Episode Transcript
1
0:00:00,000 --> 0:00:04,000
Greetings This is the podcast The Feed from Photations
2
0:00:04,000 --> 0:00:22,000
This a reading of our blog article Eclipse Essentials Must-Have Camera Gear for Capt. uring Celestial Events If you’d like to read along or view our photographs in this article, be sure to follow the link to our blog in this podcast description
3
0:00:22,000 --> 0:00:52,000
Products featured in this podcast description and blog post participate in the Amazon Services L L C Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn by linking to Amazon dot com and related sites This is also a podcasting 2 point O podcast more information about podcasting 2 point O can be found in the description
4
0:00:52,000 --> 0:00:54,000
Eclipse Essentials
5
0:00:54,000 --> 0:01:04,000
Must-Have Camera Gear for Capt. uring Celestial Events This is a list of tools that I used to capture the 2024 solar eclipse
6
0:01:04,000 --> 0:01:12,000
In the future, I will write a more detailed post about how I used each piece of equipment listed here
7
0:01:12,000 --> 0:01:17,000
Number One the Canon R Ten I’m a big fan of Canon
8
0:01:17,000 --> 0:01:28,000
I’ve been using Canon cameras for digital photography since two thousand and five, and I’ve never had a problem I highly recommend them
9
0:01:28,000 --> 0:01:39,000
Currently, I use the Canon R Ten , and for the rest of this article, the equipment I’ll be recommending will support Canon Cameras
10
0:01:39,000 --> 0:01:47,000
Number Two the E F to E O S R Mount Adapter The equipment in this article will need this lens mount
11
0:01:47,000 --> 0:02:02,000
This will allow you to use all E F and E F s lenses that came before the R Ten and Canon mirrorless cameras This includes lenses that were designed for their fantastic D S L R
12
0:02:02,000 --> 0:02:09,000
There is nothing bad about the E F and E F s lenses The quality is still good
13
0:02:09,000 --> 0:02:24,000
It’s just that the distance they were meant to focus on the film or digital sensor is different than the current Mirrorless cameras They are, on average, larger and heavier than the R F equivalent
14
0:02:24,000 --> 0:02:34,000
This is called the flange focal distance or flange back distance This is simply a spacer that holds the lens at the correct point
15
0:02:34,000 --> 0:02:45,000
I recommend this one because it has a tripod mount similar to a lens collar This is often used with a large, heavy telephoto lens
16
0:02:45,000 --> 0:03:03,000
Instead of placing all the weight on a camera that’s attached to the camera, the tripod holds the lens and the lens actually holds the camera This reversal helps to save the camera and lens from damage to the lens mount
17
0:03:03,000 --> 0:03:20,000
This mount adapter uses a similar principle that would be applied to all the E F and E F s lenses you attach to the camera However, you should still use the lens collar, which comes with a very large and heavy lens
18
0:03:20,000 --> 0:03:30,000
I would say any lens that is over Three Hundread milimiters except for the lens, I’m going to recommend later in the article
19
0:03:30,000 --> 0:03:32,000
But this is an exception
20
0:03:32,000 --> 0:03:36,000
Number Three the DWARF Two Smart Telescope
21
0:03:36,000 --> 0:03:46,000
The Dwarf Two Telescope is what is called a smart telescope This is a stand-alone device you do need an IOS or Android
22
0:03:46,000 --> 0:03:54,000
It is the telescope and camera combined You have to control it by using a phone or tablet
23
0:03:54,000 --> 0:04:14,000
I really enjoy using this telescope because it is pretty easy to set up and get some good images straight out of the box When using it at night to take photos of celestial objects, you need to point the lens at the sky, and it will calculate where it is looking
24
0:04:14,000 --> 0:04:42,000
Then, from the app, you select either from a list of stars and nebulas or enter coordinates manually, and the smart telescope will find that constellation, galaxy, nebula, or planet and track it across the sky, compensating for Earth’s rotation While it is not an equatorial mount, it is an alt-azimuth mount
25
0:04:42,000 --> 0:04:55,000
you can set it up to mimic an equatorial mount You simply have to have it face true north and tilt the tripod base at the degree of latitude of the location you are at
26
0:04:55,000 --> 0:05:14,000
So if you’re latitude at your location is forty two degrees, you would tilt the dwarf base to an incline of forty two degrees if you’re in the northern hemisphere This process will increase the quality of the photographs removing the issue of field rotations
27
0:05:14,000 --> 0:05:34,000
It also has a built-in feature that will stack the images while taking images of the sky Stacking is the process of taking several photographs of the sky and then combining each one together in order to create a higher-quality longer exposure final image
28
0:05:34,000 --> 0:05:48,000
If you get the Deluxe edition, you will also get the solar filters set The app has a built-in feature for following the sun, and it is very important that you only aim it at the sun with the solar filters on
29
0:05:48,000 --> 0:06:00,000
