Dodgy Lens?

mindcrime

mindcrime

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Bought myself a Nikon 70-300m f4-5.6G lens over the weekend and used it for the first time last night to get a shot of the crescent moon. Apart from not focusing too well, on every shot there was this green mark across the photographs, it did seem to be in the same spot everytime. I took the UV filter off just in case it was that causing the problme, but it wasn't. The camera was on a tripod and I used the self timer to fire. Is there a problem with the lens? Or is this an inherent problem of the lens being at it's full 300mm length? I bought it at BestBuy so taking it back for a refund is no problem and replacing it with the equivalent Sigma may be the better option.

moon3.jpg
 
It looks like the shot is heavily overexposed - if you drop it back a stop or two is the halo still apparent?
 
Aye, I tried everything from a 1/2" exposure all the way to 5" and adjusting the aperture accordingly, even adjusted the W/B and ISO to try and cover all bases. Even took the metering from different sources, moon, halo, sky.
 
the halo is visible in the viewfinder?

:thinking: You might need a darksiders view on this :shrug:
 
This particular lens is not one of the finest Nikon ever produced. Lens flare being a particular attribute. At the same time they made another 75-300mm 'D' zoom which was considerably dearer (about 3x). Need I say more? :shrug:

The 'G' series lenses got the label "cost reduced and inferior" because of this bit of glass. That's a shame because, in essence, 'G' means no aperture ring. The 70-200mm f2.8 VR G is amongst the world's finest pieces of glass..... go figure! ;)
 
Jonnyreb said:
the halo is visible in the viewfinder?

:thinking: You might need a darksiders view on this :shrug:
Click to expand...

Sorry, I mean the glowing section of the moon. Also had the lens hood on to prevent any stray light entering, but then being 21 floors up on a balcony in an apartment building I would be very surprised at any stray lights around me; even turned of the lights in my apartment.
 
it must be ghosting - is it as noticeable throughout the focal range?
 
Sorry, but you haven't exactly chosen the most obvious of subjects to test how good your lens is. What about trying to find some ducks like the rest of us :p
 
Looking at the image again I'd say the green marks are internal reflections from the (poor) coating on the internal elements. These have been exaggerated because of the contrast in these moon shots. It is a rather extreme case of internal reflection but it shouldn't be there all the same.

I would, in my experience, say you would get this on any example of this lens, it was produced at a price and it shows. Sorry to sound negative but I've never been happy about this lens! :( It gave Nikon a bad name.....
 
But the 75-300mm f4/5.6 'D' series is a bute! ;)
 
Don't forget I live in Toronto and the lens selection here is awful and it seems very slow to get new lenses in stock. I can't even get the basic 70-300mm f4/5.6D ED here and the VR version is $750!
 
I couldn't resist :woot: :woot:

Got my money back from BestBuy, they didn't have a clue what I was on about and started rubbing their fingers over the actual glass of the lens looking for the cause of the problem :cuckoo: :cuckoo: I swear to god they were trying to rub a reflection of the lights off the lens :bonk: I wasn't about to tell them not too. Had to go with the cheaper option of the non APO Sigma 70-300 as my wife had just squandered $1300 on a ring for her 40th. The difference with the 2 lenses is night and day. The Sigma is how I expected the Nikon to be; nice and clear and no defects.
 
You shouldn't need 1/2" exposure for the moon anyway, you could get away with much less as it actually quite bright. Recently i ahve used as little as 1/500th or 1/1000th so it may have been partly user and lens probs (no offence) :)
 
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