Technical > Digital Imaging > [Help] First night shot - strange light

[Help] First night shot - strange light

Canon EOS 40D 28mm 4s F3.5 ISO200

Canon EOS 40D 28mm 10s F3.5 ISO400

Lens flare.

Had those today during my shots. It depends of the lens you use and the available light!

I'm using the 28-135mm kit lens that came with the camera. Is there a way to avoid the flare?

Thanks!

reply to JmanB
A flare is usually an artifact caused by light spill going directly into the lens. Try changing your angle, or using a lens hood. UV filter can help to some extent, but simply a lens hood+angle change will fix it.

Cool. Thanks!

reply to JmanB
In a situation like this it will be tough to get rid of the lens flare. It's caused by the exceptionally bright (comparatively speaking) point source light by the garage bouncing around between your lens elements. However you can minimize or hide the lens flare.

If you moved over to your right to shield your camera with the tree a bit more it would minimize the flare.

Changing your point of view so that your camera is pointing directly at the light will move the flare into the light and it will be overpowered and, therefore, much less obvious.

reply to JmanB
Not sure whether you have a filter on the lens, even if it is one to protect it, i do alot of night shooting and used to suffer from the flares quite a bit. i took the filter off of the lens and it minimised and in most cases got rid of it.
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If you cant fix it, then find something you can. If you cant find something then break something.

reply to JmanB
It's a UFO

reply to JmanB
Had a similar greenie appear on some of my night shots a couple of months ago. Someone posted a comment on the Flickr page that echoed what Charliebrown offered up - potentially being caused by a filter on the lens. Sure enough, I had the UV filter on from shooting earlier in the day.

reply to TigerLord

reply to JmanB
A lens hood especially on a zoom like yours is definitely your best chance of avoiding flares. As for the filter, I say get a hood first. I do a ton of night shooting on my big 17-55 2.8 IS zoom, and it has a B+W MRC UV filter on it - I've never ever had any flares on any of my shots (check the gallery). Of course, I also never leave home with out its hood.

PS: Dots like that on night shots is the filter, but it's not a traditional lens flare. That's the characteristic of droplets of liquid stayed on your filter and the light is refracting on it.

Thanks for all the comments. I don't have a filter on this lens and I have ordered a hood (was going to get one anyway) so will do some more testing when I get it.
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Jerry Bryant - Microsoft IT Communities. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.