A solar eclipse – when the moon passes in front of the sun from a particular viewpoint on Earth – is an astronomical spectacle that, unsurprisingly, photographers clamour to capture. For a brief few minutes, day turns to night as the sun is obscured, its light reduced to a fiery halo around the rim of the moon at either side of 'totality'.
It's a super-rare event, and you need to be in the right place on the planet to observe it. The most recent total solar eclipse could be seen from North America in 2024, only visible from 15 US States, and parts of Mexico and Canada. But the next total solar eclipse won't occur until August 12, 2026, and you will need to be in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, or the north-eastern tip of Portugal (see details) for a chance to observe it.
Looking directly at the sun is never a good idea, be it with your own eyes or via a camera viewfinder, and while you can buy low-cost sunglasses to view an eclipse, if you want to photograph a total or partial eclipse, you will need a special filter to put over your camera's lens or over the objective lens of your telescope.
However, the standard ND filter you use for shooting waterfalls and seascapes is simply not strong enough. Typically, you will need a neutral density filter with an optical density of 5 or more – that reduces exposure by at least 16 stops. Here are some of the options available:
Light reduction: 20 stops
Sizes: 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, 82 & 95mm
K&F is a well-known, low-cost brand of photo filters, and it has brought out a super ND filter that reduces exposure when looking at the sun by 20 stops. I like how it is available in such a wide variety of sizes to suit the front filter thread of practically any lens you own.
Light reduction: 16.6 stops
Sizes: 58, 67, 72, 77, 82 & 95mm
Hoya is one of the best-known filter brands around and has become synonymous with round screw-in filters of all types. In this instance, the range of available sizes is restricted to the most popular filter thread sizes, so check that there is an option that works with the lens you will be using on your camera.
Light reduction: 20 stops
Sizes: 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, 82, 86 & 95mm
Neewer is well-known for its vast and affordable photo and video accessories. Its solar filter, like K&F's, offers a 20-stop neutral density effect – and is available in a particularly impressive range of filter thread sizes.
Light reduction: 16.6 stops
Sizes: 58, 77, 95mm
Another established filter brand, Marumi, offers a solar filter with an optical density of 5, which will reduce exposure by 16.6 stops when photographing the sun. The number of filter sizes is severely limited, though, so this Japanese-made option won't work if your intended lens isn't in one of three diameters.
Light reduction: Not specified
Size: Fixed (75-100mm)
Telescope manufacturer Celestron offers a simple, no-fuss solar filter solution. This is essentially a five-sided box that fits over the front of the telescope – or over the front of your camera lens. It works for lenses with a diameter between 75-100mm, and has a circular opening made of film measuring 60mm across.
Light reduction: Not specified
Sizes: Fixed
Want to use your phone to take pictures of the eclipse? This simple option provides a cardboard frame with a circular cutout of protective film to shoot through. You can buy these in packs of one, two, or five filters, so you can get extras for family and friends. Note that you shouldn't use this for direct viewing, as it is not a safe substitute for proper eclipse glasses.
Helpful information
How to stay safe
The Sun’s infrared and ultraviolet rays are incredibly dangerous. At no point should you look at the sun directly, and you must use solar eclipse glasses to look at this event and place solar filters on the front of any telescope, binoculars, or camera lens. Don’t look through your camera’s optical viewfinder if you are using a DSLR; use the LCD live view screen.
This advice holds true for a partial eclipse, a ring-of-fire eclipse, or for the lead-up stages to a total eclipse. However, during the brief period of totality, when the whole of the sun is covered by the moon's shadow, you should remove the filter to take images, as the Earth, at this point, will be in near darkness.
How to choose the right size filter
You need a filter that fits your lens’s filter thread. The diameter of the front threaded ring is often marked on the lens in millimetres and prefixed with a Ø symbol.
Where do you get solar glasses to view the eclipse?
Solar glasses made of card and with eyeholes covered with special film are readily avaiable. Look out for multipacks that allow you to make savings, and so you can be prepared for the event. Here are some typical online deals:
But if you want a closer view of the spectacle, and don't have a camera with a telephoto lens, you can get pairs of special solar binoculars – here are deals on some of the options we have tested:
