[v5planet]

What lenses are these? I don't think those UFOs should be there -- still looks like some kind of internal reflection...

They are all Limiteds.

I love the 1st image with Saturn showing up quite well on the lower right side. My K5 has nowhere near that kind of resolution.

LOL. Well, I do love astronomy. Saturn was quite bright though, shining through the cloud cover.


OKAY-

I did some pretty monotonous and thorough testing this morning. Here is a giant grid showing the K-7 vs the K-5 for each of my four lenses, pointed at a bright light source. I shot wide open for each lens, and at f/8, with and without a UV filter (the same filter was used for all tests). Metering was different between the cameras, so I manually matched the exposure settings between the two.

(Excuse the mess, I just moved to a new apt).



I think it's pretty clear that my K-5 is showing much more flare than my K-7, even without filters in place. In all cases, the filters seem to make things worse, tightening the ghosts into brighter spots, but the K-7 is easily outclassing the K-5 on this front. Which it shouldn't be. I'm set to return this puppy for exchange unless anyone can convince me I'm crazy.

[Lowell Goudge]

How are processing these? A the settings the same

[v5planet]

How are processing these? A the settings the same

These are all straight from camera, identical settings. Resampled to 450x300px and plopped into the grid. Ambient light (through closed blinds on north facing window on overcast day) shifted slightly while photographing the FA43 on the K-7. Otherwise things were as similar as they could be.

[Lowell Goudge]

You know, on second thought, although not a modern lens by any means, I had a reflection like this with my Tamron 200-500/5.6 on my K5

See the photos in this post of the yellow warbler

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/lens-sample-photo-archive/164138-tamron-a...ml#post2087889

[Lowell Goudge]

These are all straight from camera, identical settings. Resampled to 450x300px and plopped into the grid. Ambient light (through closed blinds on north facing window on overcast day) shifted slightly while photographing the FA43 on the K-7. Otherwise things were as similar as they could be.

If anything I would say that the flare is sharper in the K5 but otherwise it is there on both

[v5planet]

You know, on second thought, although not a modern lens by any means, I had a reflection like this with my Tamron 200-500/5.6 on my K5

See the photos in this post of the yellow warbler

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/lens-sample-photo-archive/164138-tamron-a...ml#post2087889

Well, ghosting/flare happens with all lenses in the right conditions. The shots I posted are something of a torture test -- bright light source at close range in a dark room. You can see flare in all of the K-7 photos. What's striking to me is how much worse it is on my K-5... It was bad enough to notice easily on the live preview image during casual shooting in the field, using the same lenses on a subject I've shot half a dozen times under similar conditions without any notable issue.

[vonBaloney]

Try shooting a uniform subject (like a gray card), brightly lit, but without any of the lights pointing towards the camera like you've been doing -- just a well-illuminated subject that is even. Do you see an weirdness or hotspots -- they may be more likely when you stop down to f16 or so. Try setting the lens at infinity (even if subject is 2 feet away) and as close as it gets. I've got a few lenses with reflection problems and doing that I can usually generate hotspots (aperture shaped) on a even subject even without pointing a light source right into the lens. Of course those are definitely lens problems, and you seem to have a camera problem, but see if you can't create a more general problem rather than just direct flare.

If you can't figure it out, I'd take it back -- that's not right. But give it a good rocket blowing to make sure there isn't just a stray piece of glitter in there or something...

[v5planet]

Try shooting a uniform subject (like a gray card), brightly lit, but without any of the lights pointing towards the camera like you've been doing -- just a well-illuminated subject that is even. Do you see an weirdness or hotspots -- they may be more likely when you stop down to f16 or so. Try setting the lens at infinity (even if subject is 2 feet away) and as close as it gets. I've got a few lenses with reflection problems and doing that I can usually generate hotspots (aperture shaped) on a even subject even without pointing a light source right into the lens. Of course those are definitely lens problems, and you seem to have a camera problem, but see if you can't create a more general problem rather than just direct flare.

If you can't figure it out, I'd take it back -- that's not right. But give it a good rocket blowing to make sure there isn't just a stray piece of glitter in there or something...

I might try a few more things, but I'm getting close to the 200 shutter actuation limit on items returned to B&H. :-)

I'm convinced there's a problem, so it'll go back.

[photodudeny1]

It sucks to be you

[v5planet]

It sucks to be you

I know, I know.

[Ex Finn.]

The K-5 and DA 15ltd seem to struggle with bright point sources that are not centered in the image. The rear element is "In your face" close to the sensor, wrecking havoc with reflections. These samples do not seem as extreme as yours.

edit: adding a crop of first image.