A good video, and great links to some notable others who have a great deal of experience. I've seen 3 total solar eclipses now and have been lucky to get some good shots. What you say is absolutely correct, though I'd caution anyone to think about the shots you want. The flare on diamond ring can be great but you'll need an aperture of around F6. Set your camera to auto bracket - its a way to get lots of different exposures during totality, and to capture any 'streamers' from the sun (very long, static lightning-bright threads which extend out far beyondthe sun's disk). Finally, depending on what you want to capture, I'd caution against going in too close with the max zoom, both for the reason given about capturing the corona properly, but also because you might have to keep tracking the sun (because as we see it the sun and moon are constantly moving), unless you have a tracker. Final additional thought (& I'll be shooting with an Eos R as well), consider using the preset/custom settings so you're not fiddling with the exposure etc settings. Thanks so much - great video. 👍
Good idea, regarding bracketing! Based on your experience, would it be best to have it do an ISO bracket; or Auto Exposure bracket using a static ISO and shutter speed but auto aperture; or AE bracket using a static ISO and aperture but auto shutter speed; or AE bracket using a static ISO and auto shutter and aperture?
Hey question - I’m hoping to track during the eclipse and shoot a timelapse… as that’s what I do. But I haven’t shot an eclipse before. My thinking was to leave my solar filter on throughout totality. I understand that everything aside from the ring would be very dark, but is the ring not bright enough to cut through the solar filter? I can keystone and make those frames brighter if need be, but am i going to need to remove the filter mid timelapse? Thanks!!
Great tips. I'm auto-bracketing my Sony A1 at either 0.5 EV or 0.3 EV (still deciding) with 9 shots positive and negative. I also rented a Sony 600mm f/4 GM to get close but not too close. My Sony 400mm GM did a great job capturing the corona in 2017 and I was able to combine all exposures to see the full extent of the corona. It was amazing.
I just wanted to come here to say your video helped me so much in preparation for photographing the eclipse yesterday! I got some awesome captures that I can't wait to start playing with. Thank you for a great video!
I wouldn't personally waste any time with imaging totality after having seen 3 eclipses . There will be millions of amazing images to view after . But not a single one of them will replicate the experience of seeing the Solar Corona and edge prominence visually in detail with really good binoculars or telescopes due to the huge dynamic range of the eye . The Solar Corona seen visually with a telescope is by far the most spectacular and detailed astronomical object you will ever see. My first view of it at 50X in a telescope is the most powerful and astounding mental image I have . . On my first eclipse I view totality at 50X in a 75mm Compound scope On my second eclipse I took a 12 "Dobsonian with a 24mm eyepiece and my 3rd I had an 80mm refractor . It will be obvious using a filter when it is time to take off the partial phase filter , and once the Bailleys Beads appear at the end of totality you will naturally look away so there is no risk to your vision . I'm glad that this point was raised at the end of the video - but don't just look up from your camera screen , have some good optical aid ready and trained on the sun to view totality and use it . The most common sentiment I've heard from other people on my eclipse trips is that they wish they had spent less time trying to image and more time enjoying the view - it is over so quickly and it is a quite a spiritual experience .
For real!!!! Thank you for the great advice! It's nice to know you can,... But yeah I rather just relax with my dogs, cats and chickens and make sure they are ok.... Maybe I should film them!!! And how they react!!! 🤠👍👍😎
Thanks for the shout out! Clear skies and all the best to you and Ashley on April 8! You’ll be hooked! Spain in 2026, Egypt in 2027 and Australia in 2028!
I wish everyone who’s seeing this eclipse, and this is their first time to witness totality, to take it all in & not worry about taking photos or sharing to social media. Totality is unbelievable but very short, so those 3-4 minutes are precious. I lost 30 seconds or so of totality in 2017 but simply messing with my camera. Not making that mistake again! PS: Who’s watching from Texas?! 🤩
1 tele on tracker, 1 ultra wide, 1 from 6am till set for time lapse. For video, Live on my own FB and 600mm during totality for 5 mins. Maybe a film camera for that moment too :D I will be at Canada Niagara fall side that day :D
I will be watching from my backyard in Buffalo. Weather will be warm and partly cloudy on eclipse day. Some models are forecasting a sunny day. Keeping my fingers crossed. I agree with you about not messing with your camera , especially during totality. I might just shoot a video with my Nikon D7100 camera (no pics).
I'm going to use my laptop and SETnC automated software for CANON CAMERAS to "take" the shots while I enjoy the view, checking focus once in a while in the Buffalo area as long as the clouds cooperate. Either way I am going to setup and let it run......
I practiced my whole routine, twice as we're using three scopes including my 50mm HA Lunt 50mm Solar scope. I've been told the H-alpha scope won't be useful during totality, but oh well. I'll be watching it with binoculars with solar film.
One tip I can give...get the filter and test it out BEFORE the April 8th event (still waiting on my filters over here). Here's hoping we ALL get clear skies.
You are absolutely right about taking your eye away from the viewfinder! The experience of getting good images pales hugely in comparison to seeing the real deal with your own eyeballs 🤯
Same here. Nothing can capture totality like the naked eye. I was in Missouri in 2017 and was blown away and have yet to find any photos that capture what I witnessed.
@@jm5390 My experience was similar. I was kinda' late arriving at my viewing spot & spent all of totality looking through my camera. Afterwards, somebody handed over their welding mask & said that I needed to see it that way. THEY WERE SO VERY RIGHT
I would suggest spending minimal time messing with pictures if this is a first total eclipse. It’s mind-blowing to watch and you don’t want to be buried in your camera. Capturing a nice range of features means bracketing shutter speeds from 1/4000 all the way up to several seconds. Get shots at every speed available. Do it quick and then just enjoy it. I saw the 2017 in Casper WY but this time I’m going to let my laptop control the camera, which will be on a tracker. I’m going to have a beer and enjoy it with my eyes.
