Hello from a new member

[Spaceinthedesert]

Hello everyone! I've been using Sony Alphas for the past 15-ish years. I started with an a700 (acquired an a100 for nostalgia), used an a65 for many years, and upgraded a couple of years ago to an A7rIII. My very first digital camera was the Sony Mavica FD7. I recently re-purchased one to display on a shelf. I have been bitten by the astrophotography bug and now I sink a lot of time and money into that venture.

I am preparing for the annular solar eclipse coming up this weekend (Oct 14). I seem to have problems with dust/dirt. I clean my sensor and lenses prior to shooting but always seem to end up with distracting bits in my shots. Could the dust be internal to the lens? If so, how do I clean that? Attached is my first attempt at shooting the sun in preparation for the eclipse, but I don't know what is a sunspot and what is dust. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Bob aka Spaceinthedesert

• ILCE-7RM3A
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/8000 sec
• ISO 200

 

[iamdlewis]

To tell if they are sunspots or dust take a photo of a clear sky and then see if you have dust on that shot. If you just say they are sunspots everybody will believe you regardless of the truth.
If the dust is in the lens which can happen the only way to remove it is to open the lens up but that is best done by professional service centers.

 

[Brownie]

Set the camera up using at least f/22 and shoot toward a white, blank sheet of paper or a plain sky using a different lens.

Do the spots still show up? If yes, sensor needs cleaning.

If not, then use your astro lens and repeat the test.

Do the spots show up now? Dust in the lens.

If none of these tests produce spots, it's a sunspot.

 

[evacguy]

Hello everyone! I've been using Sony Alphas for the past 15-ish years. I started with an a700 (acquired an a100 for nostalgia), used an a65 for many years, and upgraded a couple of years ago to an A7rIII. My very first digital camera was the Sony Mavica FD7. I recently re-purchased one to display on a shelf. I have been bitten by the astrophotography bug and now I sink a lot of time and money into that venture.

I am preparing for the annular solar eclipse coming up this weekend (Oct 14). I seem to have problems with dust/dirt. I clean my sensor and lenses prior to shooting but always seem to end up with distracting bits in my shots. Could the dust be internal to the lens? If so, how do I clean that? Attached is my first attempt at shooting the sun in preparation for the eclipse, but I don't know what is a sunspot and what is dust. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Bob aka Spaceinthedesert

View attachment 48189

Really nice shot, I'm looking forward to seeing more of your astro images. What lens are you using? Dust in the lens is a bit of a problem, I think I may have a similar problem, but just how the hec it gets into the lens is a bit of a mystery. Where do you shoot your astro, what Bortle are you in? Clear Skies Bob.

 

[Spaceinthedesert]

Really nice shot, I'm looking forward to seeing more of your astro images. What lens are you using? Dust in the lens is a bit of a problem, I think I may have a similar problem, but just how the hec it gets into the lens is a bit of a mystery. Where do you shoot your astro, what Bortle are you in? Clear Skies Bob.

Hey @evacguy

I shoot in Hereford, AZ. The Bortle here is a 3. I'm just getting into astro and I've bought a sky tracker with a guide scope. I'm interested in DSOs. Currently, I am using a G-Series 70-400, but I intend to purchase a better telescope in the near future. I've attached a couple of my first attempts at DSO and the Milky Way. These images are straight out of the camera without any digital manipulation (other than maybe cropping). The first 2 are of the Great Orion Nebula (full image and crop) taken from my front yard. This was a 2-minute exposure using the sky tracker. The 3rd image of the Milky Way was taken atop a mountain in Eagar, AZ with a f1.8 14mm.

• ILCE-7RM3A
• 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 121 sec
• ISO 100

• ILCE-7RM3A
• 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 121 sec
• ISO 100

• ILCE-7RM3A
• FE 14mm F1.8 GM
• 14.0 mm
• ƒ/2
• 10 sec
• ISO 3200

 

[Jeff A]

Welcome Bob. I have an FE 14mm as well but have not tried Astro. Question, with the annular solar eclipse tomorrow, how would one photograph that and is it dangerous to the equipment?

 

[Spaceinthedesert]

Welcome Bob. I have an FE 14mm as well but have not tried Astro. Question, with the annular solar eclipse tomorrow, how would one photograph that and is it dangerous to the equipment?

Thank you @Jeff A

I plan to use an ND100000 16.5 stop Optical Glass Filter on my 70-400mm G2 lens. I wouldn't try to photograph the eclipse without some sort of protection for your equipment. The sunspot picture on my original post was taken with that filter.

The 14mm lens is great for Milky Way photography. I wouldn't recommend it for solar imaging.

 

[Jeff A]

Thank you @Jeff A

I plan to use an ND100000 16.5 stop Optical Glass Filter on my 70-400mm G2 lens. I wouldn't try to photograph the eclipse without some sort of protection for your equipment. The sunspot picture on my original post was taken with that filter.

The 14mm lens is great for Milky Way photography. I wouldn't recommend it for solar imaging.

Thank you. This latest Eclipse caught me out with no time to find a filter.

 

[Tim Mayo]

Welcome Bob and thanks for joining up here. Sounds like you have already received some great advice regarding the dust spots. If they are showing up in the same place on all of your shots regardless of lens used then they will definitely be on the sensor which cleaning should address. If they are in the lens itself then it will probably need to be professionally cleaned unless you can live with it.