Nikon 500 f/4 Spherical Aberration?

[Stephen Girimont]

Can anyone with experience with the Nikon 500 f/4 tell me if this is common?

New lens appears to have spherical aberration. Sharp as all get out, but specular highlights in backgrounds make me hungry for doughnuts.

[Jim Kasson]

I have a Nikon 500mm f/5 that produces highlights like that, but it's a mirror lens.

[Telecaster]

Can anyone with experience with the Nikon 500 f/4 tell me if this is common?

New lens appears to have spherical aberration. Sharp as all get out, but specular highlights in backgrounds make me hungry for doughnuts.

What aperture (presumably not wide open) are you using and what does the full frame photo look like, assuming your posted example is a crop?

-Dave-

[Fine_Art]

What was that specular reflection from? It looks like it is on the closer side of the waves, which is also the shadow side. The waves look sun lit on the far side.

[Stephen Girimont]

That picture is a crop. The image is a river scene; the background of a very boring scene of a Heron in terrible light. When I'm back on my computer I will post the full image.

[Fine_Art]

All I'm wondering is if the white circle is caused by whatever the sun is reflected off rather than the lens. Has it done this on other shots?

[telyt]

Looks like ni-sen bokeh even not in the specular highlights.  I don't recall if this is under- or over-corrected spherical aberration but it's something I don't want in my photos.

[Stephen Girimont]

Sorry for the delay.

It's definitely spherical aberration - it happens in the out-of-focus areas. Here's an image I shot specifically as a test:



And here's an extreme crop on some highlights in the bokeh near the center-top part of the image:



The highlights at the Heron's feet do not exhibit the doughnut effect; only the more out-of-focus the highlight is, the worse it gets.

Can anyone with experience with this lens tell me if this is normal? Or, would this be something that can be fixed by Nikon, or should I just return it and wait to get another one when one comes available?

[Fine_Art]

It seems far too strong for nisen bokeh on anything but a mirror lens. My guess is that it is faulty, with an element out of position. I would return it.

[Fine_Art]

Here is a good example of outline emphasis.


http://img165.ph.126.net/VA0Yu6f4D2PTHOyiOx8K1A==/2252644238616799292.jpg

I personally like outer edge de-empahsis, which has a nice creamy character.

Having a hollow core seems strange unless it is an obstructed lens.

Edited due to hotlink blocked.
hyperlink should work.

No, they kill that too. oh well.

[telyt]

Here is a good example of outline emphasis.

?? image not available

I personally like outer edge de-empahsis, which has a nice creamy character.

Having a hollow core seems strange unless it is an obstructed lens.

If you get one on one side of the plane of focus you get the other on the other side of the plane of focus.

[Stephen Girimont]

Just letting everyone know that I've decided to return the lens.

[Fine_Art]

Just letting everyone know that I've decided to return the lens.

Wise. I think that lens would have driven you mad on wildlife with branches in the background. A hard outer edge can make some very nasty effects.

[Fine_Art]

This is a shot with the Minolta 100 macro IIRC, it may be the 50. The soft edge to the bokeh gives a pleasing look to the background rose. A hard edge on this would have made it look very jagged, harsh, distracting.

[telyt]

Wise. I think that lens would have driven you mad on wildlife with branches in the background. A hard outer edge can make some very nasty effects.

+1  I sold my Leitz 560mm f/6.8 because the violent magenta/green fringes on background branches drove me mad.  Great bang/buck lens otherwise.

[robdickinson]

There is good data that VR/IS can cause bad bokeh/aberations if it comes into play