Fred had a table on eclipse photography exposure that I have adapted to my camera, the X400 filter and this eclipse (which the current weather says may be in the clouds):
| Solar Eclipse Exposure | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO | f/Number | ||||||||
| 100 | 2.8 | 4 | 5.6 | 8 | 11 | 16 | |||
| 200 | 2.8 | 4 | 5.6 | 8 | 11 | 16 | |||
| 400 | 4 | 5.6 | 8 | 11 | 16 | ||||
| 800 | 5.6 | 8 | 11 | 16 | |||||
| 1600 | 8 | 11 | 16 | ||||||
| 3200 | 11 | 16 | |||||||
| 6400 | 16 | ||||||||
| 12800 | |||||||||
| Eclipse Feature | Q | Shutter Speed | |||||||
| Partial 4.0 ND | 11 | 1/4000 | 1/2000 | 1/1000 | |||||
| Partial 5.0 ND | 8 | 1/4000 | 1/2000 | 1/1000 | 1/500 | 1/250 | 1/125 | ||
| Partial 6.0 ND | 5 | 1/1000 | 1/500 | 1/250 | 1/125 | 1/60 | 1/30 | 1/15 | |
| Partial 7.0 ND | 2 | 1/125 | 1/60 | 1/30 | 1/15 | 1/8 | 1/4 | 1/2 | |
| Partial 8.0 ND | -1 | 1/15 | 1/8 | 1/4 | 1/2 | 1 | |||
| Partial 9.0 ND | -4 | 1/2 | 1 | ||||||
| Exposure Formula: t = f2 / (I*2Q) t = exposure time (seconds); f = f/number; I = ISO; Q = Brightness Exponent | |||||||||
As I understand the table, I am to select my ISO and read across the line to the f-stop I want to use then read down to see the shutter speed to use for the circumstances of the eclipse that apply. I don't want to use an ISO greater than 400 to minimize noise in the images and I would want to use the smallest f-stop possible to allow for maximum focus wiggle room. But with the X400 filter my only shutter speed options are 1/2 second and slower and that is going to show earth movement by stretching the Sun and Moon so I will only be able to use this filter for eclipse photographs at 1/2 second and f4.
Unfortunately all of the camera stores are closed in observance of Sukkot and I have a photography class to attend on Sunday when they reopen (and it is sea chantey Sunday if I didn't have the class) so I will not be able to get to Adorama before Monday morning. I am hoping that Peter or Mike cam validate my chart and assumptions.
