21/4 flare

[dfoo]

I used this lens quite alot on my M8 over the past few weeks and I've found that you have to be very careful when shooing about the position of the sun, otherwise you can easily get terrible sunspot flare action... I'm not using any filter, and I am using the stock hood.

Here are an example:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnewhook/4937179027

I have many more from the past couple of weeks.

 

[dfoo]

I found the 28/1.9 was a flare monster too. Shooting into the sun was pretty hit & miss.

 

[jsrockit]

The flare in that photo is cool... it doesn't effect the photo, so... no harm IMHO.

 

[bwcolor]

Here is the Zeiss version with the sun in the photograph.
(B+W red MC Filter and Lens Hood)

 

[ampguy]

The sun flare from this lens can be very cinematic, when shooting in the sun or towards it with this lens, I usually bracket changing angles slightly, and usually end up with a keeper:

 

[ferider]

I found flare in CV lenses to be quite sample dependent, and Sean Reid confirms this in his latest test of the 35/1.7.

Here is my last copy of the 28/1.9 (now with Joe), quite flare proof, IMO:

Roland.

 

[kossi008]

Yeah, but the li'l 21/4 flares like a bitch!
That said, I still love the thing!

 

[jsrockit]

Maybe I just don't mind flare for the most part... these all look fine to me...

 

[dfoo]

Yeah, that's exactly what I found. Several shots which were excellent except for the stupid flare which I couldn't see in the M8 LCD. I can't say I've noticed the same level of flare with my film cameras, but I guess it doesn't make sense that this would be an M8 problem.

 

[brainwood]

I have found the 21/4 to be gem of a lens and not particulary prone to flare. I do always use the voigtlander lh1 hood with it and with this set up have not had the problems described above when shooting into the light

CV 21/4 with additional hood

 

[ampguy]

does your lens flare w/o hood?

does your lens flare w/o hood?

Does your sample show the flare droplets when the sun is in or just outside the frame when not using the hood?

I wonder if the LH1 hood would prevent this kind of flare:

http://matsumura.smugmug.com/Photography/flare-214-examples/13589766_GgddU#991164432_VUZMu

the above are the worst cases, many from these sets didn't have the flare by changing angles slightly.

I have found the 21/4 to be gem of a lens and not particulary prone to flare. I do always use the voigtlander lh1 hood with it and with this set up have not had the problems described above when shooting into the light

 

[ferider]

The cool part about the LH hood is that it keeps your fingers out of the image. Even with a grip.

 

[sevres_babylone]

I found flare in CV lenses to be quite sample dependent, and Sean Reid confirms this in his latest test of the 35/1.7.

Here is my last copy of the 28/1.9 (now with Joe), quite flare proof, IMO:
Roland.

I wish I could say the same thing about my copy of the 28/1.9

 

[dfoo]

I'm very happy with the performance of the 21/4, just not the terrible flare. That LH-1 hood looks like the ticket. I never knew about it before, so thanks alot!

 

[brainwood]

Does your sample show the flare droplets when the sun is in or just outside the frame when not using the hood?

I have to admit I have not even tried the 21/4 without the hood fitted

 

[kossi008]

I have to admit I have not even tried the 21/4 without the hood fitted

Plus you live in England... Sorry, couldn't resist that one...
Seriously, the LH-1 improves things *a lot*. Flare-wise and finger-wise...

Does your sample show the flare droplets when the sun is in or just outside the frame when not using the hood?

I wonder if the LH1 hood would prevent this kind of flare:

http://matsumura.smugmug.com/Photography/flare-214-examples/13589766_GgddU#991164432_VUZMu

Yes, my sample shows those droplets. I don't even find the obvious flare spots the most annoying, but the really small bright droplets further along the "flare axis", those are the ones that I really dread.

I haven't made any systematic investigations, but my feeling is that the LH-1 hood helps a lot to avoid these as well.

 

[jsrockit]

The problem is when the lens flares and obscures the subject! Or lowers contrast so much that the shot is borderline hosed. I guess the solution to that is to take a safety shot or two in such conditions.

Here's a recent example, shot on the M9 w/2,5/35 Color Skopar (click):



Chimping in this case didn't show the flare and it wasn't until I got home and PPed the shot that I noticed it... Oh well.

Of course...that makes sense... but sometimes it adds to a photo as well. I had the SC nokton and I used to go out an make that purposely flare ... got some nice images that way.

 

[Florian1234]

Well, I wish I would get a rather affordable sample of that lens incl. the finder overhere. But most are new and with the regular price, so a bit of saving should do it.

 

[Papercut]

Florian, the LTM version usually has the finder included and usually they're cheaper than the M-mount (or were when I was shopping for them). Optically their identical I think; pair it with any adapter (since the frame lines are useless anyway) and you're off.

My copy (m-mount version) flares pretty easily if the sun is in/near the frame. I have the LH hood, but rarely use it, for the same reason Double Negative says: it's just another thing to carry and the pocketability of the 21/4 is the main reason (other than price) that I have it instead of a SA 21/3.5 or a ZM 21/4.5 anyway. (It is nice having all my lenses standardized on 39mm filters too, I guess.)

That said, the flare is a nice feature at times. One takes the good with the bad.

 

[Florian1234]

Kevin, thanks for the input here. I would have taken a LTM/M39 version anyway since the finder. (SA 21/3.4 would be a dream, as is Cron-M 35/2 asph):angel: