{"id":6934,"date":"2021-12-07T09:31:15","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T08:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=6934"},"modified":"2024-04-21T11:32:03","modified_gmt":"2024-04-21T10:32:03","slug":"best-lenses-for-sunstars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/best-lenses-for-sunstars\/","title":{"rendered":"Best lenses for Sunstars"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"sunstar
Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 | f\/11 | 10 straight blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The shape and appearance of sunstars is very important for landscape and architecture photographers. For some of them, they are even a defining element in their photos. Sunstars can appear around strong point light sources under certain circumstances, in this article I will talk about how to get them and how certain lenses (being more specific: number and shape of aperture blades) can influence their rendering.
\nLast update:<\/strong> December 2021<\/em><\/p>\n

Sample Images<\/h2>\n
\"sunstar
Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 | f\/5.6 | 10 straight blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"sunstar
Zeiss Loxia 35mm 2.0 | f\/11 | 10 straight blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"sunstar
Zeiss ZM 35mm 1.4 Distagon | f\/11 | 10 straight blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n\n

The basics<\/h2>\n

There are a two\u00a0principles you should know when it comes to sunstars:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. An even number of aperture blades will give you the same even number of rays<\/strong>. For example a lens with 6 aperture blades will draw a 6-pointed star. An odd number of aperture blades will result in twice as many rays<\/strong>. For example 7 aperture blades will result in a 14-pointed star.<\/li>\n
  2. Straight<\/strong> blades will give you better defined rays<\/strong> compared to rounded ones.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Technical Background<\/h3>\n

    Each aperture blade flicks light in two directions (radially from the center of the diaphragm outside and inside). With an even number of aperture blades\u00a0 two rays (of blades that are opposed to each other) overlap, this is the reason for an even number of aperture blades “x” yielding an even number of also “x” rays and an uneven number of “y” rays will yield an even number of 2 times “y” rays.<\/p>\n

    Furthermore: \u00a0Straight blades will give you better defined rays compared to rounded ones.<\/p>\n

    If this was to abstract for you let me show you a few examples:<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Voigtlander VM 50mm 1.5 Nokton | f\/11 | 10 straight blades (crop)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm 1.5<\/a> has what I consider very good sunstars. The 10 straight aperture blades will give you sunstars with 10 well defined\u00a0 rays which blend in nicely with the scene.<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Leica Summicron 90mm 2.0 pre Asph | f\/11 | 11 inwardly curved blades (crop)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The Leica Summicron 90mm 2.0 pre Asph<\/a> with its 11 inwardly curved blades renders the point light sources quite different, as you get very small sunstars with 22 rays. In the crops things don’t look that bad, but check out this comparison of the two photos as a whole:<\/p>\n

    <\/div>
    \nBefore: Voigtlander 50mm 1.5 Nokton \/ After: Leica Summicron 90mm 2.0 pre Asph (panorama)
    \n<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

    I think the sunstars the Voigtlander produces really add to the scene while the Leica’s look rather mushy by comparison.<\/p>\n

    Lenses with many aperture blades (and especially the ones with not so tight tolerances) might not be able to produce sunstars at all, as can be seen here with the Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0<\/a> (the Jupiter-3 50mm 1.5<\/a> shows quite similar behaviour):<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0 | f\/11 | 15 rounded blades (crop)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Also keep in mind this is a highly subjective topic, so you may not like what I like and vice versa.<\/p>\n

    How to get sunstars in my photos?<\/h3>\n

    First of all you need a strong point light source against a dark background. Street lamps at night for example will easily produce sunstars:<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Zeiss ZM 35mm 1.4 Distagon | f\/11 | 10 straight blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    During day hours even the sun against the sky alone will produce sunstars:<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Nikon AF-S 24mm 1.4G | f\/8.0 | 9 rounded blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Placing the point light source near an edge of something darker will most of the time yield very nice sunstars as well:<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 | f\/11 | 10 straight blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Furthermore you should stop down your lens. Most lenses only show sunstars stopped down a lot (Loxia 21mm 2.8 and Voigtlander 15mm 4.5E III being some of the exceptions here) and sunstars become bigger the more you stop your lens down. You often have to trade a nicer sunstar\u00a0for a less sharp images because many lenses need to be stopped down to at least f\/11 for nice sunstars.
    \nBut you shouldn’t overdo it. Sunstars can also be distracting if used without care, as can be seen in this example:<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 | f\/8.0 | 10 straight blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Examples of different aperture constructions<\/h2>\n

