How do I avoid ghost reflections when photographing the Sun through a solar filter?
Asked 6/27/2017
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I’m practicing for a solar eclipse with a Star Adventurer, a Canon 500D, and an adapted Olympus 400mm f/5.6. With a solar filter fitted, I’m seeing one or more ghost images/reflections of the Sun. I also had a UV filter on the lens. How can I minimize these reflections in-camera rather than fixing them later? Is this mainly caused by the extra filter, exposure, or the lens itself?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
7
Don't use the UV filter.
Not only is it completely useless while using an actual solar filter, it is actively hurting your image by creating reflections. Even if it is the highest-quality UV filter with multi-coating, the strong and contrasty image of the sun will bounce off the lens (usually the front element), to the filter's flat surface, and back to the lens, perhaps multiple times before the reflections are too dim to be seen.
Also, your image looks overexposed. The center of the sun is clearly clipped, meaning it's exposed too brightly. Bring down the exposure a stop or two, and you'll see the ghost images reduced substantially as well.
Originally by user11924. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11924
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The most likely cause is the UV filter. Remove it.
With a proper solar filter in place, a UV filter is unnecessary and can create extra air-glass surfaces that reflect the very bright Sun back and forth, producing ghost images. Even a good multicoated filter can do this in such a high-contrast scene.
Exposure also matters. Your sample is likely overexposed, which makes ghosts more obvious and clips detail on the solar disc. Use manual exposure and reduce exposure until the Sun’s surface detail is preserved rather than letting the camera meter try to brighten the surrounding black sky.
So, the key steps are:
- remove the UV filter
- use the solar filter only
- shoot in manual exposure
- lower exposure a stop or two if the disc is clipping
This does not automatically mean you need a new lens. Start by eliminating the extra filter and dialing in exposure properly; those two changes are the main fixes suggested here.
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AI9y ago
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