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Don't Burn Your Smartphone Sensor:
A guide for Solar Eclipse Smartphone Photography

Yes, the Sun Can Destroy Your Camera Just like a magnifying glass burns an ant, your camera lens focuses the sun onto your delicate digital sensor. Pointing your phone directly at the sun without a filter can permanently ruin your camera.

camera lens

The "Sol & Salvo" Hack":

The Filter: Tape a spare pair of  Sol & Salvo over your phone's camera lenses.
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No Flash: Turn your flash OFF. It cannot illuminate the moon!
​Lock Focus: Tap and hold your screen on the sun to lock focus/exposure.
Exposure: Drag the brightness slider down to reveal the sun's shape.
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Use a tripod ! As the light fades, your camera will try to keep the shutter open longer, making handheld shots blurry.











 

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exposure
handheld vs tripod
sol & salvo hack1

This guide is for Photography with DSLR/Mirrorless Cameras

Capturing a solar eclipse is the "Super Bowl" of astrophotography. It is high-stakes, technically demanding, and offers a window of opportunity that lasts only minutes or even seconds.Below is a professional field guide to nailing the shot, from gear preparation to the critical timeline of totality.

1. The Golden Rule: Safety

Before we discuss f-stops, we must discuss blindness.

  • Visual Safety: Never look at the sun with the naked eye during partial phases.

  • Sensor Safety: Never point your camera at the sun without a certified solar filter on the front element of your lens. Focusing the sun’s rays onto your sensor (or your eye via an optical viewfinder) without a front-mounted filter will melt your shutter curtains and fry your sensor in seconds.

  • The Exception: The only time the filter comes off is during Totality (100% coverage).

solar on DSLR

2. The Gear List

Camera & Lenses

  • Body: A DSLR or Mirrorless with full Manual (M) control. Crop sensor bodies (APS-C) give you "extra reach" for free.

  • Focal Length:

    • < 200mm: Too wide for a detailed solar disk, but perfect for environmental shots (landscape with the eclipse in the sky).

    • 400mm - 600mm: The "Sweet Spot." You get a large solar disk but leave enough breathing room in the frame for the solar corona (which extends far beyond the sun).

    • 800mm+: Good for prominences and Baily’s Beads, but you risk cutting off the outer corona.

  • Support: A sturdy tripod is non-negotiable. If you are using a heavy telephoto lens, ensure your ball head doesn't "droop."


The Solar Filter

  • Type: Use an "Eclipse Shade" filter ISO 12312-2 certified).

  • Placement: Must be on the front of the lens. Never use a "drop-in" filter near the sensor; the concentrated heat from the lens elements will burn right through it.

  • Make sure to you have the right size filter for your intended lens! (76 mm / 100 mm etc. ) 

lens filter.webp

3. The Setup: Settings & Focus

Focusing (Do this early)
Autofocus will struggle against a black sky.

  1. Manual Focus: Switch your lens to MF.

  2. Live View: Turn on Live View (with your solar filter ON).

  3. Zoom: Digitally zoom in on the sun’s edge (the limb) or a sunspot.

  4. Lock it: Adjust focus until the edge is razor-sharp. Then, take a piece of gaffer tape and tape the focus ring down. Do not touch it again.

 Phase         Filter        ISO    Aperture    Shutter Speed          Notes

                   Status 

Partial          ON          100       f/8           1/500 - 1/2000        Spot meter on the sun. It          phase                                                                                       should be bright  but not                                                                                                          blown out.

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Diamond      OFF         100      f/8            1/1000 - 1/4000      Very fast shutter. The sun is       ring                                                                                         piercingly bright here.

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Totality        OFF          200      f/8            BRACKET!                Crucial: Shoot a range from                                                                                                     1/4000 down to 2 seconds.                                                                                                         

Why Bracket during Totality? The sun's corona has a massive dynamic range.

  • Fast shutter (1/1000): Captures the red solar prominences and inner corona.

  • Slow shutter (1s): Captures the faint, wispy outer corona.

  • You need all of these to create a professional HDR composite later.

full eclipse
almost total

4. The Run of Show (The Chronology)

 

Phase 1: Partial Eclipse (C1 to C2) 

Filter: ON.

Action: This lasts over an hour. Take a shot every 5–10 minutes to create a time-lapse sequence. Check your battery; don't let Live View drain it before the main event.

 

Phase 2: The Approach to Totality (The Danger Zone)

Filter: OFF (approx. 15 seconds before totality).

Action: As the last sliver of sun disappears, you will see "Baily's Beads" (light peeking through lunar valleys) and the "Diamond Ring."Technique: Burst mode is your friend here. Hold the shutter down. These phenomena last only seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

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Phase 3: Totality (C2 to C3)

Filter: OFF.

Action: This is it.Check focus (don't touch, just verify).Run your bracket sequence: 1/1000, 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60... all the way to 1 or 2 seconds.Look up! Don't spend the whole eclipse looking at your LCD screen. See it with your own eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Phase 4: The Exit (C3)

Filter: ON (Immediately after the second Diamond Ring).

Action: As soon as you see the second Diamond Ring (the sun re-emerging), capture it quickly, then immediately put your solar filter back on.Warning: Protecting your sensor is critical here.

5. Professional Tips

  • The "Solar Noon" Test: Days before the eclipse, go outside at the same time the eclipse will occur. Practice setting up your tripod and manually focusing on the sun with your filter. This builds muscle memory.

  • Remote Release: Use a cable release or intervalometer. Touching the camera during a 1-second exposure of the corona will introduce shake and ruin the detail.

  • Card Space: You will shoot more frames than you think. Empty your SD/CFexpress cards beforehand.

  • Environment: If you are in a location with temperature drops (common during totality), watch for lens fog.

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