Background streaks / distortion

I'm sure this has likely been mentioned and addressed here before, but I could not find it in any search results.

I'm seeing background streaks in some of my photos. I'm shooting with a Nikon D80 and a Tamron 200-400mm lens and storing the images in JPEG format. The streaks are diagonal and run from upper right to lower left. Here is a sample...

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...01/thinker.jpg

Obviously, this is more than a little annoying, and I'd love to find a way of preventing it.

Thanks in advance for any help or direction you can provide, and I'm glad I found this forum to join!

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Originally Posted by Descent

I'm sure this has likely been mentioned and addressed here before, but I could not find it in any search results.

I'm seeing background streaks in some of my photos. I'm shooting with a Nikon D80 and a Tamron 200-400mm lens and storing the images in JPEG format. The streaks are diagonal and run from upper right to lower left. Here is a sample...

Obviously, this is more than a little annoying, and I'd love to find a way of preventing it.

Thanks in advance for any help or direction you can provide, and I'm glad I found this forum to join!

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I guess I'm blind as a stump! Exactly where is that diagonal streak?

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Originally Posted by mwfanelli

I guess I'm blind as a stump! Exactly where is that diagonal streak?

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It's a consistent diagonal streak pattern. You should be able to see it primarily in the green areas of the background.

Took me a minute to see it too. It's most obvious near the top center - look at the vertical wood post in the center. Follow it to the top, and look to the right at the tree in the background.

This is quite a bit different than banding, or at least the banding that I've seen. It actually looks to me like some type of barrier (along the lines of a chain link fence) in the background. Does it do it in all of your shots? I think you'd probably need to contact Nikon's tech support for this.

Thanks for the response. I'm not seeing it on all my photos. I'm seeing it pretty much using the single lens, and then it's prevalent at the higher focal lengths. I get the same response when using the same lens with a Nikon D70. I just have a hard time believing it is the lens.

I'll see what Nikon has to say about it. If I get a satisfactory response, I'll be sure to post it back here in case anyone else runs into it in the future.

Do you have a filter on that lens by chance? I read a post somewhere about someone having problems with hatching in their bokeh and it was caused by a UV filter on the lens. Like you, they noticed it most at the long end of the zoom. I'll see if I can find the post.

Here we go: Original post
Follow-up
example1 (just the photo on the left)
example2

Hope your case is that simple!

Danielle

It looks like the filter is indeed the likely problem. I have the exact same filter mentioned in the linked posts, "Tiffen 77mm UV Protector USA". While it's frustrating to have the shots I have with the distortion, at least it looks like the solution will be simple (as I was hoping).

Thanks, Danielle, for digging up those links!

That is a JPG artifact. Try using RAW, and then comparing it to the JPG image. It also could be from over sharping in the camera.

Jpeg compression artifacts and oversharpening would affect the whole image, not just the out of focus highlights.

Danielle

No problem!

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Originally Posted by Mig

Jpeg compression artifacts and oversharpening would affect the whole image, not just the out of focus highlights.

Danielle

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That is not true, If you notice the artifacts are in the out of focus areas and do not run through a change in background, and its a pixelation problem that happens in jpg compression. Remember jpg is a lossy compression. If it was shot in a RAW or lossless mode then it could be a problem with the senor or a RAM or Flash memory problem.

this may sound stupid but...could there be a fence that's causing the strange patterns?

This is exactly the type of problem that makes me wary of digital cameras.

it may not be something caused by a digital camera. If it's the filter or the lens it would most likely be the same on a 35mm.

Brent,

Sounds like time to do some experimenting. Find a situation where this occurs and try it with all the variants: RAW, without filter, different lens, etc. That should help you narrow it down to something specific.

PC