Eclipes/uv filter (Page 2): From experience, if you are photographing a light source, it's best to minimize the number of glass surfaces involved. Thus, remove the UV filter. If you...

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

From experience, if you are photographing a light source, it's best to minimize the number of glass surfaces involved. Thus, remove the UV filter. If you are going to use a filter, don't use more filters than necessary. So, just use the solar filter and no other.
--Bob

Pitt 2020 wrote:

This is what I will be shooting the eclipse with: Canon EOS 7D with a Tokina SD 11-16mm f2.8-22 for the surrounding area. Tripod.. Sony a7ii with metabones EF-E mount/ Canon EF 400mm f5.6-32 with Solar filter. I do have a Canon EF 1.4x may use it as well. With that being said one silly question. I have a uv filter on my lens should it be on in conjunction with the solar filter or not? Tell me your thoughts of my combinations and my uv? Thank You for your time

Pitt 2020 Loc: Farmer City, Illinois

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, the UV filter is on all the time for protection butt will come off that day. And yes the wide angle will be used for crowd shots.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Pitt 2020 wrote:

This is what I will be shooting the eclipse with: Canon EOS 7D with a Tokina SD 11-16mm f2.8-22 for the surrounding area. Tripod.. Sony a7ii with metabones EF-E mount/ Canon EF 400mm f5.6-32 with Solar filter. I do have a Canon EF 1.4x may use it as well. With that being said one silly question. I have a uv filter on my lens should it be on in conjunction with the solar filter or not? Tell me your thoughts of my combinations and my uv? Thank You for your time

No UV filter - no reason to use it. The solar alone will be fine.

Filters -
http://www.thousandoaksoptical.com/solar.html

Technique -
https://www.dpreview.com/learn/3999097998/these-nikon-videos-break-down-the-gear-and-settings-you-need-to-shoot-the-eclipse
http://www.mreclipse.com/SEphoto/image/SE-Exposure1w.GIF
http://www.mreclipse.com/SEphoto/SEphoto.html
http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/photographing.HTM
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/article/h20zakgu/how-to-photograph-a-solar-eclipse.html
https://photographylife.com/how-to-photograph-a-solar-eclipse

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

To the OP, if you plan to change lenses during totality you need to be prepared to work fast. Totality is only about 2 1/2 minutes long maximum, depending if you are in the middle of the zone, or less if you are closer to the edge. Where I live it's only 1 minute 13 seconds. I would suggest having an assistant and practice making the change in semi-darkness, timing how long it takes for the entire process, including getting the long lens back on. If I were trying to do a fast lens change in the dark I would probably drop the darn thing.

400 mm is a bit shorter than often recommended. If you have a 500 mm or longer lens that might be better, but too long (greater than 1000) and some of the corona during totality can be missed. But 400 should do, using some cropping later. If you have a longer lens you might compare it to the 400 by shooting the moon with both, the moon being close enough to the sun in size to be useful for this purpose.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

The UV filter isn't needed. Your solar filter does the work.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

What is all the talk about setting your camera on delay? Won't mirror up or live view do the same?

ggttc Loc: TN

Pitt 2020 wrote:

Thanks for your reply: I understand . Maybe I said it wrong in my question "I have a uv filter that I have on my lens then I will be putting on a solar filter should I take off the uv filter and just use the solar filter?

Makes no difference...the sun is 93 million miles away.

photodoc16

Pitt2020,
Thanks for the reply. That filter is very pricey so I decided to pass on it. I will probably make one using solar film.
The other "bright" side of your purchase is that you will be able to do long exposure work for at least two continuous weeks.
Photodoc16

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

The UV won't do a thing to help. Unless the eclipse is total where you are keep the solar filter on AND wear solar glasses if you look at the non-total sun.

russchristopher

When using the solar filter, no other filters are needed or effective. The solar filter is nearly a black out screen through which nothing penetrates except for the immediate image of the sun. So neither you nor your camera see anything besides black and some faint lighting from the sunlight (when pointed at the sun), until the approximately 2 minutes of totality occurs at which time all filters should be removed for the best image.

jon S

16.5 step solar. B Nd H

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

The general rule of thumb is that the UV filter comes off whenever ANY OTHER filter goes on (the lens).

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

photoman022 wrote:

The general rule of thumb is that the UV filter comes off whenever ANY OTHER filter goes on (the lens).

best response yet.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Pitt 2020 wrote:

This is what I will be shooting the eclipse with: Canon EOS 7D with a Tokina SD 11-16mm f2.8-22 for the surrounding area. Tripod.. Sony a7ii with metabones EF-E mount/ Canon EF 400mm f5.6-32 with Solar filter. I do have a Canon EF 1.4x may use it as well. With that being said one silly question. I have a uv filter on my lens should it be on in conjunction with the solar filter or not? Tell me your thoughts of my combinations and my uv? Thank You for your time

My rule of thumb:

Quote:

The UV filter comes off... period.

UV filter serves no purpose at all.... not in combo with a solar filter (which is essential) for the eclipse... or any other time. In fact, digital doesn't require a UV filter, the way film often did. You're probably using it for "protection", but the lens hood when shooting or the lens cap when storing both do a much better job of that, than some thin piece of glass ever could. More likely the filter is just robbing some of your image quality... maybe only a little under ideal conditions... more under more challenging lighting.

Actually, I do have "protection filters" on hand for most of my lenses. They're stored separately in my camera bag until actually needed (shooting out in a sandstorm, at the beach with salt spray in the air, etc.)