Automate Your Solar Eclipse Photography with SET'n'C: Step-by-Step Tutorial

If you're reading this and want to join our discord server early, click here: / discord
This is a complete step-by-step tutorial on how to use SET'n'C, short for Solar Eclipse Timer and Controller. Read more about it on Robert Nufer's website: robertnufer.ch/06_computing/s...
See one of my example Exposure Tables: drive.google.com/file/d/1qQuf...
🔗 Links to the solar eclipse glasses:
Prepare yourself for upcoming solar eclipses with the reliable eclipse glasses available at American Paper Optics: www.eclipseglasses.com/produc...
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Rainbow Symphony: amzn.to/49E7EaW
Chapters:
0:00 The Agenda
1:47 3 Resources to Figure Out Your ISO and Exposure Values
6:04 SETnC - The Website
8:00 Download, Install, and Test Canon EOS Utility
11:15 SETnC - Download and Install
12:38 SETnC - A look at the User Interface
19:08 SETnC - Connecting to our Camera and Testing it
21:00 SETnC - The Exposure Table
28:55 SETnC - Testing the Software and Camera
36:21 Final Thoughts
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[@Naztronomy]

Thanks for watching this video! If you use discord, our discord server: discord.gg/sd67Che2AW Be sure to watch the follow up SET'n'C video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqqWeGuXnpqfa6M Enjoy the eclipse with safe solar eclipse glasses, some links below: American Paper Optics: www.eclipseglasses.com/products/eclipsers-sun?sca_ref=3750981.URyDGSzFYJ&sca_source=SETnC 10 Lunt Glasses: amzn.to/3T8NONZ Rainbow Symphony: amzn.to/49E7EaW

[@starmanxvi]

Thanks so much! I've been looking everywhere for a walkthrough on how to use this, first time photographing an eclipse and I want to get it as right as possible. Clear skies!

[@Naztronomy]

Glad this is helpful. Best of luck during the eclipse! If you use discord, check out the invite in the description, we have a growing group and so far, most of us are planning on imaging the eclipse using SETnC. Clear skies!

[@SSGTDSG7]

Thanks for the tutorial 😀

[@Naztronomy]

Anytime! Clear skies!

[@Nomadstro]

Great tutorial!! Will be using for the eclipse!!

[@Naztronomy]

Awesome! Good luck and I'd love to hear about your experience after the eclipse!

[@seeled558]

Thank you for this video. I used Set’n’C for the 2017 eclipse and it worked well. I don’t remember if I plugged in the Latitude and Longitude coordinates of where I was (near Hopkinsville, Kentucky) but I almost didn’t get any photos because I had almost forgotten to set my laptop to UTC. Nevertheless I found this video helpful because I hadn’t touched the software since then and it brought me up to speed on using it. One thing of interest is that I don’t need the EOS utility on my laptop. I’ve run a couple of rehearsals with only Set’n’ C and it shoots away perfectly fine.

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! I believe you're right t hat we don't need EOS utility. A few other people mentioned it andI looked more into how the software is running and since it uses the EDSDK to talk to the camera, EOS utility isn't necessary (maybe it was in the past?). I'm planning on making a follow up video in the next week or so to talk about that and a few other things that I noticed. And Robert also fixed the few interface bugs that I noted in the video. The only thing that EOS Utility may be helpful for is if you want to quickly download the images from your camera in between exposures during the partial phase. You can go to EOS Utility while setnc is running, and as long as you close EOS Utility before the next exposure is taken, it'll still work fine. This is something else I'll mention in the video. Thanks for watching and good luck during the eclipse 🙂

[@bostonindian]

Driving from Boston to Austin? That's craaazy, man! We're flying the same route. We gave up on driving to Enchanted Rock because of our toddler, and looks like we may not make it to Fredericksburg unless our toddler lets us leave Austin in the pre-dawn hours! Hoping for clear skies and empty roads (well, at least the former!) PS: It's too late in the game for me tweak my setup (and the toddler will take up all my checked baggage space ;-) but I'll definitely have this setup for the Egypt ASE in a few years!

[@Naztronomy]

Haha it is crazy! So we'll see how we do. I'll definitely update everyone about it. I have a backup option in Fredricksburg in case of bad weather by Austin. I'm hoping we don't have to move but it's nice having that option. Enchanted Rock would have been really cool! I think that'll be a really popular destination. And awesome! We are also planning for Egypt. We're thinking about leaving our son with my in-laws. We won't be driving there so it'll be a shorter trip :) Clear skies!

[@astroguy5364]

I'll be using this next month! I got mine working a couple weeks ago now, just watching to see if I missed anything. One note about EOS Utility- for some reason, when EOS Utility was running on my PC or laptop, SET'n'C wouldn't connect to my camera. Robert and I went back and forth over email and it turns out that Set'n'c didn't need EOS Utility in order to control the camera, in my specific situation. Just putting this out there in case someone else encounters a similar issue- try connecting your camera without EOS Utility running!

