Can a fixed-aperture f/2 smartphone lens produce starburst diffraction effects?
Asked 9/10/2012
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I’ve seen claims that starburst highlights in promotional smartphone photos prove they were not taken with a phone, because the phone’s lens is fixed at f/2. Is it physically possible for a small fixed-aperture smartphone camera to capture those starburst diffraction patterns, or would that normally require a stopped-down lens? I’m only asking about the optics: could a fixed f/2 phone produce this effect on its own, or only with added accessories or other tricks?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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One could achieve similar starbursts by holding a Star-16 filter (such as Cokin A055 or P055) in front of the camera phone lens. During a photoshoot aimed at demonstrating the camera's capabilities, however, the director of the shoot should consider that it's not what many phone photographers would do, so it would still count as deception.
Originally by user4390. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4390
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A fixed-aperture f/2 smartphone lens would not normally produce the strong sunstar/starburst effect associated with stopped-down cameras. Those starbursts are typically caused by diffraction at the edges of aperture blades, and a 14-point star usually suggests a 7-blade diaphragm. A fixed phone lens generally does not have that kind of adjustable iris.
So: on its own, probably not in the same way. But yes, it could be made to happen by other means, such as:
- placing a star filter in front of the lens
- adding an extra aperture stop in front of the lens
- photographing an image formed by another optical system
- digital manipulation
That means the effect is technically possible with a phone setup, but not as a normal result of the phone’s fixed f/2 lens alone.
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