Nikon D750 Users Complain of Lens Flare Banding Problem; Possible Fix Discovered

Here we go again. That’s what Nikon owners might be saying to themselves now that another possible problem with a new DSLR from the company has surfaced.

Several owners of the new Nikon D750 have reported that a dark shadowy band will appear in images with lens flare. The effect slices off the top of the flare, creating a distracting split between light and shadow across the top of the frame.

While using a lens hood will help get rid of the flare, some photographers like the artistic effect of flare in their images. (In fact, it’s quite trendy now.)  The issue is harder to explain than it is to see, so take a look at the below video posted on YouTube by a photographer who is clearly very irritated by the problem.

Several other Nikon D750 owners have posted videos showing the same problem. One has even come up with what seems to be a temporary fix. (Though it’s not advisable that you try it at home.)

Photographer Tomasz Piotrowski surmised that the problem is from Nikon D750 cameras that have autofocus sensors that sit slightly higher in the mirror box. To show the difference between “good” DSLRs and “bad” ones with sensors that jut out, check out his video below.

Piotrowski then went on to post a video showing the workaround for the problem, which involves place a piece of black tape in front of the D750’s mirror. Certainly not ideal (nor recommended) but it seems to get to the gist of the problem.

We’ve reached out to Nikon to get their response to this problem but the company could not return comment by press time. Just last August, Nikon came out with a service advisory for its then-new D810 DSLR after users complained about bright spots turning up in images with long exposures.

Prior to that, Nikon’s D600 was so plagued with problems involving dust/oil spots turning up in images, the company said it spent the equivalent of $18 million repairing the cameras.

We reviewed the Nikon D750 last month and quite liked it. We experienced no problems similar to the lens flare banding that some D750 are now complaining about.

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