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Home → Cameras and Lenses

Understanding Lens Flare

Ghosting and flare are common issues in photography and videography

By Nasim Mansurov 31 Comments
Last Updated On April 12, 2020

When light rays coming from a bright source(s) of light (such as the sun or artificial light) directly reach the front element of a camera lens, they can reflect and bounce off different lens elements, diaphragm and even off the sensor, potentially degrading image quality and creating unwanted objects in images.

Better known as “lens flare”, the effect can impact images in a number of ways: it can drastically reduce image contrast by introducing haze in different colors, it can add circular or semi-circular halos or “ghosts” and even odd-shaped semi-transparent objects of various color intensities. Flare is not always undesirable in photography though – sometimes it is used creatively to add artistic elements to images. In fact, lens flare is often deliberately added to movies and computer games to add a sense of realism and boost the visual experience of the viewer.

Landscape Photo with Strong Flare
An image showing strong lens flare

To help decide whether to use flare in images, it is a good idea to understand why it happens in the first place. Let’s go over the causes of flare in detail, then discuss ways to use, reduce or perhaps completely avoid it.

Table of Contents

  • What is Lens Flare?
    • Veiling Flare
    • Ghosting Flare
    • Sensor / Red Dot Flare
  • Factors Impacting Lens Flare
  • How to Avoid Lens Flare
  • Lens Flare FAQ

What is Lens Flare?

Lens flare occurs when a point of light source such as the sun is much brighter than the rest of the scene, and it either happens to be in the image (within lens angle of view), or simply hits the front element of a lens without being present in the image. Depending on the position of this bright light source, it can result in a lot of haze/lack of contrast, orbs and polygon artifacts scattered throughout the image, semi-round shapes with rainbow colors, or a combination of all of the above. This happens due to internal reflections that take place inside the lens and even between the imaging sensor and the lens (more on that below). Take a look at the below illustration:

Lens Flare

As you can see, regular light rays (red) follow their normal path, directly reaching the image plane (green), whereas bright light rays (blue) can split and reflect off lens surfaces and end up in different parts of the frame (dotted blue). While traveling through the lens, light can also be reflected off the lens diaphragm if it is stopped down, resulting in even more noticeable flare.

Although the above illustration shows lens flare in general, manufacturers and photographers usually identify two types of lens flare: veiling flare and ghosting flare. While both typically go hand in hand, good lenses with multi-coated lens element surfaces can significantly reduce veiling flare in images.

Veiling Flare

Veiling flare usually occurs when the bright light source is outside the lens angle of view, i.e. absent from the image, but its light rays still reach the front element of the lens. This results in very noticeable haze/lack of contrast, where dark areas of the frame become brighter with bleeding colors and appear washed out. High-quality lenses with multi-coated lens elements can help in reducing veiling flare. For example, Nikon’s proprietary Nano Crystal Coat technology used on professional-grade lenses helps a great deal in keeping veiling flare under control. Take a look at the below portrait that was captured using the Nikon 58mm f/1.4G lens:

Nikon Df Image Sample (6)
This image is showing strong veiling flare

You can see that the sun was right above the subject and outside the image area, but its light rays still reached the lens and created veiling flare around the child in the photo. The veiling flare not only impacted the area surrounding the sun, but also had a drastic effect on the hair, face and even clothing of the child, resulting in reduced contrast. In this case, veiling flare was actually allowed on purpose, providing a moody, bright shot.

Unfortunately, veiling flare can get intensified by a number of factors, such as dust inside the lens, dirty front element, dirty/low-quality lens filter, lack of anti-reflective multi-coating technologies, etc. In some cases, the effect can look pretty bad in images. Take a look at an image produced by a very old manual focus Nikon NIKKOR-S 50mm f/1.4 Ai lens:

Nikon-S 50mm f/1.4 Ghosting and Flare
An old manual focus lens produced strong veiling flare

As you can see, this lens was just not a good candidate to shoot against the sun – it made the whole image look hazy, with practically no visible details of my wife and daughter in the shot. Part of the reason was lack of multi-coating technologies and another part was micro dust that accumulated over the years inside the lens that caused additional reflections.

