Need Suggestion for Filter to Use on Canon 500 4.0L to Photograph June 2012 Venus Solar Transit

[Michael Pancier]

This June 5-6, Venus will transit the Sun which I would like to try to photograph with my Canon 500 and stacked converters. Anyone done this or can suggest a way to do it? I would need a pretty powerful filter for the bright sun.

Thanks

[Roger Clark]

This June 5-6, Venus will transit the Sun which I would like to try to photograph with my Canon 500 and stacked converters. Anyone done this or can suggest a way to do it? I would need a pretty powerful filter for the bright sun.

Thanks

I have an Orion StarMax Apex 127 full aperture solar filter. Here is an image made with the 500:

http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries/gallery.astrophoto-1/web/sun.c11.19.2003.v1.4-800b.html

But I hear there are "photographic" filters that let in more light. The above filter is a little dark.

I attach it with some duct tape. It does fit nicely on the hood of a 300 f/2.8.

Roger

[Michael Pancier]

Thanks Roger. In your image which is way cool, it says you used 10 images. What process did you use? Do you know what other "photographic" filters one can use?

[Roger Clark]

Thanks Roger. In your image which is way cool, it says you used 10 images. What process did you use? Do you know what other "photographic" filters one can use?

Hi Michael,

I used ImagesPlus, which auto-aligns the image and then averages the images. http://www.mlunsold.com/
The purpose is to improve the signal-to-noise ratio which enables real sharpening, like Richardson-Lucy deconvolution to work better.

I would check on out Orion. Celestron also makes them. I would buy real soon, as I bet people will start a rush on them real soon with the eclipse coming.

Roger

[Chris Ober]

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2091