Solar Eclipse Next Week - Any Suggestions?

[Hillsilly]

We've got a total solar eclipse next Wednesday morning (14th November) in Northern Australia.  Does anyone have any good suggestions for photographing one?  Any special filters or preferred lenses that you'd suggest? 

[JPAZ]

It is probably too late to order from them now, but I used a solar filter from these guys in 2010:

www.thousandoaksoptical.com/

I don't have my EXIF but think I shot on my 50d using a 70-200.  I set up a tripod and did a lot of exposure bracketing and shot away.  At the "peak" of eclipse, you can remove the filter for some interesting effects.  Just remember to replace the filter as the moon moves off the sun!

Here's one of my favorites.

Good luck

[Hillsilly]

Thanks. When I googled solar eclipse photos, yours is the sort of photo that comes up.  Now I know that a solar filter is the key.

[bkorcel]

Buy me a ticket to AU and I'll take one for you! 

Get one of those glass solar filters normally put on a telescope.  I bought one that fits my 300 2.8L.  Works like a champ....though unless you have a telescope shop near you, you might not get it in time.  I would not shoot the sun directly unless it is really total.  Anything less might damage the camera.

We've got a total solar eclipse next Wednesday morning (14th November) in Northern Australia.  Does anyone have any good suggestions for photographing one?  Any special filters or preferred lenses that you'd suggest?

[PeterJ]

I've got one of the Thousand Oak filters and live in Australia as well. I ordered direct from them and service was all good, but not express and it took close to 2 weeks to arrive. Thanks for the reminder, I thought I'd put it in my Outlook calendar but apparently forgot, although only looks like about 50% eclipse from Tassie will be worth taking a look at.

I started a similar thread a while ago before I bought the filter that's worth a read because I got useful advice. Didn't realise at the time how partial that one was so looking forward to this one:

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=1587

[PeterJ]

End up having any luck Hillsilly? From here (near Hobart) apart from only a partial 50% odd it was too cloudy to even see the sun most of the time, although it popped out a few times and I got a couple of shots.

[Hillsilly]

Nice - very moody.

My work plans changed and I found myself still in Brisbane.  I missed the "total" solar eclipse and had a crescent shaped sun, too.  Still, I found it very interesting.

I took a few photos, and will take a closer look at them as soon as I get home tonight.  For lack of anything better, I stacked an IR filter, a 3 stop ND filter and a polarizer on the end of a Canon 100-300, which I mounted onto an Olympus EPL-1.  I went with the Olympus so that I could compose through the EVF without worrying about eye damage.  But I probably should have trialled it first.  While viewing through the EVF was fine and worked well, the combination of filters and lower quality lens led to a lot of lens flare which I think ruined most of the shots.

[Hillsilly]

My best effort.  As I thought lens flare, incorrect exposure choices and imperfect equipment led to some disappointing results.  Oh well...at least I'm a little better informed.  When the next one is here in 17 years times, I'll be on top of these things. 

[AdamJ]

The Bing search engine had this stunning pic as their wallpaper a few weeks ago. I'd appreciate any insight as to how it was done.

[Rat]

The Bing search engine had this stunning pic as their wallpaper a few weeks ago. I'd appreciate any insight as to how it was done.

That looks a suspicious lot like the sun's magnetic field. Although there might be tricks to take photographs of solar wind, I think they would require specialist equipment and more than just a few filters. I suspect this might just be an artist's impression, though.

[AdamJ]

The Bing search engine had this stunning pic as their wallpaper a few weeks ago. I'd appreciate any insight as to how it was done.

That looks a suspicious lot like the sun's magnetic field. Although there might be tricks to take photographs of solar wind, I think they would require specialist equipment and more than just a few filters. I suspect this might just be an artist's impression, though.

It's the work of a Czech guy called Miloslav Druckmuller. A quick google shows that astrophotography is his thing but I'm guessing this is a composite, since I'm not sure it would otherwise be possible to expose the 'dark side of the moon' that well.