I have a challenge with a Leica lens

[Uncle Bill]

Its a 50 f2 collapsable summicron, its one of my regular lenses on my Leica M3. I am getting wicked flare with it, even with a lens hood. At first I thought it was a light leak issue but after shooting a couple of frames with a 35 2.5 Skopar, that is not the case, the M3 is fine. The 50 f2 Summicron is in great shape, no haze, fungus, the usual science fair issues facing lenses but what is causing the flare?

Bill

 

[Kim Coxon]

What state is the front element in? Cleaning marks or minor scratching could cause it.

Kim

 

[jaapv]

Got banged at one point. Shifted lens element.Maybe....

 

[Nick R.]

What kind of hood? Some hoods don't really work all that well. When I had the same lens I managed to get rid of some of the flare issues by using a rather large series VI push on hood. It was so large, however, that it negated the whole concept of using a small collapsible lens.

 

[FrankS]

Bill, did this suddenly start happening? Were results fine before, but lately have changed? Same shooting situations?

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Alot of the earlier Summicrons had a very soft front coating, easily scratched. Try shining a bright light through it, looking for coating marks and scratches. This may end up being a lens that is great for portraits and other pictures but not one to use in bright light.

Todd

 

[Uncle Bill]

The coating is fine, the 'cron has led a babied existance and the flare comes and goes depending on the light situation since I started shooting with the M3 last year. The flare comes on bright sunshiny days depending where I stand and shoot. I use a metal hood from Heavy2star, I have them on my Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50/2 and Jupiter 8 and no issues with those lenses. It's starting to bug me now a bit.

Bill

 

[FrankS]

So your Summicron has been prone to flare in certain lighting conditions (even using a hood) since you first got it?

 

[Uncle Bill]

So your Summicron has been prone to flare in certain lighting conditions (even using a hood) since you first got it?

That's correct.

 

[FrankS]

Sounds like the nature of the beast then. They are known flare monsters and it's worse if they aren't crystal clear.

 

[Nick R.]

I have a J8 and it doesn't have the flare problems that my old Summi had. If you're having problems in certain lighting conditions, I'd say that it's probably normal for that lens. The hood can only do so much.

 

[Uncle Bill]

oh well, I have a screwmount Canon 50 f1.4 with M adapter which is the other normal lens for my M3. I will have to pick my shots for the summicron (like underground), pity, nice lens when I can get it to behave.

Bill

 

[dadsm3]

Maybe one of those monster barn-door hoods would help...but they're almost as big as the M3......

 

[wlewisiii]

I have the same lens - collapsible Summicron - that I use with a heavystar hood on my CL and don't have the kind of problem you're describing. It's got mucho marks on both the front and the rear surfaces, but it just got a full CLA from DAG. I use it constantly and haven't had any trouble in the time I've had it. It makes me wonder what the difference is...

William

 

[pvdhaar]

Is it really flare? If the problem remains even with a lens hood on, then I'd think that this lens has trouble handling the contrast that you throw at it, or maybe it gets overwhelmed by the amount of UV in the sky. You could try a UV/Skylight to check it out?

Another possible reason is that there's some light bouncing around at the backside of the lens, maybe there's a reflecting surface on the lens which should actually be matt black..