URGENT message for anyone who was planning to use Solar Eclipse Maestro for the eclipse: Thanks to Rob Hawley (author of CaptureEclipse) it has been confirmed that the (1.9.1) version of Solar Eclipse Maestro I was using in my automation video has old data that was a few seconds off the best predictions for C2 and C3 timing. I've since found a corrected version (1.9.2) (drive.google.com/file/d/11ADLZSBrA5NM5vrCob_3nJ_fjODmXd2K/view?usp=sharing) that has the correct timing for these events (if you take into account the limb correction value). If you have downloaded 1.9.1 already, I'd highly suggest updating to 1.9.2 with the above link. I apologize, I didn't know that a newer version was available. Cheers, Nico
Sorry to bother you off topic from the maestro gear. I'm about to start driving towards Texas from California. Any tips on locations you're leaning towards in the last few days based on current weather reports? Buchanan Lake was my primary but im basically just going to keep checking the weather as I drive east into texas.
@@djaa7 Unfortunately, I have no clue. I'll be in the middle of the country on Friday, putting off the decision as far as I can based on forecasts that will get more and more accurate as we get closer to Monday.
Hey Niko, i was wondering if you could do another comparison video like your 100 vs 500 vs 1000 series with the new Seestar s50 as the $500 contender. I think it would be really interesting to compare similar exposure and setup times. Great video btw
I appreciated watching this video, even if I'm going to take your earlier advice and stick to a basic setup. I was in the path in 2017, the Smoky mountains were a little too smoky that day, and I'm ready for the full show this time around! Clear skies!
In SetnC, the exposure table is editable like a spreadsheet in that you can copy one cell and drag it into additional cells relatively quickly. Also, if you start the actual eclipse timing sequence you can go into a practice mode. It's a bit clunky, but you can run through the entire eclipse sequence and advance from one stage to the next without waiting for real-time. If you know where you will be in advance, it is possible to save your location and timing data. I expect to generate mine on site, so I'll be practicing a lot
Hey Nico! Just wanted to jump in here and thank you so much for this series. I don't have any kind of fancy tracker or automation, but even still, because of your earlier videos I got some absolutely stunning photographs with just a tripod, a telephoto zoom, and an a6700 from here in Dallas. Thank you so much for all this information it really really helped.
Thanks for this. I just downloaded eclipse orchestrator and it works with my d800e on the free test version. So ill be dropping the 100 on the pro mode, it really will reduce a lot of the stress and the voice cues are great.
I believe SET'n'C also requires you to set your computer's time zone to (UTC) Coordinated Universal Time with daylight savings and set time automatically off. Not sure if the other programs require this as well.
Much appreciated Nico. I’m still on the fence on taking my Radian 61 or using my Tamron 150 - 600 lens and using my Canon 6DMll on my ZWO AM5. This video will help make the process a lot easier to take the pictures and enjoy the eclipse and not miss it visually with eclipse glasses of course.
I think either could work well, but 275mm is a little wide for full frame. It would be good for getting the outer corona, but the Tamron at 600mm would get better detail on the prominences / bailey's beads. My shot in the thumbnail was at 510mm f.l. full frame for context.
Great information. These tools (testing SEM) offer a lot of flexibility such as bracketing, burst, etc. should I take a test shot of the sun to ensure that the exposure settings results in an adequately exposed image? The last I would want is to have blown up highlights.
I can jump in. If you have Baader solar film, it is ND5 or 1/10000 so your exposure should be around 1/400 s, f/8, ISO100 (Or equivalent) . You should test for partial by shooting the sun with any lens and those settings. Then look and decide if the image is nice. 1/800s for those settings is what Xavier recommends and it seems good too. If you can shoot raw, you have a lot more latitude in exposure. That Said, I found if you use Thousand Oaks Optical film, it acts like ND6 and you needs 3 stops more exposure.
This a different subject but on April 10 2024, the Comet 12P, a sliver of the Moon, Jupiter, Uranus and the Pleiades will be pretty align, to where you can use a 50mm lens to capture them all. Do You have any suggestions on settings for time exposures for this. Thank You
Very well detailed and presented...thanks! I used Maestro in 2017. Nice that it could run four cameras. Using CaptureEclipse in 2024 with a Canon RP. I appreciate the reassurance of seeing someone else demo it. Have you tried changing out the camera battery with the script running? Experiencing totality near Waxahachie, TX with 4min11sec duration. Clear skies to everyone!!!
The only way is to stop the run, shut down the program, change the battery, and resume. It is not a bad practice to adopt at the 15 minute focus reminder. I have learned that the camera’s report of battery life is quantized so it reports every value from 49% to 20% the same. So if the battery is at the yellow level I would change it.
Great info here, as usual. Unfortunately, Im in the path of total darkness as far as software goes (pun intended)... I have a Mac running Sonoma and Nikon cameras. Nothing here will really work for me. I may try out EclipseDroid, but it looks dicy running on just my phone and an OTG cable.
Nico - where will be you during totality? VT is down the road from you in NH? we are heading to Burlington VT on Saturday...booked a hotel about 6 months ago...and never predicted the weather bubble would be centered over VT along the path of totality! the south looks cloudy!
Im deciding to use NINA for the eclipse, theres a lucky imaging plugin for high FPS. I made a sequence in the advanced sequencer for it, tested out well! Can't wait
Thanks for the video, great information. After watching this video I almost wish I had gotten myself a used Canon DSLR. As this is my second total eclipse. It would be interesting to see what I could get with the automation software. I am one of the small groups of people that shoots with a Pentax camera (which I personally love) and of course none of the automation software works with Pentax. Guess I will have to see what I do in 20 years. 😁
Been following this since Video #2! I’m not photographing the eclipse but this is super interesting! I am driving cross country to go see this thing and it looks like all of Texas is going to be cloudy. I’m going to be pretty sad if it ends up being overcast all day.
