finding the sun: I am going to try to take a solor eclipse picture April 8th. Since I have never tried to take a picture of the sun I needed to pratice. Got a pretty good photo using...

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

I am going to try to take a solor eclipse picture April 8th. Since I have never tried to take a picture of the sun I needed to pratice. Got a pretty good photo using the topics already that have been posted. The problem I am having will seem so dumb but I hope someone will be able to help this old man. I am having a diffucult time finding the sun in the view finder. With the dark sun filter until the sun is actually visible it of course is black. I can find it but it takes me a long time very slowly moving the camer back and forth and up and down to locate it. I am hoping someone has a good starting point that will help me find it faster. I guess my 80 year old eyes are just really poor. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

springlake

I always have this problem too. I'm not sure there's a great solution, but I have found that a geared tripod head helps because it allows precise movements of the camera. You can kind of track rows and columns in a systematic way until you find the sun.

BebuLamar

I guess you can do the same thing they do with telescope. Mounting a wider angle of view finder with the cross hair on the hot shoe (of course with enough ND to protect your eyes).

1grumpybear

MCHUGH wrote:

I am going to try to take a solor eclipse picture ... (show quote)

Here is what I use. It's small and will fit in the palm of your hand. I take a couple rubber bands and strap it to my lens. Here is a link.
https://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=66

druthven

If you are using a zoom lens crank it to a wide setting to locate the sun and then slowly turn it to tele adjusting the camera orientation to keep the sun in the frame. At the wider settings the sun will appear as a small dot.

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

springlake wrote:

I always have this problem too. I'm not sure there's a great solution, but I have found that a geared tripod head helps because it allows precise movements of the camera. You can kind of track rows and columns in a systematic way until you find the sun.

Thanks Springlake I can see where that would be easier. Unfortunately I sold my old Majestic tripod several years ago when I no longer took portraits it would have been really good.

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

BebuLamar wrote:

I guess you can do the same thing they do with telescope. Mounting a wider angle of view finder with the cross hair on the hot shoe (of course with enough ND to protect your eyes).

Thanks 1BebuLamar I can try that.

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

druthven wrote:

If you are using a zoom lens crank it to a wide setting to locate the sun and then slowly turn it to tele adjusting the camera orientation to keep the sun in the frame. At the wider settings the sun will appear as a small dot.

Thanks 1grumpybear I can see how that would work.

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

druthven wrote:

If you are using a zoom lens crank it to a wide setting to locate the sun and then slowly turn it to tele adjusting the camera orientation to keep the sun in the frame. At the wider settings the sun will appear as a small dot.

Thanks druthven unfortunately I will be using a fix lens with an extender.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

MCHUGH wrote:

I am going to try to take a solor eclipse picture ... (show quote)

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Before the actual eclipse starts just put the camera on a tripod to keep it steady. Before the eclipse starts the sun is fully visible and you should have no trouble at all getting it in focus through the filter. The sun is pretty much all that you can see through the solar filter.

Ron K

I had that trouble initially. I found that it helped to pick a spot on the low horizon that is directly below the sun. Then slowly move the tripod mounted camera on widest setting skyward until the sun appears in the viewfinder.

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

look at the shadow of your camera on its tripod - should get you very close

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

Ron K wrote:

I had that trouble initially. I found that it helped to pick a spot on the low horizon that is directly below the sun. Then slowly move the tripod mounted camera on widest setting skyward until the sun appears in the viewfinder.

Thanks Ron K. That sounds like something I will try along with other suggestions the great people on UHH have given me. As always UHH comes to my rescue.

Judy795

I have the same problem also. It doesn’t help that the sun will be almost directly overhead where I will be in Texas. I finally managed to point the lens under the sun and move it slowly up. I am using a gimbal on my tripod.
My LED comes outward but does not move from side to side which is a pita.
I found it helpful to wear a black shirt and a wide brim hat to cut down on reflections.

SHWeiss

If you have access to a 3d printer this is great https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2441640