Eclipse advice

Hi guys
As you prob know , there's a partial eclipse visible from uk on Friday morning
This is a great chance to get some shots as it will be facing my back garden
Now , I know all the dangers with looking at it so I'm ok on that bit
Hopefully filter will arrive tomorrow then need diy a way to fix but I will manage that
The advice I need is what lens to use , settings , and most of all how to focus , ie how do I set focus on infinity and will that hopefully get me sharp shots
Lens options are 35mm 1.8 , 18-105 mm , sigma 70-300 but not too keen on this at the top end
Thanx guys

I did a little test on sunday with filters, and I am going to use my 18-105mm lens with 2 filters, 10+6 stop.

Have a look at this post.

http://nikonites.com/off-topic/29306-eclipse-some-us.html?highlight=solar+eclipse#axzz3UZWeWv83

Skwaz said:

Hi guys
As you prob know , there's a partial eclipse visible from uk on Friday morning
This is a great chance to get some shots as it will be facing my back garden
Now , I know all the dangers with looking at it so I'm ok on that bit
Hopefully filter will arrive tomorrow then need diy a way to fix but I will manage that
The advice I need is what lens to use , settings , and most of all how to focus , ie how do I set focus on infinity and will that hopefully get me sharp shots
Lens options are 35mm 1.8 , 18-105 mm , sigma 70-300 but not too keen on this at the top end
Thanx guys

Click to expand...

I guess its like when shooting the moon, the longer the lens the better so from your list use the 70-300 at 300mm it will give you a bigger disk.
You don't say what filter you are going to use but as per the other thread you need at least 16 stops of filtering so thats either a special filter or two stacked together.
Whatever you do DONT look through the viewfinder, use Live View.
If you are using live view you can manually focus on the sun. You should set the aperture on the lens at its optimum usually f5.6 to f/8. Then with camera in Aperture priority and the lens in Manual focus fire away.

The only thing you can't fix is CLOUDS so hope for good weather.

wornish said:

I guess its like when shooting the moon, the longer the lens the better so from your list use the 70-300 at 300mm it will give you a bigger disk.
You don't say what filter you are going to use but as per the other thread you need at least 16 stops of filtering so thats either a special filter or two stacked together.
Whatever you do DONT look through the viewfinder, use Live View.
If you are using live view you can manually focus on the sun. You should set the aperture on the lens at its optimum usually f5.6 to f/8. Then with camera in Aperture priority and the lens in Manual focus fire away.

The only thing you can't fix is CLOUDS so hope for good weather.

Click to expand...

Long range weather forecast, and its looking like clouds over Manchester on Friday, overcast day.

Normal then

Use something to shield the suns rays aswell, I use Baadar solar film but if you do not have this you can use welding mask filter (The green type) the heat generated from the sun can fry a camera so becareful of this. Normal ND filters are not good enough either.

Thanx
I have an ND variable filter and welder lens on the way maybe a combination of both

Reading this thread and all the warnings of potentially frazzling a sensor I would opt not to take a photo of it. Call me chicken or what but its not worth the risk of a shot of a non-sun - if you know what I mean.

Now that having been said from l'il old chicken me I do look forward to seeing the result.

Definitely use Solar film or welding mask glass.

And read this - How to Photograph a Solar Eclipse from Nikon

Skwaz said:

Hi guys
As you prob know , there's a partial eclipse visible from uk on Friday morning
This is a great chance to get some shots as it will be facing my back garden
Now , I know all the dangers with looking at it so I'm ok on that bit
Hopefully filter will arrive tomorrow then need diy a way to fix but I will manage that
The advice I need is what lens to use , settings , and most of all how to focus , ie how do I set focus on infinity and will that hopefully get me sharp shots
Lens options are 35mm 1.8 , 18-105 mm , sigma 70-300 but not too keen on this at the top end
Thanx guys

Click to expand...

You might find this thread to be of some interest. Much to my great amazement, I was the only one in that thread who actually got any shots of the eclipse.