I couldn't find any software that works with my cameras (Nikon D3500 and Nikon D5600), or meets my unique needs (planning on a fairly non-standard timelapse, and livestreaming). So I went the nuclear option: I home brewed and wrote my own to run on a Raspberry Pi 5. As I type this, I am running a realtime dry run (no camera activation, in place of a shutter release, it's performing a screencap of Stellarium to test timing, running on the same Pi hardware). Once I'm satisfied with the timing, I'll be recompiling the software to actually trigger a shutter release and run a full dress rehearsal (only without the sun because it's cloudy here right now).
Doesn't look like any options for newer Sony bodies. Wonder why. No matter for me, as I don't have a tracking mount anyway. I have my a7RIV set up with the 3 custom modes with different settings for the various phases. I'll only have to turn one knob and it'll automatically change all my exposure and bracketing settings for partial phases, transitional phases, and totality. Love the videos. Thanks for so many good tips!
@@lidarman2, true if we talk about USB control. I have researched it extensively and I hate Sony with passion in that department. I did find a whole bunch of loopholes using gphoto2 and Raspberry Pi 4 (USB ports work on it in a peculiar way, making it faster than any PC I've tried). But it all lost meaning to me once a friend of mine pointed me to their REST API... I was shocked, it's super fast! Yeah, there are no UI solutions, but to write code for it is pretty easy, after all you just need to make HTTP requests and you are good to go. I understand that non-IT guys will find it challenging, but right now there is no better way, sadly.
Thanks for posting, just now watching this and scrambling to find alternatives for automation as I also am in the Sony ecosystem. I think I'll do as you have and set my custom modes as well. Mind sharing what you are utilizing, and which portions of the eclipse you are going after?
@Kevin_Borr I'll be shooting all phases from C1 to C4 and using my Sony a7RIV & Sony 200-600mm, tripod w/ gear head, and remote trigger. My settings will be... Partial phases... (C1-C2 & C3-C4) Mapped to Custom Mode 1 500mm f/8 ISO 100 1/640s 2.0 EV 3 Uncompressed RAW (14-bit) 1 shot of full sun, then 10 equally spaced partial shots. Transitional Phases... (beads & diamond rings) Mapped to Custom Mode 2 500mm f/8 ISO 100 1/2000s 2.0 EV 3 Compressed RAW (12-bit) Rapid fire until buffer is full. (Using compressed RAW on my a7RIV with UHS II Class10 300MB/s cards, this gets me around 20-30s of shots until I overrun the buffer.) Totality... Mapped to Custom Mode 3 500mm f/8 ISO 100 1/500s & 1/8s 1.0 EV 9 Uncompressed RAW (14-bit) As fast as possible. This is the only time I'll have to adjust my shutter speed. I'll be bracketing at 1.0 EV 9, but jumping back and forth between having my shutter speed set to 1/500s and 1/8s. This will get me a range of exposures from 1/8000s to 2s. I'll do this several times during the first half of totality. The second half is for enjoying with my eyes. For all phases and all bracketing, I'll be using continuous bracketing. This allows me to press and hold the remote trigger once for each series of bracketed shots. The camera automatically (using 1.0 EV 9 as an example) takes 9 frames in increments of 1 stop (by adjusting shutter speed). My testing has shown that my 64GB card will be just large enough to capture all my shots with my gear and settings. I'll also be shooting redundant to both cards simultaneously for security.
Funny enough I was testing my setup today for the umpteenth time. I found a lot of bugs still. A thing I learned are that some low power items that might be run using a small power bank might cause the bank to sleep (I' have a camera taking polarized images and have a small microcontroller that went to sleep while testing). Bottom line is do an end-to-end test several times--don't leave anything as assumed. It cannot be stressed enough.
May I ask question about Solar protective films. You do recommend a Baader Solar Film, yet this film in not 12312-2 certified; this means it is not appropriate for viewing Sun with human eyes becasue it does not protect against UV and IR. Yet it can be used for modern cameras becasue they have internal protection of sensors ahgainst UV and IR. Therefore, simple ND5 films are good enough and additional UV and IR protection is not needed. Is that true? Thanks
That was the 2017 eclipse with a Skywatcher 80ED doublet telescope and Canon 5Dmk3 camera. I also have a new bailys beads shot from the 2024 eclipse taken with an RF800 f11 lens and Canon R5 - processing video for that one here: th-cam.com/video/QwPRtfHQPoQ/w-d-xo.html
@@NebulaPhotos Thank you for the reply! Which software did you use in 2017? After those 2 eclipses, which software did you find worked the best to capture as many Baily's beads as possible.
As far as Eclipse Droid is concerned I plan on trying to connect my 6D to my tablet via WiFi connection. I did find a type C to Mini cable on Amazon but if I can make a good connection with WiFi then that will be how I use it. I'll just have to wait until I get home from work.
After messing around with this program a little I would NOT suggest it to your viewers. It may be able to control a camera but I can't figure out how to set the actions in a simple manner. I asked for a refund and it said this program wasn't supported. $3 down the drain. From what I can tell it's just a count down timer. I may be wrong but there's better software between Windows and Mac. I would stay away from this program.
Sorry to hear that. Since I couldn't get it working with any of my cameras/cables, I wasn't sure how well it worked once a camera was connected. Thanks for the report and sorry again that it cost you $3 to find that out.
Does anyone know how to set the appropriate ND filter in solar eclipse maestro software. I’m trying to set the exposure time, not sure if this is adjustable? How does one account for an ND filter?
Awesome video! Nico, I am trying to use a RedCat 51 but when starting CaptureEclipse, I get a message saying “Lens does not provide a supported f/stop. This is not recoverable. The program will exit. Known cause is setting camera High Tone Option” Did you ever run into that?