[@Naztronomy]

Awesome! I hope all goes well in April! Around the 11:05 mark in the video, I mentioned that you need to close EOS Utility because only one app can talk to the camera at once. This is pretty common behavior for devices connected over USB (I think it might have to do with driver limitations). Some fancy devices can talk to multiple apps at once, a Canon camera isn't one of them :) And you make an interesting point about not needing EOS Utility. I thought EOS Utility installed the EDSDK which is the development kit that can talk to the camera. But now I'm rethinking that. I'm currently developing something with the same kit (not going very well but I'm learning a bunch) and I'm wondering if it'll run if I uninstall EOS Utility. If it does, then man...I could have skipped that whole section of the video! I'll test it this week and report back.

[@astroguy5364]

@@Naztronomy Ah, the curse of commenting before watching the whole video strikes again! Oh well lol. I'm just glad I got it working on my end!

[@Naztronomy]

@@astroguy5364 I am definitely guilty of that too, a lot 😊

[@DavidJones-iq8hp]

what camera are you using? thanks

[@astroguy5364]

@@DavidJones-iq8hp I'm using an EOS 70D

[@RonSantiniPhoto]

Used this, but will never use it again! At approximately 30 minutes into eclipse I noticed the time rest to +5 hours meaning all future shots advanced 5 hours, moving the time AFTER the eclipse occurred.

[@Naztronomy]

Sorry to hear it gave you trouble. I'll try to replicate and will pass what I find onto the creator of the app. Hope you were able to catch some pictures though!

[@GantchoG]

Thank you, just what I was looking for. I am going to use it with two different Canon cameras and I am putting the finishing touches on my scripts and testing them these days. The other software are either for (old) Mac only or overpriced. APT or NINA can also do the trick for a backup (manual, slower) script, and can also control two cameras at once. Good luck!

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! I agree about the other software. EclipseOrchestrator is great but $109 is quite steep. I've only ever used the free version. My backup is just a regular intervalometer with exposure bracketing. Hopefully I won't have to resort to that but it's low tech and easy to do in case I have to move due to weather. Will be interested to hear how it goes for you after the eclipse. Good luck to you as well and clear skies!

[@GantchoG]

I also used the free version and managed to run one camera with it and at the same time the other Canon camera with SETnC, not sure if I would experiment like this on eclipse day. Maybe on the next ones in 2026/2027. I was with two intervalometers in both hands in 2017 and it was quite a challenge especially while changing exposures! I am coming back for a second eclipse in the USA all the way from eastern Europe, and I have scouted at least a dozen possible places to park and observe the event from there. So fingers crossed and hoping to enjoy this amazing event! We'll be in the Austin area as well.@@Naztronomy

[@GantchoG]

Now I am curious about the extended version of the app. :D Maybe we'll meet around Marble Falls, good luck and clear skies!

[@Naztronomy]

@@GantchoG I had so many technical issues in 2017, it's funny in hindsight but was very frustrating back then. I didn't prepare as well as I thought. But I learned my lessons and I'm ready this time! And like you, I had to use two intervalometers and manually change the exposures. Not ideal but it's always a good backup plan :) You're making a long trip! That's awesome. You are a true eclipse chaser! Hopefully everything goes well for both of us!

[@Naztronomy]

@@GantchoG That would be cool! I just posted a discord link in the description. If you join and DM me, I'll send you the extended version. Just don't tell Robert Nufer :)

[@1pcmedic]

CRITICAL! I just found this out. Make sure you separate the 2 windows in SETnC so you can see BOTH before you click START ECLIPSE PHOTOGRAPHY . When you start the program DO NOT move them on the laptop screen. When you drag the windows, either of them it pauses the countdown......when you release the window it continues the countdown which means Bailies Beads photographs will not be timed correctly and all images after that will be off by how long you were moving either window. TEST IT AND SEE before April 8th.

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks for pointing this out. It's true that when you hold the window, the counter stops updating, but the timer in the background is still going. If you hold the window for 10 seconds then let go, you'll notice that the timer jumps 10 seconds. But yes, you are correct that you shouldn't try to drag any of the windows during baily's beads or totality because the program won't take a picture if the timer is frozen. It will eventually catch up but you'll see some delays. You can move the windows after you start eclipse photography, just try your best to avoid it when it's about to take any exposure. Thanks again!

[@mike4chalk]

Thank you for this tutorial. Nicely done. Dumb question (I think): Can one exposure table work for multiple sites as long as respective coordinates are used?

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! And not a dumb question! Yes, you can reuse the exposure tables. I plan on publishing mine (I'll have 3 variations) in a week or two so that others can import it and modify as they need.