FYI, Bulb mode and manual mode are different things. Bulb mode means the shutter is open so long as the button is pressed. That is for if you have an intervelometer or something like that. You want manual since you are setting a shutter speed.
The center of the path is about an hour and a half from where I live in Montreal, Canada, a friend and I are driving about an hour or so to find a spot. Traffic will be horrendous that day. Good luck everyone.
3:47 -- make sure to leave some room for cropping so you don't miss out on all the details - especially during totality. IMO I would not go any more than 400 mm
True, and I'm thinking of the same, with the eclipsed sun in the background, right? Think about it and plan it in advance, so you can do it quickly - you want to spend most of your time looking and listening at what is going on around you. It's short - as long as a pop song on the radio - so be sure to enjoy it. 👍
@@Juwellz18 with 4 minutes you’ll have time to do that AND take other pictures AND view it with your own eyes, which is perhaps the best way to view it. Be sure and take time to look up in the sky with your eyes. It will sear into your memory.
One thing that helps to find it in the camera is to focus on a telephone pole a long ways away at a lower focal length then point towards the sun with the filter on. Once sun is in the viewfinder zoom in on it and re adjust focus.
Back in 2017 I just taped eclipse glasses onto the front of my small camera and it ended up with some great shots! I went a little fancier this year and 3D printed a lens cap sort of thing with a slot to glue in lens from my leftover 2017 paper eclipse glasses. Should be easier to pop on and off during totality than last time!
I have been prepping for this eclipse since the last one 7 years ago. Much more prepared this time, and will be using a sky tracker for one of my cameras and probably my equatorial mount for another.Haven't decided yet. I will probably head towards the south and west where the greatest likelihood of clear skies for that time of year are. Have fun!
@@mdees88 I was looking a little east of there if possible, but will let the forecast decide where I will land. I am practicing with the tracker in the celestial positions I may experience given my probable locations. That is however a good point to bring up for others.
Thank you for this. I have been waiting for over 8 years for this as this one is so close to go to. To me, this is one of those natural wonders like the northern lights and so beautiful. This will be my first, and I am thankful for the information to work on before the eclipse! Thank you!
I plan on doing a Facebook live video through my lunt ls60 solar scope and having my regular camera on another tracking mount with a 400mm lens to take photos. Clear skies
The 2017 was my first eclipse viewing and a successful eclipse photography as well. I would give this one tip: Automate as much of the process as you can, and be very prepared. I wouldn't do sun tracking because I think that robs you of the fun of photographing the eclipse, but certainly automate camera settings with exposure bracketing.
Good advice. I'm planning to use an intervalometer shooting a burst of three images per second, bracketing exposure by two stops. But I'm just not entirely sure what my starting exposure should be. Thinking of f/11 at 1/250th and 400 ISO. I nailed the diamond ring shot in 2017, but don't remember my settings.
@@milesian1I'm using a wireless intervolometer myself, and bracketing my shots 0.5-1.0 stops for 9 shots each second. I'm unsure what my starting exposure will be though, I need to sit down and decide my starting exposure for Baily's Beads and for totality. I just checked my settings from 2017 and it looked like I had mine at ISO 100, f-stop f/7.1, focal length at 400mm, and the exposure range was 1/500s to 1/2s. This year I'm renting the Sony 600mm f/4 GM lens, I'll have my Sony A1, and an external monitor attached.
Last year, there was a solar eclipse visible from the southern hemisphere, in witch I live. Unfortunately my location was outside of the ring of fire path, but still i got a pretty nice shot of what I could see, about 58 to 62% of the eclipse.
Take a 1 gallon jug of water and use a 1/4 rope to suspend it from the center of your tripod. Make the rope into a loop through the jug handle using about 4 to 6 ft or rope. Loop the rope over the tripod head but above where the legs connect. This will stabilize the tripod with downward force so if you bump it slightly it will not move. Let the tripod sit on soft surfaces with the weight attached for 1 to 2 hours with your equipment mounted to keep it from sinking in and slewing any alignment especially if using a tracker.
Very informative video, thanks. I am hoping to be in Dallas for this eclipse, coming over from UK. I was lucky enough to see the total solar eclipse of 2017 from Wyoming & this will be my 2nd experience.
Hi Trevor. Hoping for clear skies here in Rochester NY. Will have my rig In front yard for the neighborhood kids to view on my tablet. This is going to be awesome.
I witnessed the April 8, 2024 eclipse in Plattsburgh, NY 🌙 It was breathtaking ✨ So much so, that it inspired me begin to learn photography. I took a photo of the eclipse in totality with my iPhone SE and it looked nothing like what I saw. I hope to be able to capture a photo of an eclipse in the future. I don’t own a camera at the moment but now I’m doing my research into shopping around for which one I’ll be investing in. Informative vid. Subbed 👍🏽
Thank you very much for share you knowledge. Down here in patagonia we are waiting for the anular solar eclipse comming this octuber 2, yours tips help a lot!
I do not have a solar filter, but I do have several welding lenses laying around. what I've done to take photos of eclipses is stack two very dark welding lenses on top of each other, tape the edges, and place it on the camera. It works just fine and is safe to see through with just the eyes
I bought one of those Celestron Eclipsmart filters for my camera and was testing it out and found that absolutely no light from the sun would pass through it. As it's cardboard, I used a hobby knife to slit it open to find that there were actually two layers of solar safety film in mine. I took one of them out and presto, it worked. I've seen some comments elsewhere from others who were in the same boat, so I'm just throwing my experience out there in case it helps someone.
