If you're planning on watching the upcoming solar eclipse....

[thewayne]

PLEASE make sure you have proper ISO-rated protective glasses! You can buy them at Staples office supply for $3. The ones that I looked at today had an ISO number on the side and are the same ones that my wife's observatory was giving out to their employees, and they're good for three years.

Even if you're not in the path of totality, it should be a good show. I'm hoping for some good pix, and have a brand-new camera to play with! It also has a proper filter which cost a cool hundred bucks and drops the incoming light SIXTEEN f-stops! The new camera, a Canon R6 Mark 2, has an LCD viewing screen that tilts and pans, so it should be fairly easy to aim the camera without looking through the viewfinder - which is the recommended method - I won't even have to look up to photograph the sun! I also got a new quick-release shoe for my tripod, we'll see how that works out. Sadly, my new tripod hasn't shipped yet, I'm hoping that'll be here in the next month or two - it's a nice carbon fiber jobby!

Comments

[moxie_man]

This is Maine. I forecasted over a year ago that it'll be overcast with either rain or snow as that tends to be what happens for big events like this. If my forecast is a bust, I'll be heading out VERY VERY early that morning to join friends 2 hrs north of me in Jackman near the Quebec border under the very center of the path. Totality for about 3.5 minutes. Leaving so early 'cause if the weather is good, the one road two-lane road from here to there will become a parking lot. Their town hasn't advertised like others under the path here in Maine 'cause they know they can't handle the crowds, though they could use the tourism boost 'cause there wasn't really a winter this year. They're usually a snowmobile meca in winter.

I've already have ISO numbered glasses.

[thewayne]

Very nice!  We're driving 600 miles to Dallas to be in the totality path, reserved our hotel back in December.  I'm picking up spare glasses today.

[disneydream06]

the grocery store I go to has eclipse glasses.
Sadly whenever there is something like this we always end up with cloudy skies. :(

I can't wait to see the results from your new camera. :)
Hugs, Jon

[kaishin108]

Oh wow, thanks for this post. We didn't realize the glasses have an expiration date and Gene was going to reuse his from 2017. Are you going to be at home to watch it or going somewhere?

[thewayne]

Nope nope nope.  2017 is too old, time to drop $6ish and get new ones for the two of you!  The plastic is very thin and will degrade with time and lose its protection.  We're driving to Dallas with a proverbial song on our lips and hope in our hearts.  As long as it's not 100% overcast and storming, we should be okay.  Some light cloud cover would actually be nice to provide some contrast for the pix!  And it will give us a couple of days mini-vacay!

[kaishin108]

He is going by himself but he should get two pairs anyway just in case. He will drive and watch it in Greenville, TX!

[thewayne]

Very nice!  Still, I'd suggest you get a pair so you can pop out and take a look.  While you're not in the path of totality, you can still see a pretty cool thing.  I bought four pair today, I don't know where my pair from last year is, and I figured having spares to hand out could be useful.

[kaishin108]

It does seem nice to be able to hand out a few. :)
Do you mean from Idaho I might want to wear them? Boise to be exact.

[thewayne]

Doesn't matter where you're at, whether or not you're in the path of the totality or off to the side.  If you're looking at the eclipse, you need protective eye wear.

[kaishin108]

Thanks for saying, I stupidly didn't realize that. I typically just avoid eclipses though as I have such bad vision already. But I worry about my dog...

[thewayne]

You can always just keep your dog inside, it only lasts about 10 or 15 minutes, beginning to end, IIRC.

[kaishin108]

That is what I was thinking I would do. I just couldn't remember how long it would last, thanks! :)

[garote]

Why would you need to avoid the viewfinder?

[thewayne]

The concept is that you'll most likely take off your personal sun safety glasses to aim your camera and will be risking eye damage.  Plus, the viewfinder is a magnifier.  While sun filters are a -16 f-stop hit, it is not a proper sun filter like the glasses, so you're increasing your risk of eye damage if you're not extremely careful.  If you're continuing to wear your personal sun safety glasses, you're probably not going to see anything through the viewfinder!

[garote]

Ahh, I get it now, Better to have the sunglasses off already and be looking down. I was just curious because the R6 viewfinder is digital...

[thewayne]

True.  But the rear panel tilts and swivels, so you don't have to look up at all to operate it.  My Panasonic Lumix has a similar panel, it was really nice for photographing last year's eclipse.