Similar to lunar eclipses (/blog/stargazer95050/669999) you have different approaches. Timelapse versus still image. Close-up versus Wide-angle and here I won't describe these alternatives. What makes this different is you want to directly to look at the sun but "Mama always told me not to look into the eye's of the sun" -- But Mama, that's where the fun is !!

The solution is -- you knew that -- a good filter to block most of the light. And with most I mean approx 1.000th of 1%. Or even more. And not only the visible light but also the UV & IR as those too can burn your retina or heat & burn a camera sensor. But what filters ?

The example above is a GOOD VISUAL OBSERVATION FILTER -- it meets all the criteria and when you hold it up against your eyes, you have a good view of the sun & sunspots. This particular model is made of special glass. Other solutions include a variety of polymer, mylar or metalized films.
In any case, don't cheap out and spend the $1...$20 on a well-tested & manufactured visual-observation filter. It is fun to read what contraptions people come up to save a buck -- but your eyesight is worth this investment. NASA has a page highlighting UNSAFE DIY solutions : eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/safety.html
As always, checking the sellers reputation is important. Before first use, carefully look at the filter and check if you can spot leaks. Hold it up against a bright lamp instead of the sun. Hold it up against the sun and shine it onto a sheet of paper to check for leaks.


"What kind of filter", you ask ? The category to describe them is called "Energy reduction" filter. Also called (a bit misleading) "White Light" filters. The reason for "white" is, these filters aren't narrow-band filters and let all VISIBLE / WHITE light pass and (hopefully) also block UV & IR. In this category you still find many variations and the resulting image of the sun may have a greenish, yellow, orange, red or yes, you guessed it, white color. Scientist may favor the white-ish to analyze a color-spectrum -- I favor the yellow...red color. Not green. Not white. And that filter I showed above has some of the most pleasing colors : /stargazer95050/archive/created/2012/06/05
"What kind of filter" also has to consider what kind of lens or telescope you are going to use. Strapping cardboard in front of a big lens was an act of improvisation born out of desperation. With better preparation you can research and find filters to suit your lens. And for my telescope, I have a suitable solar ERF-filter : /stargazer95050/19370235 .


Once you put a solar-filter in front of a camera lens or telescope, you have a new challenge -- how do I find the sun ?? No -- that's not a joke. With the narrow FOV of a tele(scope) this isn't as easy as you may think because through this solar filter you don't see anything. It all is black -- only when you directly point at the sun, you see a small bright dot. So you're telling me, I shall not look at the sun and when I'm not looking at the sun, all I see is black -- how the heck will I find it ?

SUGGESTION (1) -- lots of patience and carefully & systematically scan the sky while avoiding looking at the sun without protection. Not as easy as it sounds, especiaslly when you don't have any added shade around your dSLR.

SUGGESTION (2) : BEFORE you add the blocking filter to your lens, you can REMOVE the camera and leave the front & rear of the lens open. Hold you hand or a piece of paper behind the lens and move the scope until you see the image circle of the sun. Lock the tripod position and put on a lens cap or the ERF filter and AFTER THAT attach the camera again. If you attach the camera first, you may melt the plastic on the inside -- NO KIDDING !!
This approach still requires a little bit of "hunting" -- the better you can secure the camera& tripod position while making the changes, the better.

SUGGESTION (3) : use a simple cardboard tube as your "finder" . Put it in place of your camera or telescope -- be accurate, it will save you time later. And now, instead of looking through, LOOK AT THE SHADOW it casts. The longer the tube, the more accurate but finding the sun also takes longer. As the tube starts to point at the sun, there will be a light inside the shadow -- likely at first it isn't round. Make your adjustments until you have a nice round "doughnut" shadow.
Now replace that tube and mount the camera + lens + solar filter and you have narrowed down the search area a lot. Ideally you only need small adjustments.

SUGGESTION (4) : uses the same concept as the cardboard tube but doesn't need any extras besides what you already have on your tripod. Use the vertical & horizontal pieces of the camera or tripod head and observe the shadow as you swing left--right and tilt up--down. When the shadows are at its thinnest, the camera points directly at the sun. This really cuts down time to find the sun and avoids looking directly at the sun.


Now you have your camera + lens + filter all assembled and it is pointing at the sun. What could go wrong now ? -- Glad you asked because FOCUSING is the next step (skip this if you use a AF-lens). And focusing itself is only the secondary problem -- the first challenge is to focus while you look at the viewfinder or rear-LCD when at the same time, the sun shines right into your eyes.
This, I improvised and it served me well through two eclipse shoots. Naturally there are dedicated "solar shields" and you can import them from Germany for 50 EUR a piece (Those are nice, yet simple flat sheets of metal, not cereal boxes)
However you decide to solve this, a towel/cloth, a bigger cardboard box, a laptop and tethered remote view -- this shield serves TWO purposes : a BRIGHT surface on the outside to reflect as much energy as possible and a DARK surface on the inside to avoid reflections and improve contrast.

SOLAR SHIELDS or HEAT SHIELDS aren't gimmicks -- some solar observation accessories are temperature sensitive. And you may not want to bake your SLR under the soaring heat & sunlight. And for visual observation, you also need shade to cover the ocular -- your choice how you provide that protection. On astronomy web-sites you can find $50 gadgets -- even a simple cardboard box can be used if you have a box cutter or scissors.
Especially solar filters made of glass have the annoying side-effect of a very reflective (rear) surface. As you hold up the filter against the sun, you see the sun - and you see yourself and everything bright behind you. With a box or (better) a thick, black cloth, you can block that stray light and kill these reflections.


When you think about eclipse and timelapse in one sentence, you have to consider the duration -- 180...330 minutes is the range you have to prepare for. If you want to shoot a timelapse this can mean as few as one shot per minute. Or you may see the need for HDR & bracketing and want smoother movements. 3 x HDR, every 10 seconds x 330 minutes ==> 10.000 shots will require substantial memory capacity & additional battery packages. Add to this 12V power for a motorized mount and (backup) power for the laptop controlling all this.: /stargazer95050/19371879


For shots covering such a long time, you likely want to use a tracking EQ-mount. Over the course of 3...5 hours, the sun covers a large area of sky and without a short-ish tele tracking the movement, the details of the eclipse will be very hard to see in the final wide-angle image. /stargazer95050/19498783 Naturally that mount needs (12V) power plus you have to polar-align it during daylight.


You can shoot an eclipse with many different setups -- and here you see how I mixed two options. The EQuatorial mount was tracking the sun (timelapse + laptop-control) while a separate, fully manual tripod + SLR + cable-remote-timer gave me additional opportunity to change the view and shoot things beside the eclipse. Naturally that tripod setup also is a lot easier to move and has a big advantage if you want to get a particular alignment.


There are many options and many different approaches lead to success. The issues I mention had caused me trouble and I think you have the opportunity to avoid some of these stumbling blocks. It doesn't mean you don't need to practice -- there are things that can go wrong during such a long shoot and with practice you are experienced enough to solve those issues quickly. "Luck favors the prepared"
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PROLOGUE : Let me remind you -- be very careful and take the warnings seriously. The concentrated heat of sunlight coming through a lens can melt plastic & metal. Even seemingly good filters can burn your eyes as they let UV & IR pass and you won't see or feel anything but massive, irreparable damage can occur to your eyes. Many of the DIY solutions to protect eyes aren't very safe.

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