrote in post #18430892
If your in 96% now can you drive a few miles to get to 100% ? It shouldn't be that far for you .

A few miles? the furthest southern area I can get to at 100% totality is about 110 miles from me. I've been checking zip codes Here and haven't found anything closer than 110 miles from me. That's about a 3 hour drive. I still may do it just to be able to see totality.

Yes*

*But not for 2024!