Hi,
There will be a partial solar eclipse on the coming 26 Jan 2009... first day of Chinese New Year. The timing will be from 16:30:00 to 18:57:52.
For those who interested to photo the solar eclipse using your camera lens, you can buy a ready make solar filter for your lens filter size. The other way is to buy a sheet of solar filter and DIY a solar filter for your lens. Since you only need a small portion of the filter (unless you are one of those "big gun" owner), a few of you can buy one and share, so should be the cheaper option.
You should be able to get those ready make solar filter for camera lens and those solar filter sheet from Astro Scientific Centre (located in Omni Theatre building at Singapore Science Centre). Not sure about the price, but I think those ready make solar filter for camera lens are not cheap. Not sure is there any other shop in Singapore that you can get a proper solar filter for camera lens. Below is a picture of my Thousand Oak Black Polymer solar filter sheet (around A4 size) that I got from Astro Scientific Centre last year (can't remember the price, but I think less than or around S$50):
Anyway, I don't think I'll want to bring out my telescope to photo this partial solar eclipse as I might just shoot from a tall, west facing building, so I'll just make a solar filter for my zoom lens. Below is an easier way of making a solar filter from a big sheet and install on your lens by using the UV (or protector) filter that most of us have on our lens. Do it at your own risk (I won't be responsible for any damage equipment or any eye damage):
1) Use a compass to draw a circular template from a hard cover paper of your lens thread size and cut it out. DO NOT use the compass to draw a circle directly on the solar filter as it might cause a hole in the filter and risk of damaging your DSLR sensor or your eye.
2) Use the circular paper template to draw a circle on your solar filter and cut it out. Remember to make a spare just in case your solar filter got holes on the actual day. Below is a picture of the circular template (left), the solar filter cut out (middle), UV filter (right) and my zoom lens (top):
3) Before you install and use the solar filter, make sure you check that there is no holes on the solar filter. You can check for holes by putting the solar filter in front of a bright light source and see is there any bright dots on the solar filter. If yes, it's mean that there are holes on the solar filter... throw it away and DON'T USE ANY SOLAR FILTER THAT HAD HOLES ON IT!!
4) Remove the UV (or protector) filter from your lens and place the solar filter on to the lens surface.
Install the UV (or protector) filter back on your lens. Please note that there is a small gap between the UV (or protector) filter and the lens surface, so the solar filter inside will move around (especially if your solar filter is not the exact size) when you rotate the lens, so make sure the solar filter cover the whole lens surface.
5) Check the solar filter is install properly by pointing the lens at a bright light source and look through the rear of the lens. No light should be seen. If yes, either the solar filter is not install properly, is too small or got holes on it.
Please take extra safety precaution when making the solar filter. Hope the above information are useful and happy shooting!
Have a nice day.
There will be a partial solar eclipse on the coming 26 Jan 2009... first day of Chinese New Year. The timing will be from 16:30:00 to 18:57:52.
For those who interested to photo the solar eclipse using your camera lens, you can buy a ready make solar filter for your lens filter size. The other way is to buy a sheet of solar filter and DIY a solar filter for your lens. Since you only need a small portion of the filter (unless you are one of those "big gun" owner), a few of you can buy one and share, so should be the cheaper option.
You should be able to get those ready make solar filter for camera lens and those solar filter sheet from Astro Scientific Centre (located in Omni Theatre building at Singapore Science Centre). Not sure about the price, but I think those ready make solar filter for camera lens are not cheap. Not sure is there any other shop in Singapore that you can get a proper solar filter for camera lens. Below is a picture of my Thousand Oak Black Polymer solar filter sheet (around A4 size) that I got from Astro Scientific Centre last year (can't remember the price, but I think less than or around S$50):
Anyway, I don't think I'll want to bring out my telescope to photo this partial solar eclipse as I might just shoot from a tall, west facing building, so I'll just make a solar filter for my zoom lens. Below is an easier way of making a solar filter from a big sheet and install on your lens by using the UV (or protector) filter that most of us have on our lens. Do it at your own risk (I won't be responsible for any damage equipment or any eye damage):
1) Use a compass to draw a circular template from a hard cover paper of your lens thread size and cut it out. DO NOT use the compass to draw a circle directly on the solar filter as it might cause a hole in the filter and risk of damaging your DSLR sensor or your eye.
2) Use the circular paper template to draw a circle on your solar filter and cut it out. Remember to make a spare just in case your solar filter got holes on the actual day. Below is a picture of the circular template (left), the solar filter cut out (middle), UV filter (right) and my zoom lens (top):
3) Before you install and use the solar filter, make sure you check that there is no holes on the solar filter. You can check for holes by putting the solar filter in front of a bright light source and see is there any bright dots on the solar filter. If yes, it's mean that there are holes on the solar filter... throw it away and DON'T USE ANY SOLAR FILTER THAT HAD HOLES ON IT!!
4) Remove the UV (or protector) filter from your lens and place the solar filter on to the lens surface.
Install the UV (or protector) filter back on your lens. Please note that there is a small gap between the UV (or protector) filter and the lens surface, so the solar filter inside will move around (especially if your solar filter is not the exact size) when you rotate the lens, so make sure the solar filter cover the whole lens surface.
5) Check the solar filter is install properly by pointing the lens at a bright light source and look through the rear of the lens. No light should be seen. If yes, either the solar filter is not install properly, is too small or got holes on it.
Please take extra safety precaution when making the solar filter. Hope the above information are useful and happy shooting!
Have a nice day.