My Eclipse Rig
- Thread starter GAD
- Start date
Jeannie
Super Moderator
Do you think my Gimbal Tripod Head would be good to use? Here is a link to the one I have https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016V1AVV4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I used this map: http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_page...l.html?Lat=34.38878&Lng=-82.15576&Zoom=7&LC=1
This map does it too and is a bit less complicated: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/interactive_map/index.html
Zoom in and click on the town where you'll be. You'll get a yellow window that will pop up with a pile of information. One of columns is "Alt" - that is the altitude above the horizon. The next column is "Azi" which is short for "azimuth" which is the compass bearing. Using these two numbers you can figure out exactly where in the sky the sun will be at that location for the eclipse.
As an aside, an altitude/azimuth or "alt/az" (or altazimuth) mount is what a "regular" photography tripod head is called in astronomy. up/down is altitude and left/right is azimuth. There is no tilt in astronomy mounts because telescopes are round and tilt doesn't matter.
In astronomy we generally prefer equatorial mounts which is what the monstrosity in my original post is. With an eq mount you align the center with the north star and the mount rotates around that axis just like the Earth does (but in the opposite direction), thus keeping the star/nebula/sun/moon/whatever in the field of view. Since it will be daylight I'll have to do some research/math ahead of time and work to align the mount blind (can't see the north star during the day), but it should be good enough based on my tests thus far.
And that's more than you ever wanted to know (and didn't ask) about astronomy mounts.
I'll be in South Carolina.
This map does it too and is a bit less complicated: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/interactive_map/index.html
Zoom in and click on the town where you'll be. You'll get a yellow window that will pop up with a pile of information. One of columns is "Alt" - that is the altitude above the horizon. The next column is "Azi" which is short for "azimuth" which is the compass bearing. Using these two numbers you can figure out exactly where in the sky the sun will be at that location for the eclipse.
As an aside, an altitude/azimuth or "alt/az" (or altazimuth) mount is what a "regular" photography tripod head is called in astronomy. up/down is altitude and left/right is azimuth. There is no tilt in astronomy mounts because telescopes are round and tilt doesn't matter.
In astronomy we generally prefer equatorial mounts which is what the monstrosity in my original post is. With an eq mount you align the center with the north star and the mount rotates around that axis just like the Earth does (but in the opposite direction), thus keeping the star/nebula/sun/moon/whatever in the field of view. Since it will be daylight I'll have to do some research/math ahead of time and work to align the mount blind (can't see the north star during the day), but it should be good enough based on my tests thus far.
And that's more than you ever wanted to know (and didn't ask) about astronomy mounts.
I'll be in South Carolina.
Jeannie
Super Moderator
Where I'll be the alt will be 63.3 degrees.
I have a friend who shoots night skies. She has the tracking stuff for her camera. One time she went to Alaska and photographed the northern lights. She got some amazing photos.
Not more than I've ever wanted to know but just shows me how much I don't know. Interesting.
I have a friend who shoots night skies. She has the tracking stuff for her camera. One time she went to Alaska and photographed the northern lights. She got some amazing photos.
Not more than I've ever wanted to know but just shows me how much I don't know. Interesting.
Darwinsnewfie@1855
New member
How exciting!
I set the camera to Tv (shutter priority) and set to 1/640th to avoid shake on the 400mm lens (560mm with 1.4x TC) since I was hand-holding.
With everything else auto, the settings turned out to be this:
560mm: ISO 800, 1/640th, f/9 (widest is f/8 with TC)
400mm: ISO 320, 1/640th, f/5.6 (widest aperture of lens)
I plan to do more testing just as soon as I can (work, travel, vacation, Guinness, oy!)
Fot the eclipse I'm probably going to automate everything using this amazing software: http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/Solar_Eclipse_Maestro_Photography_Software.html
Settings for eclipse will vary a great deal based on the position of the moon. The dynamic range between full sun and full eclipse is HUGE!
Here's a good online exposure calculator: http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipseExposure.html
For Baily's Beads you're looking at 1/6400th at ISO 100 f/8 (no filter), but for corona shots you're looking at 1/1.6s at the same settings. That's a lot of dynamic range. My main goal is to get pics of the corona, but again I'm automating all of it so we'll see what happens. My goal is to see a total eclipse and not tinker with gear. Well, I'll be tinkering with gear for hours in the hopes of not tinkering with gear during the eclipse.
With everything else auto, the settings turned out to be this:
560mm: ISO 800, 1/640th, f/9 (widest is f/8 with TC)
400mm: ISO 320, 1/640th, f/5.6 (widest aperture of lens)
I plan to do more testing just as soon as I can (work, travel, vacation, Guinness, oy!)
Fot the eclipse I'm probably going to automate everything using this amazing software: http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/Solar_Eclipse_Maestro_Photography_Software.html
Settings for eclipse will vary a great deal based on the position of the moon. The dynamic range between full sun and full eclipse is HUGE!
Here's a good online exposure calculator: http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipseExposure.html
For Baily's Beads you're looking at 1/6400th at ISO 100 f/8 (no filter), but for corona shots you're looking at 1/1.6s at the same settings. That's a lot of dynamic range. My main goal is to get pics of the corona, but again I'm automating all of it so we'll see what happens. My goal is to see a total eclipse and not tinker with gear. Well, I'll be tinkering with gear for hours in the hopes of not tinkering with gear during the eclipse.
Pretty cool video on watching the eclipse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc7MfcKF1-s&feature=youtu.be
Just got to thinking...I wonder if our cell service will go down? I'm going to be in a rural area and may not get good reception anyway. I think I will take a good accurate watch with a second hand along so I can watch for the shadow bands and other phenomenon.
Rats...NOAA is predicting light rain and 40% cloud cover right about C1. I'm sure it will change, but I hope for the better.
Rats...NOAA is predicting light rain and 40% cloud cover right about C1. I'm sure it will change, but I hope for the better.
Local police in Greenville are asking people to please not stream the event because it will cause service disruption. I also got a warning from the hotel that it's going to be mobbed and that they will have special rooms set up for eclipse people to hang out in.
I think it's going to be pandemonium.
I think it's going to be pandemonium.