I have continued exploring my dynamic range maximisation capture and processing technique with my solar eclipse images rather than traditional compositing.
In this post, I present 3 images of the diamond rings at 2nd and 3rd contact.
I was using a ROKINON 135mm f2 ED with my trusty old 2010 model Pentax K5 APSc DSLR. Despite being 13 years old, its native dynamic range is 14.1eV.
https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/
The Nikon D7200 is the only APSc DSLR with a higher photographic dynamic range than the K5 and it's variants and it's PDR is higher than many full frame cameras.
So with low ISO capture and careful raw processing, these single exposures have recorded the very bright diamond ring and the greatest extent of coronal streamer I've ever captured in a single diamond ring image.
The first image is taken at 2nd contact.
The second and third images were shot 1 second apart and are in reverse time sequence. The middle image is shorter and shot 1s after the 3rd image and exposed 2eV lower exposure than the third image.
The diamond rings change rapidly, and although the middle image looks fainter, that is just the exposure levels. The diamond ring in the second image is actually much brighter than the first and that makes it brighter relative to the corona than in the first which is why the corona is suppressed.
I have been time poor since returning from WA. Needless to say, although it has taken some time to complete, I am now delighted with the results I am getting.
Joe Cali
Joe Cali
