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Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G

Flare

Ghosting flare (distinct blobs) is extremely well-controlled under most circumstances, no doubt due to Nikon’s new Super Integrated Coatings. However the “wrong” angle of light can produce glaring exceptions to this rule as seen below.

Veiling flare can be image-ruining; the 50/1.4G has terrible problems with flare when light strikes the front element at certain angles. The effect seen below can be reproduced at will with the 50/1.4G. A similar effect, though less severe, can also be induced with the Sigma 50/1.4. However, I have never observed such problems with the Zeiss 50/1.4 Planar.

These examples are with an immaculate brand-new lens without a filter. The effect can vary widely, with only minor variations in angle causing a large shift in the amount of flare. Stopping down helps to improve contrast overall, but does little for the veiling flare.

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Diglloyd DAP is DSLR-oriented, but also contains workflow and other topics. Much of the focus is on Canon and Nikon but also Pentax and Pentax medium format.

Special emphasis is placed on lens evaluation, focusing on Canon and Nikon and Sigma lenses, but with a few others like Rokinon/Samyang.

Make better images by learning how to get the best results right away.
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Jaw-dropping image quality found nowhere else utilizing Retina-grade images up to full camera resolution, plus large crops [past 2 years or so].
Real world examples with insights found nowhere else. Make sharper images just by understanding lens behavior you won’t read about elsewhere.
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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Nikon 50/1.4G @ f/1.4