The polygon shapes of light are a result of the lens aperture and will exhibit the shape of the lens aperture. The shape pattern of an artifact is determined by the lens itself. These can appear as streaks, halos, starbursts, and polygons. These reflections show up in the final image in several different ways. represents a flare from a Canon 24mm to 70mm lens B. Most lenses have an anti-reflective coating that minimizes the effect but not all lenses are equal nor do they entirely prevent internal reflections from happening.Įxamples of manufactured lens flares. Likewise, light cast onto the lens refracts through the lens elements with similar results. Reflections of light bouncing off of the actual lens elements disperse through the lens and show up as a lens flare. When a light source is in frame or sits just out of frame but is casting light into the lens, it creates a lens flare by reflecting off the elements inside of the lens and onto the image sensor. A lens with a greater number of elements, such as a zoom lens, will produce a greater amount of artifacts in the flare. Different lenses will produce different types of flares because of the varying physical structures of the lens and its material make up.
The visual appearance of a lens flare is the interaction between the camera’s optical system and a light source. Or does it? Lens flares are directly influenced by the lens of the camera. It’s become such a popular technique that lens flares are intentionally crafted in post and are not necessarily the product of a careless camera operator.Ī look inside the lens reveals many things, none of which shows up on screen.
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A skilled video editor knows how to use these optical anomalies to advance their story. It’s important to understand what a lens flare is before it can be used as a tool in the video editor’s arsenal.