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Why does this particular lens produce sunstars with long spokes?

Photography Asked by Dan Hicks on August 2, 2021

This image was shot with a Sony E 20mm f/2.8 on a Sony a7. The lens is intended for an APS-C sensor, but I removed a baffle to shoot on the full-frame body.

Sunstar shining through the branches of a tall tree

I understand the basic physics of sunstars. My question is why the sunstars from this particular lens have the giant spokes. This is not due to anything about the composition of this particular shot; the lens always produces sunstars like this.

Edit 1: Yes, the sensor was filthy. Other lenses used around the same time had normal sunstars. I’ve since cleaned the sensor, and this effect still appears with this lens.

Edit 2: As requested, images of the font of the lens with the aperture at f/16, the smallest available. The first image has a UV filter in place; the second does not.

Photo of the lens, with a UV filter
Photo of the lens, without a UV filter

One Answer

Your lens design is not the only thing that affects diffraction, which is what produces sun stars or sun spikes.

Everything between the Sun and your camera that the light from the sun interacts with can diffract light and affect the results.

The shapes and sizes of the pine needles and branches of the tree between your lens and the sun will also play a role.

Answered by Michael C on August 2, 2021

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