Photographing the sun - you should be aware of this

If you want to take a reasonable picture of the sun or sections of it, then you have to prepare your camera for such spectacular astrophotography. This protects them from potential damage due to the brightness. In this article you can read what you need to consider for sun photography.

Photographing the sun - the right equipment

The sun offers photographers unique motifs, such as the cyclically regulated sun spots on the surface, a solar eclipse or simply the silhouettes of planets or satellites in the foreground. With a single-lens reflex camera, selected equipment and the right technology, you can capture these scenarios photographically.

• In order to be able to photograph the sun in as much detail as possible with your camera, you first need a telephoto lens with a high focal length. The higher the focal length of your lens, the sharper you can capture and enlarge your desired subject. Lenses with focal lengths of around 400 mm are already suitable for sun photography. However, certain details, such as sun spots, are only visible from a focal length of around 1000 mm.
• A suitable teleconverter is recommended to increase the existing focal length of your lens. This useful additional device is screwed onto your lens, reduces the angle of view, thereby enlarging the respective target object even more and reveals hidden sun details.
• Use a stable tripod for your astro shots to prevent blurring due to the high focal length of your lens. In addition, you should use an infrared or cable release to prevent vibrations when triggered.
• Due to the high light intensity of the sun, a filter for successful sun photography or for observations is absolutely necessary to prevent irreparable eye damage and a technical defect in the camera sensor and the lens. However, a professional brand filter, such as an H-Alpha filter, is very expensive. The light that falls through the H-Alpha filter best represents the granular structure of the sun's surface. As an inexpensive alternative, you can choose from an astrosolar film with a filter density of ND = 3.8 (only for photography) or ND = 5 (for photography and observation) build your own filter for your telephoto lens. In principle, you should use a color-neutral filter. Note: An intact sun filter must be completely free of scratches and should therefore be stowed very carefully in a bag to protect it from vibrations.

Take pictures of the sun - the right camera settings

In addition to the right equipment, the camera settings are also decisive for a high-quality astrophotography of the sun.

• In order to be able to photograph the sun, you need an exposure time of 1/250 second maximum despite a filter. Only very short exposure times allow you to photograph the details of the sun clearly.
• Set your camera to a low sensitivity to light, such as ISO 100.
• Record your pictures in RAW format. In this way you can post-process your photos with digital image processing software and, for example, use the contrast change to work out details more sharply.

In addition to the sun, the cosmos offers other exciting motifs. How to photograph the stars in a cloudless sky or capture a fascinating lunar eclipse can be found in further articles on photography.