Gotcha. You may have already figured this out too, but my guess for what the message means is the 'Highlight Tone Priority' setting in the shooting menu. I'm guessing they mean that should be OFF. I think that's the default. Maybe also worth a shot to reset all camera setting and then turn back on 'release shutter w/o lens'
It appears as if Eclipse Orchestrator doesn't work with a Nikon D850? Regardless, it's very glitchy. I'm wondering if Digicamcontrol (DCC) can be used? I have used DCC to shoot Astro, but only as a simple instruction to shoot x number of pics, at x settings. Will this work? The required settings will be changing constantly...
Anyone else had issues with Eclipse Orchestrator not recognizing their camera? I have a Canon 1DX Mk. II and am connecting it with an interface to USB-C cable. My computer seems to acknowledge the camera is plugged in but it doesn’t show in the app.
Great Overview...Question....Using Capture Eclipse, once the sequence starts, could I use my wireless shutter release to ass images between the scheduled images captured after C1 to add enough photos to make a Timelapse - same after the Total Eclipse down to C4? Do you know if that will interfere with the schedule?
i did try this last night, and looks like taking photos with my remote shutter release in between the scripted shots did not influence the scheduled images...but would like to hear from Nico or from Rob H about this!... it is unfortunate that CaptureEclipse is unable to drive burst raw images with my Canon R5 faster than about 2fps....much lower than what I can do with my shutter release !
@@royalwulff0918 Thanks...I tried this morning as well. All seemed to work fine. I am not sure what is up with the R5 and 2fps...with the software that is. One thing I did to be able to set my burst rate higher was to format my memory card. After that, I was able to set the Burst at .6, and I the sequence with no issues. I did get some nice images in between the clouds this morning here in East TN. Driving north to Ohio to hopefully find some clear skies. Good Luck.
@@Gregorytheaffiliate thanks for the message - yes I bought a new card, formatted it and also updated my r5 from firmware 1.0 to 2.0 (it has not been changed since i bought it!) - and plan on shooting more photos between scripted images...but i hope to enjoy the event as much as possible with my kids so will keep it in my pocket and fire away when i can
Would a power inverter be efficient to power the mount and dslr for the entire eclipse assuming the car is running the entire time? This is my only concern since I’m using a setup like this but without a laptop or automation software.
Kinda stinks for windows/Nikon users that the only choice is Eclipse Orchestrator cuz I don't really want to shell out $109 a week before when the weather could be crappy. Especially in April. I get there saying it is for support. But can't help but thinking also a way to get $109 out of us that could be completely useless.
Does anyone know if Eclipse Orchestrator works with ethernet connection instead of USB? I don't have a USB cable yet but I've got my Canon hooked up via ethernet. It works taking photos through EOS Utility and is recognized by EO, but it won't recognize it for the scripts or take photos.
@NebulaPhotos The SetnC program has two 'remove filter' and two 'replace filter' audio callouts which are about 40 to 30 seconds before the start of Baily's Beads capture I'm concerned about the placement, as the Sun may still have plenty of illumination at those times. Is there risk to an unfiltered DSLR with telescope at that point? What would be the precise times to safely pull and replace the sun filter?
Hey i saw that EOS R has a buffer problem with CaptureEclipse (tested on 2 bodies and saw on your video you have exactly same problem). Did you searching for what is the problem? I tested, that canon 6d is much better, because it is taking all photos from the default script. It seems like EOS r is not a good choice for eclipse :/
I used Solar Eclipse Maestro. In 2024, I tried both Solar Eclipse Maestro and CaptureEclipse (both Mac programs) and found CaptureEclipse more accurate with the timings. But I think for the next one, I might go back to just burst mode directly on the camera as that seems to allow for the most shots captured over automation software. It's a tradeoff though because automation software is very convenient, and allows one to enjoy the totality visually without manually doing anything with the camera.
Depends on the model of camera and the model of the Mac. Whatever USB cable has the right connections. For my Canon Ra and M1 Mac, I used a USB-C cable with C-style connectors on both ends.
Yes, you could. Just remember to be extra mindful about the cable as I could imagine it being easy to snag it going back and forth between laptop and camera (to recompose).
Good point. I might still try my Star Adventurer 2i but unfortunately it's not great at the 500mm range without guiding(which I don't have). @@NebulaPhotos
Do any of these work with a dedicated astro camera? For example, I have an ASI183 MC Pro. I was planning on using an ASIAIR to orchestrate the imaging sequence.
Perhaps, I think the issue would be timing with the way it downloads images, but it should be good for getting lots of corona shots, just not the really fast stuff (bailys beads)
@@NebulaPhotos corona Shots will be just perfect! My first eclipse and simple as possible. Baileys and Diamond ring will be an Egypt 2027 aspiration. Flying in from Florida to be in Gaitsville , Texas for this one. Thank you Nico for all you do . clear skies!!
I should have said, I didn’t have my camera attached to a lens so that dropdown was inactive: I believe it’s only active with a lens so that the software can control it.
@@NebulaPhotos Thanks, I'm going to try the SetnC on April 8th if the clouds cooperate. I setup the exposure times want and will be using a tracker. I saved the exposure times / f-stops (I added and modified) as a file to load in when on location........I will be staying a mile away from the center line.
Not that I've found, the issue is those cameras take a long time to download the photos, and this is a quick event so a program that can write to an internal SD card is preferred - the eclipse automation programs only trigger the camera, the photos are saved to the card.