Dude, first off, I love your videos… thank you so much for doing what you do, as I followed along with this video a couple weeks ago and then today as a refresh. Second, I hope you managed to get some amazing views today! Thank you for allowing me to gain a little more knowledge in this photography field (day and night) as it allowed me to get some pictures I can be truly happy with today!!! Can’t wait for your next upload!
For the August 2017 eclipse, I didn't use manual exposure, but I used exposure bracketing, I remember what my - and + stops were, but for non-totality, I used 3 brackets for C2 custom program of my Canon 5D III; for totality, C1 was set up with either 5 or 7 shots of bracketing. I had trouble finding the sun using the viewfinder, so I draped a windbreaker over the camera to block out the brightness to locate the sun.
Idk about the other manufacturers but canon has a remote app, it can be finicky but once up and running it’s usually good. If you’re comfortable with it you can control your trinity settings and fire the shutter even from inside
I live in Cleburne Texas just north of Waco right on the path of eclipse totality, so I just have to walk outside and I'll be able to see totality at 100%. I rented a 600mm f/4 Sony GM for my Sony A1 and bought an 8" external monitor as my eclipse photography setup. I'm also using a wireless intervelometer with my camera setup to shoot bracketed shots at 9 EV points repeatedly. That way I don't miss any part of the eclipse, beads, or diamond. I'm going to a friend's house in town where we're having a good ol' Texas bbq cookout with our watch party. 😎
This is a great video. That filter looks very practical and seems it can useful for capturing pictures of the sun with sunspots. Going to share this with a friend who is planning to observe this eclipse. Let’s hope there are sunny skies along the path of totality 🤞
A silver potato chip bag makes a great sun filter and is free after you eat the chips. I have used it many times to take eclipse or welding pictures. If you need a darker filter, use two layers.
I'll be using 7x35mm binoculars to watch while checking my scopes. Good thing I made reservations in Texas 2 months ago because they're gouging from Eagle Pass on the border to Austin, TX. $99 a night room is jumping to $598 a night for the 7th to 9th of April. I would guess it's going to be like that all along the path of totality.
Hi. I'm a teenager, wanting to know more about the skies and what it holds. Astrophysics is my passion, and, I want to know so much more about it. But, I'm really not sure about how to get started. Could you please recommend a textbook that I can learn from? You were one of the people who inspired me. Your 10 minute videos had me running my mind about them 24/7.
Thanks Trevor! Super information. I’m well out of the path, but will be glued to my laptop! Great birthday present for me too! Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦
Hey , great video. It looked as far as I could tell your heading to PEI for the eclipse.I live in Woodstock nb right in the path of totality. I’m about 400 k away. If weather goes crap on ya there I have two acres wide open. If weather goes south here I might see ya in pei. Good luck
Awesome video! Thank you for this! One question that I have searched all over for, and haven't found a clear answer. I know we can take the solar filter off for totality, but what about the diamond ring? In order to get a shot of the diamond ring, will the solar filter be on or off?
Great tutorial, thank you! For focus, can't we just set the lens to infinity? It's much farther away than the 20 - 30 feet markings on my lens - just before the infinity symbol. Or does the solar filter affect the focus?
The weeks leading up this are maddening. We only have a few minutes of shoot time. For that we spend weeks ignoring the family, our pets, and friends, standing outside in the cold taking pictures of the sun for the big day. My neighbor will be outside with his iPhone, happy as all can be, while I fill the swear jar adjusting everything known to man to capture the perfect shot.
I did some practice photography yesterday using a Nikon D780 with a Tamron 150-600mm zoom lens at 600mm. I found that it was really hard to focus using the focusing screen with the bright sun and I found it much easier to use the viewfinder. My images basically looked like black and white photos and I'm not sure how you got the orange color. You are correct, it's much hard to find the sun that you think.
One more piece of advice, Trevor. Don't be so caught up in trying to photograph it that you miss the whole experience. Ask the experts. They give the same advice.
I have the exact same solar filter, purchased through Amazon (sold and shipped by Amazon). I just received a recall notice from Amazon directly stating that, since these filters aren't on the AAS site's safe list, they are recalling them and refunding everyone. I am not too worried, since I am only using on a DSLR and not a telescope. But seems like an over reaction by Amazon, since these are sold by Celestron/EclipSmart, who are both highly reputable. And AAS explicity states that solar filters NOT on their list doesn't mean they aren't safe, necessarily.
Hello:I love his small external monitor! What is it called and where can I get one. The eclipse where we will be is almost vertically overhead, and I , at 70 years old, can't seem to get a good view on the image viewer. Thank s!
Hoping for clear skies here in Toronto for this event. I'll be trying this on my Canon R7 with my Sigma 150-600C, I've added the solar filter for my next Amazon order.
I am coming all the way from Singapore to USA/Canada for the moment. Going to setup 3 main for photography, 2 for video during the totality, about 4 to 5 mins. Hope I can get some good results and the ideal spot is not blocked up :D
Here in New Brunswick we don't get a lot of sunny days in the spring. Chances are it's going to be cloudy. Especially during an astronomical event. lol
I have a Nisi ND100000(5.0) 16.6 stops UV/IR Cut Pro Nano filter that I got from NiSi. Will this be safe to use with my A7RV or will it damage the sensor?
Very helpful video. I have a canon R6 camera, a 75-300 kit lens and an adapter, and a 1.4 teleconverter. Will I get a better quality photo if I use the 1.6 cropping/ratio for a closer shot or use the Full cropping/aspect ratio then crop close?
I was at the 8/21/2017 total eclipse at brasstown bald Georgia USA. Got to experience from fist contact too totality Ring and corona what and experience. There is a video on YT of what was caught on that date.