[@jimurdea1487]

For telescope users: Be sure to have a native lens attached to your camera body or you will be unable to change the Av (aperture) value needed to match your telescope. I had my reducer/flattener attached and was unable to change the aperture and unable to generate an exposure table for anything other than the default f/4

[@Naztronomy]

Good tip! I also talked a little bit about that in the video I published earlier today (kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqPPmqJpe794ntU) and for lenses and telescopes where you can't control the aperture through the software, you should leave that column blank otherwise you may run into issues when you start your session. It's a bug but it's easily worked around.

[@RossMcLendon]

Helpful overview, thanks. I do wish that SETnC offered finer-grained exposure control. I've been toying with home-rolling a program to run my cameras and one of the challenges I immediately faced with EDSDK is that the "settable" values for exposure in a given camera depend on a lot - what camera you're using (not all go to 1/8000), whether you have 1/3 stops or 1/2 stops set in the menu, whether you have to sync flash, etc. In my code I created a method to tell the camera an actual desired exposure time and then the program queries the camera to get the settable values and selects the one that's the closest to what the user requested. You could think of doing similar things for aperture and ISO as well. I still may go with SETnC or Eclipse Orchestrator, though, as I'm realizing the scheduling part of this code is going to get a lot more complicated than I originally thought. Another challenge with this is that values like shutter speed and aperture aren't the actual shutter speed and aperture the camera aims for in many cases - they're nominal indicated values. In reality you're going by fractions of a stop which means multiplying/dividing your shutter speed or aperture by 2^(1/3) or 2^(1/2) depending on what your stop increment is.

[@Naztronomy]

Sorry for the delay, somehow missed your comment. There is an extended version of the app that gives you finer exposure control. If you join the discord server (link in description) and DM me, I'll send you a copy of the file. Just don't share it with anyone else. You seem like a fellow techie. I've played with EDSDK a couple of weeks ago to try and do some automation but didn't get far.

[@ewa7709]

omg that's awesome. how can i make sure i have your guidance in that area? i may be able to do pa ahead of time or not, if not, i know i am going to be drifting

[@Naztronomy]

I've fallen a tiny bit behind on editing. I'm hoping to have it done Wednesday night and uploaded Thursday morning. I can also do my best to help you here. Also feel free to join our Discord server, there are others who are also imaging the eclipse and have great input.

[@Bills_APCh]

Very instructive and helpful. I tested my cameras (basic tests only and my Canon 100D did not work on initial testing. My 7D and 6D worked ok though on initial testing. By the way, I thought RAW files allows quite a lot of exposure latitude so I wonder why you are using so many exposures during totality. I heard another astronomy club are going to take 20 exposures for each shot during totality (obviously this will take some time unless it does 1 million frames a second !!!!

[@Naztronomy]

Good question! it's true that RAW files allow a lot of exposure latitude but there are still limits. And shooting the eclipse during totality is a different beast because there are multiple layers of corona that are revealed by different exposure times. It's really difficult to tease out those details even with taking pictures in RAW. And different exposure times also help create a better HDR picture. Hope that makes sense!

[@Bills_APCh]

@@Naztronomy Yes, I was hoping to avoid 20 bracketed exposures like an astronomy club plan to do!

[@huf67]

18:31 ... When you said "if you see discrepancies in contact times" were you referring to the time the program is running versus your computer time ?? Aren't we supposed to be trusting that once we enter our lat/long that the calculated times within the program are correct ?? I can't check at this exact moment but I've got a couple of eclipse countdown timers. I would think they should all match almost to the second based on location data.

[@Naztronomy]

You are absolutely correct. I didn't explain Delta T correctly. I'm working on a follow up video to speak a little more about features in SETnC including what Delta T is. There are some minor changes you can make to the contact times for lunar limb corrections. Xavier Jubier's map has that information so I tried to incorporate that into how Delta T works. But that's not good practice. Delta T should stay at 69.2 and it's the difference in time between our clocks and the Earth's spin. So ignore what I said in the video and leave it default, I'll explain a little bit more in my upcoming video. Thanks for asking and sorry for the confusion!

[@DarrellBaldwin-nm7re]

Great assistance in using SETnC!! Thank you very much. Is the advanced app available to the public, I didn't quite understand what you said in the video. What specs would you recommend for a laptop to be able to handle the eclipse without concern about pc capability (ram, video card, processor, etc.)?

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! And the extended version of the app isn't available to the public, Sorry! As for the specs, the software is really lightweight. When Idle, the it only uses 2mb of ram which is really low. So I think if you a dual-core cpu, 4GB ram, any video card since it doesn't really use one for processing, you'll be fine. For reference, the minipc I used in the video is 8 core CPU/GPU combo and 16GB RAM which is overkill. Let me know if you have any more questions.

[@saguer87]

Now you have me curious about the extended version.

[@ewa7709]

i really enjoy your videos. i am planning on using a setnc app during eclipse. What worries me is that i cannot make sure that something did not go crazy with my mount and that it's tracking correctly. If i am lucky i will be able to do a proper PA a night before, that is if there are no clouds where I plan to be. But if not, i know that the Sun will be drifting, as i did the test already. did you think about the way to exit the setnc to either see on your cam or in another app if you are still on target?

