Star from reflection

[DUNKS]

http://Hi I wonder if anyone can advise.
I recently took some trackside photos of a motor bike in bright sun. A couple of the highlights have appeared as multipointed stars. I thought this only occured at apertures of f18/22. and I was using F7. I must say I have never seen it before on any of my work over the years using the same lens.
Any suggestions of what might cause this?

 

[trencheel303]

The stars usually occur at anything higher than f/5.6, even f/8 produces stars to an extent, although they won't be as annoying as f/22 stars for instance.

It's a blown highlight that has just seeped through the aperture blades, much like street photography when you overcook it and all the lamp posts do it.

I can only see one star and it's on the windshield.

 

[AndWhyNot]

The stars usually occur at anything higher than f/5.6, even f/8 produces stars to an extent, although they won't be as annoying as f/22 stars for instance.

It's a blown highlight that has just seeped through the aperture blades, much like street photography when you overcook it and all the lamp posts do it.

I can only see one star and it's on the windshield.

Pretty much what I was thinking although IME it's lens dependent- and there's no maximum aperture at which it stops. Certainly I've experienced it at f/4 - f/5 on some of my primes. And thinking about it, f/2.8 on my 70-200

 

[mrtoad]

the star could have been generated to some degree by the windscreen material

have you tried cloning

 

[DUNKS]

Thanks. I just wondered why it had occured. There is a small star at the top of the fairing. I have had another look at the bike and they were caused by highly polished stainless steel bolt heads.

 

[Arkady]

The stars usually occur at anything higher than f/5.6, even f/8 produces stars to an extent, although they won't be as annoying as f/22 stars for instance.

It's a blown highlight that has just seeped through the aperture blades, much like street photography when you overcook it and all the lamp posts do it..

Nope - that's a specular highlight caused from a point light source - in this case the corner of the windsheild.

Aperture, iris blades and lens quality have nothing to do with it...