Photography

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lasher

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if i'm able, planning a road trip the the eclipse totality zone in august. want to get some good pix and perhaps video of the event. i have a nikon d7100 and a d610 for bodies. i have an older f4 400mm totally manual lens and a f2.8 D model 300mm. for the 400 i bought one of those nifty 1.6 extenders with the auto focus, works great with the old 400, in fact makes it a 640. now i need solar eclipse filters, don't have to be super high dollar because this will be their only use. preferences? suggestions? for the filters. i have 2 gimble tripod mounts and good sturdy tripods. the lenses are nikon
 

mhphoto

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A few years ago I bought a big square solar filter sheet for pretty cheap (maybe 15 bucks or so). Then I got a BIG set of step up/step down rings and fashioned my own. It was a little awkward to make but it saved a few hundred bucks I'm sure. I have a catadioptric 500mm f/8.0 (some model that goes under a few different brand names) that I use with two 2.0x telephoto converters, so it's a shaky 2000mm even on a tripod (not even to mention the fact that the sun only stays in from for a short time).

The filter makes it possible to compose the shot in both the viewfinder and the live view. And you wouldn't get anywhere close the seeing sunspots even at the fastest shutter speed and smallest aperture plus ND filters. At least I don't remember being able to.

The filter size of the lens is 95mm if I'm remembering correctly, so I cut part of the filter sheet to size and glued it to the 95-105mm step up ring. I remember thinking I could maybe sandwich the filter between two different step up/down rings and not have to use glue, but that fell apart pretty quick.

Here are a few pics taken with the setup.

12036904_805931866187_2580832172089622559_n-2.jpg


1461361_753871286007_6438051860453901124_n.jpg


I don't have the originals on this computer so I just grabbed these off Facebook, so they're ridiculously compressed. The original RAW files look much better.
 

mhphoto

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Just to add, the ripples in the picture of the sun are small ripple imperfections that ended up happening to the filter as the glue was curing. The cheap way has its downsides…
 

mhphoto

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And I'm sure welding glass would work fine, but the color correction (no problem with RAW files) and the fact that it's not really meant to be optical quality glass might need to be considered. But I've never used it, so I couldn't say.
 

Pulp

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If you use welding glass be sure to use at least a #14. Anything less could cause eye damage. And since they're smaller than most camera lenses, you'll have to make some type of light proof holder to go over your lens.

I've heard, but not verified, that a CD disc makes a good solar shade. But I wouldn't recommend trying it until you verify it.
 

OK Corgi Rancher

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I thought I'd revive this thread since it's on the subject I'd like to explore.

I love photography though I'm just a novice.

I have a few different cameras:

1) Sony RXIV-10 This is my "good" camera, though real photographers migh scoff at it.
2) Panasonic FZ-1000 I like this one, too.
3) Nikon P610 Not a great camera but it's got a REALLY long zoom...pretty much put it away since I got the Sony
4) Nikon D700? Can't remember the model. Takes great pictures but I have limited lenses for it. Haven't used it in ages.

I also have a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra that has a pretty remarkable camera for a phone. It's really handy for times when I'm not carrying a camera.

Probably my favorite things to photograph are birds, most wildlife and guns. I can't seem to get the hang of scenery composition...just not my thing.

Thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures I've taken over the past few years.

From the top of Mt Scott:
B.jpg


Weisenfel's Gulch Rd (Idaho...south of Lewiston, Idaho along the Snake River)
Weisenfel's Gulch Road sm.jpg


The Neighborhood Goat (Olustee, OK)
A.jpg


Great Horned Owl (Lewiston, Idaho)
DSCN0670.JPG


Possum (Olustee, OK)
Possum 4.jpg


Armadillo (Olustee, OK)
E.jpg


Eagle (Along the Clearwater River near Lewiston, Idaho)
C small.jpg
 
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OK Corgi Rancher

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This is a video of a beautiful black bear I took near Evergreen, CO. I pulled up to the drive to deliver propane and saw this guy behind the house. I shut off my truck and watched as he walked down the drive to the trash can, just feet away from me (I was heroically filming...from the safety of the cab!) and gently tipped over the can. You can see him look around before swiping the trash bag and running off. Clever guy...not his first rodeo.

 

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