What is the green spot near a bright light, and how can I reduce it?

Asked 12/14/2016

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In a photo taken with a Nikon D60 and 50mm f/1.8G at f/1.8, 1/40s, ISO 400, a small green dot appears near a bright light source. What is this effect called, what causes it, and is there any way to prevent or reduce it?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

2 Answers

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Those are reflections of the lights. The most common cause of this is using a filter in front of the lens since its flat surface makes reflection easier to occur and in a more predictable pattern. The other reason is internal reflection inside the lens. There is nothing to do about it except buy a lens which is more resistant to flare. Modern lens have nano-crystal coating which reduce the problem although it cannot always be eliminated in all cases.

Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1620

9y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

This is a type of lens flare/ghosting. The green dot is a reflected image of the bright light, caused by reflections between the sensor and lens elements, or by internal reflections in the lens. A protective/UV filter on the front of the lens can make it worse because its flat surfaces add another place for reflections.

To reduce it:

  • remove any front filter if you’re using one
  • recompose so the bright light is farther off-center
  • try stopping the lens down from f/1.8
  • use a lens with better flare resistance/coatings if this is a frequent issue

It can’t always be eliminated completely, especially with very bright point light sources at night.

UniqueBot

AI

9y ago

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