Solar Eclipse Lens Stacking???

[p38lightning]

Hi,

I have a an FZ1000.2 on which I keep my circular polarizer and a UV lens. I just got a Celestial Optical Helios ND 1000000 (6.0) 20 Stop Solar Photography filter for next month's Solar Eclipse. Primary question is to simply stack it on the other two or remove one of them (which) or both and use it solo for the event?

PS: As this will be my first time shooting the sun and using this filter, any specific settings for this camera would be greatly appreciated. Plan to shot sun spot pics as practice.

Thanks.

 

[Yar1971]

I would only use this Solar filter and nothing more. It's very strong anyway. I see no sense in stacking any extra filters. Just make sure that you can easily screw in/out the filter. Don't let it jammed while the event! You may just don't screw in tightly to avoid it, but better do some checks before.
Use manual exposure (M mode) for the event. Use some popular exposure tables as a guide, like this one (scroll down to Solar Eclipse Exposure Gude table):

How to Photograph a Total Solar Eclipse

This page explains how to photograph a total solar eclipse. It discusses different types of photographic techniques.

www.mreclipse.com

WARNING:
-For totality You may use this table directly, as You work without any filter then
-For partial eclipse, these numbers are for ND 5.0 filter, so You may have to correct for Your ND 6.0 one
-Don't take the numbers here for granted, make some prior trials on non-eclipsed Sun or make some bracketing towards longer shutter times during partial phase (no hurry during this phase)

Other things:
1) Use as sturdy tripod as You can. This is critical not only for exposure, but even more for vibration elimination during manual focusing. Note that having tilting LCD screen You don't need a tall tripod - You may set it up lower with partially folded legs and central column (improves stiffness a lot)
2) AF will work reasonably during partial phase, but may struggle during totality - it's a lottery. To avoid trouble make some exercise on MF work. The best way is to focus on the Sun/Moon limb with reasonably magnified view on LCD screen (this is when shaky tripod may kill Your photo). Definitely make some exercise with final setup before the eclipse.
3) Don't forget to watch the event with Your eyes during totality. You may use some optical instrument during totality only, the best view is probably from 20x magnifying spotter on tripod, but I could recognise the biggest prominences also in small bino 10x25.
WARNING:
Don't even try and don't allow anybody else to play with any non-solar filtered visual optical equipment even shortly before/after totality!!! I once saw (and yelled on) the idiots doing it with large bino 2 minutes after totality... They might think it's "safe" but slowly baking Your retina with 99% eclipsed solar disk gives more or less the same result that baking it instantly with 100% unfiltered solar disk. Just doing it slower and dare consequences coming with following years, not within seconds...
Regards,
-J.

 

[p38lightning]

Thanks! Will go with solo filter for the event. Where I am in Southern Maine (near coast) will be "deep partial"/95.7% so I will probably leave the filter in place at peak. Yes. I have a very sturdy tripod!!!

 

[Yar1971]

Thanks! Will go with solo filter for the event. Where I am in Southern Maine (near coast) will be "deep partial"/95.7% so I will probably leave the filter in place at peak. Yes. I have a very sturdy tripod!!!

OK. So all my advices above are of minor value. Now I can give You the most important one: cut Your anchor, leave everything behind on 8 April and...

Go for totality, on God's sake!!!

Man, people travel overseas just to watch totality!!! You're so close, so close... I'm not from US and if not blocked by some serious life circumstances this year, I would be long after buying a ticket for transatlantic flight right now, just like in 2017.
The greatest mistake about solar eclipses is a thought, that totality is almost the same as, let's say, deep partial eclipse. "Just more" they say. This is a huge mistake. In terms of a human experience/impression this is a separate phenomenon, absolutely breathtaking & wild. Partial eclipse, even a deep one is nothing to compare. Even astronomy lovers don't consider it too much spectacular. The totality (at least at the first time) is really shocking for any witness, regardless his/her character, hobbies, profile of education etc. I love watching human reactions on it. My comrades on my eclipse trips were all but one no astronomy hobbyists. Their reactions were priceless...
As the totality may be seen from extremally narrow stripe of Earth, very few people realise what it exactly is. Even though in good geographical circumstances can be watched by millions, probably less then promille of any humans that lived once, live now and will live on this Earth would have opportunity to see it...
Moreover, this is a kind of experience that is very much non-transferable. Though there's a lot photo/video record of it, it doesn't create any impression about real experience. You may have idea seeing pictures or watching the film what is, let's say, The Great Canyon, a wild grizzly, whatever. I's not the same as watching them with own eyes, but You have at least an idea what they are... Some things may even look better on images than seen with human eyes, like most of auroras for example (they often look much better on photo, than visually). But (at least in my opinion) there's no image/video that shows an idea of what you can experience during TSE. The only way is to do it personally.
Regards,
-J.

 

[p38lightning]

Thanks again. I viewed the passion of your response with a very respectful smile! Closing in on my 78th year (and being far from decrepit) has and does restrict my efforts these days. Distance of travel, highly questionable weather, "seekers" volume, and no set open, quiet, destination spot at the end of the journey all are factors. I have seen more than one total and consider myself quite fortunate to be where we are near the coast between Portland and Portsmouth for this one. Now, if the weather will cooperate. I certainly do appreciate the thoroughness of your response. No argument regarding images/video vs. direct experience but 95.7 will have to do this go around.

 

[p38lightning]

PS: I was working on the Caribbean island of Bonaire in 1986 during the return of Halley's Comet which was a remarkable "direct experience"!

 

[Yar1971]

You caught me definitely! I had no idea that I talk to an eclipse veteran! Now I understand Your plans better. Good Luck with the event (in any form) and clear sky!
BTW, congrats that you could really see Comet Halley in 1986. I was a schoolboy then and though interested much about space and astronomy I had no knowledge and resources to do it succesfully... It was non-easy object to observe in my country, at least with very basic to no equipment.
Best regards,
-J.

 

[p38lightning]

"...and clear sky" for all of us! Especially here in Maine the weather along our portion of the coast and farther inland (where the totality path is) is rarely the same. Will settle for 95.7 and hope for "CAVU" weather. BTW, packed away somewhere is a very good 8 x 10 photo and original slide of Halley in Bonaire, 1986 that was given to me by the amateur astronomer group that I assisted when they came to the island. If I can find it and replicate it digitally with reasonable clarity, I will upload it here at some point. Best of luck to all chasing this eclipse!