Schneider-itis: The Perennial Problem

[Alan Klein]

No, but you can make yourself sick with worry about it. It's a popular pastime among Schneider lens owners.

Just when I almost stopped worrying about Covid, I now have something else to worry about.

[BrianShaw]

Not just Schneider can be infected, there is Rodenstock-itis, Fujinon-itis and many others can be infected by the same -itis..

Having been round enough lenses with -itis, this kind of infection is not worth getting worked up about. If there is a nano amount of contrast degradation and this nano amount of contrast degradation "makes or bust" your image, gotta wonder.


Bernice

Agree. My Schneider 210 Symmar has a fair amount of Schneideritis but I’ve not noticed degradation compared to the performance I remember when it was new. Perhaps some are much more critical than me… that would not be surprising.

[xkaes]

And some people just like to look for that needle in that haystack.

It's there, somewhere, damn it.

[John Layton]

Jeesh...now I'll start having weird dreams that Shneideritis is communicable to humans - and I'll wake up covered with white spots!

[Michael R]

I’m not an expert on this paint-itis issue, but anecdotally at least it does historically seem to be more of a problem with Schneider than the others. In any case, even if it does not increase flare, it is at the very least an annoying thing to see happen to something that isn’t exactly a bargain basement type of product.

Not just Schneider can be infected, there is Rodenstock-itis, Fujinon-itis and many others can be infected by the same -itis..

Having been round enough lenses with -itis, this kind of infection is not worth getting worked up about. If there is a nano amount of contrast degradation and this nano amount of contrast degradation "makes or bust" your image, gotta wonder.


Bernice

[xkaes]

I think a bigger problem is if you want to sell a lens that has Xitis -- even just a little.

I know it's hard to imagine ever selling one of your lenses, but sometimes things happen -- and a lens with a bad case if Xitis will be hard to "unload", so you might as well keep it.

The only bright spot is that you can find some really good lenses for really good prices because they happen to have a little bit of Xitis.

[Ari]

No, but you can make yourself sick with worry about it. It's a popular pastime among Schneider lens owners.

Having been round enough lenses with -itis, this kind of infection is not worth getting worked up about. Bernice

Agree. My Schneider 210 Symmar has a fair amount of Schneideritis but I’ve not noticed degradation compared to the performance I remember when it was new. Perhaps some are much more critical than me… that would not be surprising.

And some people just like to look for that needle in that haystack.

Well, aren't you guys too cool for school!

I've owned a few lenses with this issue, but never bothered fixing it because it never presented as a problem in real-world shooting. Also, those tended to be pretty cheap and easily-replaceable lenses.
But the front element here is 5 inches across, and the bubbles start right at the edge of the glass.
Tilt the lens a little bit and it lights up, the bubbles are reflecting back into the lens quite severely, light is bouncing into the lens from everywhere it's not supposed to.

When I bought the lens a number of years ago, it had minimal X-itis, but it's going in a full-blown direction now.
The last shot I took with it, 2 weeks ago, I noticed I had to apply quite a bit of contrast compared to previous shots. That "De-Haze" slider got a good workout.

And last but not least, our resident lens designer confirmed:

Definitely impacts contrast, yep.

It's getting fixed.

I think a bigger problem is if you want to sell a lens that has Xitis -- even just a little.

I know it's hard to imagine ever selling one of your lenses, but sometimes things happen -- and a lens with a bad case if Xitis will be hard to "unload", so you might as well keep it.

I don't plan on selling this lens, so my issue isn't re-sale value, just having the lens working properly and tackling a problem before it gets much worse (it will).

[paulbarden]

Sometimes, those Schneider lenses can benefit from a bit less contrast. Just sayin'.

[Ari]

Agreed, Paul, except for this lens.
I shoot buildings and urban stuff with it.
If it were a portrait lens, I might not go to any trouble to fix the problem.

[John Layton]

A very interesting thread...the first I can think of which actually offers some amount verification that this issue can indeed, at least if its progressed beyond a certain point (and depending on a few variables) affect visible results.

Kind of makes me wish that Schneider could have stepped up to the plate years ago to address this more thoroughly.