Ghosting Flare

Unlike veiling flare that makes images appear hazy with very little contrast, ghosting flare or just “ghosting” represents all the artifacts that are visible in the image, whether it is reflections of the bright source or shapes that are similar to the lens diaphragm. These orbs of different colors and shapes usually appear in a direct line from the light source and can span the whole image, with dozens of different artifacts. Take a look at the below comparison of 4 different 70-200mm zoom lenses:

70-200mm Ghosting and Flare Comparison

Aside from the visible veiling flare visible in the images, you can also see various circular artifacts/orbs in each image – those are referred to as “ghosts”. The total number of these ghosts varies by how many elements there are within each lens. Typically, the more elements, the more ghosts will appear in images. Since 70-200mm zoom lenses have a complex design with a dozen or more elements, you can see that pretty much every lens suffers from veiling flare and ghosting, with Nikon 70-200mm lenses leading the game with a minimum amount of ghosting in images.

In addition, as I have already pointed out above, when a lens is stopped down, the lens diaphragm can cause internal reflections. The effect is greatly amplified when the lens is stopped down to its minimum aperture, which is why aperture ghosting is typically not visible at large apertures like f/1.4, but quite noticeable at something like f/16. So if you see polygon-shaped ghosts in your shots, just know that those are coming from the lens diaphragm.

Sensor / Red Dot Flare

I have been referring to flare occurring as a result of light bouncing between the imaging sensor and the lens elements as “red dot flare”, but it could be called “sensor flare” as well. Unlike lens flare, the red dot flare is not just light getting reflected by lens elements and diaphragm, but also light getting reflected from the imaging sensor to the lens, then back to the imaging sensor. Unfortunately, it seems like the newer mirrorless cameras with short flange distances are particularly prone to this problem, as described in detail in my “red dot flare issue” article. Here is how the red dot/sensor flare looks like in images:

Fuji 18-55mm Ghosting Sample
Red dot flare produced by modern mirrorless cameras

Aside from the polygon-shaped aperture ghosts, you can also see a bunch of red dots surrounding the sun – those are microlenses on the digital camera sensor that are amplified in the image.

Factors Impacting Lens Flare

While most modern lenses are designed with special multi-coating technologies to reduce flare, even some of the best professional-grade lenses can render images with visible ghosting and even veiling flare. That’s because the position of the light source in the frame and the angle at which the light reaches the lens (and subsequently camera film/sensor), have a drastic effect on how flare shows up in images and at what intensity. In addition, there are other factors I have mentioned above that could also seriously affect images. Let’s take a look at these in more details:

  1. Lens Elements – the more lens elements, the more ghosts will show up in images
  2. Focal Length – wide-angle lenses are not only designed to handle flare well but also, the shorter focal lengths make the light source appear smaller. Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, are much worse performers because they amplify everything and hence have huge/long lens hoods
  3. Lens Design – good lens design can definitely impact lens flare. For example, Nikon has been designing lenses with recessed front elements, which can greatly reduce flare and ghosting without even using expensive coating technologies. Take a look at the below 50mm lens comparison and you can see that the latest generation 50mm lenses visibly outperform their AF-D counterparts in handling flares and ghosting: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G Ghosting and Flares
  4. Multi-Coatings – multi-coated (MRC) lens elements definitely have a huge impact on flare performance
  5. Filters – low-quality filters are known to create more flare and ghosting issues in images
  6. Lens Dust – all lenses accumulate dust over time and the internal dust can cause more veiling flare issues
  7. Front Element Cleanliness – greasy fingers and other particles on the front element can also create more flare/ghosting issues
Sun vs Plant
Lens flare is not always undesirable
SLT-A65V + DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA @ 20mm, ISO 100, 1/400, f/11.0

How to Avoid Lens Flare

If you do not want to see flare in your images, you can take some simple steps to prevent it from showing up in your images:

Below are the steps you can take to avoid lens flare

  1. Use a lens hood

    That’s right – there is a reason why those lens hoods exist. They help a great deal in blocking direct sunlight rays from reaching the front element. We’ve written more about lens hoods here.

