topic Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help in EF & RF Lenses

RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

ksmithson916 — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 17:58:18 GMT

I notice that most of my shots have this lateral line distortion in the foreground and background, is this a defective lens?

pics attrached

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

jrhoffman75 — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:48:39 GMT

Hello.

Top photo looks there is a lot of reflection or something happening.

Is it always in the same location? Do you perhaps have something on the sensor?

What if you placed your subject in that location so that the subject is sharp and the problem would stand out better.

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

Waddizzle — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:49:33 GMT

Are you using a UV or CPL filter?

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

ebiggs1 — Sat, 17 Dec 2022 17:24:39 GMT

I am not seeing a lens problem beyond how it handles OOF BG. I suspect this BG aberration changes as your aperture changes?

I would also advise you remove any add-on filter you may have used.

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

johnrmoyer — Sat, 17 Dec 2022 23:41:46 GMT

Which camera? Latest firmware?

I think that IBIS will sometimes do that especially after waking from sleep when the zoom moved while the camera was asleep. The IBIS did not notice that the zoom had changed during sleep and used the wrong focal length. If that is the case, then turning the camera off and back on again might fix it. The 1.6 firmware seemed to me to fix it for the EOS R5.

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

ksmithson916 — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 17:54:46 GMT

I was in fact using a fairly pricy $130 UV filter, removing it fixed the problem, thanks

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

Tintype_18 — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 18:31:31 GMT

For future reference, how would the filter effect the photo? Thanks.

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

ebiggs1 — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 19:13:43 GMT

"For future reference, how would the filter effect the photo? Thanks."

John some filters are not up to the high standards of top lenses like L series. The are simply lenses themselves and are not produced with top coatings and such. The can enter aberrations and reflections. Even the best can at a very very few circumstances do so. But they screw off as easily as they screw on.

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

Waddizzle — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 19:36:23 GMT

@Tintype_18 wrote:
For future reference, how would the filter effect the photo? Thanks.

I cannot say with any certainty. I have seen this before with my EF 100-400mm II. The sensor has a UV layer built into, but UV filters did not affect photos with other lenses.

Also, the aberrations were neither perfectly horizontal or vertical, which made me think that the issue was probably not the camera or the lens. Removing the filter not only eliminated the aberrations, it also made the photos MUCH sharper.

[EDIT] Oh, yeah. I use B+W Nano Clear filters on my lenses. I do not use them for protection from impacts. I use mainly use them to keep the front element clean.

I have never had need to clean my front elements. But, I frequently find myself cleaning the front filters. I have to clean off smoke residue from BBQ cook offs, tree pollen from being in the woods, and fingerprints. I am really sloppy when it comes to putting on a lens cap.

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

ksmithson916 — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 19:50:36 GMT

It did end up being the filter when I removed it all pics had perfect bokeh.

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

ksmithson916 — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 19:52:58 GMT

btw, I through on my other Zeiss brand UV filter with T coating and the problem was still resolved, it was just that brand of filter. I not only trust Zeiss UV filters.

Re: RF 100-500 background distortion ? Please help

jrhoffman75 — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 20:06:23 GMT

Sometimes there can be reflections off the front element of the lens that bounce back to the rear surface of the filter. Good coatings should handle that, but not always.