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! Drifting is definitely a worry for me as well and I did think a little bit about it and your question is really good. I'm doing a full test now and I'm going to do a "lessons learned" video from this session and I'll include a section where you can EOS utility while SETnC is running and download the pictures from the camera to your computer. And your question was really good timing because I just recorded a part where I show you how to use EOS Utility to use the live view functionality to center the sun (I'm testing in my basement so I pretended the sun was there). I hope to have the video done and edited by tomorrow night, and uploaded on Wednesday. And I hope it will help. If you have discord, feel free to join our server using the invitation link in the description. There are a couple dozen others in there who are also working with SETnC and have questions like this. Trying my best to help everyone 😊

[@curtisheisey4455]

Thanks so much for a wonderful tutorial. Just a heads up. I was unable to get EOS utility to work on some computers. It torked fine on my dell desktop, but on laptop with AMD Ryzen cpu, it just kept freezing on launch. I tried everything ... reboot, reinstall, different usb cables, different usb ports, different EOS versions. Based on canon forums post, seems to be a known issue with AMD based laptops/desktops. I did get it to work on an older toshiba intel laptop, but then only with 1DXm2 and not R6m2. Also, wondering if you could post your setnc table with all the rows expanded out!! Thanks again.

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks for the info! That's very strange. In my video, I'm demoing from a mini using using a Ryzen 7 CPU. I have 2 mini PCs running Ryzen 7 and haven't had any issues. Do you know if it's a particular version of EOS Utility t hat's having issues? And for the SETnC Table, I have a google drive link in the description, it's linked to one of my SETnC tables. Let me know if that helps or if you were looking for something else. Thanks!

[@DarrellBaldwin-nm7re]

Your input is invaluable. Some resources indicate that Baily's Beads, Chromosphere and Prominences should have a shutter speed of 1/8,000 or 1/6,400. Would it be possible to double up on the shutter speeds for some of the Baily's Beads lines or do I need to delete the 1/1,000 shutter speed and replace it with the faster speeds? I didn't know if SETnC would take 2 shots within 1 second or would it skip one of them or should I sacrifice some of the 1/1,000 Baily's Beads shots?

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! And good question. If you look at the exposure table, there's a bit of a gap between C2 and when the Baily's beads starts. I believe that we can potentially add another 45-50 exposures in there. We can then split those exposures into taking the faster shutter speeds at first and then slowly go down to 1/1000 of a second. I'm doing a follow up video on SETnC this week and I will show exactly what I mean. And in the end, we should end up getting almost 60-70 exposures in the baily's beads/diamond ring phase. There's a limitation on how many times your shutter will click over USB and for most setups, it seems to be 1 per second. So technically, you can add a second shot in the same 1-second exposure line and SETnC will attempt to do both (it doesn't skip exposures if the camera allows it) BUT if there's a delay in capturing the second exposure, it'll throw off the rest of the shots until you get to the totality loop. So My recommendation is to keep it at 1 exposure per second at max. The method I mentioned above should give you some more breathing room. I hope to have the video up by Friday. But let me know if you have any questions in the meantime. And if you have discord, feel free to join the discord server I linked to in the description. There are others in there who are also automating their eclipse images and most of them will be using SETnC as well.

[@DarrellBaldwin-nm7re]

Thank you, I look forward to Friday!!@@Naztronomy

[@RonSantiniPhoto]

Great tutorial video! I have a question: When I Start Eclipse Photography>Advanced Time, my camera (Canon R5) is not capturing pictures. Any suggestions as to what is happening? Thanks.

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks! Can you take pictures using the interactive camera tests? I show that in 19:10 of the video. Make sure you camera is on manual mode and make sure interactive camera tests work. And let me know if you have any errors. We are heading to our eclipse destination in the morning, unfortunately, I'm not sure how much time I'll have before the eclipse to answer questions. But if you use Discord, join our server (invite link in the description of the video) and there are a few others in the server who use SETnC who may have insight. Clear skies!

[@bitskeptic]

Thanks so much for the great tutorial!! I'll be using it.. Quick question: Which EOS Utility did you download for the T5i? Canon doesn't apparently have one they specify for that camera - which is the camera I will be using..

[@Naztronomy]

You can use the same EOS Utility v2 that I'm using for my Canon T2i. I lucked out there because I can switch between my cameras and computers without reinstalling anything. Also be sure to watch the follow up video I posted a few days ago (kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqqWeGuXnpqfa6M) - I mention that you don't even need EOS Utility for the script to run. You could use it to download your images. If you have Discord, check out the invite link in the description. We have a small community of people using SETnC for the upcoming eclipse. Trying to my best help everyone out there (and on KZbin). Clear skies!