  2. Use your hand or another object

    Just putting your hand over the lens to block off sunlight can completely eliminate ghosting and flares. A very simple method that works!

  3. Use high-quality lenses

    High-quality, pro-grade lenses are expensive, but they most often come with amazing coating technologies that help significantly reduce or even eliminate flare issues.

  4. Use prime lenses instead of zooms

    Generally, prime lenses have simpler optical formulas than zooms and definitely less optical elements. The fewer elements you have to deal with, the fewer flare will show up in images.

  5. Change perspective/framing

    Sometimes just changing the position of the light source in your shot can make a huge difference.

A landscape image showing some lens flare
Note lens flare on the right side of the image

Unfortunately, while it is a good practice to keep the lens hood on and know that you can block off the light with your hand or another objects, shooting directly into the sun and including it in the image will render those efforts useless. For those situations, either change the perspective/framing completely or only use high-quality lenses with multi-coated lens elements.

Lens Flare FAQ

Below are some of the frequently asked questions related to lens flare:

What Causes Lens Flare?

Lens flare is typically caused by a bright light source. The effect of lens flare can vary depending on the location of the light source in the frame. If the light source is very strong (such as the sun), its light rays can reach the front of the lens and cause lens flare, even if the light source itself is not included in the image.

Is Lens Flare Bad?

Lens flare can be damaging to your images, especially when they cover up a big part of the image. However, not all lens flare is bad – some photographers and videographers even use it intentionally in their images and footage to make them look cinematic.

How Do You Get Rid of Lens Flare?

Excluding bright sources of light from your frame, as well as not letting their light rays reach your lens can eliminate lens flare completely. When taking pictures in daylight conditions, make sure to use the lens hood in order to block sun rays from reaching the front of your lens.

How Do You Stop Lens Flare at Night?

If you want to reduce lens flare when shooting at night, you should avoid using small apertures that can increase the effect of lens flare in your images. Additionally, try to use a high-quality prime lens with good coatings, which should help deal with lens flare. Lastly, make sure to remove all lens filters from your lens.

Should I Use a Lens Hood at Night to Avoid Lens Flare?

A lens hood is designed to block sun rays from reaching the front of your lens. However, if you are shooting at night and you have a moon or bright street lights overhead, you should use your lens hood.

If you are interested in reading more, below is the list of articles on other types of aberrations and issues that we have previously published on Photography Life:

  • Spherical Aberration
  • Field Curvature
  • Coma
  • Chromatic Aberration
  • Distortion
  • Vignetting
  • Diffraction
  • Focus Shift
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Filed Under: Cameras and Lenses Tagged With: Advanced Photography Tips, Camera Terminology, Lenses, Optics

About Nasim Mansurov

Nasim Mansurov is the author and founder of Photography Life, based out of Denver, Colorado. He is recognized as one of the leading educators in the photography industry, conducting workshops, producing educational videos and frequently writing content for Photography Life. You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook. Read more about Nasim here.

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Cyndi
Cyndi
July 30, 2020 2:07 pm

Do red tail lights change to orange yellow while taking daytime photo of people?

1
Reply
Jim
Jim
September 30, 2018 11:29 am

Hello to all. I’m not a photographer. I was watching a YouTube channel by the name of Jeff P.
There’s talk on cameras and lense flare and lense arays. I don’t know if what he said on his channel is true or not and am seeking opinions from some like yourselves who will know and hopefully be able to tell me what the truth is. If you can please have a quick look in this link and tell me your thoughts. Thanks.
youtu.be/MBBrl2L623E

-5
Reply
ardo
ardo
March 22, 2018 9:08 am

Nasim
”whereas bright light rays (blue) can split and reflect off lens surfaces and end up in different parts of the frame (dotted blue). While travelling through the lens, light can also be reflected off the lens diaphragm if it is stopped down, resulting in even more noticeable flare.”