    Overview<\/h3>\n

    Some manufacturers settled on a certain number and shape of blades for their lenses, while it seems others just use whatever comes to mind. I will give you a short overview and try to show you some examples after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
    Diaphragm Blades<\/th>Can be found in<\/th>Number of Rays<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    3<\/td>Rollei QBM lenses<\/td>6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    5<\/td>Some wide Laowa lenses
    \nSome old SLR lenses
    \nwider Jupiter lenses<\/td>    		10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    6<\/td>Many old SLR lenses, e.g.:
    \nMinolta MD
    \nContax\/Yashica
    \nsome new UWA lenses (Samyang 14mm 2.8)<\/td>    		6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    7<\/td>Many (D)SLR lenses (old an new)
    \ncheaper FE lenses
    \ncheaper Sigma lenses<\/td>    		14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    8<\/td>Many Canon EF lenses
    \nsome Leica lenses<\/td>    		8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    9<\/td>Pro Nikon lenses (especially tele lenses)
    \nSigma Art lenses
    \nPro Sony lenses
    \nZeiss Batis and Milvus lenses<\/td>    		18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    10<\/td>Zeiss Loxia and ZM lenses
    \nMost modern Voigtlander VM and E-mount lenses
    \nSome Pentax\/Tokina lenses<\/td>    		10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    11<\/td>Some Sony GM lenses
    \nSome Leica lenses<\/td>    		22<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    12<\/td>Some Voigtlander lenses<\/td>12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    15<\/td>Some Laowa Argus lenses
    \nOlder normal to long Jupiter lenses
    \nSome old Leica lenses<\/td>    		none<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

    5 blades<\/h3>\n

    5 blades have been rather uncommon, but lately Laowa adapted a design with 5 aperture blades to archieve nice sunstars:<\/p>\n

    \"laowa
    Sony A7rII | Laowa 9mm 5.6 | f\/8.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Some reviews of lenses with 5 aperture blades:<\/span>
    \n<\/em><\/strong>Laowa 9mm 5.6<\/a>
    \n    Laowa 10-18mm 4.5-5.6<\/a>
    \n    Pentax K SMC 28mm 1:3.5<\/a>
    \n    Jupiter-12 35mm 2.8<\/a><\/p>\n

    6 blades<\/h3>\n

    Some modern UWA lenses (like the Samyang 14mm 2.8 MF MKI<\/a>) but also many old lenses like most of the Contax\/Yashica and the Minolta MD lenses feature only 6 straight blades which will give you sunstars like these:<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Samyang 14mm 2.8 | f\/11 | 6 slightly curved blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"sunstar
    Samyang 14mm 2.8 | f\/11 | 6 slightly curved blades (crop)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    I am not a fan of these as I think they can be very distracting and just look whacky by comparison.<\/p>\n

    Some reviews of lenses with 6 aperture blades:<\/span>
    \n<\/em><\/strong>    Samyang 14mm 2.8 MF<\/a>
    \n    Canon FD 20mm 2.8<\/a>
    \nCanon new FD 24mm 1:2.8
    \n<\/a>    Minolta MC Rokkor 50mm 1:1.4<\/a><\/p>\n

    7 blades<\/h3>\n

    Nikon and Sony are using 7 aperture blades on their “lesser” lenses, like most of the 1.8G series from Nikon and the likes of FE 50mm 1.8<\/a> or FE 50mm 2.8 macro<\/a> from Sony:<\/p>\n

    \"Sony
    Sony FE 50mm 1.8 | f\/11 | 7 slightly rounded blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"sunstar
    Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f\/11 | 7 rounded blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G<\/a> is considered to offer a very nice rendering of sunstars among Nikon users. Honestly I fail to comprehend this claim and think the main reason for it is that many Nikon users don’t know there a lenses that can do better.
    \nSidenote:<\/em> Every time I look at this shot I wish I already owned the Loxia 21mm 2.8 at that time.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    Some reviews of lenses with 7 aperture blades:<\/span>
    \n<\/em><\/strong>    Laowa 12mm 2.8
    \n<\/a>    Sony FE 16-35mm 4.0 ZA OSS<\/a>
    \n<\/a>    Nikon 75-150mm 3.5 Series E<\/a><\/p>\n

    8 blades<\/h3>\n

    Canon decided to use 8 slighty rounded aperture blades in most of their lenses. This is a bit of a goldilocks approach, as sunstars are quite decent as is bokeh stopped down a little. This shot was taken with the Canon EF 70-200mm 4.0L USM<\/a>:<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Canon EF 70-200mm 4.0L | 70mm f\/11 | 8 slightly rounded blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Some reviews of lenses with 8 aperture blades:<\/span>
    \n<\/em><\/strong>    Canon new FD 50 mm 1:1.4<\/a>
    \n    Zeiss Sonnar 2.8\/90 T*<\/a>
    \n    Canon EF 135mm 2.0L<\/a><\/p>\n

