Loxia 35/2 Extreme Flare

[Jens Peermann]

I was aware  when I bought it that the Loxia 35/2 has not the best flare control possible. But I never expected what I am finding in my images now. Here are just two examples with light sources near the edge of the image. But light sources near the center don't generate much less flare, and it can even come from natural light sources like the moon or rays of light breaking through a cloud.

I think there is something wrong with this particular sample I have and it needs to go to Zeiss for service. But I am also mulling sending it back for good and getting the Milvus 35/2 instead. That's why I would like to read some opinions first.

Thanks.

[E.J. Peiker]

Jens, I had not shot my 35/2 in a situation like what your picture shows so I just did and was unable to produce flare like that or really any flare at all but of course I can't duplicate the spectrum of the lamp that is causing this.  But using a daylight balanced bulb at any aperture with the surrounding area relatively dark, there simply was no visible flare of any kind.

[MattBurt]

Is there a filter on the lens?

[Paulo Bizarro]

I have not seen this with my sample, when shooting lights.

[JaapD]

Looks like a poor quality filter in front of the lens.

[jhemp]

Looks like sensor reflection. I heard of it happening with the A7.  My loxia 35 has no issues on my a7ii and a7rii.


http://verybiglobo.blogspot.ca/2014/01/sony-alpha-a7-ilce-7-and-sony-alpha-a7r_28.html

[Jens Peermann]

Looks like sensor reflection. I heard of it happening with the A7.  My loxia 35 has no issues on my a7ii and a7rii.


http://verybiglobo.blogspot.ca/2014/01/sony-alpha-a7-ilce-7-and-sony-alpha-a7r_28.html

This appears to be correct. I had contacted Zeiss and they pointed to the filter stack in front of the sensor and the flare pattern being inconsistent with what a lens would produce. They also mentioned that newer models of the A7 series cameras don't suffer this phenomenon.

I took some comparison shots with the Loxia and a 40mm pancake, and also analyzed older images taken with strong lights against a dark background, and found this flare pattern in almost all of them, although not as obvious as with the Loxia. That's why it escaped my radar up until now.

I have an A7II on the way, should be here in time for doing some testing over the weekend.

[E.J. Peiker]

Lens flare radiates to the center of the lens not away from it, therefore it has to be something else.  As Zeiss said, and jhemp and Jens wrote above, it is most likely internal reflections due to the thick glass stack on top of the Sony sensor.

[Jens Peermann]

The new A7II arrived yesterday evening and I did a comparison with a bright light against a dark background in my office between the A7 and A7II. To my surprise both cameras did not show any flare, which puzzled me to no end.

This morning I realized that the setting for my test was quite different from the settings of the shots that produced the ugly flare. Last night the focus distance was about 6 feet, while the shots taken with the bad flare were all at or near infinity. So I went outside the house - it was still dark - and used a street light as a test object. This time there was a clear winner: no flare whatsoever in images taken with the A7II, while the A7 images show the same bad flare you see in the images in the first post here.

I have a Sony A7 for sale, if anyone is interested.