When capturing long exposure images of aurora with a brand new iphone 15 pro max, an artifact of several circles is in the middle of each photo, and to be quite frank, ruining them. No filter etc.
what could be causing this?
iPhone X, iOS 14
I had this happen recently with the Auroras. I shot dozen of time exposure images and it seems the ones that were handheld had circles. I used a tripod for others without the circles. I also cranked the night mode to max on many of the images. My theory is the built-in stabilization or a reflection due to long exposure.
With tripod....
without tripod....
It's a reflection, did you have a light source close by? ....interference rings like a Moire effect? For me it's the Norther lights that could cause it. Was it cold, dirty lens, ice on the lens, moisture...
Can you still take other pictures of the Aurora? Try another lens. Considering it's a brand new iPhone after this episode I'd just take more pictures at night where there's lights like city lights to see if you still have this, if it does constantly come back you can have iPhone tested to see if the camera is fine
Hello, well if you are concerned about a possible defect in the camera take it back immediately as you are still in the 14 days, and buy another one. But I did take pictures of the northern lights myself and I think that's a particular situation where you can end up with artefacts. I had some very small lens flares and it was an iPhone 14 pro at that time. I found just one photo online of northern lights with the same exact artefact you had but was a Nikon/nikor lens.
For me it's a long exposure and strong northern lights picked up by the camera sensor giving that artefact, you should take more photos in different lenses, angles, position of the camera, orientation to see what happens
It's not an artefact its northern lights, where can you see this artefact? Actually the northern lights on camera show you more than what you can see with your eyes. Besides with an iPhone and long exposure could be it picked up even the smallest movement of the camera unless you used a tripod
It does not seem like a reflection, it looks like miscalibration / placement of the optical / focal elements. Same principle on isocentral ring - artifacts on mirror and system cameras. But perhaps it is wandering of the image stabilisation. I am not sure and was hoping someone here has seen this issue on an iphone before.
i have never seen this effect on previous phones when taking the same 30second exposures. There was no reflections, no light pollution close by. No dirty lens, etc.
Phone is just two days old.
but the artifact is present in all of the aurora pictures, regardless of position, angle etc.
it is however easier to identify when there is a more monochromatic color in the center of the image.
It seems to be most prevalent in phptos where the aurora is central in the image, I have photos of the milky way now without the artifact.
still worries me that my brand new very expensive phone cannot take decent photos of the aurora!
unfortunately the store is out of iphones, so if I take it in, it’ll probably be gone until christmas.
We have a 5 year right to return on all consumer products anyway.
I’m hoping someone else with an Iphone 15promax will take some aurora pictures and either confirm or deny my suspicions that the lens is defective, making my choice easier.
Did you try to take photos of the full moon? The stock of iPhones 15 pro max is very fluid you need to check it everyday because it changes quickly, it might be that you find them in stock earlier than that. I have an iPhone 15 pro
The moon is not above the horizon at night here for some time.
The norwegian stock of my pro max is below zero at the moment, so I’m hesitant to give it back before someone confirms my theory with some aurora pictures.
Where did you take those photos? Looks like an Aurora Borealis, Northern lights
It is an aurora, unfortunately there is an artifact right smack in the middle.
image is taken just now in the middle of Norway
I know that it is a picture of the aurora. Its not the green aurora borealis that concerns me. Zoom in to the middle and you will see the circles.
that is what I would like to get rid of.
Artifact in long exposure images
