Experiencing the 2024 Eclipse of the Sun

 Solar eclipses, whether total or partial, are one of those celestial events that leaves us in awe. I saw my first solar eclipse in March, 1970 in northern NY, followed by my second in May 1994 in Ann Arbor, MI, and in August 2017, also in Ann Arbor.  I probably have a photo somewhere of the 1994 eclipse, but not of the actual eclipse, but of the projected images through tree leaves.  The 2017 eclipse was pretty good, and I have some photos of the same type from that one.  I was never previously prepared to photograph the eclipse directly. This time, however, I spent some time beforehand preparing myself.  I really didn't want to have to travel a few hundred miles to be in the path of totality, and opted to stay home and take whatever we could see from Weaverville, NC.  That was pretty much like my previous viewings, in that respect - never in the path of totality, but a show, nonetheless.

Based on this map from NASA, we'd be looking at a thin crescent at the maximum.

Of course, we had mostly cloudy weather, which would definitely impact the view.  Looking at the track closest to us, it was probably a wise decision to stay put.

I had prepped two cameras for this - a Nikon Coolpix 5000 (vintage!) and my Canon EOS M5 with a 500mm mirror lens  attached via an M42 adapter.  There was a 4x ND filter and a single layer of reflective Mylar (from a "space blanket") on the Coolpix 5000, and a double layer of Mylar over the lens of the EOS M5.  I also made a typical pinhole viewer for the eclipse, since I forgot to buy the "eclipse glasses."  I didn't use the Mylar to put over my glasses - I don't mess around with my eyesight.

So, the day started out with scattered clouds and then went pretty much overcast at the time I set up to photograph.  But, luckily, there were some breaks in the clouds and thinning of the cloud layer as the eclipse was underway.

Overall, everything worked as planned, but if I had it to do over again, I would have used a regular telephoto and not the mirror lens.  The Coolpix 5000 captured the sky quite well, resulting in some images that Stieglitz would have died for.  I should point out that using a mirrorless camera is a great thing for doing any photography of the sun.  You avoid directly viewing through an optical viewfinder.

Meanwhile, the EOS M5 did okay.

However, the pizza tray with many holes was also kind of fun...

My 97 year old mother-in-law traveled from Amenia, NY to Rochester, NY and was able to experience the totality, even if it was cloudy.  You don't get that chance many times in your life, and I'm glad she was able to experience it.  Here in Weaverville, as the eclipse was starting, a neighbor was playing Dark Side of the Moon, which was perfect.  As the crescent of the sun kept diminishing, it certainly did feel cooler, and the cardinals started singing like they do in the morning.  It wasn't dark, of course, but the amount of light was greatly diminished.  There was such a concerted media effort and NASA involvement that anyone could enjoy the experience whether they saw the sun or not.  

Retro Digital in Micro 4/3

Olympus E-PL1 with 75mm Kern-Switar lens, 2012

About a dozen years ago, I owned an Olympus E-PL1, which was a wonderful travel camera, and with the m4/3 mount, allowed me to attach a variety of lenses with the proper adapter.  I took a lot of excellent images with that camera, and I sold it and all of its lenses when I bought a Nikon 1 V1 and a Nikon 1 J1 body with lenses, thinking that hey, Nikon’s onto something here - smaller, lighter, and I can adapt lenses.  Indeed, I did especially like the Nikon 1J1 as a perfect street camera with the wide-angle equivalent of 28mm in 35mm land.  But, the Nikon 1 series, with its even smaller sensor than micro 4/3 cameras, was a dead end. They were not a bad idea, but Nikon marketed them to a different audience. 

CCTV lens on the Olympus E-PL1, 2013

 When I decided to go and get a serious mirrorless system, I bought into the Canon EOS M series with the EOS M5.  I haven’t regretted that, as my M5 is a great camera, and I have used it quite a lot, especially with manual lenses from TTArtisans, 7 Artisans, and Meike.  It has plenty of megapixels, and I love the way that it does focus confirmation in manual mode.  

Panasonic Lumix GF1 and Canon EOS M5

I was looking into having a somewhat simpler camera that reminded me of using something like the E-PL1 and of course the Ricoh GR series came to my attention. I wanted a camera that was small, but not too small, enough resolution to make decent prints, and the ability to have interchangeable lenses.  Plus, it had to be a good carry-around camera that had good battery longevity. After doing some research, I figured that it was time to go back when video wasn’t the BIG deal it is now, and that meant something over 10 years old.  The perfect candidate to me, was the Panasonic Lumix GF1, a 12 MP micro 4/3 camera with just a rear LCD.  I purchased a like-new model from KEH for $158 without a lens.  I bought a TTArtisans 25mm f/2 fully manual lens on Amazon for about $60, and both arrived on the same day.  

