Pentax 645 and Lens Flare

[rick_falck]

All of the pics I have taken with the Pentax 645 and the 45-85 lens

have horrendous lens flare, when taking any pics with the sun in them

(sunsets). Some even have a large red triangle in them. I am

venturing to Maui in March and naturally want to get some sunset

pics. Are the 45mm and 55mm lenses good with flare? How about if I

use a ND grad (which I have used for the 45-85)? I hate to have to

buy smaller filters for new lenses, and may go with a Cokin like

system. Any ideas???

 

Danka.

[steve_teale]

Rick,

 

Speaking generally (I don't know the lenses you're using), a zoom tends to have more elements than a prime so flare is always more likely with them than with a similar length prime. I'd advise against the filter on the basis of the fact that it will increase the risk of flare (another element). I'd suggest keeping the lens totally spotless and free from filtration, perhaps use a hood as well although of course if you're shooting straight into the sun it will give limited protection. Perhaps shoot when the sun isn't as glarey (i.e. just after sunset when there's still some colour around).

 

I find that when shooting sunsets with a beer in one hand flare becomes less of an issue ;) - enjoy

[bruce]

Rick,

I use a Pentax 645 & 645n with the AF45 f2.8, AF75 f2.8, and

MF200 f4.0. These lenses have never exhibited flare under

normal sunlight shooting conditions. I was out at Joshua Tree

NP working on a landscape assignment this last December

and did not experience any flare with any of my lenses... this

includes direct sunrise and sunset images...

 

Maybe you've got a bad sample... or the zooms are prone to flare.

My advice... stick with the primes.

Regards,

Bruce

http://www.owlseyenaturephotos.com

[andrew_schank]

Rick, I have never used any zoom lens on any camera that could handle a bright sun in the photo without turning into flare machines. Zooms are great for many things, but there is just too many elements inside them for shooting right into the sun. I have shot with my 55mm and 35mm Pentax lenses right at the sun. Sometimes I will get a small bright flare spot, sometimes not. They do as well as any other lens I've tried, including top of the line 35mm primes.

[joseph_ho]

i shoot sunrises and sunsets from mountains with the 150 2.8 IF lens. flare is only visible if your lookin for it if the sun is not in the frame. it is clearly visible if teh sun is in the frame but doesn't detract from the picture in my opinion. i did try a nutrual density grad once and it ruined all the pictures of that sunrise. the flare was about as bright as the sun itself and right next to it. earlier, there was mention of a 400 dollar MC ND-grad but that price is plain un absorbable for me.

[garvey_p]

Well, this isn't flare related but Maui related. If you've never been there, may I suggest some great places to go for photo opportunities? I'll assume you're familiar with the major attractions, so I'll only mention a couple places that are off the beaten path. The first one is Waimoku Falls, which is at the "end" of the Hana Highway (or Road to Hana trip). There's a parking lot for the Oheo Gulch (aka the so-called Seven Sacred Pools), and a trailhead is near the parking lot for the two-mile trail to Waimoku Falls. You'll pass by the smaller falls and pools along the way, and then you'll go through a bamboo forest. When you emerge from the bamboo, Waimoku Falls is just a few minutes ahead. Most people don't go that far, even though it's not that far at all. The falls are 400' tall and well worth the mild hike.

 

The other suggestion I have is to continue on the Hana Highway instead of doubling back the way you came. For one thing, it's faster. The rental car companies make all kinds of warnings that they are not liable for any damage to the car that occurs on that part of the road, etc., but I have done that trip twice on two different vacations, and the road was fine. Parts are gravel, parts are dirt, and parts are paved. It will soon spill out onto the paved Highway 31. Of course, it's a good idea to check with the Rangers at the Kipahulu Station (near Oheo Gulch) and ask if the road is muddy. Common sense will dictate what you decide. My wife didn't like that we went down that road, but I took some pictures and saw some things that I would have never seen otherwise: rocky vistas, farms, and old churches that dot the coastline. And it probably trimmed our return trip in half (and after 617 turns and 56 one-lane bridges on the way to Hana--no exaggeration--a little straight road action was kinda nice).

 

Also, don't miss Iao Valley. And if you're thinking about doing a helicopter tour of the island, I'd suggest that a bi-plane tour is more fun and personalized. I could go on about how great Maui is, but the falls and backroad are the biggies that I learned about from experience.

 

Garvey

[danny burk www.dannyburk.]

Rick,

 

After you get your camera positioned, remember to hit your DOF preview with the lens stopped down...it will usually make the flare show up. Then you can do some micro-repositioning of the camera; more often than not, I've found that the flare can be eliminated by re-angling the camera ever so slightly. I also agree with the others' comments about zooms and filters. Certain primes are just prone to flare, though; I don't have a Pentax but my Contax 645 45mm is extremely prone.

 

Here is a shot that wanted to flare badly, for obvious reasons, but slight repositioning saved it completely:

 

http://www.dannyburk.com/pete2.htm (sorry, don't know how to add HTML)

 

Regards,

Danny

[rick_falck]

Thanks for all the input. I will go ahead and get the 55mm Pentax, and give it a whirl. The 80-160 zoom is not as bad. I will just have to do what I can with what I got, since sunsets are only a small precentage of what I want to do, and the lenses I have (35mm, 45-85, 80-160) are great for the rest. Hopefully adding the 55mm will give me better versatility without adding lots more weight or bulk.

 

Rick