FLARE

[auke bonne van der weide]

What about flare on the Nikkor AF-S 17-35/2.8 IF ED and the Nikkor AF

20/2.8 D, Nikkor AF 24/2.8D, and Nikkor AF 28/2.8D?

[craig_bridge]

What about flare? Every lens I've ever owned will flare in some conditions and the trick has always been to make artistic use of it or forget the shot. Lenses with fewer elements tend to be easier to compose around the flare. If you are asking do the 20/24/28 f/2.8 AFD's behave better wrt flare than the 17-35 AFS in strong backlight situations with the light source in the frame, the answer is yes.

 

BTW: Flare comparison questions are mute if you have any filter in place as even the best filters are a significant source of flare on wide angle lenses.

[david_h._hartman]

<em>"Flare comparison questions are mute if you have any

filter in place as even the best filters are a significant source

of flare on wide angle lenses." --Craig Bridge<br>

</em><br>

Its not quite that simple. Filters can be not "are"

a significant source or flare. There is a great difference

between filters and lenses and lenses still have their flare

characteristics which can change some with a filter. A dusty

front element or filter can be a significant flare and ghost

problem so going without filters doesnt necessarily solve

anything.<br>

<br>

Open your eyes a look. You may see a problem right in the finder.

If you suspect a high flare situation and take off a filter youll

have or should have a very clean, dust free front element and

should get the best image. Its very important to use a lens

hood and you can also use your hand to shade the front element or

filter (that is in addition to the hood). If you can do that

without photographing your hand you wont need to remove a

filter in many situations. If you dont use filters use your

hand anyway. A black card is better than your hand but you may

not have one handy.<br>

<br>

If you use a UV filter for protection you may pay a small price

in image quality from time to time. If you dont use a

filter you may loose a lens that a filter might have saved (choose

your poison). If you are shooting in an arid region dust can be

constant problem and a filter can save your lens from frequent

cleaning.<br>

<br>

<em>"Think first, photograph later, your head is your main

instrument." --Philip Halsman<br>

</em><br>

---<br>

<br>

If the sun is just out side of the frame on the upper left or

right corner using the hand trick on the 20/2.8 AIS is more

effective than taking the filter off the 20/3.5 AIS. Anyone who

tells you different probably does not own both lenses. If the sun

is in the frame stopping the 20/3.5 AIS down to f/8 or so will

solve ghost problems most of the time. For shooting with the sun

in the frame this is the best wide angle lens I know.<br>

<br>

Again using the hand trick is more effective with the 28/2.0 AIS

than taking off the filter. If the sun is included mid apertures

may help with ghost but not solve the problem.<br>

<br>

The 24/2.8 AI with the sun just outside the corner isnt bad

when using the hand trick with or without the filter. If the sun

is included with or without the filter there will be a row of

small ghost in the top half of the frame and somewhat larger ones

in the bottom. I strongly suggest using the 20/3.5 AIS instead.<br>

<br>

The 20/3.5 AI and 28/2.0 AI should have the same properties as

the AIS versions. The "K" versions are often the same

optically as the AI.<br>

<br>

---<br>

<br>

Alan,<br>

<br>

This is your second flare & ghost question. Go thee out and

purchase a 20/3.5 AI or AIS and a 28/2.0 AI or AIS. Otherwise

"Who Ya Gonna Call?"<br>

<br>

Cheers,

[david_h._hartman]

Sorry about ignoring your AF-S 17-35/2.8 IF ED question, I�m not privileged to know.

[david_h._hartman]

Bjørn Rørslett regarding the AF-S 17-35/2.8 ED-IF...<br>

<br>

<em>"The 17-35 performs extremely well when shooting into

bright light, in fact its performance in this respects surpasses

most prime lenses. Flare and ghosting evidently are strictly

controlled. I've never used a zoom with this degree of superior

flare and ghosting control before." --BR<br>

<br>

"Leaving a UV filter on will make the ghosting much more

visible so any filter should be removed before shooting into the

sun." --BR<br>

</em><br>

<a href="http://www.naturfotograf.com" target="_new"><u>Nærfoto

Bjørn Rørslett</u></a><br>

<br>

Regards,

[hique]

I could present the filter's flare myself. Even my crappy 28-80 is very good with the sun in the picture, but when used with a UV filter in front of it, it sux a lot. My advice would be to remove the filter in every picture you take with a light source in the frame.

 

About the lenses, all of them must be terrific, I don't know :)

[david_h._hartman]

This might be the magic bullet to kill flare and ghost (please

see attached). Since I have some time as a PR photographer under

my belt I dont find this extreme approach too appealing for

35mm.<br>

<br>

Liberated from another forum...<br>

<br>

Question:<br>

<br>

"When is a compendium shade better than my hat?" --Christopher

Condit<br>

<br>

Answer:<br>

<br>

"When you need both hands: --Ellis Vener<br>

<br>

Here is a link to the full thread...<br>

<br>

<a

href="http://www.largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/496887.html"

target="_new"><u>http://www.largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/496887.html</u></a><br>

<br>

regards,<br>

<br>

Dave.<div></div>

[david_h._hartman]

OK, I don�t know my right hand from my left. The image is Ambico and Lindahl (L to R).

[ofey_kalakar]

Here is an image of a Studabaker front end taken with a Nikkor 20 f2.8 AFD (manual

focus) no lens hood. The car had severe backlight. The shot was tripod aided at f22

using Ilford PanF 50.<div></div>

[david_h._hartman]

But you cheated Fab! You used fill ;)

 

You have many small ghost which point to the highlight above the nose, not a bad feature. I don�t know why but I immediately thought of a horn shark. I don�t think horn sharks ever smile but this Studebaker seems to be a happy one. I might crop a little of the sky and "star burst" to focus a more attention on the nose and smile.

 

My mom used to have one of these, a �50 or �51. I remember it blew a cloud of white smoke as the valve guides were warn. After a minute or so it stopped blowing smoke. The instrument panel had a really cool black light system like an airplane.

 

The aperture in your lens has 7 blades, this buy counting the diffraction star burst. Note that some are longer than others and that the side opposite is shorter? There is a reason. The strong diffraction star indicates a small aperture was used. If the 20/3.5 AIS were used the image would lack the row of seven or eight ghosts on the top right.

 

If I had to have just one 20mm Nikkor it would be the 20/2.8 AIS. Since I don�t have to have just one I have the 20/3.5 AIS also. The AF 20/2.8D has the same optics as the AIS.

 

If one can keep the sun or other bright light from shinning on the filter and or front element you can eliminate most flare. Stopping down helps some lenses. A bright sky or a white seamless can still cause flare problems as can concrete and especially white sand or snow. Most lens hoods for wide angles are limited but any help is welcome. In this case a lens hood would have little impact.

 

The 20/2.8 is one of my favorite lenses.

[ofey_kalakar]

Dave your right I did use a flash (SB28). I also had an L37C filter on the lens, and I did

indicate I shot at f22. Also the shot was taken with an AFD 20 mm Nikkor.

Regards<div></div>