300D Night (Star FilterSettings)

[AirEOS]

A friend in HK was going into get me a star filter for the 300D today and got told that Canon doesn't make them for there camera's because you can change the settings in the camera to get the star affect at night.

Is this true, because when i take night shots of the town or if the sun reflects during the day i get a round rainbow affect on the picture which i don't really like.

Can someone please help me out here. Cheers

Regards AirEOS

[PhotosGuy]

Not clear - you want to put stars INTO the pic, or take them OUT?
"rainbow affect" Do you mean flare?
Since this is a photography forum, maybe you could post a pic so we can understand what you're talking about?

[Ikinaa]

I guess I know what you mean by 'stars', but I don't know much about it, so I reiterate the question instead of replying to it.

When I took some nightshots last time, I saw bright lights (streetlights) as six-ray stars. I think I noticed that with smaller aperture (f/8 ) the stars were smaller than with larger aperture (f/4). Is that a general rule: small aperture = small star, large aperture=large star?

Also the star had six arms (sorry don't know how to call it otherwise). Also I noticed that there are six aperture-blades in the lens. Is that a coincidence or does the number of aperture-blades really influence the number of arms in the star?

[AirEOS]

PhotosGuy, yeah i think it is called photo flare...I took a shot of a warf the other night and when a really bright light is in focus and in the shot it has a dome about 2cm out around the light which is in a rainbow affect.
My friends Song 8mp Camera taking the same shot as me, has a bright star affect at night which adds affect.

The camera guy in Hong Kong said there is a setting in the camera that can make the lights look like bright stars.



Ikinaa...Is your Camera a 300d?

[Ikinaa]

No actual camera is/was a G3, the 20D arrived today by mail (drool...) I'll try it out tonight.

here is an example of what I mean... (taken at f/5.6 )
http://gerard.e-lentz.net/index.php?tool=photo&photoKey=bceentbus

But the star effect can be seen on nearly every night picture, and I guess there's some scientific explanation out there waiting to be delivered :cool:

as for attaching image, either attach an image to the post (windows below the edit window) or create a link to a picture on some web-server far away... (picture-icon in the toolbar above the edit-window)

[AirEOS]

Thanks for that advice. That shot is nice.

Here is that example of the rainbow affect on this Lambo..It can be seen on the bottom bumper, its R,G,B. It spoils a night shot of a city. (Excuse the damage..some clown backed into my mates car..he was not happy:mad: )

[RichardtheSane]

The 'star' effect depends on the lens you are using and the aperture you choose - so it can only be altered in camera to a degree.

The size of the stars and how they form depends on the aperture that you use. For example if you shoot wide open you will not achieve much of a star - if any. Instead you will get lens flare. If you stop down to F8 you will get more of a star effect and if you then for up to F16 you will increase the effect more still. The number of points will not change, just the size/form of the star.
I have found that the intensity of the light plays a key role in the star too, but have not experimented enought to actually comment here.

The number of points the star has is related directly to your lens.
For example of your lens has 6 diaphragm blades (aperture) then no matter whap aperture you select you will still get a 6 pointed star. 8 blades should provide an 8 pointed star and so on.

Hope this helps/answers your question

[shiningstardv]

AirEOS, what lens are you taking these pictures with that you see the "rainbow effect", as in the Lambo pic. Because if it is with the Kit Lens (18-55mm) that comes with the 20D, there is your problem. Some copies of this lens show this phenomenon. If I remember correctly, there was someone in the forum who had the same problem you have with his 18-55mm. He took it into Canon (or actually, into the store he bought it from) and they replaced it free of charge. My advice to you is to return the lens to where you bought it and ask for an exchange. If you bought it online, then call Canon regarding warranty repair.

If that picture wasn't taken with the 18-55mm lens, then I'm sorry and my post is irrelevant.

[AirEOS]

Thanks all and yes it is the Canon EF-S 18-55mm Lens that came with the 300d. I tried taking a few with my EF 90-300mmUSM last night and i didn't get the rainbow affect.

What should i tell the Kodak Shop people when i take it in? Just tell them that im not getting the star affect from lights like i do with my other lens.

Regards AirEOS

[intechpcx]

AirEOS, I too like to use star filters to get a controlled light flare. I had a 5 and 6 star filter for my AE-1 but haven't bought one yet for the 300D. Does it have to be a Canon filter? B&H sells a number of glass screw on filters that would fit the 58mm threads on a Cannon lens. Here's a link to all of the 6-point 58mm star filters they have (from B&W, Tiffen and Hoya):

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&a=27_331&a=38_212&shs=&ci=119&ac=&Submit.x=15&Submit.y=13


Hope that helps you out.

[PhotosGuy]

"star filters": You can get a lessor effect using a piece of aluminum window screen, too.

[shiningstardv]

Thanks all and yes it is the Canon EF-S 18-55mm Lens that came with the 300d. I tried taking a few with my EF 90-300mmUSM last night and i didn't get the rainbow affect.

What should i tell the Kodak Shop people when i take it in? Just tell them that im not getting the star affect from lights like i do with my other lens.
I would explain that your getting an abnormal rainbow effect from the glass, and you know this to be a defect in the lens. Maybe bring a picture taken with the lens to show them the problem. Ask them for a replacement lens, and if they're a good camera shop they should do it for you.