I've never shot timelapse of an eclipse before, but I'm going to attempt to for the upcoming April 8th TSE.

My setup currently... Subject to change.

Sony a7iv + 100-400mm GM
Tracked by a Star Watcher Star Adventurer 2i
Haida m10 Filter set with a Solar drop in filter that's easy to remove for totality

My idea is to have the Starwatcher tracking, but use the Pro Timer set to an interval of 4 seconds for first contact (C1) until second contact (C2). Then 2 minutes before totality I will have the Pro Timer start ramping up to 1 second intervals.
I will remove the Solar filter just before totality and switch to a 3 exposure bracketed setting for all of totality (bracketed exposures I'm still debating). Then I'll switch back to single exposure after totality.


I understand I may lose a few frames just before totality and afterwards, but dont think it will be too big of a deal considering the length of the entire lapse.

Is there a much easier way of doing things that I may be overlooking?
I'm flying pretty far for the eclipse AND driving far from there as well, so that's a factor as well.


Thanks for your input!

I'm using CaptureEclipse to manage all the settings. I'll have Canon R5 with RF 200-800mm @800mm, this will be on a Benro Polaris tracker. (by the way depending where you are observing be aware of possible meridian flip on your tracker just at the wrong time). I'll also have R6 with RF 15-35 @ about 18mm portrait doing a fixed timelapse from before C1 to after C4 using LRT Pro timer hopefully this will include horizon plus Saturn, Mars, Venus, Jupiter & hopefully Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. I'm still working out what my settings will be on R6 probably some kind of Auto or Priority mode. Best of luck !!

Cool! That 800 will be great for details. Do you feel it'll be too close for the full dance of the corona though? Does the capture eclipse run from your laptop or something? how does it connect to your camera?

How would I know if there would be a meridian flip? I'm new to tracking, so still picking up on the intricacies and details that you only really learn by doing.

Yes, I'll have a wide angle going as well. 16-35, but will determine the composition on the day of since we're still deciding on exact location.

CaptureEclipse runs on Mac OS so I'll be running it on my Macbook Pro M2. It only works with Canon Cameras (and not all of them). I connect with USB-C cable from Macbook to R5.

Re meridian flip, have a look at Nebula Photos video:https://youtu.be/zfL0phpISAM?si=0RAXNRaaGwb9rM-C
you could practice at the same time with the camera pointed in the right place, use stellarium to work out the correct AR & Dec for your location.

I think 800mm should be ok, all the prep work I have done suggests its about as long as you want to go and not miss the corona etc.. but we'll see :-)