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The Filter Flare Factor
Do you use a "protective filter" on your lens? I encourage you to take that filter off your lens and leave it off.
This is, of course, one of those perpetual nit-picky arguments photographers indulge in. You know, like whether Nikon or Canon is better, whether Leica lenses are worth it, whether you should use a tripod with 35mm, and so forth. This is just my answer for it, and may not be yours. But I'll make my case.
In the old days, often the objectives (front elements) of lenses were made out of glass so soft that merely by cleaning it overenthusiastically you could make tiny scratches on it. (Especially if –and this shows the changing of social customs over time –you were in the habit of rubbing your lens with the end of your tie, as many working photojournalists did in ye olden days when men almost always wore ties when appearing in public.) Also in past times, lenses passed UV light, which could throw off TTL (through-the-lens) light ...

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