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Flare Behavior Across Apertures (Beaver Pond, M240)
The 18mm f/3.8 Super-Elmar-M ASPH has a bulging front element. A bright light source such as the sun can graze this front element and cause flare spots. Shield the lens from any such light source, though there is little margin for error without intruding into the frame.
A question that often arises is whether stopping down reduces flare. The answer is “it depends”: sometimes a lens benefits by stopping down one stop; this cuts off certain reflections. And other times (as shown here), more diffuse flares can become much more prominent.
Wide open the flare is diffuse enough that a casual glance will not perceive it other than veiling flare. Stopping down, that apparent veiling flare quickly takes form as various types of ghosting flare.
- The largest spots are images of the lens diaphragm, such as the large red flare at lower right (with a green ghost below it).
- Other lens diaphragm flares can be seen to the top left.
- Many of the flare spots towards top left are visible mainly because of a dark background.
- The lens was as spotless as one might hope; these flares appear to be all lens behaviors.
- The rainbow stripes are probably some kind of diffraction effect.
- It is seen that the lens diaphragm has nine straight blades.
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Diglloyd Guide to LEICA contains in-depth coverage of Leica M system cameras and lenses, with additional coverage of Leica M Monochrom, Leica Q.
Special emphasis is placed on Leica M lenses and certain Zeiss ZM lenses.
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- Aperture series from wide open through stopped down, showing the full range of lens performance and bokeh.
- Optical quality analysis of field curvature, focus shift, sharpness, flare, distortion, and performance in the field.
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