Taking an indoor image with two windows one located at the far left and the other at the far right of the image, with a sigma 17-50 F2.8 OS lens. When taking the pic at a lower aperture than F8 (F2.8-F8) no flare appears in the image, and from F11-F22 many white to grey color circles are all over the image (over 12). Using the Tamron 17-50 F2.8 non VR, does not show this problem. I suppose flare increase as you mentionned by stopping down the sigma lens, or is the lens defective ?.
regards

-2
Reply
Leif Anderson
Leif Anderson
August 22, 2017 11:19 pm

Thanks for some very helpful information on ghosting and flares. I will be contacting the manufacturer of my solar filters to see what they have to say. I have a Kodak PIXPRO AZ651 that has a built in set of lenses that go from wide angle to 65X optical zoom, without changing lenses. I purchased a set of 3 filters, ND 8, 5, and 2, and used all 3 for a total of 15 doing the partial eclipse. Lots of ghosting, crescents all around. The image was still too bright. Used the fastest shutter speed and smallest aperture, with lowest ISO. I think 1 darker filter would have produced better results. Damn, even partial, the eclipse was intensely bright. High altitude didn’t help either. Had to crank down brightness, shadows, and highlights in edit.

0
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John
John
July 20, 2017 8:12 am

I am a total novice. I assume I cannot attach any photos here, so I will just describe. Getting ready for the eclipse, I for the first time have taken some photos of the sun. They all show ghosting of the sun. A point and shoot Sony HX200V, at 30x optical zoom, with home made mylar solar filter slid over the lens. The photos show central red disk of the sun with much fainter multiple suns of the same diameter superimposed partially over the main disc so that only about 20% of the ghost disc is seen outside the main disc. So the main disc is surrounded by these multiple partial discs. These are fixed. Tilting the filter, changing the distance between the filter and lens surface, changing the aperture or time makes no difference to the ghosts. After reading this article, my guess is that it is due to the lens elements. This lens has according to the specs 11 elements in 10 groups. I can see perhaps that many ghost discs although very faint.

I suppose there is no way to eliminate these ghosts other than changing the lens / camera.

0
Reply
Heather White
Heather White
February 28, 2017 6:02 am

I have some flares needing a break down from a trained eye..any takers??? pretty please?

www.youtube.com/watch…038;sns=em

Thanks!!

0
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Heather White
February 28, 2017 10:26 am

Heather, that’s perfectly normal ghosting flare you see in those photos, since you are shooting against the sun.

1
Reply
Kram123
Kram123
February 3, 2017 7:28 am

One question: Can camera flash cause flare?

0
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Kram123
February 28, 2017 10:26 am

Yes, anything bright can cause flare

1
Reply
Lover boy
Lover boy
January 14, 2017 10:01 am

Thanks a lot. Very good article.

1
Reply
Lucky Hendriksen
Lucky Hendriksen
October 30, 2016 2:38 am

Interesting topic. I needed on information on lens flare because of a recent photograph I made. It is a street view on which every streetlight has a green flare next to it. I have changes positions but it never got better. Would you be able to give me help?

0
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Lucky Hendriksen
February 28, 2017 10:30 am

Streetlights can be quite nasty in terms of flare. Remove all filters and make sure that both the front and the back of your lens are very clean. If you still see flare, then you would need to use a different lens – yours might not have good coating to reduce flare. Keep in mind that even some of the best lenses exhibit flare though. You might need to use a different technique with multiple exposures and blocking the light sources with your finger to make the photo work. There is an article here called how to reduce ghosting and flare – please give it a read.

1
Reply
Laura
Laura
September 3, 2016 3:33 pm

Hi there! I am exploring flare and enjoyed reading your article. Thank you.
Question if you don’t mind? Do you have any idea of what might cause a Pink area of color with a non repeating geometric pattern in it? Also can flare show up in images behind objects or does it only appear in the foremost plan of the image?
Thank you in advance,
Laura

0
Reply
Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Author
Reply to  Laura
February 28, 2017 10:32 am

Laura, pink is very common when shooting against the sun, especially in particular mirrorless cameras. Sometimes you might be seeing chromatic aberration instead of flare though, which is also very common when the background is very bright.

0
Reply

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