Pre Asph 50mm Summilux Flare

[Geoffsco]

Essentially I am wondering if there is something wrong with my lens, or if perhaps I am expecting too much from it. It is fine in the day time, but artificial light at night makes it flare so much that I find most of my pictures are not useable.

It is the 2nd version black 50mm pre asph summulix, I think mine would have been made in the 70s. The glass is clear, there are no scratches. It's as you'd expect for a used lens of the ages, not perfect, but nothing major. The glass appears to be clear, at certain angles I see something which could be haze, but it could also be a reflection, as I can't see anything with a torch pointed directly through it.

It's a wonderful lens for most uses, but I'm finding it frustrating at night. Here's an average example, I also get many significantly worse.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s161/Geoffsco/D1_IMG487542.jpg

 

[anitasanger]

I personally love the look! Excellent shot.

 

[ampguy]

Hard to tell from just that image without knowing conditions and exposure. My '66, '67 flares less than modern lenses, but has been CLAd.

 

[Geoffsco]

I personally love the look! Excellent shot.

Thanks!

Hard to tell from just that image without knowing conditions and exposure. My '66, '67 flares less than modern lenses, but has been CLAd.

Lens was at 1.4, shutter probably 1/15 or 1/30, and the film was Tri X at 1200, developed in Diafine. I bought the lens a little over a year ago from a reputable camera shop, not sure if it has been CLA'd recently.

 

[ampguy]

hmm, still hard to know, given the developing and scanning process. Do you have any standard C41 drugstore processed scans, shot toward the lights?

I'll post some of my shots with sun or bright lights @ 1.4 soon my my v2 pre-asph 50 lux.

 

[Geoffsco]

hmm, still hard to know, given the developing and scanning process. Do you have any standard C41 drugstore processed scans, shot toward the lights?

I'll post some of my shots with sun or bright lights @ 1.4 soon my my v2 pre-asph 50 lux.

I use a Leica M3 at night, so no light meter. After this post, I took a meter out with me, and with more careful exposure, the problem went away! I'm glad to say it was me and not the lens.

 

[braver]

Phew 🙂 The Pre-Asph Summilux is probably my most favourite lens ever (asph lenses are so perfect they're hard to love), especially at night and one of the reasons is the total lack of flare.

 

[guoshuo]

did you use filter? like UV? it helps flare

 

[Shade]

I think its a character of the lens that I have grown to love..

 

[Biggles]

I've used use mine at night quite a bit, and I can just point the crazy thing straight at light sources and shoot with impunity. Cannot get it to flare even if I pour lighter fluid on it and set it on fire.

They must've used a bit of dark matter in the glass.