In digital photography, vignetting is the result of more light reaching the center of an image than the edges. However, there are several different types of vignetting, which we will discuss below.
Continue reading to learn the answer to the question: What is vignetting?
- Mechanical Vignetting. This is the most commonly recognized form of vignetting, and it is caused by a physical object preventing light reaching the sensor. Most often, this is seen when using wide-angle lenses, as the edge of the lens can sometimes become visible in the corners of the image. Lens hoods and filters can cause the same problem. It's easily corrected by stopping down the lens, and using a narrower aperture.
- Optical Vignetting. This type of vignetting is again most common when using wide-angle lenses, and it also can be corrected by stopping down the lens. It is caused by light hitting the aperture from a strong angle, with no arc to soften it. An example of this is hard light hitting the image from the side, with nothing to diffuse it.
- Pixel Vignetting. An image sensor consists of a number of pixels, which collect photons (energy pockets of light). If light hits the sensor from a strong angle, however, it may not hit the bottom of the photons pockets. Instead, it could strike the inside edges of the pockets, causing the image sensor to measure the light as less strong than it actually is. However, many manufacturers now compensate for this problem in their cameras' sensor algorithms.