On focus, I suppose this sound simple minded, but I've been practicing shots of the sun about 3 weeks in advance and 2,000 miles from where I will be during the event, on focus I've just been going to infintiy. I can't see the live view very well to focus in bright sunlight, and that's the best I've been able to manage. The results don't seem terrible. Seems like 93 million miles is close to infinity as I'm likely ever to shot.
Hey Trevor, great video! I recently worked with Dr. Gordon Telepun who created the Solar Eclipse Timer app and created a full demo. Super knowledgeable guy. I'd also recommend his book, he has lots of great photography tips. We'll be driving town to Texas from Massachusetts for the eclipse with 4 imaging rigs! I'm excited!
@@davidhallenbeck4983 Chances of clouds in Texas are much lower than the Northeast. And totality in Texas is a bit longer but that's just extra. I have a couple of videos talking about where I'll be and what it'll look like for me. Hopefully the entire continent will be under clear skies!
Hi Trevor, great video but what if I don't have a dslr, actually it fell and broke so all I can do is use my ASI533 MC pro or my planetary ASI's along with my ASIAIR. Do you have any suggestions on that type of setup for the eclipse ? Thanks F
Thanks for this great video on photographing the Total Eclipse next week. I do plan to try to take a Total Eclipse Selfie on April 8th. What are your recommendations for taking a Total Eclipse Selfie?
Hi Trevor, i will also travel to Miramichi for the event with my friend Dave as it is only 3h from my home. I think you know Dave, this is the guy who bring a rasa 11 at starfest this year! If you want, and if the sky let us, it could be fun to be at the same spot to photograph this rare event! Let me know and clear skyes!
So I have a canon eos m camera which Ik isn’t the greatest in the world but it’s the only one I could afford I’m still not super smart when it comes to cameras so I’m curious if this filter will even work for my eos m
Its just unbelievable to me the divine coincidences that happen like the moon being such a similar angular size as the sun and that we have two sets of teeth.
I still can’t make the sun look good shooting it on a normal day and I’m running out of time. I just got a Celestron avx 8” and an ASI585 camera. I’m having tracking/issues getting polar aligned during the day and problems with camera settings. I just broke my leg too so I haven’t been able to practice much either! Maybe I can at least practice post processing
Great video and very timely. I've been practicing today and it's good to see I'm doing what you are. Do you think a camera's (Z9) internal intervalometer will work well? Again, thank you.
I bought an old Canon DSLR that was modified for astro-potography. The previous owner had the infrared filter removed from in front of the sensor. They also added an after-market IR filter that could be removed at will, so it can still function like a normal camera. Would removing the IR filter aid in capturing more detail? Particularly of the corona?
Using an astro modded camera makes no improvement though there’s no harm other than the odd haloes they can be prone to which you might see at the diamond rings. But the H-a prominences are so bright any camera will record them.
You probably already know this, but be careful with your teleconverter, it's going to cut down your light and sharpness. I have a nice Sony 2x teleconverter and I still hate using them.
I got the celestron solar filter, and i tried to use it with a 75-300 millimeter lens, but no matter what i do, i cant see the sun. Do you have any advice?
Trevor i need help, what is the best thing that i can put on HEQ5PRO mount, i have budget of around 500eur(FOR TELESCOPE/LENS), I Also dont have a astro dedicated camera, I have old dslr... Sooooo do i buy apochromatic refractor telescope? or do i buy good good lens (like telephoto idk maybe 300mm)? My goal is to be able to take a good quality photos of galaxies and nebulae. Thanks for the help!
So im kinda scared to use my camera. Even with a filter I'm worried that i might damage my sensor. Also do you think a full frame would be much better than using an micro 4/3?
A good video, and great links to some notable others who have a great deal of experience. I've seen 3 total solar eclipses now and have been lucky to get some good shots. What you say is absolutely correct, though I'd caution anyone to think about the shots you want.
The flare on diamond ring can be great but you'll need an aperture of around F6.
Set your camera to auto bracket - its a way to get lots of different exposures during totality, and to capture any 'streamers' from the sun (very long, static lightning-bright threads which extend out far beyondthe sun's disk).
Finally, depending on what you want to capture, I'd caution against going in too close with the max zoom, both for the reason given about capturing the corona properly, but also because you might have to keep tracking the sun (because as we see it the sun and moon are constantly moving), unless you have a tracker.
Final additional thought (& I'll be shooting with an Eos R as well), consider using the preset/custom settings so you're not fiddling with the exposure etc settings.
Thanks so much - great video. 👍
Thank you for the pin. 🤝
Sorry, I am not USA/Canada resident. Pass the winning to someone else, Thanks! :D
Good idea, regarding bracketing! Based on your experience, would it be best to have it do an ISO bracket; or Auto Exposure bracket using a static ISO and shutter speed but auto aperture; or AE bracket using a static ISO and aperture but auto shutter speed; or AE bracket using a static ISO and auto shutter and aperture?
Hey question - I’m hoping to track during the eclipse and shoot a timelapse… as that’s what I do. But I haven’t shot an eclipse before. My thinking was to leave my solar filter on throughout totality. I understand that everything aside from the ring would be very dark, but is the ring not bright enough to cut through the solar filter? I can keystone and make those frames brighter if need be, but am i going to need to remove the filter mid timelapse?
Thanks!!
Great tips. I'm auto-bracketing my Sony A1 at either 0.5 EV or 0.3 EV (still deciding) with 9 shots positive and negative. I also rented a Sony 600mm f/4 GM to get close but not too close. My Sony 400mm GM did a great job capturing the corona in 2017 and I was able to combine all exposures to see the full extent of the corona. It was amazing.
I just wanted to come here to say your video helped me so much in preparation for photographing the eclipse yesterday! I got some awesome captures that I can't wait to start playing with. Thank you for a great video!
