85mm F1.8 Fringing

[drisley]

Ok, after giving MUCH praise to the 85mm F1.8 lens about it's sharpness, contrast, and value, I have one gripe.

I've had the lens for a few months, but didnt have a chance to use it much. The first occassion I tried it, I noticed some purple fringing on a few shots, something I had only noticed before on my 18-55 kit lens (never on my 50mm F1.8 and 70-200L).
It never really bothered me much, so I ignored it.
Then I remember someone mentioning the same problem with their 85mm F1.8 somewhere here.

Well, this weekend I gave the lens a very good work out. The results were overall very impressive, sharp, contrasty, etc. However, that darn purple fringing was showing up all over again, even at F2.8 (still fairly wide open).

I was wondering what others had similar experiences with this lens.

Again, I would give this lens a 10/10 if it wasnt for the fringing, but even with it, I would still give it a 9/10. :wink:

[msvadi]

I don't have a 85 1.8, but I have a 135 2.8. and it suffers from fringing too. Going to "L" - is is the only solution?

[dtrayers]

I shot a lot of those dance photos with the 85mm f/1.8 and also noticed some purple fringing. However, I've printed several at 4x6s and 8x10s and haven't really noticed it in the print.

[Tom W]

Are you using a filter by chance?

[drisley]

Yeah, as far as having one weakness in a lens, I would pick fringing over lack of sharpness and detail any day.
Thanks for the reply. I was wondering if maybe I had a dud.
I just did some tests, and fringing is gone at F4.0.

Hey, for shooting stage performances, the fringing isnt that noticable because of the lighting, like the blue fill lights :)

PS. Msvadi, your photo gallery is awesome :shock:

[Tom W]

Yeah, as far as having one weakness in a lens, I would pick fringing over lack of sharpness and detail any day.
Thanks for the reply. I was wondering if maybe I had a dud.
I just did some tests, and fringing is gone at F4.0.

Hey, for shooting stage performances, the fringing isnt that noticable because of the lighting, like the blue fill lights :)

I used to have a 70-210 f/3.5-4.5 that suffered from terrible fringing until stopped down to f/5.6 or so. It was excessively bad, so I got rid of it. I doubt that the fringing you are experiencing could be as bad as that lens (at least I hope it isn't).

I recall Pekka noting some mild fringing with extreme situations at wider apertures on the 85/1.8 in another thread a while back.

[drisley]

Are you using a filter by chance?

No, no filters at all. I'm not a uv filter guy... lens hood only.

I notice fringing in maderito's resolution test in this thread:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=34591

It's visible up until F4.0 which is consistent with what I get.

Btw, I cant wait to take this lens to the upcoming Fringe Festival :wink:

[Tom W]

Dave, I hope it isn't anything like this:

http://home.comcast.net/~trwilk3/Images/210C_Crop_f45.jpg

That is a 100% crop from my old 70-210 at 210 mm, wide open at f/4.5. Pretty nasty!

EDIT -

BTW, here's the lens I replaced that one with, at 200 mm, f/2.8:

http://home.comcast.net/~trwilk3/Images/200S_Crop_f28.jpg

[msvadi]

Are you using a filter by chance?

Tom,
do you mean that filters make fringing worse? I have Hoya S-HMC UV filters on all my lenses.

[msvadi]

PS. Msvadi, your photo gallery is awesome :shock:

Thank you :D

[drisley]

Wide open under extreme circumstances, I've actually noticed worse fringing than that. But then again, this lens wide open is F1.8.
Below is an example at F2.0, but it's a much more severe situation than the one you posted.

http://www.mts.net/~lftbrain/fringing.jpg

[Tom W]

Are you using a filter by chance?

Tom,
do you mean that filters make fringing worse? I have Hoya S-HMC UV filters on all my lenses.

I'm not 100% certain, but I believe tha an uncoated or poorly coated filter might, by introducing additional reflections and/or diffractions which could contribute to fringing (along with ghosting and flare). I don't think you'll have problems with the Hoya S-HMC though - its well coated.

If you do see a problem, I would experiment with and without the filter under identical circumstances to see if there is a difference.

[Tom W]

Wide open under extreme circumstances, I've actually noticed worse fringing than that. But then again, this lens wide open is F1.8.
Below is an example at F2.0, but it's a much more severe situation than the one you posted.

http://www.mts.net/~lftbrain/fringing.jpg

Its hard to compare, but what you have there looks a lot different (and a lot nicer). The fringing on my image didn't involve a highly reflective surface - her necklace seems to have been positioned to reflect the stage lighting directly at your camera, almost like a mirror.

I don't think that what you have here is bad - its hard to control when the light is reflected that way.

[drisley]

Yes, thanks, I agree.

I dont think the 85mm would show any fringing in a situation like the picture you posted.

Mostly I notice it in cases like the one above, on highly reflective surfaces. Also, I tend to shoot "to-the-right" in the histogram, which probably makes things worse when it comes to fringing.

[Tom W]

Yes, thanks, I agree.

I dont think the 85mm would show any fringing in a situation like the picture you posted.

I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't - none of my other lenses would look anything like that.

Mostly I notice it in cases like the one above, on highly reflective surfaces. Also, I tend to shoot "to-the-right" in the histogram, which probably makes things worse when it comes to fringing.

Well, an almost mirror-like surface reflecting high-intensity lights towards the camera are bound to expose (sorry, bad pun) some fringing on an image. Any lens can exhibit fringing - the difference is in the situations where it happens. The example lens I used earlier was a bad lens - the lens I replaced it with was an exceptional lens, but in the circumstances you've presented, it would probably show a tiny amount of fringing as well.

Shooting "to the right" might add to the effect, but it has other advantages. You do have some room for experimentation.

[roanjohn]

Thats normal with this lens...........I know cuz I tried 2 copies and its apparent on both. It is actually also there on the 1.2 L version........

Ro1

[drisley]

Thanks RJ.
If even the 1.2L has fringing, then I can't complain.

The 85mm F1.8 is still an all around AWESOME lens! 8)