Solar eclipse photography: Need help. I am going to SC for the eclipse. I have a Nikon D80, a Sigma 75-300 zoom. Aperture 4.5-22. I have a 1.7x teleconverter and a solar filter.

LestheK

Need help. I am going to SC for the eclipse. I have a Nikon D80, a Sigma 75-300 zoom. Aperture 4.5-22. I have a 1.7x teleconverter and a solar filter. Problem is what settings do I use for the partial and full eclipse. Do I use the teleconverter or should I get a 2x. Thanks

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

LestheK wrote:

Need help. I am going to SC for the eclipse. I have a Nikon D80, a Sigma 75-300 zoom. Aperture 4.5-22. I have a 1.7x teleconverter and a solar filter. Problem is what settings do I use for the partial and full eclipse. Do I use the teleconverter or should I get a 2x. Thanks

Do you have a solar filter?
ND or other worthless junk is no good. If you don't forget it except for the exact time the sun is completely covered, either way you are screwed, camera burned and eye destroyed.

Tet68survivor Loc: Pomfret Center CT

You can buy a premade filter or go to a welding supply house and get a couple of #14, 2.5" dia welders goggle glass and make your own! One should be sufficient but two for added security in case you break one!

Math78 Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

LestheK wrote:

Need help. I am going to SC for the eclipse. I have a Nikon D80, a Sigma 75-300 zoom. Aperture 4.5-22. I have a 1.7x teleconverter and a solar filter. Problem is what settings do I use for the partial and full eclipse. Do I use the teleconverter or should I get a 2x. Thanks

For this once in a life time experience, I recommend you spend $10 and get this book on photographing a solar eclipse. Lenses to use, settings, etc., it's all in here.
http://www.amazingsky.com/tablet/eclipsebook.html

Since you already have a solar filter, then you can be taking practice shots of the sun right now. Finding the sun in the viewfinder and focusing on the mostly featureless solar disk is a lot harder than it sounds. Good luck. But don't get so wrapped up in the photography that you fail to just enjoy the experience. There will be lots of pictures available from other folks.

Bill_de Loc: US

Take Nikon's advice or Google "solar eclipse photography". Your query has been answered many times over.

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/how-to-photograph-a-solar-eclipse.html

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jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

LestheK wrote:

Need help. I am going to SC for the eclipse. I have a Nikon D80, a Sigma 75-300 zoom. Aperture 4.5-22. I have a 1.7x teleconverter and a solar filter. Problem is what settings do I use for the partial and full eclipse. Do I use the teleconverter or should I get a 2x. Thanks

Lots of links -

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

Fotomacher Loc: Toronto

Architect1776 wrote:

Do you have a solar filter?
ND or other worthless junk is no good. If you don't forget it except for the exact time the sun is completely covered, either way you are screwed, camera burned and eye destroyed.

See fourth and fifth words, second line.

Bill_de Loc: US

Funny, the OP said right off the bat that he has a solar filter. The first question asked is ,"do you have a solar filter?".

I am always reminded of an old public service announcement on tv. The screen would simply say, "Reading, it's FUNdamental"

We need more public service announcements.

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dr_gallup

So how dark a solar filter is necessary to photograph during the partial eclipse? I'm seeing numbers all over the place, 2 stops to 15 stops.

Tet68survivor Loc: Pomfret Center CT

Hmmm! I guess reading comprehension is not my strong suit! Skipped right over that filter statement!

cthahn

The sun is up everything day. Take pictures of it. Learn something before the day of the eclipse.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

cthahn wrote:

The sun is up everything day. Take pictures of it. Learn something before the day of the eclipse.

F8 Forever Loc: Lng Island, NY

Foist tings foist...

Preparation is the key.

The Moon's disk is the same as the Sun's so go out on a clear night and see what size image your equipment gives you. Since you say you have a solar filter, you could just shoot the sun, too, but the moon is safer for this kind of fooling around.

At some point you will want to shoot the sun to figure out the exposures. With the filter and the long lens you should get some nice sunspots and solar flares. Do note that some solar filters just give you a white image while others leave some color in.

During totality of the actual eclipse, you can pop the filter off and get good shots of the solar flares and the corona. You won't have much time, and be ready to get it back on fast. The corona can be huge, so you may want to zoom out to get it all.

Understand that there will be millions of images of this eclipse, and at least thousands of them will be pretty good. So, what will make yours unique? If I were going, I would probably look for some kind of foreground to emphasize the eclipse.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

LestheK wrote:

Need help. I am going to SC for the eclipse. I have a Nikon D80, a Sigma 75-300 zoom. Aperture 4.5-22. I have a 1.7x teleconverter and a solar filter. Problem is what settings do I use for the partial and full eclipse. Do I use the teleconverter or should I get a 2x. Thanks

There are several articles out about shooting the eclipse. But one of the guaranteed places for safe shooting of the eclipse is the NASA website. Until he retired, it was run by Fred "Mr. Eclipse" Espenak. Fred has seen more eclipses that just about anybody in the world. He also has provided the information that I have used for successfully shooting the three eclipses I have been to. The site also provides all the safety information needed so a photogragher (or anyone else) will not become the first blind photographer in the family. Just go to the NASA website and search "eclipse". Check the site out and be safe.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

dr_gallup wrote:

So how dark a solar filter is necessary to photograph during the partial eclipse? I'm seeing numbers all over the place, 2 stops to 15 stops.

If you are looking at "stops", you are looking at becoming the first blind photographer in your family. See my previous post in this thread, go to the NASA site, and be safe.