(08-15-2017, 05:47 PM)Jags Wrote: So, let me ask a stupid question.  Why is looking at it worse than looking at the sun on a regular day?  Wouldn't a regular day be worse?  I keep hearing it'll screw up your camera.  But people take photos of the sun all the time.  Especially sunrises.  Is there something goofy that happens with the light during an eclipse? Or is it because people will be naturally wanting to look at it when people don't naturally look at the sun any other time?

During an eclipse, the sun is more deceptive. Because less of it is showing, it appears less intense, and you're able to stare straight into it without feeling it. The part of the sun that is showing is just as dangerous as the whole thing, though, so you can do serious damage to your eyes without realizing it.

Pointing a camera at the sun with a very quick exposure and a high f-stop then taking one quick photo probably won't fry anything. However, if you're trying to get a picture of the crescent sun, the camera will need to spend more time taking in light to get the shot. Ask any avid photographer what happens when you point a pricey DSLR into the sun and leave the shutter open for 3-4 seconds, then do that again and again and again. You will fry your sensor, either because of heat from the sun's rays or increased voltage while the sensor works to capture the shot.

Good eclipse glasses will protect your eyes, and either a solar or 16-stop ND filter (or a 10-stop stacked with a 6-stop if you're ghetto-fab like me) will make it safe to photograph the sun outside of totality.

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