This smart telescope has two cameras, a wide angle and a telephoto telescope When shooting the sun BOTH CAMERAS must half the solar filter on
30
0:06:00,000 --> 0:06:17,000
The Dwarf comes with a clever filter mount that will hold both solar filters over both camera, but you must remember to use both solar filters on Otherwise, the sun could literally fry and ignite the camera
31
0:06:17,000 --> 0:06:38,000
This is true of any camera when aimed at the sun I must also note that it can be used for wildlife photography during the day and has some very impressive A I features that will actually track moving objects, such as People, vehicles, and animals—any real set of moving shapes objects
32
0:06:38,000 --> 0:06:45,000
You simply select the object in view in the app, and the smart telescope will track it
33
0:06:45,000 --> 0:06:48,000
Number Four the Solar Filter
34
0:06:48,000 --> 0:07:08,000
As I said, for the Dwarf Two, you need a solar filter whenever you’re taking photos or videos with the camera aimed directly at the sun Solar filters can be very pricey, so I was surprised when I found these rather inexpensive versions for D S L R lenses
35
0:07:08,000 --> 0:07:23,000
They are made out of the same materials as the disposable solar eclipse glasses It’s a cardboard frame that you fold into a cylindrical shape that goes on the outside of the camera
36
0:07:23,000 --> 0:07:30,000
I am extremely happy with the result and the price As I said, they are somewhat disposable
37
0:07:30,000 --> 0:07:45,000
However, I will keep mine as long as possible because they have proved very useful, especially at their price point Link to both Solar filters for D S L R Lenses in the Discription
38
0:07:45,000 --> 0:07:49,000
Number five the Amazon Fire Tablet
39
0:07:49,000 --> 0:07:58,000
I needed a spare tablet that would control my smart equatorial mount so I decided to try the Amazon Fire tablet
40
0:07:58,000 --> 0:08:12,000
It was a very affordable tablet, and I used it to connect to the Dwarf Two and have it control the Dwarf telescope through the Dwarf Labs App I actually tried with another Android tablet
41
0:08:12,000 --> 0:08:27,000
However, I preferred using the Amazon Fire and returned the other one I must note that the tablet does not have G P S and you need location data for astrophotography
42
0:08:27,000 --> 0:08:37,000
This isn’t an issue for me because I get the G P S coordinate data from my phone, and you can input it into the Dwarf app
43
0:08:37,000 --> 0:08:41,000
Number six: The Five Hundred millimeter lens
44
0:08:41,000 --> 0:08:58,000
This is a very inexpensive lens that uses a set of curved mirrors instead of optical lenses I’ve found that this lens works well in daytime photography as well as with astrophotography
45
0:08:58,000 --> 0:09:13,000
It does have some unique characteristics, however In some instances, areas of the image are out of focus due to being outside of the depth of the field, which will produce donut rings
46
0:09:13,000 --> 0:09:17,000
This doesn’t happen all the time I think it’s fine
47
0:09:17,000 --> 0:09:23,000
however, some photographers hate it So I feel I must warn you about it
48
0:09:23,000 --> 0:09:34,000
I believe, however, that the prices and the quality are worth it The other thing that I must note is that it is a very manual lens
49
0:09:34,000 --> 0:09:54,000
There is no autofocus, and you can not change the aperture It has an f-stop of six point three, which is somewhat good for an inexpensive five-hundred-millimeter lens, but that also means that the depth of field is razor-thin
50
0:09:54,000 --> 0:10:11,000
So, if you miss you’re focused by a couple of inches, it will look very out of focus It is also much lighter than a normal five-hundred-millimeter lens that uses glass instead of the mirror system
51
0:10:11,000 --> 0:10:24,000
It’s possible to use this handheld in terms of weight, but the slight shake of the camera will look like an earthquake through the lens A tripod is highlight recommended for this lens
52
0:10:24,000 --> 0:10:38,000
You also don’t need a lens collar necessarily This bundle uses an E F mount, so you will need the E F mount adapter if you use the R Ten Camera that I recommended previously
53
0:10:38,000 --> 0:10:43,000
Number seven The Two Times Telephoto Converter
54
0:10:43,000 --> 0:10:53,000
I used this teleconverter on the Mirrored lens I mentioned above This will multiply the focal length of the lens by two times
55
0:10:53,000 --> 0:11:06,000
This means that the five-hundred-millimeter lens will become a thousand-millimeter lens It is important to note that Tele converters can lower the quality of the image
56
0:11:06,000 --> 0:11:21,000
This is due to the process of multiplying the focal length and the lens If you have a low-quality lens, the focal length multiplication will also be low quality and even more exaggerated
57
0:11:21,000 --> 0:11:36,000
For the Five hundred-millimeter lens I mentioned above, the quality is reasonable, and multiplying by two times still produces usable images I also must note that this is for a T Mount lens
58
0:11:36,000 --> 0:11:51,000
