This is a once in a lifetime event you wouldn't want to miss if you happen to live in the path of totality.
Let's wish for clear skies!

 

Cleveland OH, and Eire, Buffalo, Rochester NY are all close to the center line of totality.

 

Here are the times in their respective time zones.

 

 

From Havana to Vancouver, even Portland gets 20% coverage.
Make the trip to Texas for the weekend.

 

This is a once in a lifetime event you wouldn't want to miss if you happen to live in the path of totality.
Let's wish for clear skies!

I’ll be in prime viewing territory. I’ve purchased a 16-stop ND filter for my 600mm f/4 lens. I took a first shot with it yesterday, and it’s not an easy thing to use. In particular, on a full disk focus is pretty tough. This is a rough shot, for various reasons, but it confirms the filter works for solar photogtraphy.

Yuck! More practice needed, as well as a black out curtain so I can see.
​

The filter is sufficient for photography but not for direct viewing, so no viewfinder for me. I have to use the live view and the display. The autofocus struggles, of course, with almost no contrast. Manual focus is made very difficult because the sun, even without looking at it, is blinding unless I am directly behind the camera, and at an effective focal length of 1248mm (600mm prime lens, 1.4x extender (teleconverter), and the 1.6x crop factor of the camera‘s sensor, then add the 10x magnification of the display, and the tiniest motion translates to a lot of movement while trying to mange the focus ring located towards the front of the very long (physically as well as focally) lens.

It’s just an ND, unfortunately because a proper solar filter for hydrogen lines would extremely expensive. Thankfully, Canon was clever about the lens design and instead of having to buy a 110mm+ filter for the objective, there is a “drop in” filter holder for standard 52mm threaded filters at the camera end of the lens in front of the last few elements. This makes an ND filter downright “affordable”.

So, with clear skies and a good vantage point, I have a chance at least of getting some nice shots. Time will tell…

 

Oh, by the way—though they are cheap and readily available, I do have a surfeit of cardboard, ANSI rated viewing glasses.

If, for some reason, anyone might need a pair or two, I am happy to mail them out. I won’t need all of them for my family—especially because much to my surprise, several members also bought them in anticipation.

If you somehow can’t get a hold of any, let me know with some lead time and I will mail some to you.

 

I’m going to miss it. I need to be about 200 miles further west.
Oh well. It will probably rain anyway.

 

I’ll be in prime viewing territory. I’ve purchased a 16-stop ND filter for my 600mm f/4 lens. I took a first shot with it yesterday, and it’s not an easy thing to use. In particular, on a full disk focus is pretty tough. This is a rough shot, for various reasons, but it confirms the filter works for solar photogtraphy.

So, with clear skies and a good vantage point, I have a chance at least of getting some nice shots. Time will tell…

You should get closer to Cleveland or Indianapolis.

 

https://nso.edu/for-public/eclipse-map-2024/

 

https://nso.edu/for-public/eclipse-map-2024/

View attachment 317987

I'd love to make another trip as I have family property near Dallas and Waco in Texas but I've seen two already in my short life time and I'm planning a summer trip anyway. I'll ask my family to send some pictures of the eclipse from Texas.

 

I'd love to make another trip as I have family property near Dallas and Waco in Texas but I've seen two already in my short life time and I'm planning a summer trip anyway. I'll ask my family to send some pictures of the eclipse from Texas.

I am sure that there will be lots of media coverage if the sun shines, so to speak.

 

I am sure that there will be lots of media coverage if the sun shines, so to speak.

True but it's a lot more fun to be there in person.

 

Yay a good thing about living in Cleveland. We get 100% for our viewing pleasure where I am. I am armed and ready. I made our viewers. Technical engineering to the weld department finally paid off.



Expecting my two sisters up from Columbus, OH. This is becoming a really big deal and based on historical data our odds are about one in five for ideal weather. Told my sisters to come up the day before or get a real early startup on eclipse day. Areas designed for several thousand will see tens of thousands up here. The glass is #10 welding shade and #11 also works fine. Depending on weather if things are good I may drag out my camers.

Ron

 

My department has purchased 600,000 viewing glasses that meet ISO 12312-2 specifications and are distributing them free to the public through the public libraries. I will be making three presentations in the coming weeks and will be handing out free glasses. Two presentations will be in the french language. I will also show how to make a pinhole camera for projecting the eclipse.

 

My department has purchased 600,000 viewing glasses that meet ISO 12312-2 specifications and are distributing them free to the public through the public libraries. I will be making three presentations in the coming weeks and will be handing out free glasses. Two presentations will be in the french language. I will also show how to make a pinhole camera for projecting the eclipse.

View attachment 318003

That pinhole effect is pretty cool.
The shadow from the trees have the eclipse patterns on the ground.


I was pretty disappointed with my camera. It was almost impossible to get auto focus on what we were seeing and manual didn't work either, so I gave up on pictures and just watched the show.
https://www.courierpress.com/story/...-of-the-solar-eclipse-on-april-8/73004115007/
Want to take photos of the total solar eclipse on April 8? Here's how to do it

 

I was on a camping trip in the woods one year ( I believe it was Aug 21, 2017) during a solar eclipse. I had nothing to view the event except watch the images on the ground made by the gaps between the leaves of the forest canopy. It was still exciting and rewarding to observe.

 

I’ll be in prime viewing territory. I’ve purchased a 16-stop ND filter for my 600mm f/4 lens. I took a first shot with it yesterday, and it’s not an easy thing to use. In particular, on a full disk focus is pretty tough. This is a rough shot, for various reasons, but it confirms the filter works for solar photogtraphy.

View attachment 317977Yuck! More practice needed, as well as a black out curtain so I can see.
​

The filter is sufficient for photography but not for direct viewing, so no viewfinder for me. I have to use the live view and the display. The autofocus struggles, of course, with almost no contrast. Manual focus is made very difficult because the sun, even without looking at it, is blinding unless I am directly behind the camera, and at an effective focal length of 1248mm (600mm prime lens, 1.4x extender (teleconverter), and the 1.6x crop factor of the camera‘s sensor, then add the 10x magnification of the display, and the tiniest motion translates to a lot of movement while trying to mange the focus ring located towards the front of the very long (physically as well as focally) lens.

It’s just an ND, unfortunately because a proper solar filter for hydrogen lines would extremely expensive. Thankfully, Canon was clever about the lens design and instead of having to buy a 110mm+ filter for the objective, there is a “drop in” filter holder for standard 52mm threaded filters at the camera end of the lens in front of the last few elements. This makes an ND filter downright “affordable”.

So, with clear skies and a good vantage point, I have a chance at least of getting some nice shots. Time will tell…

Praying for clear sky for you because I want to see more of your wonderful images. I had no luck last time with my plain-jane setup while others had nice images with old disposable cameras with a welding filter.

Can you give us mere mortals hints?

 

I’ll be in prime viewing territory. I’ve purchased a 16-stop ND filter for my 600mm f/4 lens.

You bought it some welding goggles?

 

You bought it some welding goggles?

No, it’s a neutral density filter, so it doesn’t add color. Welding goggles aren’t designed for neutrality—but, it would be good for photographing welding!