Avoiding lens flare

[Philippe Gauthier]

If the sun is in your frame, there isn't much you can do to prevent internal flare. In the situation you show here, everything that's been discussed here, from the hat to the compendium, including the dark slide, will do the trick if it can prevent the sun falling directly on you lens while not masking the scene at the same time.

Feel happy you have a modern lens. One day, the sun hit my 100+ years old Rapid Rectilinear in such a way that I got a rainbow covering more than half my 8x10 ground glass. Creating a shadow over the lens with my hat fixed the problem. A good hat really is the poor man's multicoating.

[Paul Butzi]

I carried a Lee shade for a long time, then realized it was such a hassle I never used it.

I sold it, bought a spun aluminum shade and one of the collapsible in segments rubber shades, I I use those when the sun is just out of the frame and only a fixed shade will do, or when there's quite a bit of bright sky (you'd be amazed at how much bellows flare you can get from open sky).

All the rest of the time, I use something (dark slide, hat, myself) as a gobo to put the lens in shade and try to think of something else when I open the shutter so I don't feel guilty.

-Paul

[george jiri loun]

"the dark slide will do the trick if it can prevent the sun falling directly on your lens" - that's a myth, not truth, a myth comming from ignorance, sorry Philippe. The point is that sun rays you avoid by the dark slide are just a part of the flare causing light. The same Sun shines on all the sky or whatever on the Earth - this light then goes on your lens even if not directly from the Sun. Thus if you have snow around, a lake, a lot of horizon or sky you get that on your lens too. And that light makes a big difference too - as much as between a cloudy day or a clear day! The poor dark slide calms perhaps your concience but doesn't do the whole job you need in order to reduce the flare. Really, there isn't a better solution than a good lens shade (or a compendium....)...

[george jiri loun]

"if the sun is in your frame there isn't much you can do to prevent internal flare" - ehm, well, if the sun is in your frame (the film frame) then it very probably is in your lens field of view and in such a case it makes a picture, not flare...! I have pictures taken with Nikon 800mm looking directly to the Sun (with a solar filter, of course) and it doesn't do any flare whatsoever. Just a pure picture (Venus in front of the Sun)...

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Wow, 22 replies and growing. Quite the hot topic. I hope this doesn't come across as crassly commercial, but this timely topic is one of the subjects covered in my "Notes from the Field" column in the Mar/Apr issue of View Camera.

I've tied the hand/hat/dark slide trick, but after accumulateing a large collection of hand/hat/dark slide photos, I realized there must be a better way. While a hat/hand/dark slide is better than nothing (assuming it doesn't end up intruding into the frame), I agree with George that there is no substitute for a "proper" shade. The compendiums are the most versatile, but also the most expensive, most bulky and most cumbersome to use. No free lunch. In any case, non-image light comes from all directions and can cause contrast robbing flare even if you shade the direct source (the sun for example) with a hat/hand/dark slide. This is especially true if you have a light colored foreground that can act as a big reflector.

Do I always use an optimally adjusted compendium shade for every shot? No. But I am a firm believer that something is better than nothing. So, I carry an assortment of shades to match any particular situation. And, when I'm feeling really lazy, I use my hat/hand/ark slide and hope and pray I don't add another hat/hand/dark slide photo to my ever growing collection.

Kerry

[george jiri loun]

Sorry that I meddle so much into this thread (It must go on nerves, I know) but you're right, Kerry, it is a hot topic, most definitely. When I was showing to people the difference it makes on a picture to have a good lens shade or none at all, nobody could believe (me neither, when I saw it for the first time - that's why I understood the film industry use of it). Guys talk about coated and non coated optics and leave this hot issue with no attention at all. If only they knew..

[Tom_4210]

Thank you for all the replies - plenty of food for thought there!

[robert_4927]

An old straw hat and a 103 year old uncoated dagor. But then again I'm from the school of thought ...one lens....one camera....one film...ect ect.... If I had to worry about which lens to use, moreless whether or not if i had a proper lens shade I'd never take a picture. For me the old dagor and beat up straw hat or dark slide serves just fine.This very unpopular approach, one camera one lens, has helped my composition skills tremendously.It also makes you realize directional lighting, time of day, planning your shot accordingly to minimize such problems as excessive lens flare. I realize most people don't have this kind of time to compose an image. But when you're using old uncoated lenses and an old beat up hat a little more thought has to go into the shot. Plus I'm having a ball working with my limited equipment and with some pretty stunning results. It has become second nature. Without thinking I've noticed if I feel the light is too hot from camera left or right, off comes the hat. Well so much for my high tech advice...just my opinion and certainly my way of working will not suit most people

[Richard Schlesinger]

How many angels are dancing?

[robert_4927]

info tidbit: the word gobo is derived from two words..."go between" theatrical lighting designers couldn't work without them.