Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]My slides show an 8 point star, which incidently corresponds to the 8 pins and 8 notch guides used for the 8 aperture blades. I think I've discovered the problem upon closer inspection...... you can move the aperture ring slightly beyond f/2. When you do that you will notice that aperture blades retract slightly more causing the points of the pin guides to enter the aperture ever so slightly with a sufficiently small gap to cause a starburst/star filter effect. You can get the sunburst effect with any lens when you place the sun behind something that has a small effective opening. Galen Rowell does it a lot. It appears that if you move the aperture ring back to the f/2 click it disappears. I haven't tested both to confirm this on film but it checks out visibly. Leica has inadvertently given us a star filter than can be turned on or off....... Now that's German engineering......... Now I can sleep better. Duane Birkey HCJB World Radio Quito Ecuador