Today the smoke cleared and we have brilliant sun and 39.6C (103.8F) temps.
I thought I'd share today's project with you, as there is still time for you to
make one, and it will REALLY help your eclipse photography.
At previous eclipses, I've seen telescopes fitted with a nifty optical finder,
that enables you to line your scope or lens up with the sun far faster than
using the old "look at the shadow on the ground, behind, to see when it's the
smallest".
The problem is that most are home-made and custom fitted to the particular
finder mount on the 'scope. My lens does not have a finder mount, but luckily
I found a design that self-aligns.
This one cost me about $6 for two "turn-key sewer hose clamps" from the
hardware store. I my case, the rest was scrap lucite. But you could make one
from wood or even metal, if you have the capabilities.
Mine took me about 1 hour to construct.
Here's my kit...
http://www.furnfeather.ca/eclipse/eclipsekit.html
It consists of my Oly E-MI Mk II, and the Leitz 400/6.8 Telyt. The project is
the plastic finder, held on with a hose clamp.
A small hole in a piece of card allows the sun to shine through to a piece of
card at the back. You line the camera up with the sun and when the sun is
centered in your finder, you make a mark where the bright spot is on the white
card. Then, all you have to do is line up the sun on the dot, and your camera
is 99% aligned. This is a big deal, 'cause in the old days of a 90 degree
finder on an R6 you could easily spend 1/2 your time just finding the sun.
This way, you can do it in under 10 seconds.
Here is a closer look at the finder...
http://www.furnfeather.ca/eclipse/finder.html
and proof that it works!
http://www.furnfeather.ca/eclipse/proof.html
Last, I cut a small piece of leftover felt from when our pool table was
recovered, and used it to protect the finish on the lens. You may not wish to
bother, but if you do, any soft rubber, foam, or fabric will do.
http://www.furnfeather.ca/eclipse/felt.html
I got the idea and rough plans, here:
http://www.dd1us.de/Downloads/a%20collection%20of%20solar%20finder%20designs%200v6.pdf
I used design #14, but one of the others may suit what you choose to do.
I have never been able to set up my camera for an eclipse so fast and I highly
recommend something similar if you are going to shoot this eclipse. (Peter
Klein - are you paying attention?)
David.
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