From the author of CaptureEclipse. Thank you for your review. There are a couple of points that I want to make sure your users are aware of. First using Live View during the capture is NOT a supported configuration. Users have confirmed that this slows down the camera which was likely the cause of the problems in your video. Second the default for the C's is 3 seconds (6 seconds total). That may also have affected the diamond ring capture. I strongly recommend not changing this value. Based on this video in the next version of CaptureEclipse you will get a dialog to that effect. Using the focus tool with a lens is far superior to using Live View and manual focus since the focus method is able to make very small changes. This is less true if you are using a telescope. Your comment on the filter names is valid. In the next version I will change the listing of solar filters to Thousand Oaks, ND5, Baader/Kendrick, and Orion. In this version it is not possible to change the partials to less than 5%, but a number of people have requested that so it is a longer discussion why that change was not made. Regarding SEM - I would not use this software unless it has been updated. The earth's rotation went bonky in 2018 and this has affected the predictions that have not been updated. If you want more information I monitor the FaceBook group Solar Eclipse Chasers
Thanks for the corrections / comments Rob! This is the first I heard about SEM, looks it was updated in 2019, but you are saying that the data is still wrong? Would this be true of Xavier’s google map too as I thought that was a trusted source…
@@NebulaPhotos The gold test would be to compare its predictions against either CaptureEclipse or Xjubier (which I have not done). I last used SEM in 2019 and it worked fine then but ΔT since then has been basically unchanged instead of following the historical trend. If he uses Espanek's data then his predictions are based on the trend. This was a problem in CE v 1.1 that I ran in Australia last year. Bear in mind the SEM prediction is a tad different since he is using limb correction so his exposures are programmed differently than mine are. I can cite you a reference if that will be useful. I was concerned about EO also, but they now list an update before this eclipse so I assume it is correct. Please let me know if there is any other info I can provide
@@NebulaPhotos His Google map and calculator ARE corrected to the latest value. In fact they are my gold standard for testing my own predictions ( +- 0.5 sec).
Thank you so much for your help (and for creating CaptureEclipse!). Early next week, I will compare all the predictions in SEM vs. CE and let you know what I find. If they are way off in SEM I will try to create a follow-up video quickly to warn people about this. Relieved to hear the Google map and calculator are corrected since I've been recommending those for a long time. I just heard from another comment on this video that Xavier is ill and that may be why the planned 2023 update to SEM didn't seem to happen.
@@NebulaPhotos I have heard the same. If SEM was still being updated I would not have bothered. Fred (and I assume SEM) is using 71 seconds for the earth rotation correction when the current measured value is 69.17. So the predictions would be off by about 2 seconds like V 1.1 of CE was. Maybe not completely fatal, but not good either. As I said the map and calculator use the current USNO values. The EO 3.9.1 release says it went out right before the Apr 23 eclipse. That should have a value that is close enough. I would confirm its status.
How are you automating the rapid burst of photos needed to create your bailey's bead shot? I have read that Canon Rs are susceptible to shutter shock and camera shake if you don't allow at least 0.5 seconds between each exposure. Is shutter shock a concern for you?
@@aaronden ah sorry, I think I misspoke, there is about 15 seconds in real time for that shot, not 2. It stretches from the Baileys beads through diamond ring
Sorry, I’m confused. Your description of that shot on astronomy says you took 12 frames over a couple seconds at 5 fps. So what is 0.8s supposed to reference?
Too bad Solar Eclipse Maestro doesn't tether if you're running High Sierra... The maker says "upgrade to Mojave," which is less than helpful as doing so will break all the other apps I use for work on my laptop. Thanks a lot, Apple.
Don’t use the laptop power brick. Use a USB-C cable directly from the power station. That way you won’t have energy losses from power station converting from DC to AC with its inverter, and then your laptop charger converting again from AC to DC.
URGENT message for anyone who was planning to use Solar Eclipse Maestro for the eclipse:
Thanks to Rob Hawley (author of CaptureEclipse) it has been confirmed that the (1.9.1) version of Solar Eclipse Maestro I was using in my automation video has old data that was a few seconds off the best predictions for C2 and C3 timing. I've since found a corrected version (1.9.2) (drive.google.com/file/d/11ADLZSBrA5NM5vrCob_3nJ_fjODmXd2K/view?usp=sharing) that has the correct timing for these events (if you take into account the limb correction value). If you have downloaded 1.9.1 already, I'd highly suggest updating to 1.9.2 with the above link. I apologize, I didn't know that a newer version was available. Cheers, Nico
Sorry to bother you off topic from the maestro gear.
I'm about to start driving towards Texas from California. Any tips on locations you're leaning towards in the last few days based on current weather reports?
Buchanan Lake was my primary but im basically just going to keep checking the weather as I drive east into texas.
@@djaa7 Unfortunately, I have no clue. I'll be in the middle of the country on Friday, putting off the decision as far as I can based on forecasts that will get more and more accurate as we get closer to Monday.
Oh so you might not even go to Texas at all then huh?
I wasn't dead set on any spot. That's why I'm leaving so early.
@@NebulaPhotosthanks though!
@@djaa7 Correct, it will just depend on the weather. Texas is my primary, but I'm prepared to go anywhere to chase clear skies
Dude, you are THE MAN for making this video. There really is no other information anywhere on these.
Hey Niko, i was wondering if you could do another comparison video like your 100 vs 500 vs 1000 series with the new Seestar s50 as the $500 contender. I think it would be really interesting to compare similar exposure and setup times. Great video btw
This is fantastic! I didn't even know these software tools existed.
I appreciated watching this video, even if I'm going to take your earlier advice and stick to a basic setup. I was in the path in 2017, the Smoky mountains were a little too smoky that day, and I'm ready for the full show this time around! Clear skies!
Great run through of what's available and how they work. Thank you!
In SetnC, the exposure table is editable like a spreadsheet in that you can copy one cell and drag it into additional cells relatively quickly. Also, if you start the actual eclipse timing sequence you can go into a practice mode. It's a bit clunky, but you can run through the entire eclipse sequence and advance from one stage to the next without waiting for real-time. If you know where you will be in advance, it is possible to save your location and timing data. I expect to generate mine on site, so I'll be practicing a lot
Hey Nico! Just wanted to jump in here and thank you so much for this series. I don't have any kind of fancy tracker or automation, but even still, because of your earlier videos I got some absolutely stunning photographs with just a tripod, a telephoto zoom, and an a6700 from here in Dallas. Thank you so much for all this information it really really helped.
Great video, Nico! And thanks for the link to my SETnC demo in the description, Clear skies!
