Alien Lights

[ssmith1627]

Can anyone explain these green "lights" in some of my pictures ?  A reflection of the trains lights inside the lens somehow ?  Just trying to understand it and what, if anything, I should do about it.

Appreciate your feedback !

Steve

[NS Boxcar]

Hi Steve!

Perhaps this link will help.

http://www.jreb.org/ns/index.php?topic=1709.0

[ssmith1627]

Thank you.  I should've done a search.

I have a UV filter on the lens but that's it.  I'll have to experiment a little and see what I get.   I hate to shoot without that UV filter on there.  If something gets scratched I want it to be that filter and not the lens itself. 

I've noticed this on two different cameras but never took the time to figure out what the issue was. 

Steve

[E.M. Bell]

When using a filter, more so in low light situations, you are bound to get this effect. Its even more noticeable when using a "zoom" that has a lot of elements in it to start with.

My recommendation is, unless you are using a filter to produce a certain effect, DON'T use them.  The filter will help keep scratches from getting to the front element on the lens, but so will being careful! I have a couple of set of expensive filter sets that haven't been out of my bag in years, and probably wont be.

Also, in the "whats it worth dept" Minor scratches on the front of most lenses WONT show up in your images. Now, get a scratch on the back element and your pretty much screwed....trust me!   

[JCagle]

If you notice the lights are flipped upside down in the "ghost spot". This would suggest to me that the light is bouncing an odd number of times. If you take a cheap film camera or disposable with a single lens and open the shutter you'll notice the image appears upside down. When you add an extra layer of glass in the equation then the bright light bounces and extra time and will appear upside down in a low light situation.

When this phenomenon appears it is typically at the same angle as that between you and the light. You can do one of two things to get rid of it in the exposure.... Clone tool the background, or try to make the angle between you and the light very low or very high. Basically shoot from virtually head on when possible, or get out past about 45 degrees. The head on is a good workable shot, but not always possible, and the over 45 degree shot isn't always great for viewing. In a low light situation I would simply nix the filter, if nothing else just when shooting if it gives you piece of mind.

There are tons of people in both camps on using filters to keep from scratching the front element of the lens. Ultimately small blemishes will not matter, but you do run the chance of getting phantom spots of bright light with a filter. Chances are that you will not scratch the lens while you are actually shooting, unless you are shooting in a war zone or something, and the lens cap should work just fine for protection up to that point.

I do use filters such as a CPL in full sun conditions to help pop the blue of the sky. In low light I tend to use a naked lens unless I am shooting a skyline or building and want the star effect and use an etched filter.

[ssmith1627]

Thanks very much for the feedback.  I was thinking it was some kind of reflection in the lens itself.   I've had these show up a couple of times before with my Fuji Finepix S5200 and never knew what they were but never asked.   I see in the photos my with T1i that it's the same pattern as the train's headlights, just inverted.   But with the other camera I only saw one green spot.

I'll experiment now without the UV filter and see what I get.  That will probably eliminate it.  Just parnoia on my first.  My first time with an SLR camera.  I feel like I need to stick with the Finepix camera for those "grab" shots and use the Canon when I have more time to set up.   Always jumping in and out of the car when train chasing and I'm not as careful as I should be.

Steve

[mkerner]

If your worried about lense scratching,put a hood on the end of your lense.You can find the egg-crate style ones that screw into the filter threads really cheap on E-bay. Will also cut down on sun flares when you shoot at strange angles.Mike