So, back to m4/3, after all these years.  I already have a Pentax 110 lens to m4/3 adapter, as well a C-mount to m4/3.  I used several c-mount lenses with my old Olympus E-PL1, and really liked the results, so here we are again.  My plan is to mostly use the 25 mm TTArtisans lens, which on the m4/3 sensor, is a 50mm equivalent.  The TTArtisans 25mm f/2 is a particularly nice lens that has fairly close focus (.25m) and excellent sharpness.  It has a filter ring size of 43mm, and I was pleased to find that I already had a lens hood and filter adapters that fit it.

The only knock on m4/3 is the "crop factor" - it’s 2x, which means that wide-angle primes have to be 15mm or less.  But this is supposed to be a street camera and an easily-carried adjunct to my film gear.  Having interchangeable lenses make it all the more attractive, but my intent is to try and stick with one lens.

Some quick results with the TTArtisans 25mm f/2

The Panasonic Lumix GF1 appeared on the market in the latter part of 2009, which makes it a 15-year old camera, at most.  In digital years, that’s almost an antique.  However, 12 megapixels is certainly more than adequate, and feature-wise, it’s perfect for my needs.  Price-wise, I have a pretty good setup for a little over $200.  One of the bothersome little things about my EOS M5 is the location of the video selector button, which is easy to accidentally engage.  On the GF-1, it’s on the top plate to the right of the shutter release, and I have yet to accidentally turn on the video.

All kinds of videos are on YouTube for anyone interested in setting up a compact mirrorless ILC camera to do the job of a Ricoh GR series camera.  The minus of the GR system - lack of interchangeable lenses and cost are probably the biggest strike against them.  Of course you could do the same with an older Sony NEX-series camera, a Fuji X-series, or an Olympus or Panasonic m4/3.  You could also do this with an older Canon EOS M or M2. Depending on your style of shooting, these older cameras are certainly worth investigating, and if you add an inexpensive manual lens, you won’t be out of a lot of money.  My only other purchase for this camera might be one of those old Olympus m4/3 18mm pancake lenses. I had one in my EPL-1, and liked the results.

There are a lot of excellent manual focus lenses coming from China.  My beef with the Nikon Z system and the other major mirrorless bodies, is that the AF lenses are typically large and also can be very expensive.  The lenses from 7 Artisans and TT Artisans are mostly excellent and much more compact than most of the AF lenses for their respective systems.  I reviewed the TTArtisans 40mm macro lens a while back. The GF1 is often paired with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 AF lens, which even now, sells for more than I paid for the camera body.  I think that if you desire an AF lens for m4/3, it’s definitely a good choice, along with the Olympus Zuiko 17mm f/1.8.  

If you think that the rear LCD isn’t the best thing for you, the Panasonic DMW-LVF1 Electronic Viewfinder sells used for a little over $100.  While it’s not up to the current ELV’s in current mirrorless bodies, it’s going to be good enough to use for focusing in bright sunlight rather than the rear LCD screen.The connector has an electronic connection to provide a live view that's close to that of the LCD display, albeit with a lower resolution.  

I’m not a videographer, and in fact, if I need a short movie, I use my iPhone.  I’d like to see the manufacturers produce at least one model in their offerings that’s designed only for still photography.  Do away with the video buttons and options, and it would probably also lower the price.  My Nikon Df doesn’t do videos, and it’s a great camera.  Vloggers, influencers, etc., won’t be the market niche, but people passionate about still photography would be thrilled. 

Canon EOS M5, 2023.

The fact is, any of these cameras are capable of great images.  The user interface and ergonomics are slightly different for each brand, and you really can't tell whether a camera used has an APS-C or m4/3 sensor when you view an image.  I like the different b&w modes in the GF1, and for me, that is a plus. You might wonder why I didn't just buy an earlier EOS M model, but I have a fondness for the m4/3 cameras, and the price was right.  Basically, my advice is to pick your price point and features, and go from there,  For less than $300, you certainly have a lot of choices.