Yassssss I’m too excited for this one need to calm down
Amazing video thank you so much! You make it look easy.
I was just thinking of you while panicking and prepping for the Eclipse
Thanks for this. I just downloaded eclipse orchestrator and it works with my d800e on the free test version. So ill be dropping the 100 on the pro mode, it really will reduce a lot of the stress and the voice cues are great.
Thanks for getting this video out!!!
Thanks for sharing a map that includes data for the Candian prairies! The NASA one shows bands, but not data! Thanks for the awesome content
I believe SET'n'C also requires you to set your computer's time zone to (UTC) Coordinated Universal Time with daylight savings and set time automatically off. Not sure if the other programs require this as well.
Great video and idea ... but I have a Nikon Z9 and it seems all the options are not compatible.
Much appreciated Nico. I’m still on the fence on taking my Radian 61 or using my Tamron 150 - 600 lens and using my Canon 6DMll on my ZWO AM5. This video will help make the process a lot easier to take the pictures and enjoy the eclipse and not miss it visually with eclipse glasses of course.
I think either could work well, but 275mm is a little wide for full frame. It would be good for getting the outer corona, but the Tamron at 600mm would get better detail on the prominences / bailey's beads. My shot in the thumbnail was at 510mm f.l. full frame for context.
With that said, the Radian will stay home. lol. Great picture. @@NebulaPhotos
Great information. These tools (testing SEM) offer a lot of flexibility such as bracketing, burst, etc. should I take a test shot of the sun to ensure that the exposure settings results in an adequately exposed image? The last I would want is to have blown up highlights.
I can jump in. If you have Baader solar film, it is ND5 or 1/10000 so your exposure should be around 1/400 s, f/8, ISO100 (Or equivalent) . You should test for partial by shooting the sun with any lens and those settings. Then look and decide if the image is nice. 1/800s for those settings is what Xavier recommends and it seems good too. If you can shoot raw, you have a lot more latitude in exposure. That Said, I found if you use Thousand Oaks Optical film, it acts like ND6 and you needs 3 stops more exposure.
This a different subject but on April 10 2024, the Comet 12P, a sliver of the Moon, Jupiter, Uranus and the Pleiades will be pretty align, to where you can use a 50mm lens to capture them all. Do You have any suggestions on settings for time exposures for this. Thank You
Very well detailed and presented...thanks! I used Maestro in 2017. Nice that it could run four cameras. Using CaptureEclipse in 2024 with a Canon RP. I appreciate the reassurance of seeing someone else demo it. Have you tried changing out the camera battery with the script running? Experiencing totality near Waxahachie, TX with 4min11sec duration. Clear skies to everyone!!!
The only way is to stop the run, shut down the program, change the battery, and resume. It is not a bad practice to adopt at the 15 minute focus reminder. I have learned that the camera’s report of battery life is quantized so it reports every value from 49% to 20% the same. So if the battery is at the yellow level I would change it.
Great video!
Great info here, as usual.
Unfortunately, Im in the path of total darkness as far as software goes (pun intended)... I have a Mac running Sonoma and Nikon cameras.
Nothing here will really work for me. I may try out EclipseDroid, but it looks dicy running on just my phone and an OTG cable.
Nico - where will be you during totality? VT is down the road from you in NH? we are heading to Burlington VT on Saturday...booked a hotel about 6 months ago...and never predicted the weather bubble would be centered over VT along the path of totality! the south looks cloudy!
Im deciding to use NINA for the eclipse, theres a lucky imaging plugin for high FPS. I made a sequence in the advanced sequencer for it, tested out well! Can't wait
Thanks for the video, great information. After watching this video I almost wish I had gotten myself a used Canon DSLR. As this is my second total eclipse. It would be interesting to see what I could get with the automation software. I am one of the small groups of people that shoots with a Pentax camera (which I personally love) and of course none of the automation software works with Pentax. Guess I will have to see what I do in 20 years. 😁
Been following this since Video #2! I’m not photographing the eclipse but this is super interesting!
I am driving cross country to go see this thing and it looks like all of Texas is going to be cloudy. I’m going to be pretty sad if it ends up being overcast all day.
Great!
Is it possible to us a dedicated astro cam like 294mc pro?
I couldn't find any software that works with my cameras (Nikon D3500 and Nikon D5600), or meets my unique needs (planning on a fairly non-standard timelapse, and livestreaming). So I went the nuclear option: I home brewed and wrote my own to run on a Raspberry Pi 5. As I type this, I am running a realtime dry run (no camera activation, in place of a shutter release, it's performing a screencap of Stellarium to test timing, running on the same Pi hardware). Once I'm satisfied with the timing, I'll be recompiling the software to actually trigger a shutter release and run a full dress rehearsal (only without the sun because it's cloudy here right now).
Doesn't look like any options for newer Sony bodies. Wonder why. No matter for me, as I don't have a tracking mount anyway.
I have my a7RIV set up with the 3 custom modes with different settings for the various phases. I'll only have to turn one knob and it'll automatically change all my exposure and bracketing settings for partial phases, transitional phases, and totality.
Love the videos. Thanks for so many good tips!
I saw a webinar on this and apparently Sony Cameras are not great for remote control. Too bad since they have such good imaging.
@@lidarman2, true if we talk about USB control. I have researched it extensively and I hate Sony with passion in that department. I did find a whole bunch of loopholes using gphoto2 and Raspberry Pi 4 (USB ports work on it in a peculiar way, making it faster than any PC I've tried). But it all lost meaning to me once a friend of mine pointed me to their REST API... I was shocked, it's super fast! Yeah, there are no UI solutions, but to write code for it is pretty easy, after all you just need to make HTTP requests and you are good to go. I understand that non-IT guys will find it challenging, but right now there is no better way, sadly.
Thanks for posting, just now watching this and scrambling to find alternatives for automation as I also am in the Sony ecosystem. I think I'll do as you have and set my custom modes as well. Mind sharing what you are utilizing, and which portions of the eclipse you are going after?
