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Green orb in iPhone camera

I have had my fair share of issues with Apple, to say the least. Odd things occurred for a while but that was linked to something else.

This is odd enough for me to post about. In the last 4 months - I have taken probably 200 videos. There is a green orb floating around in 4 of those. One was taken at night, two during the day and one through a glass window. I experimented with following it (to see if it was a defect in the camera) but it bounces around and will disappear eventually.

Not sure what my question is except - anyone else?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Nov 14, 2020 7:35 PM

Top-ranking reply

pogster

Level 5

4,265 points

Posted on Mar 27, 2021 9:00 PM

I’ve been a photographer for over 50 years and all I see are internal reflections of bright points of light bouncing off various lens elements within the lens assembly. They can appear to move because as a lens focuses or zooms some lens elements shift back and forth. The “blobs” can be different colours depending on what anti-reflective coating was used on each element. End of story. Take it or leave it.

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74 replies

Mar 22, 2021 8:02 AM in response to Kurtosis12

Thanks, Kurtosis12, that’s a great link! Very clear explanation.

Kurtosis12

Level 9

66,586 points

Mar 22, 2021 8:46 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

You're welcome Lawrence.

Mar 28, 2021 7:43 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Curious how this explains video taken in the dark at night.

Mar 28, 2021 7:48 AM in response to starstuff1313

I am a female and can take videos still. Just not from back camera. Still appear sporadically. I have been saving each incident still. My cracked iOS is a different issue but c’mon Apple.

Mar 28, 2021 8:02 AM in response to Memmi_leblanc

It’s the oddest thing. I wish that light flare explained why it occurs in the dark and why it moves independently and in different directions to the movement of my phone.

Mar 28, 2021 8:28 AM in response to Standclearofclosingdoorsplease

I haven’t seen any examples of videos in the dark of night that had no light source in them. If there was no light source how was any image visible?

Mar 28, 2021 8:46 AM in response to Standclearofclosingdoorsplease

The camera is in a different position with respect to the light source in each of those stills. So the light source will be refracted to a different place on the sensor in each still.

Apr 25, 2021 9:09 AM in response to lobsterghost1

In 3/4 of the video that I took where the orb bounced was when the iphone was on a tripod.

Apr 25, 2021 9:13 AM in response to Standclearofclosingdoorsplease

Just to add - I have an iPhone 7. I had to get a new one because the last was compromised. But stil: 7

Apr 26, 2021 9:22 AM in response to Immaculateflame444

Sorry, what you are seeing is a normal artifact of including a light source in your photo. It will happen with any camera from an iPhone to a $100,000 Cine movie camera.

Apr 29, 2021 5:29 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

That's a great article Lawrence.

Apr 30, 2021 8:25 AM in response to VioletM

Perhaps you should take your own etiquette advice.

Apr 30, 2021 8:43 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

I'm done responding to VioletM. I don't know if you saw the response the hosts removed last night? I leave this discussion in your very capable hands my friend!

May 7, 2021 8:12 AM in response to lobsterghost1

who is the host and who removed what?

Green orb in iPhone camera