Nikon Lens - Light Flare?

Swame_sp

For the last few months I have been noticing a kinda flare on the images, particularly on this lens and I'm not sure what's causing this. Any suggestions?
Body - D7000
Lens - 35mm f1.8 G
Settings - f1.8/ISO 1600/35mm/0ev



There are bunch of lights just outside the tree.

TaoTeJared

Image is a bit small again - Post them on Flickr at full res so we can tell.

It looks like you have a cheaper UV filter on and the light is reflecting off the lens, back into the filter and so on.

[Deleted User]

When I shot candle lights in the room with the 35mm f/1.8G I got 4 green dots as flair a couple of times. It had an UV filter (not a cheap one) on it. When I took that off it became better, but sometimes flair remain. The solution then was a slightly different angle.

The same happened with my 24-70mm f/2.8 on the D300, night photography with street lights.

spraynpray

I wonder if there is some kind of high intensity light source on the tree that is shining directly into the lens because it is only the one patch of green dots - nothing else.

How about you throw up one of the pictures from the 24-70 outside so we can see that too.

[Deleted User]

Good idea Spraynpray.

In this case I made 3 photo's, different angles, but all with flair.
The second a little bit less.


Nikon D300, 24-70mm f/2.8, 70mm (105mm), 1.0 sec, f/5.6, ISO 250, tripod


Nikon D300, 24-70mm f/2.8, 70mm (105mm), 2.0 sec, f/5.6, ISO 250, tripod

chrisjakes

i've had the same problem with shooting christmas lights only though........

Swame_sp

Bigger version

Is this version bigger?

JJ_SO

That looks interesting. Never saw such mirrored lights before. It's not flares, I'd call that reflections. Or small UFOs.

MikeGunter

Hi,

Do you use filters?

My best,

Mike

Swame_sp

@Mike, there is Tiffen UV filter. I remember capturing the image with and without filter and both had this weird thing next to the tree. I don't have image without filter. I don't have my camera with me to try out, it's with nikon for sensor dust cleaning.

JJ_SO

I'm not using filters as standard protection. I felt confirmed when I read in one of Roger Cicala's blog, a good filter is more expensive or almost the same than the most front elements of the lenses; even tiny scratches would hardly become visible. I tried and found some slights flares on my nightshots, but not of that amount.

TaoTeJared

My experience is if you are not paying at least $50 for a 52mm filter or $120 for a 77mm filter then you will get the light reflections you are seeing. It is in the coatings that help the reflection. Lens flair is something very different and covers more of the image.

If you note Ton's images you can tell it is a reflection by the angle, If you play pool/billiards you can draw the lines in your head and see the "bounce" back effect.

Msmoto

I will have to admit... I find flare, the spots, a part of the photographic process. If very objectionable I will minimize them or eliminate them. But, in looking into lights, some of us older folks have our own version of lens flare... )

safyre

I'd scrap the filter completely, as it's irrelevant with digital and Tiffen is notorious for producing low quality filters. The last time I used a Tiffen filter was when I intentionally wanted more haze, flare, and reflections in my photo, lol!

spraynpray

That is a puzzler Ton. I would expect it with the 14-24, but not the 24-70. I realise it is likely to be too late to redo the shots, but maybe another shot at f8 and ISO 100 off a tripod would have done better. I say that because I have recently shot a bridge at night with a long exposure (30s) on ISO 100 and not had any issues like yours - that was a Tokina 11-16 tho and that is a w/a f2.8 lens so more likely to flare normally.

[Deleted User]

I edited my post with the EXIF. No problem to redo the shot, but too cold, snow and slush and .... here.
It is around the corner, so one day I go back and make a couple of different shots, now with the D600 and see what happens.

I wonder about - reflections -, there was nothing in the area that could reflect something.

kyoshinikon

It is the UV hands down... That is also my one beef with the 14-24mm is the ghosting. The 10.5mm and 17-35mm don't seem to do that.

NSXTypeR

My experience is if you are not paying at least $50 for a 52mm filter or $120 for a 77mm filter then you will get the light reflections you are seeing. It is in the coatings that help the reflection. Lens flair is something very different and covers more of the image.

If you note Ton's images you can tell it is a reflection by the angle, If you play pool/billiards you can draw the lines in your head and see the "bounce" back effect.

I used to get flares with the 35mm 1.8 because I have a cheap filter on. Now I know that if I need it for night time stuff or specific occasions, I will take off the 52mm UV filter. It is only a cheap Tiffen one, but I only consider it to be a transparent lens cap.

I will have to admit... I find flare, the spots, a part of the photographic process. If very objectionable I will minimize them or eliminate them. But, in looking into lights, some of us older folks have our own version of lens flare... )

Flares are flares, but sometimes they are incredibly annoying.

Examples here-

Here is one shot with the filter on.



Here is the same shot with the filter off.

[Deleted User]

Just info. Price of filters, I bought the Kenko Pro1 Digital Protector (W) in Holland for € 89,95 !!. This one is considered one of the best in Dutch reviews. After I damage my 24-70mm I bought the same filter in Hongkong for ... $ 30.- OK, I have been robbed by the Dutch shop.

@ NSXTypeR, your photo's says it all.

TaoTeJared

I might think that you got a fake one in HK and got robbed there. - just a thought.

PB_PM

Either that or you didn't have to pay for the shipping of the item from China and the import duties that the seller in the Netherlands had to pay to stock it (along with the usual markups).

NSXTypeR

I might think that you got a fake one in HK and got robbed there. - just a thought.

Nah, I got that filter ages ago at J and R when I got my 35mm 1.8. It was around $10 though. I wasn't expecting earth shattering performance, but I wasn't expecting that sort of flare either.