@Kevin_Borr I'll be shooting all phases from C1 to C4 and using my Sony a7RIV & Sony 200-600mm, tripod w/ gear head, and remote trigger. My settings will be...
Partial phases... (C1-C2 & C3-C4)
Mapped to Custom Mode 1
500mm
f/8
ISO 100
1/640s
2.0 EV 3
Uncompressed RAW (14-bit)
1 shot of full sun, then 10 equally spaced partial shots.
Transitional Phases... (beads & diamond rings)
Mapped to Custom Mode 2
500mm
f/8
ISO 100
1/2000s
2.0 EV 3
Compressed RAW (12-bit)
Rapid fire until buffer is full. (Using compressed RAW on my a7RIV with UHS II Class10 300MB/s cards, this gets me around 20-30s of shots until I overrun the buffer.)
Totality...
Mapped to Custom Mode 3
500mm
f/8
ISO 100
1/500s & 1/8s
1.0 EV 9
Uncompressed RAW (14-bit)
As fast as possible.
This is the only time I'll have to adjust my shutter speed. I'll be bracketing at 1.0 EV 9, but jumping back and forth between having my shutter speed set to 1/500s and 1/8s. This will get me a range of exposures from 1/8000s to 2s. I'll do this several times during the first half of totality. The second half is for enjoying with my eyes.
For all phases and all bracketing, I'll be using continuous bracketing. This allows me to press and hold the remote trigger once for each series of bracketed shots. The camera automatically (using 1.0 EV 9 as an example) takes 9 frames in increments of 1 stop (by adjusting shutter speed).
My testing has shown that my 64GB card will be just large enough to capture all my shots with my gear and settings.
I'll also be shooting redundant to both cards simultaneously for security.
@@snymat_68 thank you for such a thorough reply!
Funny enough I was testing my setup today for the umpteenth time. I found a lot of bugs still. A thing I learned are that some low power items that might be run using a small power bank might cause the bank to sleep (I' have a camera taking polarized images and have a small microcontroller that went to sleep while testing). Bottom line is do an end-to-end test several times--don't leave anything as assumed. It cannot be stressed enough.
May I ask question about Solar protective films. You do recommend a Baader Solar Film, yet this film in not 12312-2 certified; this means it is not appropriate for viewing Sun with human eyes becasue it does not protect against UV and IR. Yet it can be used for modern cameras becasue they have internal protection of sensors ahgainst UV and IR. Therefore, simple ND5 films are good enough and additional UV and IR protection is not needed. Is that true? Thanks
Thank you!!! What equipment and capture software were used for the Bailey's beads shown in the video thumbnails?
That was the 2017 eclipse with a Skywatcher 80ED doublet telescope and Canon 5Dmk3 camera. I also have a new bailys beads shot from the 2024 eclipse taken with an RF800 f11 lens and Canon R5 - processing video for that one here: th-cam.com/video/QwPRtfHQPoQ/w-d-xo.html
@@NebulaPhotos Thank you for the reply! Which software did you use in 2017? After those 2 eclipses, which software did you find worked the best to capture as many Baily's beads as possible.
As far as Eclipse Droid is concerned I plan on trying to connect my 6D to my tablet via WiFi connection. I did find a type C to Mini cable on Amazon but if I can make a good connection with WiFi then that will be how I use it. I'll just have to wait until I get home from work.
After messing around with this program a little I would NOT suggest it to your viewers. It may be able to control a camera but I can't figure out how to set the actions in a simple manner. I asked for a refund and it said this program wasn't supported. $3 down the drain. From what I can tell it's just a count down timer. I may be wrong but there's better software between Windows and Mac. I would stay away from this program.
Sorry to hear that. Since I couldn't get it working with any of my cameras/cables, I wasn't sure how well it worked once a camera was connected. Thanks for the report and sorry again that it cost you $3 to find that out.
Does anyone know how to set the appropriate ND filter in solar eclipse maestro software. I’m trying to set the exposure time, not sure if this is adjustable? How does one account for an ND filter?
Awesome video! Nico, I am trying to use a RedCat 51 but when starting CaptureEclipse, I get a message saying “Lens does not provide a supported f/stop. This is not recoverable. The program will exit. Known cause is setting camera High Tone Option”
Did you ever run into that?
Which camera? Probably a camera setting - if it’s an R series make sure ‘Release shutter w/o lens’ in custom function menu is set to ‘ON’
Canon R8. Yep, I double checked that, it is turned on.
Gotcha. You may have already figured this out too, but my guess for what the message means is the 'Highlight Tone Priority' setting in the shooting menu. I'm guessing they mean that should be OFF. I think that's the default. Maybe also worth a shot to reset all camera setting and then turn back on 'release shutter w/o lens'
I did double check that setting too, it is set to disabled…
I will go try your suggestion to reset settings to default and go again
No change
It appears as if Eclipse Orchestrator doesn't work with a Nikon D850? Regardless, it's very glitchy. I'm wondering if Digicamcontrol (DCC) can be used? I have used DCC to shoot Astro, but only as a simple instruction to shoot x number of pics, at x settings. Will this work? The required settings will be changing constantly...
Anyone else had issues with Eclipse Orchestrator not recognizing their camera? I have a Canon 1DX Mk. II and am connecting it with an interface to USB-C cable. My computer seems to acknowledge the camera is plugged in but it doesn’t show in the app.
Nico - i am using a Canon R5 with RF 100-500, F7.1, and ISO 200 on a star tracker, with the CaptureEclipse software...what do you think?
Great Overview...Question....Using Capture Eclipse, once the sequence starts, could I use my wireless shutter release to ass images between the scheduled images captured after C1 to add enough photos to make a Timelapse - same after the Total Eclipse down to C4? Do you know if that will interfere with the schedule?
i did try this last night, and looks like taking photos with my remote shutter release in between the scripted shots did not influence the scheduled images...but would like to hear from Nico or from Rob H about this!...
it is unfortunate that CaptureEclipse is unable to drive burst raw images with my Canon R5 faster than about 2fps....much lower than what I can do with my shutter release !