[@bitskeptic]

@@Naztronomy Thank so much for our reply.. I ran the experiments and found the EOS utility V2 does work with the T5i.. (like you I also have a T2i but I really wanted the reticulating display.) I've created the script, tested and proved it can drive my camera. (Also just purchased a computer replacement battery as I have doubt the computer can run up towards 3 hours.) But the issue I'm concerned about is that it appears that during totality the same set of exposures run and over in Set'N'c.. Do you know if there's a customize the exposures DURING totality - to add a few lines during totality? I guess it will be alright as it is, but I thin there will be a lot of wasted exposures. Whereas if I could have the first 30 seconds in one set, next 30 another set and maybe 20 seconds around totality with some longer exposures to try for Earthshine and outer corona.. Any ideas? I will live with it either way. It's a great program, and now I know I can use the EOS utility to zoom into the live view to get the best manual focus possible. Ideas? Anyway thanks again! It's been very helpful!

[@Naztronomy]

@@bitskeptic I've had a couple other ask me about various exposures during totality. I *think* it may be possible to do some customizations but I need to test my theory. And my theory is to duplicate that line and have a different time in the new line. Need to play with it a little bit then I can report back. Glad this video is helpful! If you use discord, you can join our server which has a couple dozen others who are also using SETnC and one person in there asked a similar question as you so I need to get back to both of you.

[@brendansgames6955]

Super great video. As most of you are, I am thinking of using this the streamline my un-professional photographer self on these first-time eclipse photos. I saw the one in 2017 and it was super amazing and wouldn't have missed this one for anything! One question I have is: Do you have a video of how to test exposures? Also I have bought Baader AstroSolar Solar Film and it's turning out all white instead of the "typical" yellow/orange. I am reading that this is due to white balance. Is this a setting I change in my camera to get it to be more yellow/orange? Or is it just the type of film I am using that causes that? Thank you!

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! By test exposures, do you mean testing exposures of the sun with the filter on? I have this one here where I created the exposure panel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJrRpax9rrF3qJI Let me know if you were looking for something else. Baader films don't add the yellow/orange tint that other filters do. They claim to do "true color" of the sun, although it can look a little violet-ish. You'd have to edit in the yellow tint afterwards. It's nota white balance thing or anything your camera can do while taking the pictures. It's just the type of film and for a lot of people, it's personal preference. I like the yellow/orange tint :) I use Thousand Oaks Optical SolarLite sheets. AgenaAstro still has some available here: agenaastro.com/thousand-oaks-optical-solarlite-telescope-solar-filter-film-4-inch-piece.html?rfsn=7382615.2b333e

[@brendansgames6955]

@@Naztronomy I feel like this is exactly what I needed. Thank you for your walkthrough of the exposure chart and also the information about the filter!

[@Naztronomy]

@@brendansgames6955 Anytime 😊Good luck!

[@saguer87]

What mini PCs are you using? How does your set up looks? I am using my laptop. Have you tried running SETnC in a virtual machine to be able to run 2 instances in one PC?

[@Naztronomy]

I'm planning on doing a full test in a few days, waiting for one power adapter to be delivered. I'll go over my entire setup in detail then. But for now the Mini PCs that I'm using are: - Beelink SER5 Pro Max - this one will also control my h-alpha setup where I'll be using firecapture - MeLE Quieter 3C - Second Beelink SER5 Pro Max - this one is my wife's t hat I'm borrowing for the eclipse I have given some thought to running the other one in a VM but decided against it because a VM requires quite a bit of resources and it'll probably end up making my PC run hotter when it's already going to be hot in Texas. And also separating out the USB connection to only go to VM is tricky. I would need to make sure my first camera's USB port isn't detected by the VM but the second one is, and vice versa. I did try a few other things to try and get them to run on the same machine but I don't have enough time to play with it as much as I'd like so I'm just sticking with my current plan.

[@Bills_APCh]

You mentioned taking your hydrogen alpha scopes to the eclipse, making 4 setups. What setup for H-alpha are you taking, I am also thinking of doing the same but in Spain in 2 and 3 years time !! Many thanks. By the way, isn't Boston to Austin quite a long way ? About 2000 miles or maybe longer by car. That means in my car it would cost about 3640 dollars for a return trip (costs estimate at about 0.9 dollars a mile) not including gas/petrol ! just for transport alone, and that is a conservative estimate.

[@Naztronomy]

I'm using a Lunt 40 on my CEM 40 mount with a QHY5-III 178m mini camera. I briefly go over the setup here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqPPmqJpe794ntU I also have a full h-alpha workflow video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaOudImLa9Gofrs And yes, you are correct! It's a very long drive. We're estimating about $2000 for the round trip, including gas (not including hotels along the way). My wife and I love road trips so it'll be fun. It's our son's first road trip so we're hoping he'll enjoy it too. It'll definitely be expensive but we've been planning this trip for years so we're prepared 😊

[@Bills_APCh]

@@Naztronomy Thanks Naz. Enjoy the eclipse and hoping for cloudless skies at the eclipse! I have 1-2 years to save for Lunt 40mm scope!

