Techniques for filming toward the sun ??

Bill Ward · June 6th, 2011, 08:09 AM

In the old tube days, you had about 5 seconds of direct sun in the frame before you put a burn in one or more of the 3 tubes. Since going over to CCD and CMOS...much less of a problem.

I've shot many hours of sunset/sunrises, without issue...but that's not saying at some point that you won't overload the sensor and damage it. A good rule of thumb (and also a good rule for better video) is that if you don't have enough ND between you and the sun to keep your F-stop below F11 or so, add some more filtration, or wait until the sun gets lower into the atmospheric schmutz.

You'll get better images, and protect the camera.

Jim Andrada · June 6th, 2011, 12:50 PM

The lens will focus the sun to a significant extent. They used to sell cigarette lighters that were a couple of inches in diameter - stick the cigarette through a hole in the back and line the business end up, aim at the sun and take a drag.- worked every time.

I had a bigger mirror that I used to use to cut sheet metal (it was a silvered glass parabolic mirror almost a meter in diameter that a friend's father had "rescued" from some military equipment that was being scrapped)

We could slice up a license plate in almost no time

Be careful. People have burned holes in the focal plane shutters of still cameras this way.

Think of it this way - the lens might be 2 square inches and the sensor might be 1/20 square inch.

So the energy at the sensor would be 40 times that at the lens (minus a bit for absorption etc)

Is this enough to damage your sensor? Try it and see. Just don't try it with my camera. Especially here in Arizona

Warren Kawamoto · June 10th, 2011, 02:32 PM

Here is shooting into the mid-day sun for a timelapse, with a 5DmII. Shot is 43 seconds into the clip, I'm guessing they were shooting the sun for at least 15 minutes?
Beautiful Timelapse of New York City

Frans Meijer · June 11th, 2011, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Connor

yea, i have a built in n.d filter.. and a screw on polarising filter, wouldnt this make it safe to film sun?

Not much, 1/4 ND would mean it takes 4 times as long before something burns.

I've never avoided the sun, but that would have been when it's low on the horizon, or through leaves or something similar, not much point in filming the sun ...

Anyway, take a look at the hood, it might actually reflect sunlight into the lens. Had this with the Z5, removing the hood improved the image.

Michael Connor · June 11th, 2011, 04:36 AM

lovely stuff warren id love to get some shots like that. I did it with a littly pad flower once.. set it up on manual settings..looked awesome..and left the camera. The flower opened completely.. but on replay 9/10 the vid was totally burnt out as sun rose! I should of used auto!

frans- it may seem insane that i want to film sun.. but im on planet niribu watch.
YouTube - ‪WhatsThis!!!‬&rlm;
We can only see it here (UK) mid day ish on a clear sky.. something we rarely get but people in other parts of world can see better.
see YouTube - ‪Nibiru in Taiwan News - Second Sun : Nibiru Update 2011‬&rlm;

June 6th, 2011, 08:09 AM	#16
Bill Ward Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 580	Re: Techniques for filming toward the sun ?? In the old tube days, you had about 5 seconds of direct sun in the frame before you put a burn in one or more of the 3 tubes. Since going over to CCD and CMOS...much less of a problem. I've shot many hours of sunset/sunrises, without issue...but that's not saying at some point that you won't overload the sensor and damage it. A good rule of thumb (and also a good rule for better video) is that if you don't have enough ND between you and the sun to keep your F-stop below F11 or so, add some more filtration, or wait until the sun gets lower into the atmospheric schmutz. You'll get better images, and protect the camera.

June 6th, 2011, 12:50 PM	#17
Jim Andrada Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 2,211	Re: Techniques for filming toward the sun ?? The lens will focus the sun to a significant extent. They used to sell cigarette lighters that were a couple of inches in diameter - stick the cigarette through a hole in the back and line the business end up, aim at the sun and take a drag.- worked every time. I had a bigger mirror that I used to use to cut sheet metal (it was a silvered glass parabolic mirror almost a meter in diameter that a friend's father had "rescued" from some military equipment that was being scrapped) We could slice up a license plate in almost no time Be careful. People have burned holes in the focal plane shutters of still cameras this way. Think of it this way - the lens might be 2 square inches and the sensor might be 1/20 square inch. So the energy at the sensor would be 40 times that at the lens (minus a bit for absorption etc) Is this enough to damage your sensor? Try it and see. Just don't try it with my camera. Especially here in Arizona

June 10th, 2011, 02:32 PM	#18
Warren Kawamoto Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 1,435	Re: Techniques for filming toward the sun ?? Here is shooting into the mid-day sun for a timelapse, with a 5DmII. Shot is 43 seconds into the clip, I'm guessing they were shooting the sun for at least 15 minutes? Beautiful Timelapse of New York City

June 11th, 2011, 04:36 AM	#20
Michael Connor Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Durham, England Posts: 138	Re: Techniques for filming toward the sun ?? lovely stuff warren id love to get some shots like that. I did it with a littly pad flower once.. set it up on manual settings..looked awesome..and left the camera. The flower opened completely.. but on replay 9/10 the vid was totally burnt out as sun rose! I should of used auto! frans- it may seem insane that i want to film sun.. but im on planet niribu watch. YouTube - ‪WhatsThis!!!‬&rlm; We can only see it here (UK) mid day ish on a clear sky.. something we rarely get but people in other parts of world can see better. see YouTube - ‪Nibiru in Taiwan News - Second Sun : Nibiru Update 2011‬&rlm; __________________ StMichael