Why does my D100 do this?

[TRACKDEMON]

Just about every time I ever take a shot of a car with its headlights on somewhere around the straight ahead I always get these reflections. Using a Sigma 18-50mm f4-5.6 Any ideas? Normally easy to clone out but annoying nonetheless.....

[simpo two]

Do you mean the halo effect round the lower lights?

[FourWheelDrift]

The reflections above left of the right headlight and lower left I think.

[simpo two]

Weird, my brain must have filtered them out

I think that's lens flare, a function of the lens, focal length and position of light source. Dr Simpo prescribes the Clone Tool

[TRACKDEMON]

Click F5 to make things instantly clearer I specifically wondering if you guys know of any method to erradicate this effect - very annoying to say the least!

[V6GTO]

Would polarising filter help?

Martin.

[FourWheelDrift]

I have a fix......turn your foglights off

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

Hhhmm, checked for any big bits of dust? Seen that effect before when light fires into the lense at an angle than doesn't hit the sensor, but the light you're photographing is much dimmer....if you see what I mean.

[Ian_H]

Do you have a uv filter or similar on the lens?, I've seen this before and it's been a reflection off the filter.



Cheers
Ian

[Phil S]

I would imagine it is some sort of lens/filter reflection issue!

[rico]

Ian_H said:

Do you have a uv filter or similar on the lens?, I've seen this before and it's been a reflection off the filter.

That makes sense. I'm assuming you're using your polarizer as normal Tracky?

>> Edited by rico on Saturday 5th March 17:11

[ehasler]

Maybe light reflecting back onto the lens from the digital sensor?

[dcw@pr]

I think that is just internal reflections within the lens. Lens coatings have been developed over the last 50+ years to improve the % transmission of light through glass, which increases contrast and cuts down on this sort of stuff. If you use a non-coated lens (such as my 50mm) then this will happen a lot more, and it can be a right PITA. It shows up in areas of high contrast, presumably because it is just more noticeable then, or maybe there is a threshold brightness when it becomes worse, I don't really know. I'm pretty sure it isn't a reflection off the sensor, as I have often seen it when looking through the viewfinder, i.e. sensor is covered by mirror

[murph7355]

Do they always show in the same place?

And have you tried with a differemt lens?

[TRACKDEMON]

Pic was taken with a polariser. I'll try with my other lense's, but the 12-24 and 70-300 aren't really suitable for this type of picture. I can't see the effect through the viewfinder either, but it is clearly visible on the preview screen afterwards - I took several shots and the effect was visible on all of them, just that it moved a bit from shot to shot.
I'm leaning towards it not being a D100 specific problem so I will try with the 12-24 and also without a filter to see what happens!

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

Well it's easy to see if it's reflections. Take a few shots repositioning the camera a few inches each time. Reflections and the spots are going to move...

[V6GTO]

If you can't see it through the viewfinder, but it's there on the LCD, itmust be light bouncing off the sensor on to the lens internals, then back to the sensor. Or am I being missing something?

Martin.

[dcw@pr]

V6GTO said:

If you can't see it through the viewfinder, but it's there on the LCD, itmust be light bouncing off the sensor on to the lens internals, then back to the sensor. Or am I being missing something? Martin.

seems logical to me, although the inside of an SLR is a complicated place for reflections, and the viewfinder isn't on exactly the same plane as the sensor, so anything could happen. Also, sometime you don't notice the reflections through the viewfinder since they are so much smaller and you may well be paying attentions to other aspects of composing the photo

[murph7355]

Can anyone else with a D100 take a similar shot/you get hold of another D100.

The shape and intensity of the light look very odd to me. Too regular and well defined.

And if they're the same shape/distance apart etc when you try different shots...even more strange.

Is it only under these lighting conditions?

[simpo two]

I think I can hear the cows coming home