@@royalwulff0918 Thanks...I tried this morning as well. All seemed to work fine. I am not sure what is up with the R5 and 2fps...with the software that is. One thing I did to be able to set my burst rate higher was to format my memory card. After that, I was able to set the Burst at .6, and I the sequence with no issues. I did get some nice images in between the clouds this morning here in East TN. Driving north to Ohio to hopefully find some clear skies. Good Luck.
@@Gregorytheaffiliate thanks for the message - yes I bought a new card, formatted it and also updated my r5 from firmware 1.0 to 2.0 (it has not been changed since i bought it!) - and plan on shooting more photos between scripted images...but i hope to enjoy the event as much as possible with my kids so will keep it in my pocket and fire away when i can
Is there any way to enable 1/3 stops on the CaptureEclipse software?
Would a power inverter be efficient to power the mount and dslr for the entire eclipse assuming the car is running the entire time? This is my only concern since I’m using a setup like this but without a laptop or automation software.
It's an experience you want to have
What would you use if you have a newer mac but with a nikon dslr? specifically running a 2020 intel MacBook with a Nikon D750. Thank you!
Kinda stinks for windows/Nikon users that the only choice is Eclipse Orchestrator cuz I don't really want to shell out $109 a week before when the weather could be crappy. Especially in April. I get there saying it is for support. But can't help but thinking also a way to get $109 out of us that could be completely useless.
Does anyone know if Eclipse Orchestrator works with ethernet connection instead of USB? I don't have a USB cable yet but I've got my Canon hooked up via ethernet. It works taking photos through EOS Utility and is recognized by EO, but it won't recognize it for the scripts or take photos.
@NebulaPhotos The SetnC program has two 'remove filter' and two 'replace filter' audio callouts which are about 40 to 30 seconds before the start of Baily's Beads capture I'm concerned about the placement, as the Sun may still have plenty of illumination at those times. Is there risk to an unfiltered DSLR with telescope at that point? What would be the precise times to safely pull and replace the sun filter?
30 seconds should be fine, if you want to be even safer, use 20 seconds.
No love for Sony Cameras....
Hey i saw that EOS R has a buffer problem with CaptureEclipse (tested on 2 bodies and saw on your video you have exactly same problem). Did you searching for what is the problem? I tested, that canon 6d is much better, because it is taking all photos from the default script. It seems like EOS r is not a good choice for eclipse :/
Hey Nico.....I bought the 294mm recently and it's my only astro camera. Is there a way to effectively shoot the eclipse in monochrome?
I'd suggest a DSLR or even point and shoot before a mono astro camera, but if it's all you have, I would just image in mono with your lum filter.
@NebulaPhotos Which software did you use in 2017 to get the Baily's beads shown in the thumbnail?
I used Solar Eclipse Maestro. In 2024, I tried both Solar Eclipse Maestro and CaptureEclipse (both Mac programs) and found CaptureEclipse more accurate with the timings. But I think for the next one, I might go back to just burst mode directly on the camera as that seems to allow for the most shots captured over automation software. It's a tradeoff though because automation software is very convenient, and allows one to enjoy the totality visually without manually doing anything with the camera.
Informative.
Which cable is used to connect the Mac to the camera?
Depends on the model of camera and the model of the Mac. Whatever USB cable has the right connections. For my Canon Ra and M1 Mac, I used a USB-C cable with C-style connectors on both ends.
Can you do this without a tracking mount? I imagine you’d have to recompose every so often but at least camera settings would be hands off.
Yes, you could. Just remember to be extra mindful about the cable as I could imagine it being easy to snag it going back and forth between laptop and camera (to recompose).
Good point. I might still try my Star Adventurer 2i but unfortunately it's not great at the 500mm range without guiding(which I don't have). @@NebulaPhotos
Do any of these work with a dedicated astro camera? For example, I have an ASI183 MC Pro. I was planning on using an ASIAIR to orchestrate the imaging sequence.
No, they don't. Only the cameras mentioned. I think with the ASI183MC, the ASIAir is your best bet for control during the eclipse.
Do you think asi air and just adding as many possible bracketed shots would be a good alternative ?
Perhaps, I think the issue would be timing with the way it downloads images, but it should be good for getting lots of corona shots, just not the really fast stuff (bailys beads)
@@NebulaPhotos corona Shots will be just perfect! My first eclipse and simple as possible. Baileys and Diamond ring will be an Egypt 2027 aspiration. Flying in from Florida to be in Gaitsville , Texas for this one. Thank you Nico for all you do . clear skies!!
I love you AstroJesus
Thanks Nico! For $109 do they give a rainy day refund? 😁
Does anyone know a way to automate Sony a6700 with Windows?
Second btw love the siril shirt
On the SetnC, what f stop would you select? F-8? You didn't select one from the dropdown.....so it didn't show up in the exposure list....
I should have said, I didn’t have my camera attached to a lens so that dropdown was inactive: I believe it’s only active with a lens so that the software can control it.
@@NebulaPhotos Thanks, I'm going to try the SetnC on April 8th if the clouds cooperate. I setup the exposure times want and will be using a tracker. I saved the exposure times / f-stops (I added and modified) as a file to load in when on location........I will be staying a mile away from the center line.
Does anyone know if EclipseDroid works for R6? I know Nico said DSLR, but just curious to see if it works for R6.
It’s not listed in the supported cameras so I’m doubtful. It didn’t work with my Ra using any USB C cables I had.
Any tips on carrying a teleston a plane? Mine is a 4SE
Bring it carry-on in a case with plenty of padding. I would NOT suggest checking a telescope if you can help it.
@@NebulaPhotos Thanks. I am indeed planning on taking the OTA as Carry-on. I guess same goes for mount. Tripod I can check in.
