Solar filter question

pedz · Oct 23, 2023

I bought this filter from B&H. When I opened it, it had a note and the note kinda scared me.

Member said:
This filter is designed solely for simple photography of solar eclipses or the surface of the sun. It is NOT suitable for general long-exposure landscape photography.

So, when I used it, I kept a black rag over the lens except for a brief time when I was taking the photo. The longest was probably 10 seconds.

My question is, is it safe for me to not have the black rag and just leave it exposed to the sun? I'd like to just set up, perhaps with a tracker and an intervalometer, and just let it go.

I'm using a Canon R5 so I'm viewing the sun via an EVF. I'm also going to rig up (somehow) a piece of cardboard around the camera so the sun is blocked from view as I approach the eye piece (and / or shade the LCD screen on the back so I can see it better).

jlg84 · Oct 23, 2023

My understanding of the warning is that you should not "view" the sun through this lens; you should only "photograph" the sun with it, and not with long exposures. Presumably it's assumed you'd be using a long lens to make the sun nearly fill the frame, and those exposures would be pretty short, so it should be safe for that. But I would not use it for long exposures (though what sort of sun image would require a long exposure?).

Tom59 · Oct 24, 2023

I may be way off base but my take on it is they are saying not to use it like an ND filter for long exposure shots. Like landscapes or such. Designed for solar only.

pedz · Oct 24, 2023

Tom59 said:
I may be way off base but my take on it is they are saying not to use it like an ND filter for long exposure shots. Like landscapes or such. Designed for solar only.

Yea. After re-reading it, that is what I now think too. I wonder if maybe it isn’t designed for a truly neutral color cast and thus not really for landscape photos.

mclewis · Oct 25, 2023

pedz said:
Tom59 said:

I may be way off base but my take on it is they are saying not to use it like an ND filter for long exposure shots. Like landscapes or such. Designed for solar only.

Click to expand...

Yea. After re-reading it, that is what I now think too. I wonder if maybe it isn’t designed for a truly neutral color cast and thus not really for landscape photos.

What is meant that you shouldn't use it for long exposures of the sun as it would let too much light through for that. Long exposures with no sun in view would be fine technically.

Search

Solar filter question

pedz

Forum Enthusiast

jlg84

Well-known member

Tom59

Veteran Member

pedz

Forum Enthusiast

mclewis

Veteran Member

Keyboard shortcuts