jcboy3

I use a Sol-Searcher by Tele Vue; I have it mounted in an adapter on the camera hot shoe. I line it up starting with a wide angle lens that can easily find the sun, then mount the telephoto lens and fine-tune alignment.

If your lens is a zoom, zoom out and find the sun at wide angle. You can get the lens pointed toward the sun by looking at the shadow of the lens on the ground; might help if you use a sheet of cardboard on the ground tilted up to be perpendicular to the sun.

If your lens doesn't zoom out enough, then use a wider lens to get aligned. This will typically mean mounting the camera rather than the lens, so attach a QR plate to the camera that works and align it with the QR plate on the lens.

astroqb33

I use a Tel-Vue Sol-sercher attached to my lens. Spot on all the time.

astroqb33@gmail.com

bcplimpton Loc: Southern New Jersey

Don't try this. The concentrated/magnified light ray coming through the lens will burn right through the cheap solar glasses in a matter of a few seconds and then into your retina. There is a video on YouTube showing how quickly this can happen.

Retired fat guy with a camera Loc: Colorado

Get a cheap welding hood. With at the least a #10 lens. You can look up with it on.

chuckla Loc: Kennesaw, GA USA

No! The image is so concentrated by the time it reaches the glasses you're wearing that it will burn right through them, and through your eye. Somebody here posted a YT video the other day that I can't find, but that demonstrated this. Scary!

hpucker99 Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Here is the link to that video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_nnEDwv19k

cthahn

You are in for problems. You ask how strong should you lens be? What do you mean? You do not say what the lens, or the camera. Are you using a tripod? Hard to help when you really have not told us anything.

turp77 Loc: Connecticut, Plainfield

You should never do that. There is a YouTube video showing how a non filter lens burned a hole in an approved glasses. Just to demonstrate how dangerous it is. It only took seconds to burn the holes.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

What a great idea. I love simple analog solutions like that. >Alan

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Buy yourself a piece of #14 welders glass. Do not buy anything less than #14. Anything less will be too bright and will not offer the proper eye protection. Then you can use the welders glass to block the harmful sunlight while allowing you to see below the edge of the glass to see where your camera is pointed.

Robert R Loc: Indianapolis and Naples

I have been having the same situation. Using a Canon 100-400 with 1.4 extender on Canon 70D body, I also have difficulty finding the sun. It works better for me to go down to 100 on the zoom, makes it easier to find. I am using the fold out screen on Canon 70D, in live view. I have been making a list of everything I think I will need, like extra batteries, cable release, plenty of memory, etc. I am also including an umbrella. The eclipse for start to finish will take several hours, and between shots I can hold umbrella over camera to keep from overheating. That may not be necessary.

ggttc Loc: TN

Put on a pair of eclipse glasses and sight along the lens barrel.

We have been practicing (D7100 & D810) and have had great success with auto focus in live view.

Dennis in Texas Loc: Katy, Texas

I've worked with the same problem and like you, found that it's difficult to find the sun in the view finder especially if the lens is zoomed out to it's maximum. Like one writer said, it's very helpful to start out in the shortest zoom length so the sun will be as small as possible. But the real problem for me has been getting camera/lens alignment in the first place. For the initial alignment, I get behind the camera and aim it just a little higher than the position of the sun. In other words, if I were to look over the top of camera, I would see the sun over the top of the view finder. I accomplish this using solar viewers to protect my eyes. Then it's usually just a matter of making small vertical and/or horizontal re-positions while looking in the view finder. I haven't had much luck with using live view in this process.

The other problem I've had is getting under the camera just to look into the view finder. I'm not much of a contortionist and being able to sight into the view finder is particularly difficult when the sun is located at around 75 to 80 degrees above the horizon or practically straight up in the sky. I've found I either have to extend the tripod as high as it will go or get on my knees and lower the camera's view finder to eye level. The other solution is to use a right angle view finder which allows you to stand upright and is far more comfortable. Unfortunately, these are somewhat expensive ($200US) and it would a challenge to find one this late in the game.

Good Shooting on Eclipse Day!

ggttc Loc: TN

Put a small foot stool under the tripod and have a seat. Works great.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Simple, purchase and equitorial mount for your camera. Once placed correctly, look up the RA and Declination for the sun at that time. Set the mount and you should be dead on. However, the sun will move through the field of view of an 800mm lens fairly quickly. So, you might want to get a clock drive for that mount, power supply to run it, and then hope there is no overcast.
--Bob