Use manual focus and manual exposure so the camera doesn’t change settings as the scene brightness shifts. A good starting point from the shared experience is:

• manual focus
• manual exposure
• aperture around f/7.1 to f/9
• shutter around 1/8000 to 1/6400 sec
• ISO 200
• a wide focal length if you want both landscape and sun in frame

These settings prioritize holding detail in the sun so the moon’s bite remains visible, but the landscape will likely go quite dark. That’s normal if your main goal is the eclipse itself.

Before the event, do test shots at the same time of day if possible and check whether the sun is still too bright or too small in the frame. Since you plan to leave the camera unattended, lock everything down in manual mode and avoid auto settings that could fluctuate from shot to shot and cause flicker in the time-lapse.

Most importantly: photographing the sun can damage your camera and your eyes. Use proper solar-safe filtration when aiming at the sun, and never look through the optical viewfinder at the sun without appropriate protection.