Zeiss Biogon 35 - The flare monster?

Did you have a filter on the lens? Under certain situations, I get flare which appears to be a reflection off the front lens element back onto the filter back into the lens....
 
You got a bad one. Change it. Probably something inside in terms of missing paint, or wrongly aligned light baffel, etc.

Nowadays, this can happen with most lenses, with Leica, CV or ZM lenses. Check Reid's recent 35mm review. He revised his flare opinion on the 35/1.7, for instance.

My 35/1.4 MC Nokton and 35/2 v3 basically don't flare, period. Other people have other experiences.

Do what my friend who shoots Nikkor dSLRs does: order two lenses, keep the better one, send the other one back.

Roland.
 
When I read this thread tittle I though you meant it in Jest. The Biogon is a known Flare eater. Sorry you got a bad one. Send that baby back in for another.
 
Although I have never seen any flare with my 21,25,35 Biogons and 50 Planar, it happened a few times with the 50 Sonnar and 28 Biogon. The only thing that can make these lenses flare, is the reflection of the metallic filter mount. Try screwing on an empty black 43mm filter ring, and do some shots with the light at oblique angles to see if this changes things.

used some small isolating tape over the metallic filter mount and tried different angles to the sun. No flare this time. I didn't try the same situations without the tape so either
- the first flares were just a rare accident
or
- the black tape really helps

will buy a cheap black filter ring and use it from know on because it's a cheap and convenient solution. Problem is solved for me right now.
A really fine lens!
 
Back
Top Bottom