Retired fat guy with a camera Loc: Colorado

Before I retired I was a welder for 40 odd years. I watched more than one eclipse behind a welding hood. Go to a welding supply store, buy a big 4.50 x 5.25 gold plated number 10 lens, the salesperson will know what you are wanting. They cost around 15 dollars. A green lens will work, but it put gives off a green shade to what you see. A Gold lens is a truer rendition of the suns color. Put your camera on a tripod aim it at the sun, hold, tape, glue the welding cover plate tight to what ever lens you want, focus and shoot. Buy it before the day of the eclipse and take some test shoots.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

But it is not over exposed photographic film. Photographic film will not stop UV radiation and will allow eye damage. Most of the solar films are aluminized mylar or polymer films and are very safe if acquired from a reputable source. My wife, children, and I watched the eclipse progress in Aruba by using those simple solar film glasses. Most of the glass filters are made using this same film sandwiched between two pieces of glass. Mirrorless camera users are not at risk although they require the filter to shoot the sun. But mirrors will reflect the full power of the sun unless mitigated. Equate that to eye damage if not protected from the sun.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

#14 welding glass is minimum required to safely protect your eyes and camera. A #10 glass there will likely be damage to your eyes and camera per my reference previously.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

The best weather probabilities are eastern Oregon, Idaho, and western Wyoming. I suspect that is why the places to stay in that area are pretty much sold out.

Retired fat guy with a camera Loc: Colorado

Architect1776, are you a welder? I was/am a Union Pipefitter, before that I was a Union Ironworker, welding structural steel. I have been a welder for 43 years. I have stared at the sun, taken pictures of that same sun, with my Canon 1D Mark lll, using a #10 lens. My camera is fine and so are my eyes. I would not go any darker than a 12 shade or lighter than a 10. Who you going to listen too, a guy who draws buildings for a living or someone who actually put them together for a living. unless you are shooting a F/2.8 lens or lower, the shot will be very dark.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

I am not a professional welder. I have done lots of it though. But being a welder does not make one an expert on eyes as much as a bus driver being a brain surgeon. My brother is an optometrist, studies this stuff sees fools who do stupid stuff like you do. He is my source and I trust a trained professional with my eyes any day over a person who has absolutely no schooling in the medical arts regarding eyes and vision.
BTW any person can weld with a couple of hours of training. And I haven't drawn a set of documents in years. That is not what Architects do, wish I did that was the fun part. Again your complete ignorance as to my profession is showing as most people who do construction are.. You would have no clue how to legally build a building to meet the hundreds of regulations and laws if your life depended on it. Not just national codes but federal laws, state and local ordinances as well. I do know these and am licensed in 34 states as an Architect and do work in some of the most restrictive states and communities in the nation. Thousands of lives a month are safe because I know what to do as an Architect coordinating all the disciplines for a safe building. I then have to take all this information and make it comprehensible for those like you to follow the instructions and if you don't there will be a failure but I also am on site ensuring the design intent is being followed and resolving issues if they arise due to owner changes etc. Again you are clueless as to what an Architect does as is a majority of society due to the complexities of what one does. But I will trust an optomotrist over a union person any day of the week when it comes to my vision. My late wife went blind and I would wish that on no one.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Actually, NASA suggests using a #14 welders glass. Without actually looking, I believe even my welders glass is #13 welders glass. I suspect that NASA wants to make sure that a "generic"
person can stare at the sun for several hours and still not damage their eyes. I believe you when you state you have been a welder for 43 years and only used a #10 welders glass. But some people don't know when to stop staring at the sun with the weaker #10 welders glass. So NASA hedges their bet by suggesting #14 welders glass to prevent any chance of damage.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Thank you. Also it depends on the type of welding you can go down to #5 glass I believe with no damage. So type of welding varies greatly as to the glass requirements. Also foreign glass can be the same number as US glass but be a different protective factor. Learned this in South America and while in Europe.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

I've done some small arc welding and I believe the welders glass for that was #10. I found it to be too bright for sun viewing for my taste. And the photobook I was using and Kodak suggested going darker at the time (yes, way back in the Film Age). I went to the welding store, told them what it was for, and they suggested #12 to #14. I took the three samples outside and viewed the sun with each. I felt that the #13 welders glass would give me reasonable shutter speeds, no damage to the fabric shutter curtain, and would allow me to view the sun for extended periods of time without hurting my eye. So far, I have had no regrets about my choice.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

To each his own, I prefer to be safe and follow a professional's advice rather than just a guess and by golly method. Or it works for me. BTW the damage can occur later or not be perceptible due to other eye problems, but anyone who wishes to do otherwise knock yourself out and go for it. I really don't care about your eyes as they are not mine so poke a knife in them if you want it makes absolutely no difference to me. I have just given advice I got from a professional who deals with eyes daily and I trust far more than a sales man or a welder with no training in the medical arts.
Do as you please, you might get away with it, perhaps not your problem if there is a failure, not mine.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Of course the easiest way these days to protect one's eyes is do it rather cheaply and don't waste your time on the welders glass. Buying the polymer solar glasses, filters, and polymer sheets from Thousand Oaks or some other reputable seller of solar polymer found on the NASA website, is the easiest way to to protect one's eyes.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Agreed, that was my original post right off the beginning. But welder's glass seems to come up every time so I just gave a caution as I received it from a medical professional in the vision field.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

I pefer not to recommend "to each his own", but for everyone to follow the NASA recommendations of #14 welder glass or solar film or polymer from one of the NASA recommended suppliers like Thousand Oaks.

My choice to use #13 welders glass was based off my using it more for my camera than my eyes. The difference between #13 and #14 is small, allowed me to shoot shorter shutter times, would not damage either the shutter or the film, and would still allow me to view the eclipse for short periods of time without eye damage.

But this is not the "film is king" age. In fact, I can not burn my eye by using my camera because it is mirrorless. There is no direct path for the sunlight to go through my camera to my eye. But this is not true for all cameras. Most full frame cameras have a direct path of light through the camera to the eye. That, under the right circumstances, can blind someone.

These days it is smarter to use the technology that was devloped since the film days. Yes, #10 welders glass all the way up to #14 will stop UV light from reaching the eye, but does not stop all light. #10 welders glass is not dark enough for prolong viewing of the sun and I can not recommend it. It is great for welding but the sun is many times brighter than any arc welding. I do recommend the NASA suggested #14 welders glass because anyone can stare at the sun using it from sun up to sun down with no eye damage.

But welders glass is heavy and, even as tough as it is, glass can break. So why waste time, money, and weight when one can have the modern solar polymer. It is a much lighter alternative and it is cheaper. It also comes in only one density.

Everyone should do whatever they can to protect their eyes especially being photographers.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

After being bashed by a know it all Union Pipe Fitter Welder I gave up on the low IQ crowd. I gave my reasons as I know them and we know the consequences of being stupid. That is why, after being bashed by such a brilliant mind as the Union Pipe Fitter Welder (Over 40 years experience I believe) and pointing out I am just a stupid Architect who knows nothing about buildings, I gave up and will follow my own advice and leave others to follow it, research on their own or do as the brilliant Union Pipe Fitter Welder says to do.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

I too can find it frustrating. A welder with #10 welders glass can probably get away with it because of his knowledge and experience of when to stop. But I seriously doubt the general public would always know when to stop.

When I was younger I came within a half a second of being blind in one eye because of improper setup for viewing the sun. I want to prevent what nearly happened to me from happening to anyone else. Unless there is a proven reason to deviate, I recommend NASA's suggestions for viewing the eclipse