I wouldn't personally waste any time with imaging totality after having seen 3 eclipses . There will be millions of amazing images to view after . But not a single one of them will replicate the experience of seeing the Solar Corona and edge prominence visually in detail with really good binoculars or telescopes due to the huge dynamic range of the eye . The Solar Corona seen visually with a telescope is by far the most spectacular and detailed astronomical object you will ever see. My first view of it at 50X in a telescope is the most powerful and astounding mental image I have .
. On my first eclipse I view totality at 50X in a 75mm Compound scope On my second eclipse I took a 12 "Dobsonian with a 24mm eyepiece and my 3rd I had an 80mm refractor . It will be obvious using a filter when it is time to take off the partial phase filter , and once the Bailleys Beads appear at the end of totality you will naturally look away so there is no risk to your vision . I'm glad that this point was raised at the end of the video - but don't just look up from your camera screen , have some good optical aid ready and trained on the sun to view totality and use it .
The most common sentiment I've heard from other people on my eclipse trips is that they wish they had spent less time trying to image and more time enjoying the view - it is over so quickly and it is a quite a spiritual experience .
Thank you so much for this advice!
For real!!!! Thank you for the great advice! It's nice to know you can,... But yeah I rather just relax with my dogs, cats and chickens and make sure they are ok.... Maybe I should film them!!! And how they react!!! 🤠👍👍😎
Thanks for the shout out! Clear skies and all the best to you and Ashley on April 8! You’ll be hooked! Spain in 2026, Egypt in 2027 and Australia in 2028!
I’ve got those same destinations on my calendar for the eclipses in 2027 and 2028! 😊 Cannot wait!
I wish everyone who’s seeing this eclipse, and this is their first time to witness totality, to take it all in & not worry about taking photos or sharing to social media. Totality is unbelievable but very short, so those 3-4 minutes are precious. I lost 30 seconds or so of totality in 2017 but simply messing with my camera. Not making that mistake again!
PS: Who’s watching from Texas?! 🤩
1 tele on tracker, 1 ultra wide, 1 from 6am till set for time lapse. For video, Live on my own FB and 600mm during totality for 5 mins. Maybe a film camera for that moment too :D I will be at Canada Niagara fall side that day :D
I'll be watching from "the sticks" in Lampasas, TX. Just one tripod & camera, and maybe an old phone. IF I'm able to get the filters in time 🤞
Be watching from the Dallas area.
I will be watching from my backyard in Buffalo. Weather will be warm and partly cloudy on eclipse day. Some models are forecasting a sunny day. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I agree with you about not messing with your camera , especially during totality. I might just shoot a video with my Nikon D7100 camera (no pics).
I'm going to use my laptop and SETnC automated software for CANON CAMERAS to "take" the shots while I enjoy the view, checking focus once in a while in the Buffalo area as long as the clouds cooperate. Either way I am going to setup and let it run......
Don't forget to practice first.
Cant Practice When You Never See The Sun,And When You Can,The Winds Will Blow You Away
I practiced my whole routine, twice as we're using three scopes including my 50mm HA Lunt 50mm Solar scope. I've been told the H-alpha scope won't be useful during totality, but oh well. I'll be watching it with binoculars with solar film.
One tip I can give...get the filter and test it out BEFORE the April 8th event (still waiting on my filters over here).
Here's hoping we ALL get clear skies.
You are absolutely right about taking your eye away from the viewfinder! The experience of getting good images pales hugely in comparison to seeing the real deal with your own eyeballs
🤯
Same here. Nothing can capture totality like the naked eye. I was in Missouri in 2017 and was blown away and have yet to find any photos that capture what I witnessed.
@@jm5390 My experience was similar. I was kinda' late arriving at my viewing spot & spent all of totality looking through my camera. Afterwards, somebody handed over their welding mask & said that I needed to see it that way. THEY WERE SO VERY RIGHT
I would suggest spending minimal time messing with pictures if this is a first total eclipse. It’s mind-blowing to watch and you don’t want to be buried in your camera.
Capturing a nice range of features means bracketing shutter speeds from 1/4000 all the way up to several seconds. Get shots at every speed available. Do it quick and then just enjoy it.
I saw the 2017 in Casper WY but this time I’m going to let my laptop control the camera, which will be on a tracker. I’m going to have a beer and enjoy it with my eyes.
FYI, Bulb mode and manual mode are different things. Bulb mode means the shutter is open so long as the button is pressed. That is for if you have an intervelometer or something like that. You want manual since you are setting a shutter speed.
You are genius!! I miss my Canon Eos 5DMk3. My Sony can only go down 30 secs then bulb
Going almost directly over my house in the Fredericksburg, TX area. This should be fun!!
In 2017 I had to travel to N. Carolina. This eclipse, I will go to my backyard near DFW airport!
The center of the path is about an hour and a half from where I live in Montreal, Canada, a friend and I are driving about an hour or so to find a spot. Traffic will be horrendous that day. Good luck everyone.
3:47 -- make sure to leave some room for cropping so you don't miss out on all the details - especially during totality. IMO I would not go any more than 400 mm
It’s great to also have a wide shot with yourself or friends and family with the eclipsed sun in the background sky.
True, and I'm thinking of the same, with the eclipsed sun in the background, right? Think about it and plan it in advance, so you can do it quickly - you want to spend most of your time looking and listening at what is going on around you. It's short - as long as a pop song on the radio - so be sure to enjoy it. 👍
This is what I'm planning to do . Capture a wide shot of the event with everyone around.
@@Juwellz18 with 4 minutes you’ll have time to do that AND take other pictures AND view it with your own eyes, which is perhaps the best way to view it. Be sure and take time to look up in the sky with your eyes. It will sear into your memory.
