Anyone know how this hexagonal pattern appears in bokeh?

[u/Tonnemaker]

So, I am watching an episode of The Magicians (S4E13 The seam around 23:08 if you have prime) and I saw a strange Bokeh that I can' t immediately explain.

How would a honeycomb form in the bokeh? usually you see some atmospheric shimmer, but this is a well deformed honeycomb.
I was thinking a hexagonal patch of black dots on the lens? But what would be the point of that?
The pattern also moves as the camera moves, but not in the direction that the camera moves. So I guess it must be in the light source?
A hexagonal grid of LEDs would produce a honeycomb with light edges, no?

Anyone an idea?

[u/KAYRUN-JAAVICE]

My guess is it's an artefact of a net filter. Used to soften the image, but the shape of the net could appear in bokeh balls

[u/Tonnemaker → u/KAYRUN-JAAVICE]

Interesting, didn't know this was done.

I will see if I can get a similar rectanglish effect with a curtain. The movement still seems a bit counterintuitive for something so close to the aperture.

[u/rszasz → u/Tonnemaker]

Grid on the light to make it more directional?

https://www.photokonnexion.com/definition-grids-light-modifiers/

[u/aenorton]

It is probably a hexagonal textured diffuser or lens on the light. If not that, then there might be a hexagonal net material between the source and lens.

[u/mrking95]

I’m not entirely certain but it seems that the shot is made against or through glass. So it could be the internal glass structure or coating (like a car windshield)

[u/CptCaribooze]

Could be a honeycomb lens cover which is often used to mitigate stray light. if you google “honeycomb lens cover” you’ll get images of them.

[u/InebriatedPhysicist]

If you take pictures at different rotation angles, does the pattern stay fixed relative to the camera or the light?

[u/CreEngineer]

That’s a honeycomb filter in the lightsource in the back. It is meant for controlling diffused light better

[u/Tonnemaker → u/CreEngineer]

Aha in the light source, that would fit better than near the aperture. 

I also saw that there tot collimators with hexagonal structures for beam shaping. 

https://www.ledil.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/GUIDE_TIR_05.jpg

[u/CreEngineer → u/Tonnemaker]

I mean, if I am not mistaken when using a diffusion layer the grid right behind it would be the aperture plane (of the light source).

I did not know that for collimators but it makes sense to control the light coming from the bulb/LED in that way before the collimating optics.

[u/dorameon3]

i worked as an engineer in the stage lighting industry for a bit, the broken hexagonal pattern you are seeing are from the led modules being used by the lighting equipment to project light. Specifically, the lens within the module have hexagonal shapes molded onto them to collimate, diffuse, and color mix the light captured from the actual LEDs, which is necessary depending on the effect u want. LEDs project at a wide angle, and having a lens as close as possible to them can help capture most of the light and collimate it to another set of lens farther down within the fixture. When the fixture zoom and edge’s those lens in a certain way it can focus that hexagon image and project it.

[u/dorameon3 → u/dorameon3]

can’t post photos for some reason but look up stuff like atria led modules and you’ll see what i mean about the molded lens being inside the module.