Why do out-of-focus edges show a bright halo, and how can I reduce it?
Asked 11/24/2010
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In some flower photos shot handheld with a Nikon 18-200mm VR lens, I’m seeing a visible bright/double edge around parts of petals and stems that are just outside the plane of focus. The in-focus areas look sharp, and I did not apply sharpening in post. Is this caused by camera shake, or is it a lens/depth-of-field issue? Can it be fixed afterward, and what can I do when shooting to reduce it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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In the example here, I think you're actually at the limits of the depth of field, and the rear petals are actually out of focus -- I say this as the foreground petals don't exhibit the same effect, and the focus seems to be on the trumpet of the daffodil.
A narrow aperture when shooting will increase the depth of field, and increase the area that is apparently in focus -- however, this also runs the risk that the background will appear to have less blur, which I'm guessing was an effect you were trying to achieve here.
Originally by user21. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user21
15y ago
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This is most likely not camera shake. Since the focused parts are sharp and only the slightly out-of-focus edges show the effect, the cause is more likely lens rendering of defocus rather than motion blur.
From the examples and comments, you’re seeing out-of-focus blur at the edge of the depth of field, combined with lens aberrations—especially spherical aberration—which can produce a bright or doubled edge in blurred areas. Superzoom lenses like the Nikon 18-200mm often make more optical compromises, so this kind of “nervous” bokeh is not unusual.
What you can do:
- Stop down to a narrower aperture to increase depth of field, so those petals fall more within acceptable focus.
- Be aware this reduces background blur, so it changes the look.
- If smoother blur is important, use a lens with better bokeh/optical correction; a simpler prime or higher-end lens may render out-of-focus areas more smoothly.
Can it be fixed in post? Usually not well. Since it’s part of how the lens rendered the blur, there isn’t a clean correction unless you do very selective retouching. Prevention at capture is the better solution.
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