One thing that helps to find it in the camera is to focus on a telephone pole a long ways away at a lower focal length then point towards the sun with the filter on. Once sun is in the viewfinder zoom in on it and re adjust focus.
Back in 2017 I just taped eclipse glasses onto the front of my small camera and it ended up with some great shots! I went a little fancier this year and 3D printed a lens cap sort of thing with a slot to glue in lens from my leftover 2017 paper eclipse glasses. Should be easier to pop on and off during totality than last time!
I have been prepping for this eclipse since the last one 7 years ago. Much more prepared this time, and will be using a sky tracker for one of my cameras and probably my equatorial mount for another.Haven't decided yet. I will probably head towards the south and west where the greatest likelihood of clear skies for that time of year are.
Have fun!
There will be a meridian flip about 20 minutes before totality in Texas. Keep that in mind if using the tracker.
@@mdees88 I was looking a little east of there if possible, but will let the forecast decide where I will land. I am practicing with the tracker in the celestial positions I may experience given my probable locations. That is however a good point to bring up for others.
Thank you for this. I have been waiting for over 8 years for this as this one is so close to go to. To me, this is one of those natural wonders like the northern lights and so beautiful. This will be my first, and I am thankful for the information to work on before the eclipse! Thank you!
I plan on doing a Facebook live video through my lunt ls60 solar scope and having my regular camera on another tracking mount with a 400mm lens to take photos. Clear skies
Thank you again for the great video. I got great eclipse photos with your advice.
I’m so thankful I got to see my first annular solar eclipse last October and on top of that I now get to see my first total solar eclipse
The 2017 was my first eclipse viewing and a successful eclipse photography as well. I would give this one tip: Automate as much of the process as you can, and be very prepared. I wouldn't do sun tracking because I think that robs you of the fun of photographing the eclipse, but certainly automate camera settings with exposure bracketing.
Good advice. I'm planning to use an intervalometer shooting a burst of three images per second, bracketing exposure by two stops. But I'm just not entirely sure what my starting exposure should be. Thinking of f/11 at 1/250th and 400 ISO. I nailed the diamond ring shot in 2017, but don't remember my settings.
@@milesian1I'm using a wireless intervolometer myself, and bracketing my shots 0.5-1.0 stops for 9 shots each second. I'm unsure what my starting exposure will be though, I need to sit down and decide my starting exposure for Baily's Beads and for totality. I just checked my settings from 2017 and it looked like I had mine at ISO 100, f-stop f/7.1, focal length at 400mm, and the exposure range was 1/500s to 1/2s.
This year I'm renting the Sony 600mm f/4 GM lens, I'll have my Sony A1, and an external monitor attached.
Last year, there was a solar eclipse visible from the southern hemisphere, in witch I live. Unfortunately my location was outside of the ring of fire path, but still i got a pretty nice shot of what I could see, about 58 to 62% of the eclipse.
Take a 1 gallon jug of water and use a 1/4 rope to suspend it from the center of your tripod. Make the rope into a loop through the jug handle using about 4 to 6 ft or rope. Loop the rope over the tripod head but above where the legs connect. This will stabilize the tripod with downward force so if you bump it slightly it will not move. Let the tripod sit on soft surfaces with the weight attached for 1 to 2 hours with your equipment mounted to keep it from sinking in and slewing any alignment especially if using a tracker.
Very informative.
Love your channel.
Thank you
Excellent content and information! Thank you for sharing this.
Very informative video, thanks. I am hoping to be in Dallas for this eclipse, coming over from UK. I was lucky enough to see the total solar eclipse of 2017 from Wyoming & this will be my 2nd experience.
Fellow New Brunswicker here trying to prepare for the upcoming solar eclipse! Thanks for the great video 🙌🏻
Hi Trevor. Hoping for clear skies here in Rochester NY. Will have my rig In front yard for the neighborhood kids to view on my tablet. This is going to be awesome.
I witnessed the April 8, 2024 eclipse in Plattsburgh, NY 🌙 It was breathtaking ✨ So much so, that it inspired me begin to learn photography. I took a photo of the eclipse in totality with my iPhone SE and it looked nothing like what I saw. I hope to be able to capture a photo of an eclipse in the future. I don’t own a camera at the moment but now I’m doing my research into shopping around for which one I’ll be investing in. Informative vid. Subbed 👍🏽
Thank you very much for share you knowledge. Down here in patagonia we are waiting for the anular solar eclipse comming this octuber 2, yours tips help a lot!
I do not have a solar filter, but I do have several welding lenses laying around. what I've done to take photos of eclipses is stack two very dark welding lenses on top of each other, tape the edges, and place it on the camera. It works just fine and is safe to see through with just the eyes
They have to be shade 14 to be safe.
@@GRILL332 these are 2 10s stacked together
I bought one of those Celestron Eclipsmart filters for my camera and was testing it out and found that absolutely no light from the sun would pass through it. As it's cardboard, I used a hobby knife to slit it open to find that there were actually two layers of solar safety film in mine. I took one of them out and presto, it worked. I've seen some comments elsewhere from others who were in the same boat, so I'm just throwing my experience out there in case it helps someone.
Dude, first off, I love your videos… thank you so much for doing what you do, as I followed along with this video a couple weeks ago and then today as a refresh. Second, I hope you managed to get some amazing views today! Thank you for allowing me to gain a little more knowledge in this photography field (day and night) as it allowed me to get some pictures I can be truly happy with today!!! Can’t wait for your next upload!
For the August 2017 eclipse, I didn't use manual exposure, but I used exposure bracketing, I remember what my - and + stops were, but for non-totality, I used 3 brackets for C2 custom program of my Canon 5D III; for totality, C1 was set up with either 5 or 7 shots of bracketing.
I had trouble finding the sun using the viewfinder, so I draped a windbreaker over the camera to block out the brightness to locate the sun.
