Re: [Leica] Bokeh? Summilux Aspherical?

[Donald Ingram <Donald_Ingram@compuserve.com>]

Bob,

I have found severe flare problems with the current 35 summilux  aspheric=
al
- - but only under equally extreme conditions.

The 35 summilux aspherical will produce the most amazing crescent shaped
flare if provoked.

Try taking pictures of a row of  street lights, perhaps 10 meters away, a=
t
night with a sky dark enough for you to see stars.

 20s @ f/1.4 and 400ASA film will produce magenta flare with crecents,
circles and elipses all combined.


Other night photos I have tried with this lens, consisting  of distant
cityscapes and star filled skies,  do not show any trace of reflections o=
r
flare - these were 20s full open with 6400 ASA . =


I have also seen to a lesser extent the same shooting directly into the s=
un
at smaller apertures - though unlike the night shots, I had a UV filter o=
n
the lens at the time. =


I suspect that the light soucre must have been at least  greater than 10
stops brighter than the background for this problem  to start occuring. =


Interestingly the LFI review of the 35 summicron aspherical says:   ' In
comparison to other lens systems of high initial aperture, the
vulnerability to internal reflections when shooting against the light is =
of
a very low order' - =


All things considered the lens does a pretty good job under difficult
conditions.  =


Donald.


>Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us

At 02:07 PM 01-05-98 EDT, you wrote:
>I also use the 35F1.4 non-aspherical and feel that it produces exquisite=

>images- very smooth transitions in the out of focus areas. However, it h=
as
an
>extreme flare problem wide open at certain angles relative to a light
source.
>Unlike an SLR lens, you don't see the "effect" until it is too late. Has=

that
>particular problem been reduced with the aspherical design? =

>
>Extreme sharpness is not my interest for a 35mm used wide open, but flar=
e
is.
>
>Thanks,
>Bob
>

I use my 35/1.4 aspherical without the lens hood (and with a UV filter!),=

and have never encountered any kind of a flare problem in all sorts of
lighting conditions.  =


Dan C.
<