Canon R5C Lens Flare shows sensor

[cannes1979]

Hello all,

This is my first post here. Thanks for having me. I just purchased a Canon R5C and I've noticed that at certain particular angles with hard lens flare, it appears that the sensor is reflected into the image. It does it whether shooting video in 8k, 4k, 2k, 1080p. This does NOT affect stills however. Is this normal or something that I should have looked at? Just let me know. Pics are attached.

[John_Q]

Hello cannes1979,

Some lens flare is normal at particular angles as you mentioned with bright light like the sun in your examples. Adjusting the aperture of your lens can help reduce the amount of light that enters the lens, which can help reduce or eliminate light flares.

[cannes1979]

Hi John, thanks for your reply. The issue was not the flare itself. I was actually trying to get the flare to come through the camera. What IS the issue, though is the fact that you can see the sensor itself being reflected into the flare. Where I drew the red circles, you will see the little dots that are amplified that come from the sensor being reflected into the image, commonly known as sensor flare. If this is normal for this product then I guess I will have to live with that.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Hoods are also helpful for lens flare "sensor flare" (your reference), but not when you're shooting straight into the sun as @John_Q mentioned.  

What lens or lenses were you shooting with when this occurs?  Prime, zoom?  Brand /model(s)?

I've been shooting with my R5 C for over 2 yrs and haven't noticed more or less flare, with various lenses, shooting stills or video than with other body's I've owned.  I've got some stills with flare 😀.  Its usually just the time of day.  Low sun.  Bad angle, bad light, shooting into bright light or facing the sun even if off axis can result in flare.  I have some indoor shots with bright spotlights (flare) I'll share later.  Completely normal .  There's nothing different or special about the R5 C in my experience. 🙂

[cannes1979]

The flare is not the issue. I LOVE flares. Have been shooting film and video for over 20 years. Have done two feature films with anamorphic lenses where we went out of our way to get flares. So understand, that I understand flares. The flares are not the problem. What IS the problem is that, when shooting in video mode, with a FULLY BRIGHT hot source at a particular angle, in a-d-d-i-t-i-o-n to the flare, what can be seen is a grid like pattern of green/blue/red dots that are accompanying the natural lens flare. That grid like pattern of dots is light hitting the sensor and then reflecting back onto the image. If you look at the images that I put red circles on, and look very closely at the flare, you'll see that grid like pattern mixed with the natural lens flare. On professional cinema/video cameras, that should not be happening, there should only be natural lens flare. What I'm learning as I use the R5C in video mode, is that now I have to be extremely cognizant of how much flare I'm getting to avoid getting the sensor reflection embedded in the flare, whereas in the past on say an Arri Alexa, or a RED V-Raptor, or a Sony Venice, or even a Canon C300 or Canon C500 this would not have been an issue. 

[shadowsports]

Bad angle, using hood

Another one

Better angle, no problemBetter angle, no problem

Enjoy your camera.  I think you will really learn to love it.  

[shadowsports]

Greetings,
Let me bring one of my colleagues in who shoots a great deal of video on the R5 C.

[AtticusLake]

So I shoot video on the R5C, but I have to say I've never seen this problem.  But I generally don't shoot right into the Sun.

You say this sensor flare is unusual on cinema cameras, and I really don't know.  But remember that the Sun is BILLIONS of times brighter than your image foreground.  So it's honestly no surprise to me that if you shoot into the Sun, light reflects off the sensor, and off the back of the lens, into the image.

Also if you shoot directly into the mid-day Sun, you can set fire to your camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TO_yZDxryQ&t=19s

So sorry, that's not much help, I know.  But maybe go for more subtle flares with the Sun off-axis or even out of shot.