Idk about the other manufacturers but canon has a remote app, it can be finicky but once up and running it’s usually good. If you’re comfortable with it you can control your trinity settings and fire the shutter even from inside
Could you please add a link for each of these items or the full name for the lens, camera remote control, etc. thank you
I live in Cleburne Texas just north of Waco right on the path of eclipse totality, so I just have to walk outside and I'll be able to see totality at 100%. I rented a 600mm f/4 Sony GM for my Sony A1 and bought an 8" external monitor as my eclipse photography setup. I'm also using a wireless intervelometer with my camera setup to shoot bracketed shots at 9 EV points repeatedly. That way I don't miss any part of the eclipse, beads, or diamond. I'm going to a friend's house in town where we're having a good ol' Texas bbq cookout with our watch party. 😎
That sounds fantastic! I'll be staying with friends in Austin.
@@milesian1Nice! Good choice, hotels are INSANE right now.
This is a great video. That filter looks very practical and seems it can useful for capturing pictures of the sun with sunspots. Going to share this with a friend who is planning to observe this eclipse. Let’s hope there are sunny skies along the path of totality 🤞
A silver potato chip bag makes a great sun filter and is free after you eat the chips. I have used it many times to take eclipse or welding pictures. If you need a darker filter, use two layers.
I'll be using 7x35mm binoculars to watch while checking my scopes. Good thing I made reservations in Texas 2 months ago because they're gouging from Eagle Pass on the border to Austin, TX. $99 a night room is jumping to $598 a night for the 7th to 9th of April. I would guess it's going to be like that all along the path of totality.
Hi. I'm a teenager, wanting to know more about the skies and what it holds. Astrophysics is my passion, and, I want to know so much more about it. But, I'm really not sure about how to get started. Could you please recommend a textbook that I can learn from? You were one of the people who inspired me. Your 10 minute videos had me running my mind about them 24/7.
Are you looking for a book on astrophysics or a book on astrophotography?
Great video Dude! Thanks for the tips!
Thanks Trevor! Super information. I’m well out of the path, but will be glued to my laptop! Great birthday present for me too! Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦
Perfect video with great information. Thank you!
Hey , great video. It looked as far as I could tell your heading to PEI for the eclipse.I live in Woodstock nb right in the path of totality. I’m about 400 k away. If weather goes crap on ya there I have two acres wide open. If weather goes south here I might see ya in pei. Good luck
Awesome video! Thank you for this! One question that I have searched all over for, and haven't found a clear answer. I know we can take the solar filter off for totality, but what about the diamond ring? In order to get a shot of the diamond ring, will the solar filter be on or off?
Any suggestions how to include à landmark or a structure with the shot?
Considering the time of day, and how high the sun will generally be overhead, (50-60 degrees elevation), it’s going to be hard.
Great tutorial, thank you! For focus, can't we just set the lens to infinity? It's much farther away than the 20 - 30 feet markings on my lens - just before the infinity symbol. Or does the solar filter affect the focus?
The weeks leading up this are maddening. We only have a few minutes of shoot time. For that we spend weeks ignoring the family, our pets, and friends, standing outside in the cold taking pictures of the sun for the big day. My neighbor will be outside with his iPhone, happy as all can be, while I fill the swear jar adjusting everything known to man to capture the perfect shot.
I did some practice photography yesterday using a Nikon D780 with a Tamron 150-600mm zoom lens at 600mm. I found that it was really hard to focus using the focusing screen with the bright sun and I found it much easier to use the viewfinder. My images basically looked like black and white photos and I'm not sure how you got the orange color. You are correct, it's much hard to find the sun that you think.
One more piece of advice, Trevor. Don't be so caught up in trying to photograph it that you miss the whole experience. Ask the experts. They give the same advice.
Thanks for this informative video. Glad to see you'll be in my home province of New Brunswick. Happy viewing.
Perfect! Just what I needed! Thanks T
Looking forward to the video of when you finally get your hands on the celestron origin smart telescope. Keen to see your thoughts.
I have the exact same solar filter, purchased through Amazon (sold and shipped by Amazon). I just received a recall notice from Amazon directly stating that, since these filters aren't on the AAS site's safe list, they are recalling them and refunding everyone.
I am not too worried, since I am only using on a DSLR and not a telescope. But seems like an over reaction by Amazon, since these are sold by Celestron/EclipSmart, who are both highly reputable. And AAS explicity states that solar filters NOT on their list doesn't mean they aren't safe, necessarily.
Hello:I love his small external monitor! What is it called and where can I get one. The eclipse where we will be is almost vertically overhead, and I , at 70 years old, can't seem to get a good view on the image viewer. Thank s!
Hoping for clear skies here in Toronto for this event. I'll be trying this on my Canon R7 with my Sigma 150-600C, I've added the solar filter for my next Amazon order.
I am coming all the way from Singapore to USA/Canada for the moment. Going to setup 3 main for photography, 2 for video during the totality, about 4 to 5 mins. Hope I can get some good results and the ideal spot is not blocked up :D
Here in New Brunswick we don't get a lot of sunny days in the spring. Chances are it's going to be cloudy. Especially during an astronomical event. lol
Trevor - you fail to mention Newtons rings - which most people are going to get. Recommended to use a ZWO T2 tilter to avoid these.
Awesome as usual! I've downloaded the e-book and ordered the filter.
I have a Nisi ND100000(5.0) 16.6 stops UV/IR Cut Pro Nano filter that I got from NiSi. Will this be safe to use with my A7RV or will it damage the sensor?
Very helpful video. I have a canon R6 camera, a 75-300 kit lens and an adapter, and a 1.4 teleconverter. Will I get a better quality photo if I use the 1.6 cropping/ratio for a closer shot or use the Full cropping/aspect ratio then crop close?
