Dec 26, 2019
The Solar Eclipse is on Dec 26 this year. Maximum Eclipse will happened 1:23pm. And I will be attempting to capture it on my roof top.
It is a spectacular event. If you miss it, is either you fly to Taiwan in June 2020, or you want for another 200+ years for it to come pass by Singapore again. 🙂
I thought I have bought it. Later, I checked again, and OH NO. I forgot to buy the Solar filter. So, I will have to improvise a solution.
I will solve it by stacking multiple filters together. I will stacked 2x variable ND filters with a UV filter. That will protect my camera. Hahahaha. It might be very dark, but I think it is ok. This is the first time I am doing it anyway.
This will be my whole setup.
After a few test run, the ND filter tends to move a lot, so, a few plasters to fix it.
To minimised the movement, I also place it velco to tie everything up tight.
So, the x2 converter will make my camera lens to have 400 x 2 x 1.5 (crop) = 1200mm. That should be enough for taking that sun into my screen.
I spent the whole morning trying to decide what I want to use.
Let’s put it to test.
Oh my god, the lens, the sensor all are very dusty. 🙁
Boost the colour up and you shall see it. So, we still got time, lets do a clean up now.
This is much better. I also make it darker. The round round sun fill up my frame.
I am ready. It is pointing at my roof top shelter. The cross on the lens looks like a target cross.
And the sky is good. So less clouds. (but later on, the clouds moved in very fast).
The sky is too bright. So, I cannot see the screen. I won’t dare to look into the viewfinder hahahaha although it is digital too. hahahaa
So, I tried this method. Hahahaha looks so funny.
You need this too. For taking the shot. So that your hand won’t touch the camera.
Somehow the wind is very strong on that day. So make sure the wire will not flying around and vibrates the camera a little.
Here goes.
11:32am. Darn.. still have some dirts on it. Must be just now when I was cleaning the dust fly into one of the filter.
11:38am
11:47am
It is learning time. Kay, come and take a look.
Amazing right. Never seen with your real eyes before right?
11:49am
11:53am. The changes are slow.
Can’t do anything. All you can do is to wait.
But this is no good. The clouds start to flow in.
And it can cover the sun completely. Darn. It’s 12 noon. Hope these clouds fly away later.
12:04pm.
12:05pm. Dark clouds cover the sun.
12:09pm. Found the dirt spot. Later, I will have to move my camera to shoot away from these dirts on lens or sensor.
Of course, safety comes first. How to let the kids watch it without worrying their eyes being damaged by the sun rays.
I think can, as long as no ripper. And must use some cloth to cover the other half so that it does not reflects other lights from other direction.
This is proven method, so, should be easy to do.
This is not good.
12:16pm now. And the clouds is getting more and more.
Let’s try to play with more settings. And how on earth I get this? double image.
12:22pm. Not sure what I did, I must have moved the ND variable filter. Got to set it right again.
The water reflection started to have something nice.
Jay started to come up with all sort of ideas.
And he also have the live streaming from Science Park on.
They now make use of another bowl. To try to see clearer image from the reflections.
It’s getting nearer to the full eclipse. 12:38pm now. The full eclipse suppose to happen exactly at 1:23pm.
I know, mine is like the moon. Surrounding so dark. I am ok with it. 12:49pm now.
Every one has a big smile on their face as the full eclipse comes closer.
Then, I told my wife to poke a hole on a paper. And yeah, the reflections is there.
We have all sort of water reflections setup.
Jay had his camera setup to capture the great event too.
I too, focus in getting the sun eclipse.
It is 1:02pm. Another 20min to go. Clouds go away!!!
Yes, it is getting nearer to the full eclipse. It seems so good so far.
My wife started to poke more holes.
Here’s the result. She is having fun! seven holes for seven suns.
Ah…. Clouds you better go away.
Kay Kay started to talk to the cat and protect the cat’s eyes.
Its coming soon.
1:18pm. 5 more minutes.
Clouds came in at 1:19pm.
My camera view finder LCD is showing what I want to see. I don’t dare to look into the sky.
1:21:36pm . Getting closer.
Here is where the intense shooting comes in. So far the clouds is staying away.
1:21:45pm
Is in the 1:22pm minutes… Kay come and take a look, the full eclipse is forming…
1:22:13pm
1:22:36pm
1:22:38pm
1:22:42pm
1:22:53pm
1:22:56pm
1:23pm minutes, I did catch the total full sun eclipse on this video footage.
1:23:08pm
1:23:13pm
1:23:16pm
1:23:19pm
Basket, the clouds started to comes in. I only have small little space left before covered by the clouds.
Hahaha, I make use of the bowl of water to see the reflections of the sun eclipse and determine how to make the adjustment.
1:23:26pm
processed of sun eclipse taken on 1:23:26pm
1:23:29pm Clouds coming in.
Processed photo of the 1:23:29pm instant.
The clouds came in at 1:23:31pm.
1:23:36pm still partially covered by the clouds.
Let’s clean up and process that 1:23:36 images.
The clouds cover the sun for sometimes. I can find any sun eclipse during the 1:24pm minute. The clouds is just stood there.
1:25:10pm the sun eclipse escapes the clouds. Came out again. But the 1:24pm is still missing, people around this area will be sad because of the lost footage during the 1:24pm. What actually happen, no one knows.
1:26:02pm
1:28pm
We are still enjoying the sun.
Hi Jay.
1:31pm
1:39pm
1:48pm. It is getting hotter. Time to wrapped up the day. We already gotten the full eclipse.
Later the same night, the sky become clear again.
I capture some stars photos at the exact same spot. You need to see it from a bigger screen.
A lot of stars. But quite faint.
And he trying to capture some timelapse.
This is what he wanted to capture.
And this is the best stars I caught on that day. 10:48:21pm on Dec 26. Looking into the sky.
Good to have a kid likes to see the stars. Good night!
