Editing Vignetting (section)

{{Short description|Darkening an image's periphery versus the center}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=January 2014}}
[[File:Finnair RetroJet Airbus A319 571be(b) (4591659183).jpg|thumb|210px|right|A vignette is often added to an image to draw interest to the center and to frame the center portion of the photo.]]
[[File:Swanson tennis center.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Vignetting is a common feature of photographs produced by [[toy camera]]s such as this shot taken with a [[Holga]].]]
[[File:Randabschattung Mikroskop Kamera 6.JPG|thumb|right|210px|This example shows both vignetting and restricted [[field of view]] (FOV). Here a "[[point-and-shoot camera]]" is used together with a [[microscope]] to create this image. Pronounced vignetting (fall off in brightness towards the edge) is visible as the optical system is not well adapted. A further circular restriction of the FOV is visible (the black area in the image).]]

In [[photography]] and [[optics]], '''vignetting''' ({{IPAc-en|v|ɪ|n|ˈ|j|ɛ|t|ɪ|ŋ}} {{Respell|vin|YET|ing}}) is a reduction of an image's [[brightness]] or [[saturation (color theory)|saturation]] toward the [[wikt:periphery|periphery]] compared to the image center. The word ''[[wikt:vignette|vignette]]'', from the same root as ''[[vine]]'', originally referred to a decorative border in a book. Later, the word came to be used for a [[portrait photography|photographic portrait]] that is clear at the center and fades off toward the edges. A similar effect is visible in photographs of [[projector|projected]] [[slide projector|images]] or [[video projector|videos]] off a [[projection screen]], resulting in a so-called "hotspot" effect.

Vignetting is often an unintended and undesired effect caused by [[camera]] settings or [[lens (optics)|lens]] limitations.  However, it is sometimes deliberately introduced for creative effect, such as to draw attention to the center of the frame. A photographer may deliberately choose a lens that is known to produce vignetting to obtain the effect, or it may be introduced with the use of special [[filter (photography)|filters]] or [[image processing|post-processing]] procedures.

When using [[zoom lens]]es, vignetting may occur all along the zoom range, depending on the [[aperture]] and the [[focal length]]. However, it may not always be visible, except at the widest end (the shortest focal length). In these cases, vignetting may cause an [[exposure value]] (EV) difference of up to 3EV.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lenstip.com/358.8-Lens_review-Canon_EF_24-70_mm_f_2.8L_II_USM_Vignetting.html|title=Canon EF 24-70 mm f/2.8L II USM review - Vignetting|website=LensTip.com|date=29 November 2012|access-date=21 April 2023}}</ref>