[@denniszmijewski1436]

Thank you for the video. I too am using a T5i. It does not have a Universal time zone setting. Is it absolutely necessary for the camera to be on Universal time?

[@Naztronomy]

It's not necessary for the camera to be on Universal Time. And I guess I should have been more clear: On your camera, just look up the current time in UTC and change your camera's time to that time. I think most cameras don't have a timezone (maybe some of the newer models do). Again, not necessary but later on when you sift through your pictures, they'll be easier to understand. I talk a little bit about it in the video I published earlier today. Let me know if you have any more questions. Clear skies!

[@denniszmijewski1436]

@@Naztronomy Thank you!

[@txastro4453]

I looked up Marbe Falls. The altitude is 251m.

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks! I covered getting the elevation in the follow-up video last week: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqqWeGuXnpqfa6M

[@AstroDanno]

Now I’m debating on using this, Naz, right when I was just going to use my intervalometer. 😂 Do you need WiFi to use SETnC in the field? I don’t know where I’ll be imaging from, possibly in the middle of nowhere. This would be nice to use with my main rig, and then use another camera for something different.

[@Naztronomy]

If you decide to use this, I think you should keep your intervalometer as a backup. In 2017, after all the prep I did, everything went wrong, and I ended up imaging everything manually with my intervalometer. No wifi needed. SETnC barely uses any CPU and RAM when it's used, it's super lightweight. The only thing you'll want to make sure is accurate is your computer's clock. Otherwise this app is easy breezy. If you use Discord, you should join the our server (invite link is in the description). We have like 10 others in there now who are planning on using SETnC for the eclipse.

[@AstroDanno]

@@Naztronomy nice! I’m gonna give it a try and see if I feel comfortable with it. I had read a thread on Cloudy Nights, where it bricked someone’s camera. That had me a little concerned, but that may have been an older version.

[@Naztronomy]

@@AstroDanno Hmm interesting! I wonder if it was a combination of old version of SETnC plus an unsupported camera.

[@AstroDanno]

@@Naztronomy it may have been from 2017, so that’s possible. I’ll see if I can find it.

[@DarrellBaldwin-nm7re]

Do we still have to download the EOS Utility? I thought I saw an email from Robert that said do not download.

[@Naztronomy]

Robert is correct that you don't need to download EOS Utility. It may be helpful for other reasons though. I clarify that and go over how you can use EOS Utility mid-session in the follow-up video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqqWeGuXnpqfa6M

[@DavidJones-iq8hp]

how long is your battery lasting....do you need to change the battery? thanks

[@Naztronomy]

Good question! I'll have 3 setups, 2 of them will use dummy batteries and the other one will use a battery that typically lasts me ~2 hours or so. So I plan on quickly changing my battery 30 minutes or so before totality starts on that set up. If you're not sure what a dummy battery is, this is the one that I use: amzn.to/3VliiPx I have 2 of those. I plug it into an external USB power bank and my camera stays on for 8-10 hours depending on the battery capacity.

[@hael8680]

What about the diamond rings and chromosphere? Are they skipped entirely by SETnC?

[@Naztronomy]

SETnC takes 20 exposures around C2 and 20 around C3 to catch "Baily's Beads" by default. You can extend the 20 around C2 to about 40. And those images will end up catching the diamond ring and chromosphere. If you watch some of my more recent videos, you can see my results using SETnC.

[@ibmerlin2]

Did you decide to stay in Boston?

[@Naztronomy]

We're most likely going northwest to Upstate NY or Vermont at this point. Unfortunately, had to cancel our plans to Texas. It's too uncertain and we had to cancel to at least get some of our money back from the Airbnbs. Sad.

[@Kikibear]

When my camera is plugged into the computer will the computer be charging the camera?

[@Naztronomy]

Not that I know of. None of my setups at least and I am not aware of any of the DSLRs in the EOS series does that.

[@DarrellBaldwin-nm7re]

Where did you get the Delta T numbers for the chart? It started at 69.2 then went to 75 and you changed it to 71. Where did you get those numbers and why did you change them?

[@Naztronomy]

Good question! And I knew I should have spent more time on that piece but I edited it out since the video was already long. I'm doing a follow up video to explain some quirks, go over some bug fixes, and a few other things that I noticed. I'll go over delta T in detail then. But for now, the simplest answer is that DeltaT has to do with the Earth's Rotation. It's the difference in time between earth's rotation and terrestrial/atomic time (regular time). Regular time says that one day is exactly 24 hours. No more, and no less. But the Earth actually spins slower. Right now, it takes 24 hours and 69.2 seconds to spin. So to compensate, for Earth's rotation speed, we have to add 69.2 seconds to our clock so that the eclipse time matches up. I should have left it alone, I changed it to 75 and 71 as a test to show that if you look at another app and it tells you that the contact point in your location is a few seconds off what you see in SETnC, you can use that to change the contact times. This is bad practice and when I do my video, I will mention that we shouldn't do that. I tried to be clever but I think I just confused people. And you can get the number from the NAVY's website. They track it. And the value is 69.1752 as of January 2024. For the August 2017 eclipse, the value was 68.8373. So just ignore me changing the value. I'll explain DeltaT in the follow up video better and steer away from using it as a workaround for something else.