    9 blades<\/h3>\n

    Nikon settled for 9 rounded blades with their pro lenses, (Sony takes a similar approach with their FE lenses, but threw in 11 rounded blades for most lenses of their GM line except for the 2.8\/24-70 GM<\/a> that uses 9), Zeiss Batis lenses also feature 9 rounded ones. This is good for bokeh stopped down as light circles stay pretty much round, but frankly not the best choice for sunstars in my opinion.<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Zeiss Batis 18mm 2.8 | f\/11 | 9 rounded blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The sunstars produced by the Zeiss Batis 18mm 2.8<\/a> therefore show 18-pointed sunstars. Sidenote: if you are deciding between the Batis 18mm 2.8 and the Loxia 21mm 2.8 give this a little more thought than the meaningless differences in sharpness we get asked about a lot.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Some reviews of lenses with 9 aperture blades:<\/span>
    \n<\/em><\/strong>    Sony FE 24-70mm 2.8 GM<\/a>
    \n    Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED<\/a>
    \n    Zhong Yi Mitakon 50mm 0.95 Dark Knight<\/a><\/p>\n

    10 blades<\/h3>\n

    10 straight blades are my preferred choice when it comes to the rendering of sunstars. Zeiss uses them in their ZM and Loxia lines, Voigtlander for their newer VM and E-mount range and Pentax for some of their limited lenses.<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Zeiss Loxia 35mm 2.0 | f\/8.0 | 10 straight blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Some reviews of lenses with 10 aperture blades:<\/span>
    \n<\/em><\/strong>    Voigtl\u00e4nder 15mm 4.5 E Super Wide Heliar<\/a>
    \n    Voigtl\u00e4nder Ultron 28mm 2.0<\/a>
    \n    Zeiss Loxia 35mm 2.0<\/a><\/p>\n

    11 blades<\/h3>\n

    Many Leica-M lenses feature 11 aperture blades as do most of Sony’s GM lenses. Not the best choice for nice sunstars.<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Leica Summicron 90mm 2.0 pre Asph | f\/11 | 11 inwardly curved blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Some reviews of lenses with 11 aperture blades:<\/span>
    \n<\/em><\/strong>    Leica 90mm 2.0 Summicron M<\/a>
    \n    Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM<\/a><\/p>\n

    12 blades<\/h3>\n

    Some of the later Voigtlander lenses feature 12 instead of 10 blades. The sunstars may be slightly less pronounced, but they are still nice to look at.<\/p>\n

    \"review
    Sony A7rII | Voigtlander VM 50mm 1.2 Nokton | f\/8.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Some reviews of lenses with 12 aperture blades:
    \n<\/em><\/strong>    Voigtlander VM 35mm 1.2 Nokton III<\/a>
    \n    Voigtlander 50mm 1.2 Nokton E<\/a><\/p>\n

    15 blades<\/h3>\n

    Some recent fast Laowa lenses and some of the old Jupiter lenses feature 15 rounded aperture blades and I think also some older Leica lenses do. As written above: it is quite difficult getting sunstars with these lenses and if you do they don’t look exactly great:<\/p>\n

    \"sunstar
    Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0 | f\/11 | 15 rounded blades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Some reviews of lenses with 15 aperture blades:<\/span>
    \n<\/em><\/strong>    Laowa 35mm 0.95<\/a>
    \n    Jupiter-3 50mm 1.5
    \n<\/a>    Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0<\/a><\/p>\n

    Special case: Voigtl\u00e4nder 35\/50mm 2.0 APO<\/h3>\n

    Voigtlander has always used straight aperture blades in the E-mount lenses. First 10, later 12-bladed resulting in very defined sunstars even if the lens is stopped down only a little, as you could see above. The upside of that were sunstars for those who enjoed them and the downside where that you couldn’t avoid the sunstars and negative effects on bokeh. Cosina has further improved on the aperture design, resulting in an aperture diaphragm that yields perfectly round highlights not only at f\/2 but also at f\/2.8 yet offers well defined sunstars stopped down further. As of December ’21 the only two lenses featuring such an aperture construction are the Voigtlander 50mm 2.0 Apo-Lanthar<\/a> and the Voigtl\u00e4nder 35mm 2.0 Apo-Lanthar<\/a>.<\/p>\n