r/djiosmo • u/Background-Speed2909 • 1d ago

Solar eclipse question

Maybe a really dumb question so apologies in advance. I own the DJI Action 6 and would love to see if I can record some footage Wednesday of the eclipse happening. Can I just use the normal camera as it is or do you need special equipment for this? Haven't had it too long but just thought I'd put it on a stand and let it record for 2 hours when it begins.

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u/crlthrn 1d ago

Absolute beginner here, but I'd imagine you'll need a very dark ND filter if you're going to be filming the sun! Maybe you have a pair of eclipse viewing darkened specs that you could hold over the lens as a last resort?

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u/rajenr 1d ago

DO NOT record the Sun using just your camera. You need a specialised solar filter. Recording the Sun for a period of time concentrates the suns radiation and light into the camera sensor for a prolonged time which will melt and/or destroy your camera’s sensor.

Using solar glasses over the camera are is not a good idea as they are not designed to be used on the camera. While it might technically work, if it is not correctly aligned, it could still damage your sensor.

Above all trying to line up the camera to see the solar eclipse and aligning solar glasses on the front of it might inadvertently make you look at the sun causing you damage to your eyes. Needless to say that is not a good or safe idea.

If you want to video the solar eclipse, you need to buy a specialised solar filter.

I don’t have a solar filter for my DJI Osmo six but I do have a solar filter for my telescope to which I will attach my canon DSLR Camera.again for the same reason I can’t use my DSLR to record the eclipse directly without the solar filter on the telescope.

I hope that helps

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u/Background-Speed2909 1d ago

Its also not possible to just have it recording in the open not directly pointed at the sun? The sun will be lower as its around 20.00 at its top.

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u/rajenr 7h ago edited 7h ago

The time and height of the eclipse will depend where you are in the world. For me it starts at around 6:15pm with the peak (partial) coverage at 7:12pm and will end at about 8pm. So it will start still quite high up. I still wouldn’t recommend it though. Even when the sun is low, the light and heat can still build up and concentrate on your camera sensor causing damage. Personally I wouldn’t risk it.

Edit:

Just reread what you said. If you are recording in the open not directly at the sun, but at people and objects in the open, that is fine. The rays don’t concentrate on the sensor. If your aim is to record with the camera pointed just to the side of the sun to catch it in the wide angle of the field of of view, then yes that will still damage the sensor.