Removing the Vignette from 18-85 at 18

[Glen David Miller]

I'm in Los Angeles. I own a Red 18-85 zoom. It vignettes at 18 to 19mm.

I want to send it out somewhere to get the corners of the lens hood cut (machined) away so the 18mm setting is clear of the vignette.

Any suggestions who can do this work and do a good job? Someone at Red perhaps? :D

-Glen

[Marc Wielage]

You could ask somebody at Clairmont Camera (818-761-4440), but I dunno... You sure this is a lens hood problem and not something else?

[Glen David Miller]

The hood is getting in the way in the corners. Seems something could be out of alignment, but, wouldn't "they" have seen that at the factory? Then again, I would have thought the same thing about the engineering of lens itself - if that is the problem.

Given that the hood seems to be the issue, what else might it be?

-Glen

[Robert Hart]

If you shove a small bright object inside the obscuring area of the hood can you see it when the lens is at f16 or thereabouts? If not, the vignette may be within the lens and may remain there after you have munted the lens hood. The hood obstruction and an internal vignette may be coincident. If a piece of white paper is not bright enough, try a TOSLINK ( digital fibre-optic ) cable end with a small torch shining into the port bulb at the other end to create a small bright light spot probe. You might just find a TOSLINK handy as a small localised illuminator for macro imaging as well.

[Mark Toia]

Shoot in 4k :)

Stupid as it sounds... its the best. I do it with a lot of PL glass that nips the corners.
Cookes, Ziess... you name it, they are still out there.

Remembering that 4k is still ridiculously amazing!!

[Sam Edwards]

You could shoot a white frame and divide in post.

[Glen David Miller]

Hello all. Here's my simple test. I'm touching the lens hood with my finger. When the lens is at 18mm, I see the corners of the vignette. When I roll my finger slightly forward just mm's past the hood down into the line of sight, I see my finger. :D So, I'm 99.9% certain it's the hood.

I've jut gotten in the habit of shooting at 20mm which is still wider than the 4K crop.

That said, I wish I could get my hands on a nice 17mm PL! That's my favorite.

-Glen