15 votes
Accepted

What causes these streaked rays from light sources?

In my opinion that "flare" is caused by a dirty lens. I'm guessing you attempted to clean it, by using a wipe, but failed to properly clean it, which is why the flare has directionality. Try using a ...
Rafael's user avatar
  • 24.7k
10 votes
Accepted

What is "veiling glare"? How does it affect my photos, and how can I avoid it?

Veiling glare is light that's not intended to be part of the image, per se, but ends up on the recording medium (film or sensor) anyway. It's caused by reflections and scattering of light by optical ...
mattdm's user avatar
  • 143k
9 votes

What creates a bright green orb "lens flare" with silver or metalic dots on it?

It's a reflection of the image of the sun in the sensor, with the PDAF focus pixel covers reflecting brightly. See: https://www.metabunk.org/orbs-with-dots-focus-pixels-reflection-in-sun-reflection-...
Mick West's user avatar
8 votes
Accepted

What causes lens flare along specific axes?

What causes lens flare along specific axes? This answer assumes the 1st and 3rd images are caused by the same phenomenon, and image 2 is caused by something different. Image #2 To my eyes, this ...
scottbb's user avatar
  • 32.7k
8 votes

What is the difference between Diffraction Spikes and Lens Flare?

Diffraction spikes are caused by diffraction at the edge of the aperture. The number of spikes relates to the number of blades and the intensity of the effect relates to the exact shape of the blades ...
AshleyF's user avatar
  • 181
7 votes

What exactly is the cause for the diffusion of bright objects in these image?

The reason the background is not dark is because there is light shining on it. The same light sources that you are attempting to record directly are also illuminating the areas around the light and ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
7 votes

How can I get prevent ghost sun images when shooting with a solar filter?

Don't use the UV filter. Not only is it completely useless while using an actual solar filter, it is actively hurting your image by creating reflections. Even if it is the highest-quality UV filter ...
scottbb's user avatar
  • 32.7k
7 votes
Accepted

What is the cause of a dimmer image of a light source in a photo?

That is most likely the result of an internal reflection between different elements in your lens. Modern coatings can reduce and/or eliminate a lot of internal reflections, but all bets are off when ...
twalberg's user avatar
  • 5,138
7 votes

What are these strange lines that are visible at sunset?

It's called lens flare. Light from the sun that is just out of frame is striking the surface of your camera's lens or surrounding housing and bouncing around inside the lens. Some of that light is ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
7 votes
Accepted

How can I get rid of extra halos from ceiling can lights?

That is an internal reflection... if you have a filter on the lens remove it. It is common for the front element of a lens to be multicoated to reject/reflect light that might cause flare, and that ...
Steven Kersting's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

What does lens flare from a catadioptric (mirror) lens look like?

Catadioptric lenses are lenses that combine both refractive and mirror elements. A simple mirror lens with no refractive elements is not a catadioptric lens. I've never seen a commercially available ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
6 votes

Why is there a secondary image of a light bulb in my image?

It is a lens flare, a secondary and dimmer image of the bright light bulb caused by a part of the light not making it straight to the sensor but reflecting around inside the lens first.
JohannesD's user avatar
  • 1,786
5 votes
Accepted

How can I take a picture of a Christmas tree without lens flare around the Christmas lights?

The "diffraction spikes" you are seeing is the result of using a narrow aperture. Some folks refer to such effects as "sunstars." The light travelling through your lens' aperture diaphragm is ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
5 votes

Why is the aperture of this old lens showing as centered blue glare?

This looks to me like reflection from the sensor to the rear element and back again. Film is less reflective than digital sensors so some older lenses have either no anti reflective coating on the ...
Joseph Rogers's user avatar
5 votes

Why is the aperture of this old lens showing as centered blue glare?

Yes, that's because the adapter you're using - it is not possible to adapt Minolta MC/MD lenses to Canon EF while retaining focus to infinity without an adapter that has corrective optics (and ...
elkarrde's user avatar
  • 416
5 votes

X100 Rainbow glare on artificial light

It looks like the lens is greasy. Probably some condensation on the lens. If it is condensation, it could be on the interior of the lens. See if there is a lot of humidity, or if your camera has moved ...
Rafael's user avatar
  • 24.7k
4 votes
Accepted

What exactly is this light artifact/flare?

That's just an ordinary flare. It is cat-eye shaped probably because it is reflected from the edge of the lens element - edge of the lens mechanically blocked part of the otherwise round shape. Green-...
elkarrde's user avatar
  • 416
4 votes
Accepted

What causes this bokeh / lens flare effect?

The grid of rainbow flare is caused by strong light reflecting off your camera's sensor pixels, forward towards a surface (such as the rear element of your lens, or perhaps the IR filter over your ...
scottbb's user avatar
  • 32.7k
4 votes

What is "veiling glare"? How does it affect my photos, and how can I avoid it?

This supplement to mattdm's answer contains a series of images to illustrate the effect that coating technology can have on veiling glare. They were all taken handheld with the camera set to the same ...
xiota's user avatar
  • 27k
4 votes

ND filters issue - washed out pictures

I believe this is due to a light leak entering between the two ND filters, and the one in front (farthest from the camera body) does not have a light-blocking foam gasket. Light coming in through the ...
scottbb's user avatar
  • 32.7k
3 votes

Why is there a secondary image of a light bulb in my image?

Looks like a reflection in the lens. Bright lights often cause spots in other parts of the photo when the light bounces around inside the lens, and in this case the spot is much dimmer so actually ...
Caleb's user avatar
  • 31.7k
3 votes
Accepted

Which lens coatings reduce internal reflection?

Lens coatings vary on a lens model by lens model basis. There are quite a few different models of the Pentax Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4. Some had 8 lens elements, some had 7 lens elements. Some had 6 ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
3 votes

How much flare should I expect with a Hoya HMC Filter?

What is acceptable is a matter of personal prefernce and where the photo will be used. I personally think that the flare is well within the tolerance of being acceptable. When it comes to needing the ...
Kel's user avatar
  • 129
3 votes
Accepted

What is causing these red sphere flares?

Yes, the problem you are experiencing is a subclass of general flare and ghosting issues, often called "red dot flare" (see also: What causes lens flare?). The reason for the grid or array ...
scottbb's user avatar
  • 32.7k
3 votes

Why I got all this little flares on this picture?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backscatter_(photography) In photography, backscatter (also called near-camera reflection) is an optical phenomenon resulting in typically circular artifacts on an image,...
szulat's user avatar
  • 5,059
3 votes

Rainbow flare effect on Industar 50-2

I think the lens flare is a side-effect 2 things: simple Tessar lens design, and little or no coatings on the lens elements. There's probably nothing you can do to "accidentally fix" the flare on this ...
scottbb's user avatar
  • 32.7k
3 votes

What is the cause of a dimmer image of a light source in a photo?

Modern camera lenses are an array of multiple lenses. Such designs are necessary to mitigate degrading of the image due to aberrations. We are talking about the fact that all lenses suffer from about ...
Alan Marcus's user avatar
  • 39.1k
3 votes
Accepted

Would you consider this lens (Samyang 8mm CS II) defective?

After returning that lens and buying the new one, I can conclude with confidence that the first lens was definitely defective. This new lens is not perfect either, but it performs much better. You can ...
Qeeet's user avatar
  • 173
3 votes

Is the artifact in this photo caused by lens flare?

Yes, it is the headlight. You can make out the aspheric projector element, the round curvature and whatnot.
J.Hirsch's user avatar
  • 1,057

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