[@DarrellBaldwin-nm7re]

Thank you, sorry for being so lacking in knowledge. Also, what does SETnC do with continuous shooting during totality or is that out?

[@Naztronomy]

@@DarrellBaldwin-nm7re Oh don't apologize! That was a good question. During totality, SETnC will loop through the totality exposures. In the video, you can see it do that around the 34:30 mark. The speed at which it takes those images is limited by the USB connection so it'll only do 1-2 photos per second at most. You should leave your camera on continuous shooting mode but because of the limitations and because we're constantly changing exposure times during totality, it's always just one photo at a time. Hope this makes sense!

[@steveforbes8287]

That was a lot to take in all at once! I may need some more help. Let me play for a day or so. I just picked up an old Canon EOS D300 with a standard lens. It was probably what is known as a kit system. It's all that I could afford. (Thanks to the morons now running the country into the ground!) It is my first digital SLR, ever! I've had a few pocket cameras but, always used my Canon FTb film cameras for everything serious. Times change. The last total eclipse that I saw and photographed was in Manitoba in 1979! I took some photos during the last annular eclipse in 1994. That and a partial is what we got served in NH. Now, I've got one more eclipse to see in this lifetime and all of the technology has jumped ahead. This is going to be a fast and furious learning curve. That being given, if you can offer any information regarding how well my camera will work with all of this "stuff" that would be appreciated.

[@Naztronomy]

Congrats on your first DSLR and the chance to experience one more eclipse! Does your Canon camera have a way to connect a USB cable? I don't see your camera listed as a supported camera for the software I demoed here (SETnC) but it does look like another software called Eclipse Orchestrator may work for your camera. You can see details here: www.moonglowtech.com/products/EclipseOrchestrator/Supported.shtml They have good documentation if you want to do some reading about it.

[@lucasgatsas]

The Canon Eos Rebel t2 have also too only max. 1/4000s 🤷🏻‍♂️ The App will give out errors or don't will create images!

[@Naztronomy]

No errors. It'll skip 1/8000 exposure times if they are included in the exposure table.

[@huf67]

I'm looking for your thoughts ... I took my dslr and Sky Guider Pro out today to take some practice shots and test my day time polar alignment. On the camera that I used today I had my homemade filter using the Baader 3.8 photo solar film. At f10 and 1/4000 sec I was getting decent exposed shots. Using the solar exposure calculator with f8 and 4.0 film it's suggesting 1/4000 for partial eclipse. But Set'n'c base line times are 1000, 500, and 250/sec I think. Why is Set'n'c so slow on their times when the exposure calculator says otherwise ?? I'm afraid using stock times with Set'n'c would over expose. Your thoughts ??

[@Naztronomy]

Good question! SETnC isn't really calculating anything, it's just creating an exposure table based on generic exposure information. If you are getting nice shots at 1/4000s then I think you should keep that as your base and then do a few more bracketed shots at 1/2000 and 1/1000 or something. That way you have all of your bases covered. And I'm glad that you are doing your own testing. If you haven't yet, make a quick exposure grid like I did around 1:15 of the video and compare your exposures. You'll be surprised what you learn when you look at them side by side. 1/1000s actually works really well for me and my exposure grid helped convince me of that. You are on the right path with your testing. Hope this helps and let me know if you have more questions!

[@huf67]

@@Naztronomy ... Don't you think that should be something that is explained with Set'n'c ?? If it is then I missed it. I know it's free software but when you are trusting the program you're using to calculate times and rapidly make adjustments to your camera to capture a near once in a lifetime experience, and you get home and all your shots are over exposed. I'm not trying to criticize the software or the developer because if it wasn't for the software and just randomly stumbling across your video, then I would have shelled out $109 for similar software...I probably owe both of you $54.50 ...🤣.... But I do think if it's detecting your specific camera whether it be full frame or crop sensor, and you're inputting your ISO and F stop, then maybe it should be calculating something....I don't know. I do like the software and I appreciate you taking your time to make these videos and be the teacher for the rest of us !! 👏👏

[@Naztronomy]

@@huf67 I agree with what you're saying. Documentation is definitely lacking. When I spoke to the developer, he never intended on releasing the software publicly but it just happened to become somewhat popular. There are definitely a lot of areas the software can be improved and maybe it will be before the next one 😊

[@huf67]

@@Naztronomy ... After giving this some thought, I have a sheet of the Baader 5.0 solar film and will make a couple of solar filters with that and do some testing . I know that the 3.8 is for photographing and not for observing so maybe there's a bigger difference between the two films than what I thought. Using the 5.0 might put my exposure times more in line with Set'n'c.... User error, who would have thought it possible

[@evanmaurer1968]

I cant help it notice that the individual exposures are almost a second apart? With ABE on my camera I can take 3 exposures back to back no problem. Is there anyway to narrow the gaps between photos as able with ABE?

