Strange softness with a Russian lens.

[davelrods]

I have several different versions of the Industar 61 lenses. The one in question is on an Fed 3 the combination in excellent condition with everything working right, giving me good exposures.

Here is the problem. The center part of ever image, just about the diameter of the rangefinder circle is quite soft. The rest of the image is nice and sharp. Quite a departure from the norm, I would say. Now this roll of film is the first one with this camera and this lens and I ran it as a test roll. All the shots were taken with the lens stopped down to at least 5.6. Any idea what could be causing that center softness. The lens is quite clean, no fungus, fog, or dust or spots of any kind, but you would never know it by the pictures.

 

[davelrods]

Here is a sample shot:

http://www.performanceflyrods.com/miscpics/09b/softcenter.jpg

 

[Rui Morais de Sousa]

Hello,

Have you already used this camera with another lens?

Can it maybe be a light leak from the camera?

A shutter problem?

Does it show in all frames?

Kind of strange in the center...

Rui

AL-MOST-LY PHOTOGRAPHY

 

[hans voralberg]

That looks much more like flare rather than softness to me.

 

[ZeissFan]

That looks to me to be either flare or cleaning marks in the center of the lens. I might argue for cleaning marks.

Here's a lens that has heavy cleaning marks:

See how it looks similar to your photo?

 

[raid]

FSU lenses are so cheap; get another one for fun. Then compare.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Are the aperture blades painted black, or shiny? I've seen flare like this on the Helios-103 and Menopta 53/1.8.

 

[michalski]

I get the same problem with a Jupiter 9 I've got. The light spot doesn't show when I'm shooting in the shadows, so I assumed it was flare.

Rob

 

[ZeissFan]

It might be flare. I've been wrong before.

 

[davelrods]

That looks to me to be either flare or cleaning marks in the center of the lens. I might argue for cleaning marks.

Here's a lens that has heavy cleaning marks:

See how it looks similar to your photo?

Yes that surely looks like what I'm experiencing. The lens is not the cleanest one I have, though not a tremendous amount of problems in the middle. I have an adapter to use my M39 lenses on my 4/3's digitals and will be able to give them some extensive comparison tests when the adapter gets here. It is much easier to do such things with my digital cameras obviously.