Is this lens flare?

[Ron Evers]

My sis-in-law sent these shots to me asking why the white spots on her pics. At first I thought lens flare but now I am not so sure that is the answer.




Your opinions please.

 

[PixelRabbit]

It looks like its in the same spot in all of the shots, I'd say definitely not lens flare. I'm going to guess a sensor issue or if there is a removable lens something rather large and opaque between the lens and sensor.

 

[Designer]

That's not flare from a light source. It looks like something is on the lens or the sensor.

Tell her she can clean the back of the lens (with care), but that if there is something on the sensor to know what she is doing before she tries to clean it.

 

[TreeofLifeStairs]

My first thought was something on the lens too.

 

[Tailgunner]

The sky seems cloudy and the soft. The spots on the other hand seem to be in the same location and resemble smudges. So I agree with the above in that the lens, body, or sensor is dirty.

On a side note, her place reminds me of those peaceful cottages seen in Thomas Kinkade paintings.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

Oil on the sensor.

 

[Ron Evers]

You folks are supporting my thought that it was a camera/lens issue. The first shot I viewed is what @ first made me think flare but the others made me doubt it. Here is the first shot where the white spot is not in the same place.





The camera is a new P&S, Panasonic ZS25 she bought for a trip to the UK in the pics.

 

[PixelRabbit]

I think the last one you posted is in fact lens flare.

 

[oldhippy]

Have heard that cheap filters can cause this type of flare, givin conditions. FWIW Ed

 

[tirediron]

Based on the fact that you can see detail through the spot, I don't think it's on the sensor, more likely somewhere in the lens.

 

[Derrel]

The spot that appears in the same location looks like a foreign object right ON (or maybe inside?? ack!) the lens. In the last shot, that defect in the upper right-hand corner of the photo, that appears to be a "ghost", which is a circular spot caused by the lens diaphragm. Many lenses will ghost when shot toward the sun, and especially if strong light rays are raking in from across the lens front, the "ghost" image of the diaphragm will be offset in the picture. Many zoom lenses will have multiple ghosts when shot toward really strong sunlight, especially if the field is mostly dark...it's not "flare"...

Remember some of those old 1970's movies, where a long establishing shot would feature the sun, and a zoom lens ghost-fiesta with 5,6,7,8,9, or 10,or more lens elements, each with a cool-looking ghost?

 

[play18now]

I'd guess it is some sort of oil spot on the first piece of glass in the lens (closest to the sensor). Never seen a spot that big, yet still translucent before.

 

[minicoop1985]

There's no oil "blow out" inside the lens, is there? Kinda surprised too, because I have an old Vivitar lens with a ton of little oil spots on the inside of the first element (closest to film) that don't affect the photo. Odd indeed.

 

[Ron Evers]

Thanks to you all for responding, I sent her a link to this thread.

 

[Dao]

Since it is a point and shoot (Panasonic DMC-ZS25) camera, so I think it is not something a avg person can fix. Maybe have Panasonic repair center take a look and see if it is fixable.