[@Naztronomy]

What you are seeing is a limitation of triggering the shutter via USB. Most cameras will only do 1 or at most 2 shutter clicks per second. This is a physical limitation, unfortunately. Using an intervalometer or just holding the shutter manually doesn't run into this limit.

[@evanmaurer1968]

@@Naztronomy This is my second eclipse, first time trying to photograph it. I'm using a EQ mount. Do you think using ABE would be okay to get DIamond Ring + totality?

[@Naztronomy]

@@evanmaurer1968 Yeah definitely! In 2017, my automated setup failed so I used my EQ Mount and used my intervalometer and manually imaged the eclipse. Got the diamond ring and totality.

[@evanmaurer1968]

With this being my first photography attempt. How many photos of each corona layer do I need to have a chance of good photos? Inner, Middle, Upper, etc? What should be the amount of photos im aiming for during totality?

[@Naztronomy]

@@evanmaurer1968 You really only need one set of good exposures. Check this video here where I made an HDR image of totality using 6 exposures, and I used all JPGs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqHRh2qMhZuCl9k

[@DavidJones-iq8hp]

Does this only work with windows.... Thanks

[@DavidJones-iq8hp]

I did not see mirrorless cameras listed? yes? no? thanks

[@Naztronomy]

Yeah, windows only, unfortunately.

[@Naztronomy]

@@DavidJones-iq8hp The Canon EOS R series is listed as compatible cameras, they are mirrorless and will work with the software. This app is guaranteed to work with the EOS cameras listed on Robert Nufer's website BUT he says that other Canon models should work, they're just untested. So if you have a different model canon, you should try it and report back.

[@MarkNewsome]

Just wanted to mention that I'm planning to use setnc with an EOS R6 and it seems to work just fine in my testing... @@Naztronomy

[@Stefan.Jackson1964]

I would love more info about the Delta T. When I check it, it makes a difference of about 2 seconds. This is going to affect the timing of the shots. Not a big deal if you are going 6 seconds before and after baileys beads as one way it would end up being 4 and 8 seconds instead of 6 and 6, but it will also make a difference of 2 seconds between removing the filters. How do I know if I am supposed to check the Delta T or not. I can't seem to find any info on that. Video was great. Well explained and to the point. Thanks Stefan

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you and Good question! I made a follow up video a couple days ago where I talk more about Delta T and how you can get about 40 more images of Baily's Beads here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqqWeGuXnpqfa6M Don't check Delta T for this coming eclipse. Make sure it stays at the default 69.2. I explain more in the other video and I shouldn't have tried to be clever in this video by using Delta T for something other than it was designed for :)

[@lucasgatsas]

The Canon 550D don't have 1/8000s so ?!.😂.. and i would not use this app. because I'm pretty sure it will not work 100% ! - Better Manuel.

[@Naztronomy]

It'll work. If there's an exposure setting that your camera doesn't support, the app skips it because the camera will send a message saying it's not possible. I just tested it by trying 1/8000, 1/4000/, 1/2000, and 1/1000. It did all but the 1/8000 exposure. No errors, no crashes.

[@huf67]

Geez, what a troll !! Did you even try the software out first before waking up as an asshole ?? There's no way that your little pea brain can control your camera fast enough to capture all that this program will capture. I'm running two laptops with two cameras because after much testing I have total confidence in the software. So by all means, go ahead and finger fiddle your camera and maybe get one or two good shots.

[@404-Error-Not-Found]

I see a comment here disagreeing with you, I switch accounts to my personal account to reply, and the comment is gone. That's not a good look man. I wouldnt use this software either, it's great in principle, but only taking photos, and only taking those photo's on a minute scale is silly. There's 0 reason not to just record the entire event. You're not getting better quality taking photographs, the pixel size at this distance is far too great to make a diffrence, you're far better off using other software that supports video. It'll be crazy on eclipse day if there's a giant mass ejection, and you miss it because you didn't happen to be taking a picture for that particular second.

[@Naztronomy]

Not sure what comment you are talking about. I don't see any comments that are held for review and I don't remove comments unless they are obvious spam/scam. I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion and I welcome disagreements and criticisms. You are absolutely free to record the entire event, in fact, I'm hoping to live stream my h-alpha set up which will technically be a video of the entire event. The reason people may want to take pictures instead of video is that you get finer control of the individual exposures, especially during totality when you want to create an HDR image. Also Coronal Mass Ejections take a while to erupt. They're not second-long events like a meteor burning up in the atmosphere. You can look up CME Timelapse videos, they are usually couple hours long collapsed down to a few seconds. And the point of taking images during a total solar eclipse is to see and study the corona because it's the one time you can actually see it without using a coronagraph. prominences and CMEs are visible through hydrogen alpha telescopes outside of solar eclipses.