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iPhone 12 Pro Is this lens flare (ghosting) effect normal?

4rtemidis

4rtemidis

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 20, 2012
187
15
Switzerland
Today I used the camera on my new 12 Pro at night and I noticed this really weird lens flare, it looks like a copy of the light source in cyan/green... It's really noticeable and I don't remember having this problem on my 8 Plus... Is this normal? Can you guys test this on your iPhones?

OCw5elO.jpg
 
To be expected. See a picture I took this morning into the sun. You will notice the flares typically near the opposite position on the screen from the light source i.e. if you rotate the screen 180 degrees around the mid-point i.e. lens centre.
d9f1f9ee3c3e573fc4c81c61e6212d08.jpg
 
Yes, as others have said it’s completely normal.
B187F065-EEBD-4295-88F2-B008B7952DDD.jpeg

This was taken directly into the setting sun.
Lens flare can and will happen no matter what camera you are using, my pro gear does the same thing if I forget my lens hood as I shoot gigs with very bright stage lighting.
 
Ok thanks a lot for all your answers! It's good to know that this is normal... So I don't have to bother Apple and replace my phone for nothing...
 
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It’s not an Apple thing. It’s a lens thing. Any lens without a hood will show that
 
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Just prefacing this by saying I’m not a fanboy of any particular company, however I haven experienced this amount of lens flare till my 12 pro max. Took some test shots using the iPhone, my old Note 10+, my Sony A6600 and iPad Pro I only saw it noticeably on the iPhone.

Really love the phone otherwise, but this has me considering a return.
 

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If it’s a lens thing why doesn’t this happen with older iPhones? Seems to be much more prevalent with the 11 and 12?
 
Never mind. I just tried taking a pic of a very bright light source with my iPhone X and lens flare shows up quite profoundly. I guess I just never noticed before because I never took pics of a bright light.
 
rawCpoppa said:
Never mind. I just tried taking a pic of a very bright light source with my iPhone X and lens flare shows up quite profoundly. I guess I just never noticed before because I never took pics of a bright light.
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Yeah, network TV cameras that cost more than my truck will ghost and flare when pointed at a bright light source. Doing it with a cheap phone camera isn't a good thing to do.
 
adamhenry said:
Yeah, network TV cameras that cost more than my truck will ghost and flare when pointed at a bright light source. Doing it with a cheap phone camera isn't a good thing to do.
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Seems strange the issue has gained so much traction with the 11 and 12 though. Are people suddenly pointing their iPhone cameras at bright light sources now?
 
rawCpoppa said:
Seems strange the issue has gained so much traction with the 11 and 12 though. Are people suddenly pointing their iPhone cameras at bright light sources now?
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I expect it is a consequence of increasing consumer expectations (ramped up by marketing) and better capabilities of the cameras on these newer phones TBH. Years ago it was a smartphone that happened to have a camera on. Now its an integral part of the offering and people don’t carry around separate compact cameras/DLSRs everyday now. Hence more critical. Basic optics and glass not changed much though, although sensors have.
 
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Its normal BUT on Apple devices happens a lot more than other devices, like Sony, that use an special glass to protect the lens and decrease this problem
 
kneezmo said:
Its normal BUT on Apple devices happens a lot more than other devices, like Sony, that use an special glass to protect the lens and decrease this problem
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The OG Pixel had a big lens flare issue. If I recall correctly, Google "fixed" it with some computational magic.
 
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rawCpoppa said:
I have one. Lens flare is still present on it. I see threads with pixel 3 owners complaining as well.
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Sorry, didn't mean to say they fixed the laws of physics, but I do feel it got better a bit. Ultimately lens flare is an issue for ALL cameras. Using your hand as a "lens hood" can help at times on mobile phones.
 
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My iPhone 7Plus and I think my 8 Plus output a lot of little glowy orbs, too. This isn’t new, unfortunately.
 
kneezmo said:
12 Pro Max. This is a heavy lens flare. This isnt lights on the jacket...
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That's terrible. I saw someone post a similar example and thought it was a bad snapchat / instagram / tik tok filter.
 
Here another sick photo... Take photos in this way is ridiculous.
 

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