TTArtisans 40mm f/2.8 Macro Lens

Canon EOS M5 with TTArtisans 40mm Macro Lens

Back in early May, I purchased a used Canon EOS M5 from KEH, intending it to replace the long-serving Nikon 1 system that I had owned for nearly a decade.  The 24 MP APS-C sensor on the M5 was certainly an improvement, but so was the availability of lenses in the EOS-M mount.  My first lens for the M5 was the TTArtisans 35mm f/1.4, and while a fully manual lens with no electronic contacts, it worked well in A-mode, and the focus peaking feature on the M5 is a great help with manual focus lenses.  It was several months before I purchased the 15-45mm Canon AF zoom for the M5, and reaped the benefits of auto-focus and the nice zoom range with the image stabilized lens.  However, I still prefer to use prime lenses in much of the photography that I do with this nice mirrorless camera (which is probably being abandoned by Canon as it keeps pushing out the R-series mirrorless).  It suits my needs perfectly, and the one thing that I lacked was a lens for macrophotography.  I’m not into getting adapters to put big 35mm SLR lenses on a petite camera body, which negates the mirrorless camera’s advantages.  When I saw that a macro lens was available from TTArtisans, I knew that it was just the lens that I was looking for.  

beautiful circular aperture

All metal construction

sturdy and substantial lens

52mm front filter ring

With an APS-C sensor, the 40mm is roughly equivalent to 60mm in 35mm full-frame. Since the lens is capable of 1:1 reproduction without any accessories, that sealed the deal for me.  I ordered it from Adorama in NYC, and it was $99 before tax and free shipping. How a lens like this is only $100 baffles me, but if I didn’t like it I could always return it.  One reason these lenses are inexpensive is that they are fully manual with no electronic connections, motors, or "modern" conveniences.  The other reason, I presume, is that they are made in China. The third reason, is that they are available in a number of mirrorless camera system mounts.  

The lens arrived from Adorama in a padded envelope, and is packaged very well in the box from TTArtisans.  The lens barrel is all metal, no plastic, giving it a heft that surprised me.  The focus ring turns smoothly and very precisely - there is no play in the focus, and the aperture click stops from f/2.8-16 feel perfect when handling.  The sort of precise feel that’s missing from modern lenses, in my opinion - because of electronic aperture control.  The lens, when fully extended, is 11.5 cm long, and when at infinity, it is 7 cm in length.  The filter ring is 52mm in diameter.  The working distance at 1:1 magnification is 4 cm.  The all-metal body weighs 388 grams. Compare that to the plastic-bodied 15-45 Canon zoom, which weighs 137 grams! I should note that the TTArtisans 35mm f/1.4 lens weighs 200 grams.  This is a well-constructed, precise lens that will definitely impress you with its build.  Of course, the other half of the equation is - the optics.  I’ve had the lens for about a week, and I’m totally impressed with it.  

Fully extended lens at 1:1

In terms of handling, it’s a great match for the M5 body. Focusing and aperture adjustment are easily performed, and the results from the lens so far are very pleasing.  The maximum aperture of f/2.8 is pretty much what one expects from a true macro lens, and while the minimum aperture is f/16, it matches well with the APS-C sensor size.  Beyond f/16, we would see diffraction starting to make images less sharp.  The aperture is perfectly circular, making for a pleasing bokeh when wide open.  

from the TTArtisan site - 8 elements in 7 groups

As a 40mm lens on the M5, it’s going to also be good for portraits, still-lifes, and of course, it excels as a macro lens.  For really close-up work, you’ll need lots of light if you wish some semblance of depth of field.  Raising the ISO will help in that regard, as I have yet to try external flashes with my M5, but LED light panels can do a pretty good job for many subjects. In my experience, nothing pumps as much light as a burst from a flash unit, so I’ll need to experiment to see what I can do in those situations.  

field of view at 1:1

zoomed and crop of the previous image - loads of detail

Overall, I find no faults with this well-built, affordable lens.  TTArtisans sells it in all popular mirrorless mounts, including Fuji-X, M4/3, Nikon Z, and Sony.  For me, it’s easily carried around on the EOS M5, and is a lot of fun to take outdoors, where subjects abound and it only requires that you look. The TTArtisans 40mm macro lens will open new doors in your photography if you have never shot true macro before!

I really like the results from the EOS M5

I'm a long-time Nikon user, and you might wonder why I didn't switch to a Nikon Z-system mirrorless body.  Price, for one.  I paid less than $400 for the Canon EOS M5. Second, I just don't need a camera for video.  All the newer bodies seem to put video first and foremost in the features, and still photography is almost a second thought.  While the EOS M5 does do good video, it's definitely just part of the features.  In the end, it's a matter of the most bang for the buck, and the EOS M5 got my bucks.