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11-23 zoom giving trouble


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My Super-Vario-Elmar-TL 11-23 ASPH lens is misbehaving on my T at a particular focal length when shot wide open.

 

At and around the 18mm focal length I’m seeing very clear concentric circles but only when the lens is used wide open.  It looks to me like an optical issue. My first thought was the filter that I keep on the lens but I’ve ruled that out.

 

The only difference in exposure settings of the examples posted below was that the first was taken wide open (for this focal length) at f/4.2, the second stopped down slightly to f/5.0.

 

Other settings for both shots were the same:
1/30sec  -0.3 exposure compensation  ISO100  focal length 18mm

 

The presence or absence of a protective filter and/or the lens hood makes no difference. The phenomenon does not occur at any other focal length. I am noticing this for the first time since updating my T to the latest firmware v1.8.

 

Can anyone tell me what’s going on here and what, if anything I should do about it?

 

f/4.2

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f/5.0

 

 

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Does it occur when using the camera's internal memory? If not, could be an SD card anomaly. 

Try reformatting (erasing) the SD card via your computer and then reformat again in camera

Have you cleaned the lens and camera contacts?

Try and replicate the anomaly using another Leica T body … find a friendly London Leica dealer who has a spare / s/h T (Leica Mayfair?) 

 

dunk

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I see it in the camera and in the DNG in LR.

I read that lightroom now applies the lens profiles embedded within the DNG automatically.

Some other tools may allow you to disable this.

The rings you show just look too mathematical to be a real optical effect ... on the other hand, you may have uncovered a useful effects filter ;-)

 

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Edited by FrozenInTime
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Does it occur when using the camera's internal memory? If not, could be an SD card anomaly. 

Try reformatting (erasing) the SD card via your computer and then reformat again in camera

Have you cleaned the lens and camera contacts?

Try and replicate the anomaly using another Leica T body … find a friendly London Leica dealer who has a spare / s/h T (Leica Mayfair?) 

 

dunk

 

Thanks, Dunk. Using internal memory and reformatting the card make no difference. I have cleaned the card contacts and reset the camera. I'll give the lens contacts a thorough clean and if that doesn't help I’ll send my test pictures to Leica today to see if they have any ideas.

 

This seems to be a rare effect. The only comparable example I’ve found is this post on DPReview. Interestingly, that picture was taken around the 18mm focal length. There’s no consensus on the cause but the suggestion that it has to do with a glitch in the camera software seems the most likely to me.

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I read that lightroom now applies the lens profiles embedded within the DNG automatically.

Some other tools may allow you to disable this.

The rings you show just look too mathematical to be a real optical effect ... on the other hand, you may have uncovered a useful effects filter ;-)

 

Many thanks. I agree, it probably isn't an optical effect. I'm not really up to tinkering with the innards of LR so I think I’ll leave it to Leica to find a solution. In the meantime I will only use the 18mm focal length stopped down slightly. I can live with that as a temporary measure.

 

Haha! I could also get creative with my new filter!

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  • 1 month later...

After a month away my T and 11-23 lens are back from Wetzlar as good as new. I’m not much the wiser as to what went wrong but Leica was able to reproduce the problem. The electronics in the lens were repaired or replaced and the firmware reapplied.

 

A highly satisfactory outcome and all at no cost to me. Thank you, Leica!

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This was a curious problem, and since you only saw it after installing the latest firmware, perhaps there are some hidden bugs in the latest firmware to be gotten out.  Did anyone replicate this pattern with another 11-23 mm lens on your T, on their T, or with your lens on their T?  I.e., was this specific to your lens only or to your camera only?  It apparently went away with a small change in aperture.  But for what range of focal length settings did it occur?

 

If you are curious (or for others who may be) the paperwork that came back with the camera and lens will say what Leica has changed or adjusted.  Did they replace components in the lens itself?

Edited by scott kirkpatrick
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they re-installed the same version of firmware for the body and lens ?

 

 

After a month away my T and 11-23 lens are back from Wetzlar as good as new. I’m not much the wiser as to what went wrong but Leica was able to reproduce the problem. The electronics in the lens were repaired or replaced and the firmware reapplied.

 

A highly satisfactory outcome and all at no cost to me. Thank you, Leica!

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This was a curious problem, and since you only saw it after installing the latest firmware, perhaps there are some hidden bugs in the latest firmware to be gotten out.  Did anyone replicate this pattern with another 11-23 mm lens on your T, on their T, or with your lens on their T?  I.e., was this specific to your lens only or to your camera only?  It apparently went away with a small change in aperture.  But for what range of focal length settings did it occur?

 

If you are curious (or for others who may be) the paperwork that came back with the camera and lens will say what Leica has changed or adjusted.  Did they replace components in the lens itself?

 

I don't know what tests Leica did but I only used the lens on my camera. The focal length at which the circle pattern appeared was 18mm and very slightly either side of it. I didn't note it more precisely than that.

 

As I said, I didn't find Leica's description of the repair very enlightening but, in case it helps,  this is a transcript of what they reported:

 

SUPER-VARIO-ELMAR-T 11-23mm/f3.5-4.5ASPH

receiving inspection

repair/replace electronics

apply firmware

adjustment of all parts

 

LEICA T (Typ 701), black

receiving inspection

At our receiving inspection we could determine your complaint. By suitable measures or by exchange of the listed parts the function will be perfect.

apply firmware

adjustment of all parts

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they re-installed the same version of firmware for the body and lens ?

The camera is at the latest version 1.8, just as it was before it went away. As I understand it, this firmware also updates native TL lenses when they are first attached after the camera is updated.

Edited by euston
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