u/mozarell44

Hey everyone,

I recently took a trip to Japan and picked up a second-hand Nikon Zf along with the 40mm f/2 lens. Both were rated Grade A by the shop.

For some context, I’ve shot film for almost my entire life, but I finally decided it was time to give digital a serious try again. During my trip, I noticed a strange, prominent white arc flare showing up in quite a few of my shots.

Here is what I’ve observed so far:

• Landscape vs. Portrait orientation: It happens almost exclusively when I'm shooting landscapes. I haven't been able to find it happening in any of my vertical portrait shots yet.
• Sensor check: From the tests I’ve managed to do, it doesn’t seem to be coming from the camera sensor itself.
• No lens hood.

I know about vintage lens flare, but this digital mirrorless behavior is a bit new to me. Is this type of distinct arc glare just normal behavior for the 40mm pancake lens when it catches light at a certain angle without a hood? Or did I happen to buy a faulty copy of the lens that I need to look into?