spikes

[DaveS]

The spikes seen with a DSLR and lens are caused by the blades of the iris. A high f-number means the lens is stopped down, so the blades intrude into the light-path. You can normally tell how many blades are in the lens by counting the spikes.

A similar effect is seen when shooting with the lens wide open. The background is blurred into bokeh due to the shallow depth of filed. Cheaper 5-bladed lenses gives a pentagonal shape. More expensive lenses gives a smoother bokeh.

Which is why high end lenses, mainly cine, but increasingly stills-for-video have many curved blades in their irises to give a circular apperture at all f nos.

[sandyshaw]

Spikes are so like a monochrome moon.

[Alien 13]

Some camera lenses had the Ninja blades they produced nice effects.

Alan

[sandyshaw]

Some camera lenses had the Ninja blades they produced nice effects.

Alan

Some of the good M42 lenses had as many as 20 blades in some, but it is probably better to cut a circular aperture mask rather than use an iris, or make a circular manual iris.

[DaveS]

Waterhouse Stops,  of the 19th century.

[Mr TamiyaCowboy]

yes Spikes 

some love them some hate them, a bit like that ( starts to gag )  marmite stuff.

i  personaly think its the artistic flair in the user/ post production, you throw some in spikes to spangle up a picture for the joe public.

but when your pushing the limit and trying for that ultimate jaw dropping data grab your going to smudge out them 

spikes as much as possible. throwing masks, layers the lot into the mix. you want it more perfect true to life

[Robbo AR]

I've got a newt so they happen naturally for me and I love it when they do. Not too sure I'd want to add artificial ones though.