How Can I Photograph the Solar Eclips 8/21/17

[Panhead55]

As many know there will be a total solar eclipse in the US on 8/21/17. I am wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to video or photograph this event using a Mavic Pro. I'm looking for the following:

1. Is it possible to shoot video/still shots and not damage the sensors in the camera looking directly into the sun?
2. Should I use a dark ND filter or a solar filter?
3. Any information on camera settings?
4. Any other words of wisdom?

Your input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gnirtS]

The sensor will not be damaged. People take photos of sunsets and sunrises (and other sun photos all the time). People point the drone at the sun all the time. The sun isnt any stronger during an eclipse. No need for a filter.

HOWEVER, the mavic has a wide angle lens - the sun will appear as a tiny dot in the image. No detail of the moon moving and so on. Also it has truly terrible dynamic range meaning you're just going to get burnt out blob and halos with no detail.
The other issue that nobody seems to be really considering is that you can only rotate the gimbal up 30 degrees or so. The sun will be high enough in the sky for most of the path that you wont physically be able to point it toward the sun.

The best bet is to go up high and video the shadow racing across the ground. Take actual eclipse photos with a real camera (even a modern cell phone will be slightly better at it than the mavic).

 

[PDXteriors]

Very carefully.

 

[ag108]

im right in the path of the eclips as well in Nebraska and Thought about takeing the mavic up as well should be early enuf i would capture it but thought same thing will it look like just a small black dot so not sure if i will use it or go with the gopro timelaps and sit back and enjoy it myself

 

[PT_Mavic]

Why would you want to take a picture of a small partial circle with a wide-angle lens? You can download a thousand better photos within an hour after it happens.

How about shooting imagery of the shadow passing over the ground below or through clouds? Shoot something that tens of millions of others without drones can't shoot!

 

[Big Fil]

This event only happens very rarely for most people. I'd suggest experiencing the full affect by not viewing it through a screen. My plan is to take mine up to about 5000ft 5 mins before the eclipse and pointing the camera down and off into the shadow path on the ground towards the horizon. Just before totality I will not be watching my screen and much to prefer to experience the event through my own, much higher resolution eyeballs and other senses. Sometime after the shadow has passed I will bring the Mavic down and watch what I captured.

 

[Mr. Salty]

There are several threads on this that have been around for a while. You might want to check them for advise.

Here are the two longest:

Looking for advise on filming the Solar Eclipse
Filming the Solar Eclipse

The sensor will not be damaged. People take photos of sunsets and sunrises (and other sun photos all the time). People point the drone at the sun all the time. The sun isnt any stronger during an eclipse. No need for a filter.

With sunrises and sunsets the sun is low on the horizon and is being filtered through a lot more of the atmosphere. When the sun is as high in the sky as it will be during the eclipse, cameras absolutely DO need filters to avoid damage to the sensor. (Not that anyone will be able to point a Mavic camera as high as it would need to go to see the eclipse.)

Here is some additional information:

How to Photograph a Solar Eclipse

Tips for photographing the total solar eclipse

 

[gnirtS]

With sunrises and sunsets the sun is low on the horizon and is being filtered through a lot more of the atmosphere. When the sun is as high in the sky as it will be during the eclipse, cameras absolutely DO need filters to avoid damage to the sensor. (Not that anyone will be able to point a Mavic camera as high as it would need to go to see the eclipse.)

Quite simply, thats untrue. There are countless shots with the sun in the shot not on or near the horizon. The mavic is a very wide lens - there is absolutely no issue from the sun.
(Its also potentially the worst platform i can think of for attempting to photograph an eclipse in terms of technical capability).

 

[Panhead55]

Thank you all for your great suggestions. I also have a P4P and have filters for both Mavic and P4P. Everyone was correct in that the nature of the wide angle lens will make the eclips look like a small dot on the video. However, the suggestions to get up high and shoot video of the shadow passing over the ground is a great idea. I just have to get far enough out of the controlled air space to get up high enough to get some good shots. Thanks all for your comments and advice.

 

[Mr. Salty]

Quite simply, thats untrue. There are countless shots with the sun in the shot not on or near the horizon.

For a quick shot you might get lucky, but for any extended aiming of the camera directly at the sun I'll take the word of DJI, Nikon and others who are knowledgeable about camera sensors.

 

[Hauptmann]

They say it's safer to see the eclipse through the bottom of a beer bottle

 

[Marko9219]

All this talk of sensor damage seems sorta pointless, unless you have figured out a way to fly your MP upside down! The sun is just about as high in the sky as it can get during totality.