The Sun on October 3, 2024

The Sun on October 3, 2024

More experimentation with using my Canon EOS R8 for solar imaging.

October 3, 2024

Tags: Solar Astronomy, Astronomy, Astrophotography, Photography

WARNING: When observing the Sun, be sure to do so safely! Use only equipment that is designed specifically for that purpose and is produced by reputable manufacturers. Follow their directions closely. Do not improvise your own filter material for solar observing. If you are careless, you risk instant and permanent vision loss or injury.

Continuing with the experimentation that I posted about in late August, I pulled out my solar observing gear this afternoon to have a look at the Sun and to capture a few images.

My white light image that I made with my 90mm f/11 achromatic refractor, Lunt Herschel wedge, the lens cell from my 2x Orion Shorty Barlow, and Canon EOS R8 came out rather nicely considering the rather unsteady atmosphere I was observing under.

Sun
Canon EOS R8 with Meade Series 390 90mm f/11 achromatic telescope and lens cell from 2x Orion Shorty Barlow, ISO 100, 1/400 sec., f/16.5.

I also used the same camera and Barlow lens to try out imaging the Sun in H-alpha. For quite some time now, I’ve been using my Canon EOS M200 for H-alpha solar imaging, and I’ve gotten my technique down pat with it. But I was curious to know what the sensor in my R8 could do.

If I continue to use my R8 for this application, I think my technique will need a little help. I was rather disappointed with my results.

Sun
Canon EOS R8 with Lunt Solar Systems 60mm H-alpha telescope and lens cell from 2x Orion Shorty Barlow, ISO 6400, 1/15 sec., f/12.

I was even more disappointed with the image I captured without the Barlow lens.

Sun
Canon EOS R8 with Lunt Solar Systems 60mm H-alpha telescope, ISO 1600, 1/25 sec., f/8.

I confess that I didn’t take the time to hone my postproduction edits. Instead, I fell back on techniques that I use with images out of my M200.

Regardless of all that, I do think that the smaller sensor in the M200 is better suited for this kind of imaging. In a nutshell, my options with the R8 are to use it without the Barlow lens and deal with a image of the Sun that is too small for decent resolution or to use the Barlow lens and increase my exposure time and/or ISO settings. Neither option is very attractive.

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