Barbcity Loc: Berkeley, California

DO NOT look at the sun with your naked eyes. Permanent damage to your eyesight, and even blindness may result. ALWAYS wear properly certified solar viewing glasses when viewing the sun before, during, and after an eclipse. Do not use non-solar binoculars to aid in viewing the eclipse, even when wearing protective eye gear. During an eclipse, when the moon covers a portion of the sun, the intensity of the light remains constant.

DO NOT point a camera at the sun unless the optics are fitted with a properly certified solar filter. Optics can magnify the intensity and brightness of sunlight, and this can cause damage to you or your equipment.

DO NOT look through the viewfinder of an unfiltered SLR camera when it is pointed at or near the sun, because of the increase in brightness of the sunlight passing through magnifying optics.

DO NOT look through the viewfinder of a rangefinder camera when it is pointed at or near the sun, as the optical viewfinder will not protect your eyes from the sun’s damaging light.

DO NOT point an unfiltered digital camera at the sun and use live view or an electronic viewfinder, due to the possibility of focusing concentrated, unfiltered sunlight at your camera’s sensor.

Products should only be used for their intended purpose and in an appropriate manner. Misuse of products may cause serious injury and property damage.

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

Be aware that the Chinese have flooded the country with bogus, worthless, and even counterfeit, viewing devices and filters.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Yep. You have to get the ones on the approved NASA list.

Luckily I did.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Wonder if the ones my wife got at the local Kroger store are OK...

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

The Chinese have manufactured many counterfeitt versions of "approved" viewing devices. I guess you won't know if you got the real thing until you wake up healthy, or blind the next morning.

dwswanson

Most of the experts say you can look at the eclipse if the sun is completely covered by the moon during totality; if you left the solar glasses on during totality you would miss out on a spectacular, unforgettable view. Just don't look at the eclipse without a solar filter if you are looking at a partial eclipse or even a sliver of light that gets past the moon just before and after
totality.
Use caution in any case.

PH CIB

Thanks for the warning,,,great advice....

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Just checked & mine are fine as the company is on the list.

NorCal Bohemian

NO! THEY DON'T!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

SyZyGy Loc: Temple, NH

As a veteran eclipse viewer with undamaged vision I can state that it is absolutely SAFE, and NECESSARY, to view a TOTAL eclipse WITHOUT eye protection. Eye protection IS necessary before and after 100% totality though (one may use certified welder's glass of "shade 14").
Do not spoil your view of the magnificence of totality by even glancing at the last residual light preceding 100% coverage! Instead it is good to behold the terrestrial environ as totality approaches. The changes in the quality of illumination is stunning. Objects appear in sharper focus and softer light. I avoid even looking at bright projections of the Sun before totality as the dazzling of the eyesight can spoil the view of the brief period of coronal magnificence.
Again, PROTECTION IS NECESSARY to view the SUN if it is not 100% eclipsed; but do not spoil your view of 100% by wearing eye protection then. I DO NOT recommend using telescopes/binoculars to view totality - because you may damage your eyes when the first direct rays emerge again - and you miss the wonderful context of the greater scene besides.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I think I will wait another 94 years and then I will photograph the eclipse.

Toby

WHAT?????? I guess this is another example of things you read on the internet that you can't believe. Even if it were true don't you have to look at a partial to see if it's a total yet?

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Interesting that little is said about making a viewing box out of ordinary cardboard. Take a big enough box, cut out a square hole, glue on a sheet of paper with a pin hole. Mount a white 45 degree panel inside. Point pin hole at the sun, focus on the 45 degree panel, fire away. If your box is big enough, you can shield away the stray light.

jouster Loc: Witlesss Protection Program

I followed this advice in 1979 and my vision is still good. I plan to do the same on Monday when, weather permitting, I'll be among the first is the U.S. to see the eclipse. (Depoe Bay, Oregon)

This photo is "third contact", my final shot of the 1979 eclipse (Maryhill, WA)
Planning, bracketing, and a bit of luck was rewarded.
Canon FTb, Vivitar 400 mm lens with 2x tele-converter, , 1,000 sec @ f44, Ektachrome 400 ASA, slide scanned a few years ago with Epson V 600.

(Download)