So, it is designed to work with the Five Hundred Milimiter mirror lens You would screw the tele convert to the lens and then you would screw the T-mount to the camera mount adapter
59
0:11:51,000 --> 0:11:54,000
It’s a very easy process
60
0:11:54,000 --> 0:12:09,000
Number eight the Canon E F S fifty five to two hundred and fifty millimeter lens The other lens that I used was the Canon Canon E F S fifty five to two hundred and fifty millimeter Lens
61
0:12:09,000 --> 0:12:26,000
This is somewhat of a kit lens, which means that if you bought a Canon camera kit, you probably received it with this lens I’ve found that this lens is versatile and useful when traveling
62
0:12:26,000 --> 0:12:32,000
It is a zoom lens that is easy to hold and has a nice magnification
63
0:12:32,000 --> 0:12:41,000
Number nine the Micro SD Card I own several of these memory cards and I have not had an issue with them
64
0:12:41,000 --> 0:12:51,000
I’ve used them in three sixty cameras, High framerate cameras, and more I’ve never had a performance issue with them
65
0:12:51,000 --> 0:13:04,000
I needed one hundred and twenty-eight because I did not shoot this Solar eclipse as a video It’s actually a timelapse video where I take one raw image every second
66
0:13:04,000 --> 0:13:13,000
This produces a huge amount of data, and you need a high-quality, speedy memory card that will not fail
67
0:13:13,000 --> 0:13:24,000
Number Ten the Power One of the issues with astrophotography is that you need your camera to take images for hours at a time
68
0:13:24,000 --> 0:13:41,000
While camera battery technology has become more efficient and lasts longer, the issue is that nighttime photography is usually very cold With that shooting environment, all batteries do not last as long in cold temperatures
69
0:13:41,000 --> 0:13:50,000
This makes it difficult to shoot hours-long image sequences For this reason, I use this adapter for my Canon R ten
70
0:13:50,000 --> 0:14:03,000
This adapter allows me to plug my camera into a wall socket and run off the power from my house There is no need for batteries to charge
71
0:14:03,000 --> 0:14:19,000
I connect to a long extension cord, and I can take photos all night long I’ve also had good results when connecting this adapter to an A C portable power pack for shooting where no power outlet is available
72
0:14:19,000 --> 0:14:23,000
Number Eleven the I Optron Sky Guider Pro
73
0:14:23,000 --> 0:14:39,000
I must admit that I did not use this piece of equipment for this Twenty twenty four video However, almost every time I’m out at night taking photos of celestial objects, I use the Sky Guider Pro
74
0:14:39,000 --> 0:14:58,000
I highly recommend this Sky guider Pro The reason why I went with the Pro version is because It allows me to attach two D S L R cameras, one at each end, and I can take photos of two different celestial objects at once
75
0:14:58,000 --> 0:15:17,000
Or I can take two images of the same celestial object but with different lenses and, therefore, different focal lengths Once you get the hang of it, it’s extremely easy to set up, and the complete kit comes with everything you would next, except for a tripod
76
0:15:17,000 --> 0:15:21,000
You will need a heavy-duty tripod, however
77
0:15:21,000 --> 0:15:31,000
Number Twelve the I E X O S one hundred Equatorial Tracker System and Azimuth Adjuster Adapter
78
0:15:31,000 --> 0:15:39,000
Now, you need to get these last two items together I do not have the Azimuth Adjuster, and I regret it
79
0:15:39,000 --> 0:15:53,000
I am going to purchase it in the future This equatorial mount is similar to the sky glider, which will compensate for the earth's rotation while taking astrophotographs
80
0:15:53,000 --> 0:16:11,000
However, the difference is that this one has a built-in go-to function This means with the I Pad or Android tablet and even a Windows laptop, you tell the mount what object you would like to look at, and it will aim the camera telescope at that object
81
0:16:11,000 --> 0:16:17,000
I have to warn you this only works with tablets and P C or laptops
82
0:16:17,000 --> 0:16:30,000
There are also options for Macs, but it involves just a little more work to get going It does not work with smartphones however, just tablets and P C
83
0:16:30,000 --> 0:16:46,000
It offers several ways to calibrate it and it can even run off battery power with the included C battery pack In this video, I created my own contraption to hold two lightweight cameras
84
0:16:46,000 --> 0:16:58,000
I don’t recommend this But using one camera and this mount produces extremely high-quality images of the night sky or, as in this video, the solar eclipse
85
0:16:58,000 --> 0:17:05,000
I hope this helped you in learning about astrophotography and solar eclipses
86
0:17:05,000 --> 0:17:12,000
I will be making more astro photography films and look forward to sharing them with you
87
0:17:12,000 --> 0:17:23,000
Items mentioned in this podcast are linked in the description Social media and announcements are also listed in the description
88
0:17:23,000 --> 0:17:40,000
Products featured in this blog post participate in the Amazon Services L L C Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn by linking to Amazon dot com and related sites
