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Cinematic LensFlare lenses?

M

MBX

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 14, 2006
2,030
817
Hey i'm currently playing with the Canon 7D and 16-35 EF/ f/2.8 lens.

I was curious which lens gives a nice natural cinematic lens flares when in bright day light and when it causes the lens flares in sun light?

On the lens mentioned above i get kind of circular/ hexagon lens flares with rainbow colored patterns and it looks a bit more like DV lens flares.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
 
"Cinematic", eh...

Is it the oval-shaped flares you're after? If so, that's caused/created by anamorphic lenses, which is not really territory you can go in to with the 7D. Well, I suppose you could... You'd be my personal hero if you did.

The greater the number of elements in a lens the greater the chance of flare and the greater the number of flare rings. And old lenses with less or no coating (through wear or design) tend to flare more freely.

Oh, and the shape of the flare is relative to the number of blades in the aperture design. A six-blade design will yield flare with a hexagon-y look to it.
 
I'm not really looking for oval shaped as much more just non-defined light flares instead of hexagons, circles and rainbow rings.

Any closest suggestion somebody can give me for the 5D/ 7D?
 
MBX said:
I'm not really looking for oval shaped as much more just non-defined light flares instead of hexagons, circles and rainbow rings.

Any closest suggestion somebody can give me for the 5D/ 7D?
Click to expand...

Buy a EF to Nikon F mount adapter and start playing around with older uncoated lenses.

Modern lenses like your 16-35 are designed specifically to prevent flare.
 
Best practices?

Can't say whether this is industry-standard thinking (maybe LethalWolfe can add an opinion?) but for the most creative control, you might consider filming without lens flare and then just adding one in post:

Red Giant offers Knoll Light Factory

and

Video Copilot seems to have a less expensive option in the offing.

If you have AE, the price for the plug-in would likely be in the same ballpark as a lens known to have a flare problem -- which in your case is a feature, not a bug....
 
Theres a short bit of discussion about lens flares on the second star trek dvd {steelbook edition} Its one of the crew using a torch light to get a particular kind of lens flare as opposed to doing it digitally in post.I found it quite interesting.I do not remember the specifics sorry as I use 3d software.
 
I'm actually not looking for these cheesy star trek anamorphic lens flares or the circular ones that look a bit artificial when created in post.

I'm more interested in Holga like lens flares that is less specific but more diffused light flare.

Or if pointing out some movies it would maybe be some Marie Antoinette excerpts or Spike Jonze's Wild Things.
 
That actually sounds easier to do in post too: using a colored solid, drop the opacity, increase feather, change the transfer mode to something you like, and animate as needed.

If you're really exited about doing this in-camera at Holga-level, you might consider shooting with a Canon XL-series camera and using a Lensbaby for that toy-like quality.

You might have to punch some holes in the side for some flares, but at $150, it's not going to kill your budget.... :D
 
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