Solar Filter for Camera Made From Solar Glasses

I looked everywhere on the internet for some way of making cheap filters for my cameras, but all I found was instructions using what is, for me, expensive solar film. $25 a sheet was more than I wanted to spend, so I made some out of an extra pair of eclipse viewing glasses. As you can see, the pictures didn't turn out half bad. Now, it is too late to do this for the 2017 Great American Eclipse, but there will be another in 2024. Now that I know it works, maybe this will help someone else!

I used a strip of card stock and wrapped it around the lens of my camera and taped it into a tube that was slightly loose.. I don't have a DSLR, so this worked well.

The glasses lens I cut out was not quite big enough the cover the whole end of the tube so I had to make something to cover the holes. The tube fit perfectly over the lid of a pill bottle, so I used that the keep it stiff enough to work with while putting the lens on. Since I made it the morning of, it looks pretty sloppy, but if I had made them in advance (which with my instructions you hopefully will for the next one) It would have been a lot neater. Attach the lens (cut from the glasses). You can use tape like I did or you can glue it with a hot glue gun, but be careful not to damage the lens or all will be for nothing. You can also trim them to fit if you want.

While you are taking pictures, make sure it is as close to the lens as possible. You can zoom in without many problems with the focus. I got a few good pictures although some were blurry, it was better than going without.