Unwanted Artifacts in Image

[Rusty K]

Hello,

I'm posting a picture with the problem. Is this a reflection or and equipment malfuntion?

[kgosden]

I am guessing that you are talking about the 'string of lights' that I thought at first glance to be just hair decoration near her ear? I would bet that they are internal lens reflections of the bright lights just to the left of her in the frame. If you had a filter on the lens it is the most likely culprit.

[TenD]

yes, I agree with kgosden, probably a filter.

[faisal]

^^^ I agree....

[Rusty K]

Thanks, that's good news. Would a lens hood help?

Sorry for the late response. I thought I was subscribed to this thread but turns out I wasn't.

[Anthony]

Looks to me that it is the vertical row of lights on the lefthand side of the photo so I doubt a lens hood will help. I had a similar problem with car lights at night; as suggested by people on the forum removing the daylight filter helped.

[kgosden]

Lens hoods only help reduce artifacts and glare from sources outside the image frame. If they blocked things in the frame you would have vignetting.

[Rusty K]

So a daylight filter is not the same as a UV filter? Actually I'm using a Nifty Fifty for extremely low light shooting in a night club. Even with all the light in the back it was still a low light situation without a flash. If it's not obvious already, I'm an intermediate on the learning curve.

Thanks again to everyone for your input.

[TenD]

Inexpensive filters can make a mess of photographs in certain situations. All filters will have some effect on image quality, a top quality, multi coated filter will impact things minimally. What's happening here is that the lights to the subjects left are reflecting off the lens's front element and then back onto the filter enough that the reflection is being recorded in the image.

Ditch the protective filter. I have a large amount of money invested in lenses and not a one of them have a UV or skylight filter in sight. I just don't want to add an extra piece of glass to something that was designed to perform without that extra glass. Use a filter when you need a filter, extreme conditions, polarization, extreme contrast. If you still feel the need to have a "protective" filter, then buy a good one: B+W MRC, Hoya MRC. Just be warned a top quality filter will cost almost as much as your whole nifty 50 cost.

[kgosden]

I tend to agree with TenD. Use filters for their effect or when protection is warranted. Neutral Density, ND grads and polarizers are important in many scenes. I use UV/Skylights for protection on a few lenses when excessive mist, salt spray or dust might be an issue. But I do not have them on my longer lenses or macros in regular use.