Re: [Leica] Solar Eclipse

[4season <4season@boulder.net>]

I would've seen a near-total eclipse a few years back, in Honolulu, but
the day was very cloudy. Nevertheless, the changing light was dramatic,
and birds in particular seemed to assume their evening activities.

I was out on a roof with a Meade 2080LX2 (a "big and fuzzy" 8"
schmidt-cassegrain telescope), full-aperture solar filter and also a
Nikon F3. Didn't get a single shot, and only a quick glimpse of the
eclipse in progress!

Were I still there, and were it all happening now, I'd probably have
planned a trip to one of the outer islands: I've never been to the top
of Mauna Kea, but I understand that the weather's clear most of the time
:-)

And I'd leave this telescope behind (actually sold it long ago-no loss
there). Well, maybe a small, rich-field refractor would be nice; maybe
an Astroscan. Something easy to point, else clock-driven, so that the
sun didn't keep slipping out of the field of view! It's surprisngly
tricky to locate it using just the main telescope optics, especially
when the view is so heavily filtered as to eliminate nearly all visual
cues.

But I found my full-frame sun photos to be boring, and now would prefer
that an eclipse be worked into a larger landscape composition; I'd scout
out a good location beforehand, at about the same time of day as the
eclipse. And I would take a short-to-middling telephoto at most.

Besides the usual cautions of not burning your eyes or shutter curtains,
crosshair wires in finder scopes can be melted, and expensive eyepieces
damaged by the concentrated light and heat, so beware.

Filters for the camera lens? Nah, I just keep things capped 'till I'm
about ready to shoot. I think a fairly modern 50, 90 or 135 mm lens
would be great, not only due to modern lens coatings, but the relatively
low number of flare-prone lens elements as well.

Jeff

R.P.A.C.Savenije@AVV.RWS.minvenw.nl wrote:
> I am planning to make some pictures of course. This is however an
> extraordinary situation. Even seconds before the total eclipse the
> ligth intensity is immense compared to intesnity during the eclispe.
> This asks for special filters of course. Aperture and timing will
> also be quite different.
> 
> Who does have any experience with this phonomenon and taking pictures of
> it ? What kind of filters, lenses and film did you use.