Bokeh Imperfections?

[picnicknits]

So for Christmas Santa brought me the 50mm f/1.8 Canon lens that I've been wanting. I played around with it and was excited to see real Christmas light bokeh - until I uploaded them to my computer. My bokeh circles have little weird squiggles or imperfections in them, and I'm concerned there is something wrong with the lens.


bokeh by picnicknits, on Flickr

This is close-up of one of the circles. It seems to be in every circle, but not in exactly the same spot. I put on my kit lens and got some smaller bokeh with that with no squiggles, so I'm assuming it's the new lens.


IMG_1025 by picnicknits, on Flickr

I tried cleaning the lens by huffing on it and using a microfiber cloth but they are still there. I did all sorts of reading on dust and how it's just a fact of life and all that, but most things I read acted like the dust wouldn't do anything bad to the pictures. So I'm not sure what to do at this point. At first I was hoping it was something about the lights themselves, but I got the same squiggles with a candle flame and the lights on the keurig.

 

[480sparky]

Dirty lens?

 

[picnicknits]

Well these squiggles happened on the very first pictures I took after removing the brand new lens from the box. Do you need to go through the whole cleaning process on a brand new lens before you use it?

 

[Overread]

They are oddly shaped - I've seen dustspots a plenty, but not normally at wider apertures and not normally shaped like that. First easy test is to shoot the lens at both a wide aperture and a small aperture whilst pointed at a monocolour subject which is well lit ( a white wall or even white paper works best).

Then from that if you see that the objects are appearing in the same places in every shot chances are they are dust spots on the camera sensor as opposed to on the lens at all.

If the objects don't appear at all then its either some strange reflection process in those objects you took photos of or its some lens property factor. Like I said I've never quite seen a shape like that before, so whilst it could be as simple as sensor dust it might be something else - so try the test first.

 

[480sparky]

I don't see how dust on the sensor could affect all the bokeh dots.

Take a good look through the lens with the aperture held open. I got a nickel that says there's a couple of imperfections on/in the lens. If it's merely dust on the front/rear, just clean it off. If it's inside, it's time to send it back to Santa for a replacement.

 

[picnicknits]

I tried the white wall and white paper test and couldn't find anything. Thanks for the tips!

I don't see anything with the naked eye or using the flashlight that looks like anything other than just dust. I guess I will be looking into the return/exchange policy.

 

[unpopular]

I took a test with a lens that I have with three specks of dust on the internal elements. I found that the flaw is replicated across the bokeh field, and not in a specific place, as it is here.

You wil find here as in your example that there are repeating patterns throughout. This wouldn't be the case if it was just ordinary dust. I also cleaned my sensor (finally) and did the same test with a clean lens, and did not find this same pattern.

However, in my test the anomalies are dark, yet on yours the anomolies are light, which says to me that they are focussing light. I am guessing this would suggest that it's liquid, perhaps oil or maybe (and less likely) bubbles in the glass. My thinking is that your new lens is, unfortunately, defective. You could try using an alcohol swab on the front and rear elements and see if that helps, but my guess is that you have two drops of oil on one internal element and that you'll need to call Santa's customer service desk for a replacement.

 

[picnicknits]

Yeah, that's what I couldn't figure out either. They are brighter than the surrounding areas.

I just shined the flashlight through the lens on a white piece of paper to see how much dust etc. I could see and there is a hair in it! Or some other sort of fiber!!! Also there seems to be a few good sized bubbles in the glass as well. All in all the lens is probably 10x as dusty inside as the kit lens that I've been using for 4+ months is. I'm wondering if it isn't used.

 

[unpopular]

I'm wondering if it's counterfeit.

Bubbles just should not happen and the only time I've seen it was in a prewar Zeiss I had a while back. Even the Ilex that I tested on doesn't have any bubbles.

 

[picnicknits]

It might be. I don't know. I'm a noob (obviously) but this definitely has bubbles that are visible on the paper - and the hair is what is killing me. It's all packaged up to go back to Amazon. The man got it for me, and just took Amazon's suggestion as to who to buy it from. So I'm returning this one and ordering it from somewhere reputable - not via Amazon. Oddly enough it's the first time I've ever had trouble with anything I've gotten through Amazon.

 

[unpopular]

Yeah. Even that old Zeiss only had ONE bubble. It's a good thing you can get your money back.

 

[picnicknits]

Both Adorama or B&H are good choices, yes? They aren't much different in price.

 

[Overread]

B&H and Adorama are both solid and upstanding retailers and you should have no problems dealing with either company. Amazon itself should also be pretty safe as well, though you do have to mind who you deal with on the marketplace (this seems to be more of a problem in the USA than in the UK - though it could just be that the USA is a much bigger market so more complaints/problems appear).
I think Amazon itself even gets supplied direct either from B&H or Adorama

 

[picnicknits]

I looked at the transaction. My package says it came from "Photo 59". But online the Amazon seller profile shows as "Jersey Camera". So I don't know what's up with that. If you search for the lens on Amazon, Jersey Camera is the default provider. They have great Amazon ratings, so I don't know what's up. But it's going back and I ended up re-ordering one from B&H that will arrive on Thursday (because I'm impatient, but not impatient enough to pay $20 for overnight!).

 

[ann]

Stuff happens, I don't think Amazon or anyone else would send out a lens knowing it was defective.

How close to most folks look at a lens when buying it in a store. I haven't to be honest, but would expect the seller to make it right.