Canon 17-40/16-35 reflections

I have long struggled with the reflections that sometimes show up in the dome, and therefore the image, when using a Canon 17-40 or 16-35 zoom, and shooting into the sun. The concentric ridges around the front of the lens are too shiny. My most recent solution to the issue is explained here:

http://dive.scubadiving.com/insider/

Perhaps it will be helpful to others troubled by the same problem.

Thanks for posting.

I'm sure that will help cut the learning curve for many that have experienced the same problem.

Cheers

Todd Mintz

This will be very useful!

Can you post the diameter of the Nikon body cap. Some of us don't have one of those.

Thanks

[Can you post the diameter of the Nikon body cap. Some of us don't have one of those.]

Herb - It is actually a rear Nikkor lens cap, not a body cap. 2 1/4 inches in diameter (54mm)

Hey Stephen, glad to see Nikon as still got some use for you !

Thanks for posting the information Steve - I'm going to have to try this too.

Cheers

James

I'm just trying to figure out how this solution can really work with zoom lens...

I have that Nikkor 12-24mm which have many of those concentric ridges around the front of the lens.

Did this solution only apply for a fixed zoom setting? Because if you cover all the ridges with the velour paper, then you cannot adjust the zoom since the paper will be displaced by the movement of the lens.

Thanks for your comments,

I'm just trying to figure out how this solution can really work with zoom lens...

I have that Nikkor 12-24mm which have many of those concentric ridges around the front of the lens.

 

Did this solution only apply for a fixed zoom setting? Because if you cover all the ridges with the velour paper, then you cannot adjust the zoom since the paper will be displaced by the movement of the lens.

 

Thanks for your comments,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cut properly, as described in http://www.seacamusa.com/most-recent-1740reflections.shtml, the paper is not displaced by zoom movement. My comments relate to 16-35/17-40 Canon, but should relate to 12-24 as well. Note that gold trim on outside barrel of 12-24 should also be covered with black electrical tape as sometimes, with some domes, it can reflect as well.

Did this solution only apply for a fixed zoom setting? Because if you cover all the ridges with the velour paper, then you cannot adjust the zoom since the paper will be displaced by the movement of the lens.

For most zoom lenses, zooming is either completely internal, e.g. the Canon 70-200L, so there is no telescoping of the external body of the lens, or the telescoping only occurs at one seam. As long as whatever antiglare "coating" or "sheet" you apply has a split along this seam then you'll be fine.

Where exactly does the 12-24mm Nikkor telescope when you zoom it? I doubt very much that the stepped section changes profile. If I'm right you'd be able to apply velour sheet to that section just like Stephen did to his Canon zoom.

If you get any reflection of the very outer edge of the filter ring of the lens, you could follow the suggestion I mad on the wetpixel "copy" of Stephen's article, which was to get a Cokin filter holder adapter ring that fits your lens and cover that with the black velour flocking paper that Stephen used. That should defeat any of the additional reflections from the outer rim of the lens.

Like this:

B&H Link, click to see what I'm on about

HTH,

Martyn

I have noticed that different domes also contribute to this problem. The biggest domes are most prone to have problems. The Sea and Sea big dome, which is optically very good, also has issues with internal relefections.

Alex

Here is picture of the Nikkor 12-24mm set at 12mm and set at 20mm.

http://www.azur.qc.ca/domi/tmp/12-24mm-lens-web.jpg

We can see the gap made by the internal moving barrel with lens.

From my understanding I should cover both ridges the one on the moving part and the one on the external part of the lens (the part in which the internal barrel is sliding). If we stick the velour paper at angle on those ridges that form a kind of cone (to make sure it adhere to the ridges) the problem of the moving part and the height of the internal part of the lens comes up ...

May be I did not get anything of Stephen's solution... and I should go take an english course...

Thanks for your comments,

Great demo image. Yes that tells us everything we would need to know about the lens design to apply a solution. One more thing would be an example shot that shows the problem and hence which parts are reflecting in the port.

Looking at the design of the lens I would say you could easily apply the self adhesive black flocking paper up to the edge of the moving, ridge section. When I say "easy" I don't mean it won't be an intricate job, but with a micrometer and a pair of compasses it should be possible to make a ring of the flocking to fit.

If you then get a Cokin adapter ring to fit your lens, and apply a second ring of flocking paper to that so that stops just short of the moving part of the lens you should cover all the angles. If that's not an option, you could apply the flocking to the filter thread and over the edge of the outer ring, over the hood attachment grooves and even over the gold ring further back. It'll look odd, but it should work.

Hope that helps.

You know I have to wonder about the dome port configuration on these systems. It looks to me like the entrance pupil is too far forward in the dome if it is able to "see" a reflection of the rim of the lens, it should only ever see "itself". Obviously most zoom lens designs move the pupil back and forth as they zoom, so a perfect configuration is not possible. It might be worth looking at spacing the port slightly if the reflection is a problem over much of the zoom range.

Do you have/use the 18456 port extension with the 18405 dome port? Obviously if you're using some other port then the offsets may change anyway.

Martyn

In fact the reflexion problems I experimented were pretty clear, it was the ridges on the internal part. This occured even if I used the appropriate port extension from Aquatica, can't remember the number though.

That link doesn't work anymore. Can you please re-post your solution?

Thanks,

Max

This was taken with the Tokina 10-17.

I would be greatful if someone could post the info that the broken link refers to.

Stew

here is a link on the subject mentionned http://www.seacamusa.com/most-recent-1740reflections.shtml

Hello from Greece,

Today, after my snorkeling with my Aquatica staff (8" dome port + Canon 17-85) i discover that in some images i have the reflection of the letters of the front part

of the lense.

Do you have any experience with such lense ?

Dimitris

Hello from Greece,

 

Today, after my snorkeling with my Aquatica staff (8" dome port + Canon 17-85) i discover that in some images i have the reflection of the letters of the front part

of the lense.

Do you have any experience with such lense ?

 

Dimitris

Putting a small felt or mat black cardboard "donut" on the front, covering the lettering will help greatly. Canon lens have their Marking on the front of the lenses in many case and that makes them more prone to reflection than straight black surface (not to say that some Nikon or others are not exempt of this).

Also for the record this happen in backlit and shallow condition mostly

Putting a small felt or mat black cardboard "donut" on the front, covering the lettering will help greatly. Canon lens have their Marking on the front of the lenses in many case and that makes them more prone to reflection than straight black surface (not to say that some Nikon or others are not exempt of this).

 

Also for the record this happen in backlit and shallow condition mostly

Agreed! Have had the problem in S&S and Subal domes with Canon and older Nikon lenses.