I was at the 8/21/2017 total eclipse at brasstown bald Georgia USA. Got to experience from fist contact too totality Ring and corona what and experience. There is a video on YT of what was caught on that date.
Can you stack a 10 stop ND filter with a 6 stop VND to take photos of the eclipse?
On focus, I suppose this sound simple minded, but I've been practicing shots of the sun about 3 weeks in advance and 2,000 miles from where I will be during the event, on focus I've just been going to infintiy. I can't see the live view very well to focus in bright sunlight, and that's the best I've been able to manage. The results don't seem terrible. Seems like 93 million miles is close to infinity as I'm likely ever to shot.
any tips for f8.3 with ND6.0 filters and shutter speeds at iso 400?
I am curious about your thoughts on a ND30 filter - I use it for solar pics now - vs a specific solar filter.
I found the AF on my R10 focused on the Sun's disc without issue. No manual focus required.
What AF Method did you use?
@@normameyers4904 believe it or not, eye detect AF.
We'll be in Arkansas, maybe Russellville or parts near there.
I'm looking for a Windows software that will work with Nikon D850 to automate the shooting?
Is there a lens collar I could use for a Canon ef 75-300mm lens? I have a sky watcher 2i and can't get it to balance even with the counter weight on
Hey Trevor, great video! I recently worked with Dr. Gordon Telepun who created the Solar Eclipse Timer app and created a full demo. Super knowledgeable guy. I'd also recommend his book, he has lots of great photography tips.
We'll be driving town to Texas from Massachusetts for the eclipse with 4 imaging rigs! I'm excited!
Why Texas? New York will have the same view.
@@davidhallenbeck4983 Chances of clouds in Texas are much lower than the Northeast. And totality in Texas is a bit longer but that's just extra.
I have a couple of videos talking about where I'll be and what it'll look like for me. Hopefully the entire continent will be under clear skies!
hi peter, i own the Seestar, would that serve me better than my sony mirrorless camera. could you share a tutorial on that.
or just use a small refractor on EQ mount + solar filter + astrocamera to capture a video :)
Hi Trevor, great video but what if I don't have a dslr, actually it fell and broke so all I can do is use my ASI533 MC pro or my planetary ASI's along with my ASIAIR. Do you have any suggestions on that type of setup for the eclipse ? Thanks F
Will be watching from Newfoundland!!
Thanks for this great video on photographing the Total Eclipse next week. I do plan to try to take a Total Eclipse Selfie on April 8th. What are your recommendations for taking a Total Eclipse Selfie?
Hi Trevor and Ashley. Your old place is back on the market.
If you need to change plans due to weather and need a place to set up in Buffalo. You are welcome in my backyard.
Need to wait for next year, to get a partial eclipse over Europe 😬 but I got 15 stop solar filter for my tele lens.
Hi Trevor, i will also travel to Miramichi for the event with my friend Dave as it is only 3h from my home. I think you know Dave, this is the guy who bring a rasa 11 at starfest this year! If you want, and if the sky let us, it could be fun to be at the same spot to photograph this rare event! Let me know and clear skyes!
Does the solar filter you used take the place of a ND4 filter? If we use the solar filter do we have to use an ND filter as well?
Any tips on carrying a telescope on flights? I have a Nexstar 4SE with Mount and Tripod.
thank you for your time and information
You forgot to mention your 1.4 teleconverter in your _initial_ overview of equipment ;)
So I have a canon eos m camera which Ik isn’t the greatest in the world but it’s the only one I could afford I’m still not super smart when it comes to cameras so I’m curious if this filter will even work for my eos m
What should the metering setting be?
@astrobackyard do you recommend another filter other that the Celestron eclipsmart? They seem to be sold out everywhere.
Its just unbelievable to me the divine coincidences that happen like the moon being such a similar angular size as the sun and that we have two sets of teeth.
I still can’t make the sun look good shooting it on a normal day and I’m running out of time. I just got a Celestron avx 8” and an ASI585 camera. I’m having tracking/issues getting polar aligned during the day and problems with camera settings. I just broke my leg too so I haven’t been able to practice much either! Maybe I can at least practice post processing
Great video and very timely. I've been practicing today and it's good to see I'm doing what you are. Do you think a camera's (Z9) internal intervalometer will work well? Again, thank you.
I bought an old Canon DSLR that was modified for astro-potography. The previous owner had the infrared filter removed from in front of the sensor. They also added an after-market IR filter that could be removed at will, so it can still function like a normal camera. Would removing the IR filter aid in capturing more detail? Particularly of the corona?
Using an astro modded camera makes no improvement though there’s no harm other than the odd haloes they can be prone to which you might see at the diamond rings. But the H-a prominences are so bright any camera will record them.
You probably already know this, but be careful with your teleconverter, it's going to cut down your light and sharpness. I have a nice Sony 2x teleconverter and I still hate using them.
Should you use the solar filter when you take pictures of the sunrise and sunset?
I got the celestron solar filter, and i tried to use it with a 75-300 millimeter lens, but no matter what i do, i cant see the sun. Do you have any advice?
should my photo white or orange
Trevor i need help, what is the best thing that i can put on HEQ5PRO mount, i have budget of around 500eur(FOR TELESCOPE/LENS), I Also dont have a astro dedicated camera, I have old dslr...
Sooooo do i buy apochromatic refractor telescope? or do i buy good good lens (like telephoto idk maybe 300mm)? My goal is to be able to take a good quality photos of galaxies and nebulae.
Thanks for the help!
So im kinda scared to use my camera. Even with a filter I'm worried that i might damage my sensor.
Also do you think a full frame would be much better than using an micro 4/3?
I took notes. Thanks.