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Strange Lens Rainbow effect

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Dean Aceto II

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i just got the rebel with the lens kit. But for some reason when i try to take pictures on certain lights sources they get strange red/green/blue halos around them. Is this normal? Is my lens messed up and do i need to return it. My previous digi cam never did this.
 
Multi-element lenses have internal reflections. Also, the sensor reflects some of the light.

Lens hoods and filters can help some. You might want to Google for "lens flare."

Some lenses are worse than others in this regard.
 
Dean Aceto II said:
Dean Aceto II wrote:
i just got the rebel with the lens kit. But for some reason when i
try to take pictures on certain lights sources they get strange
red/green/blue halos around them. Is this normal? Is my lens messed
up and do i need to return it. My previous digi cam never did this.
Click to expand...
It is not normal. So unless you like the effect you should take it back. Seems there is a bad batch of lenses.

--
© Steve Mattan
http://www.stevem.smugmug.com
 
Dean Aceto II said:
i just got the rebel with the lens kit. But for some reason when i
try to take pictures on certain lights sources they get strange
red/green/blue halos around them. Is this normal? Is my lens messed
up and do i need to return it. My previous digi cam never did this.
Click to expand...
Same thing here -- I can see it through the finder when looking at some lights in my house. I know someone who, I believe, also has the kit lens so I can compare a couple of samples.

If someone can confirm that some lenses exhibit the problem and some don't, I'd just ask Canon to exchange the lens. Unfortunately, I didn't buy my camera locally, so I'd have to take a day trip to do an exchange...a prospect I'd like to avoid. Without two side-by side and a couple of images to provide Canon, they probably won't see any reason to do anything.

Not that I don't trust others around here who say they don't have the problem, perhaps they haven't looked at the right thing yet or perhaps they have. One person with two lenses and the same test will be required to really demonstrate if there is a problem.

Maybe they'll give me $100 so I can buy the Sigma 18-50? :)

For now, I'm going to shoot some pictures and try to make some good images. If I can prove a problem, Canon or the retailer will make it right.

Matt
 
Try these articles for more info on lens flare:

http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/flare.html

http://jonathanclark.com/diary/flare/
New 300D User said:
This definitely seems to be a common problem with the kit lens.
I've been seeking advice from the forums too, and I'm swaying
towards the idea that its just unavoidable with this lens rather
than an actual defect.

Look at this one for a severe case. Post some of your own too!

http://www.pbase.com/celicatsport/image/38202317

--
http://www.pbase.com/galleries/celicatsport
Click to expand...
 
There is some flare in these images, but it's reflections of the rainbows. From Christmas lights to the sun, you can see rainbows around all light point sources. I'm borrowing a friend's 18-55 kit lens tomorrow to compare. I've never seen anything like this and I don't consider it normal.

Funny thing is that even in the trees with the white background, no traditional chromatic aberration. Just one honkin' rainbow.

Matt

Crop:



Subtle:



More pronounced:



Extreme:

 
i just got a brand new rebel with kit lense and i have the same problem, a really strong rainbow, seems that this is not a single case at all.
jotasz said:
Here are other examples:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=11358877

http://www.photographyblog.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11617&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

It's cool in some cases, annoying in other... Other (most?) 18-55
do NOT have this rainbow problem. Canon quality control SUCKS ! My
Rebel also has a slightly (about 1 mm) misplaced grip...
Click to expand...
 
Despite many assertions to the contrary, not all lenses do this. I opened a repair ticket with Canon and will be sending my lens in with photographs on the same camera body with two 18-55 lenses. One shows the defect, the other does not. I also have a serial number for the non-defective lens.

I also have seen pictures with the same lens on a different body that, when taken into the sun, exhibits flare which is expected, but not the clean rainbow rings around all light sources that the apparently defective lenses exhibit.

I will post the pictures tonight.

Matt
 
I will keep mine as a special effect lense :-)

Somehow I like this effect for some pictures and I reall have no clue on how to do that on purpose, so it might come handy in certain situations.
But it is certainly not normal, I never saw this effect on any other lense.
Wood1 said:
Despite many assertions to the contrary, not all lenses do this. I
opened a repair ticket with Canon and will be sending my lens in
with photographs on the same camera body with two 18-55 lenses.
One shows the defect, the other does not. I also have a serial
number for the non-defective lens.

I also have seen pictures with the same lens on a different body
that, when taken into the sun, exhibits flare which is expected,
but not the clean rainbow rings around all light sources that the
apparently defective lenses exhibit.

I will post the pictures tonight.

Matt
Click to expand...
 
The evidence...

My lens. Note the rainbow halo



My friend's lens. No halo.



Both 18-55. Very different serial numbers.

Matt
 
I have taken a few thousand of pictures with my kitlens (See http://wwwis.win.tue.nl/~debra/photos/ for albums between April 29 up to July 9, 2004, all taken with kitlens). There are numerous pictures with bright lights in them (most even overexposed). Not a single one exhibits this rainbow effect.
Dean Aceto II said:
i just got the rebel with the lens kit. But for some reason when i
try to take pictures on certain lights sources they get strange
red/green/blue halos around them. Is this normal? Is my lens messed
up and do i need to return it. My previous digi cam never did this.
Click to expand...
--
New Drebel owner (only around 10.000 shots)
Public pictures at http://wwwis.win.tue.nl/~debra/photos/
 
only to realise I forgot the receipt. I'm getting the problem now on EVERY single night shot. Its far from normal!!!!
 
Hi,

I exchanged my lens last week, I had my rebel for less than a week and discovered the abnormality. Went back to the store and they compared my lens to that of another unopened kit, and yes, mine did the rainbow effect, the other didn't. So they exchanged my lens and said they'd return the other one to Canon.

Here's a couple of shots that the sales rep did at the store:



Don't let time go by, if your lens shows this defect, then exchange it.

Juan
 
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