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I shot this image on a GoPro camera in time lapse mode. It was at ISO 100, f/3.6, 1/950sec. I also happened to be moving the camera at very high speed during the shot. What is the ligher horizonal bar across near the top of the image? It can be seen right next to my finger tip and seems to go across the entire frame left to right. The defect does not appear in images before or after this shot.

enter image description here

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It's plain old lens flare, looks like the sun is in shot just behind that cloud. Different lens constructions flare differently. It actually looks a lot like the flare you get from old anamorphic lenses used in cinematography to project wide format images onto regular 35mm film. The flare is so iconic that filters exist to replicate it:


(source: frankladner.com)

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    \$\begingroup\$ Awesome thanks! I didn't realize flare could be so straight across an image like that. \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Commented Jul 24, 2012 at 10:04
  • \$\begingroup\$ +1, but wouldn't you say "anamorphic lens flare" rather than merely "plain old"? \$\endgroup\$
    – mattdm
    Commented Jul 24, 2012 at 13:02
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    \$\begingroup\$ @mattdm the gopro isn't exhibiting anamorphic lens flare as it isn't an anamorphic lens, it's simply producing flare which has a similar character, I was using the phrase "plain old" to indicate this is a problem with a strong lightsource in the frame, reflecting off something inside the camera lens, otherwise known as lens flare, nothing more nothing less. \$\endgroup\$
    – Matt Grum
    Commented Jul 24, 2012 at 15:25

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