We’re just under a week until the solar eclipse, and here I am just crossing my fingers that we have clear skies, and the last of my orders gets here on time!
I got my hands on a couple of natural light solar filters, and in my collection of tripods over the years from my various camera purchases, and people just handing them to me when they’re getting rid of stuff have found a couple that should be quite stable. In addition to the filter I was able to get a remote shutter button – attempting to use the manual button for telephoto shots would result in for too much shake. During the 2017 Partial Solar Eclipse I was able to get a few decent photos, but in all honesty I had no idea what I needed at the time, not to mention I’d forgotten about it until the day before and all I could get my hands on ahead of time was a standard UV Filter, and borrowed a Canon Rebel XT.
Fastforward to 2024, and while I don’t have the highest end camera or lenses for this type of photography, I think I have more than enough to get the job done. I initially lied to myself and said that I just couldn’t pull the trigger on a new camera for this, however after weeks of digging around and doing some research, I decided to invest in a Pentax KF as well. I had initially ordered the K-70 as it’s essentially the same camera, however it’s been utilizing all of the same components since 2016, and while the KF is only an incremental update from the K-70, it does offer a few updates in the astrophotgraphy and low light settings that the K-70 just didn’t offer while using the same sensor.
Pentax/Ricoh is about the only company that is still committed to DSLR technology, while all of the other manufacturers are going all in on Mirrorless. While I understand the benefits, to me, I like the hybrid mechanical/digital option that is a DSLR. Sure, more moving parts is more to break, but in the case of an expensive camera, it’s also more that can be repaired, not to mention I’ve heard some stories about battery life being much worse than expected in the mirrorless world.
My photo/video plan for this is to be running a total of three cameras – the Canon SLR with a 600mm equivalent lens for telephoto shots (300mm lens with a 2x optical magnifier), the Pentax handling a landscape shot at somewhere between 18 and 35mm (still deciding on that), and my DJI quadcopter doing indirect video of the whole thing.
I’m really hoping to do more with Photography later this year and into next – I have some neat things that I’m working on with aerial photography and videography, on top of just expanding what I can do in the hopes of being able to contract or commission out some work over the next year.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, head on over to the Carlson Media site. It’s been a work in progress for a couple of years and is currently pretty much locked to my analog to digital conversion services, but with these additions, the addition of a portfolio section (coming soon), and just a generally renewed commitment to working on it, I’m really hoping that I can do a lot more with it.
Roving On 
Another option for eliminating shake is a timer. I use a 2-second timer for my low-light shots. Assuming the tripod is on firm ground, two seconds is plenty of time to tap the shutter button and for the camera to settle, usually without losing the moment. I’m on my way to Texas and hope to have clear skies on Monday. My brother has 10 acres right in the center of the totality path. So, NO CROWDS! :-) Have fun!
LikeLike
I considered that as well, a couple of cheap shutter buttons ran me $30 (for the pair!), and having already decided to order a second camera for this thing, spent the extra few bucks. That sounds like a great wide open area you’ll have – we’re heading out to a family farm, so hoping to be in a similar situation! Enjoy!
LikeLike