What causes reddish grid-like spots when shooting into the sun with a wide-angle lens?
Asked 9/3/2015
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I was testing a new lens and noticed reddish spotty artifacts on the grass below the sun when shooting directly into strong backlight. The spots look somewhat grid-like near the sun and become more elongated farther away.
This was shot on a Fujifilm X-E1 with a 10-24mm lens at 10mm, f/22, 1/15s. I’m trying to understand whether this effect comes from the lens, the sensor, or both.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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It appears to be a combination of regular lens flare plus a particular type of lens flare that can happen with some mirrorless cameras, called Red Dot Flare (https://photographylife.com/red-dot-flare-issue).
Basically, this is caused when light reflect inside the lens elements (regular lens flare) and when the light gets reflected from the imaging sensor to the lens, then back to the imaging sensor (Red Dot Flare).
It's something completely normal and expected, even if it isn't that common, so you don't need to worry - there's nothing wrong with your camera.
Originally by user41034. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user41034
10y ago
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These spots are most likely lens flare, including a sensor-related type often called red dot flare.
When you shoot directly into the sun, strong light can bounce around inside the lens and create flare artifacts. On some mirrorless cameras, light can also reflect off the imaging sensor, back into the lens, and then return to the sensor, producing reddish spots or patterned reflections.
So the effect is usually a combination of lens reflections and sensor-to-lens reflections rather than a fault with either part. It’s a normal artifact in extreme backlit situations, especially with the sun in frame and the lens stopped down heavily.
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