Nico, did you have to download EOS Utility before using SET’n’C? I see it’s recommended but is it necessary?
I did not, and it worked fine for me.
@@NebulaPhotos thanks!
Great that was a question I had thanks@@NebulaPhotos
Sadly, neither of the windows-based programs support my camera. (Canon M50)
Looks like the Northeast has much better chances than the Southwest to see the sun eclipse. I am in Mexico now and the forecast is not great, either.
So bracketing is turned off?
Correct, the software takes care of all that.
Any iPad or iOS automation programs?
Not that I've found - at least nothing eclipse-specific
Maybe I missed this. Does anything work with dedicated Astro cameras like the 2600MC?@@NebulaPhotos
Sorry one more stupid question: what coordinates are you using? Decimal or DMS? I have 32.1663377 or 32° 9' 34.221". How to enter those?
Which program? From memory most gave an example or stated which format they were looking for, and some let you input either with a toggle.
Not that I've found, the issue is those cameras take a long time to download the photos, and this is a quick event so a program that can write to an internal SD card is preferred - the eclipse automation programs only trigger the camera, the photos are saved to the card.
110 dollars for eclipse orchestrator yikes, I only have windows and a nikon also have an astrocamera
There's a free version of Eclipse Orchestrator also.
The 4/8 weather is looking depressing 😢
From the author of CaptureEclipse. Thank you for your review. There are a couple of points that I want to make sure your users are aware of. First using Live View during the capture is NOT a supported configuration. Users have confirmed that this slows down the camera which was likely the cause of the problems in your video. Second the default for the C's is 3 seconds (6 seconds total). That may also have affected the diamond ring capture. I strongly recommend not changing this value. Based on this video in the next version of CaptureEclipse you will get a dialog to that effect. Using the focus tool with a lens is far superior to using Live View and manual focus since the focus method is able to make very small changes. This is less true if you are using a telescope. Your comment on the filter names is valid. In the next version I will change the listing of solar filters to Thousand Oaks, ND5, Baader/Kendrick, and Orion. In this version it is not possible to change the partials to less than 5%, but a number of people have requested that so it is a longer discussion why that change was not made. Regarding SEM - I would not use this software unless it has been updated. The earth's rotation went bonky in 2018 and this has affected the predictions that have not been updated. If you want more information I monitor the FaceBook group Solar Eclipse Chasers
Thanks for the corrections / comments Rob! This is the first I heard about SEM, looks it was updated in 2019, but you are saying that the data is still wrong? Would this be true of Xavier’s google map too as I thought that was a trusted source…
@@NebulaPhotos The gold test would be to compare its predictions against either CaptureEclipse or Xjubier (which I have not done). I last used SEM in 2019 and it worked fine then but ΔT since then has been basically unchanged instead of following the historical trend. If he uses Espanek's data then his predictions are based on the trend. This was a problem in CE v 1.1 that I ran in Australia last year. Bear in mind the SEM prediction is a tad different since he is using limb correction so his exposures are programmed differently than mine are. I can cite you a reference if that will be useful. I was concerned about EO also, but they now list an update before this eclipse so I assume it is correct. Please let me know if there is any other info I can provide
@@NebulaPhotos His Google map and calculator ARE corrected to the latest value. In fact they are my gold standard for testing my own predictions ( +- 0.5 sec).
Thank you so much for your help (and for creating CaptureEclipse!). Early next week, I will compare all the predictions in SEM vs. CE and let you know what I find. If they are way off in SEM I will try to create a follow-up video quickly to warn people about this. Relieved to hear the Google map and calculator are corrected since I've been recommending those for a long time. I just heard from another comment on this video that Xavier is ill and that may be why the planned 2023 update to SEM didn't seem to happen.
@@NebulaPhotos I have heard the same. If SEM was still being updated I would not have bothered. Fred (and I assume SEM) is using 71 seconds for the earth rotation correction when the current measured value is 69.17. So the predictions would be off by about 2 seconds like V 1.1 of CE was. Maybe not completely fatal, but not good either. As I said the map and calculator use the current USNO values. The EO 3.9.1 release says it went out right before the Apr 23 eclipse. That should have a value that is close enough. I would confirm its status.
How are you automating the rapid burst of photos needed to create your bailey's bead shot? I have read that Canon Rs are susceptible to shutter shock and camera shake if you don't allow at least 0.5 seconds between each exposure. Is shutter shock a concern for you?
Shouldn't be a problem. My testing in CaptureEclipse showed the fastest I could go for the burst without getting behind was 0.8s spacing.
You needed to separate exposures by 0.8s? That’s a lot! I thought your beads shot was 13 frames over 2 seconds…?
@@aaronden ah sorry, I think I misspoke, there is about 15 seconds in real time for that shot, not 2. It stretches from the Baileys beads through diamond ring
Sorry, I’m confused. Your description of that shot on astronomy says you took 12 frames over a couple seconds at 5 fps. So what is 0.8s supposed to reference?
astronomy = astrobin
Too bad Solar Eclipse Maestro doesn't tether if you're running High Sierra... The maker says "upgrade to Mojave," which is less than helpful as doing so will break all the other apps I use for work on my laptop. Thanks a lot, Apple.
Don’t use the laptop power brick. Use a USB-C cable directly from the power station. That way you won’t have energy losses from power station converting from DC to AC with its inverter, and then your laptop charger converting again from AC to DC.
Good point. If your laptop supports it, definitely the way to go!
Wow, great tip! Didn't even cross my mind that this conversion would be happening!
First minute gang
Wow, you were quick 👍
you are lucky, in germany we will do not see it
Enjoy, for me we’ll not have ant solar eclipse until 2080 (in France) 🥲
I've been eyeing Egypt in 2026 - will be a super long one - maybe worth the trip from France if you can.
@@NebulaPhotos oh yeah maybe ^^
Egypt eclipse is August 2nd, 2027@@NebulaPhotos