Hotspots and Lens Issues

Hotspots are those ugly lighter discolorations at the center of false color infrared images resulting from incompatible lenses and camera bodies.  As a general rule (not absolute), most zoom lenses with an f/2.8 fixed aperture produce ‘hotspots’ when used to shoot false color I.R.  Again this is not absolute as some photographers shooting near-infrared claim that a Tokina 11-16mm. f/2.8 (dx) lens has hotspots when partnered with a Nikon D90 or Nikon D300s camera but works fine with a Nikon D40 and does not produce hotspots on false color images.

Hotspots may not be noticed when infrared images are converted to black and white but are seen in colored infrared photos

Here is a list of LENSES Without, With or Minimal Hotspots.  Take this list as a grain of salt as some lenses may work while others may not, depending on the camera bodies being used for infrared photography.

A. Fixed Focal Length Lenses

1. No hot-spot reports:
Canon 24 mm f/3.5 TS-E L
Canon 28 mm f/1.8 EF USM
Canon 28 mm f/2.8 EF
Canon 35 mm f/2 EF
Canon 50 mm f/1.8 EF
Canon 50 mm f/1.8 EF II
Canon 100 mm f/2 EF USM
Canon 100 mm f/2.8 EF Macro - Macro: 1:1
Canon 135 mm f/2 EF L USM
Canon 300 mm f/4 EF L USM
Carl Zeiss 25 mm f/2.8 Distagon T*
Nikon 14 mm f/2.8 AF-D ED
Nikon 20 mm f/2.8 AF
Nikon 20 mm f/2.8 [AI-S]
Nikon 20 mm f/2.8 AF-D
Nikon 20 mm f/3.5 [AI-S]
Nikon 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E D ED
Nikon 50 mm f/1.4 AF-D
Nikon 50 mm f/1.8 AF-D
Nikon 200 mm f/2 ED IF [AI-S]
Peleng 8 mm f/3.5 Fisheye
Sigma 105 mm f/2.8 EX DG AF Macro - Macro: 1:1
Sigma 105 mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro - Macro: 1:1

2.May produce a hot-spot, etc.
Canon 85 mm f/1.8 EF USM
Canon 200 mm f/2.8 EF L USM
Nikon 200 mm f/4 AF-D IF ED Micro - Macro: 1:1
Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 EX DC

3.Poor IR performance
Canon 20 mm f/2.8 EF USM
Canon 24 mm f/2.8 EF
Canon 50 mm f/1.4 EF USM
Canon 50 mm f/2.5 EF Macro - Macro: 1:2
Nikon 24 mm f/2.8 [AI, AI-S]
Nikon 24 mm f/2.8 AF-D
Nikon 28 mm f/2.8 [AI]
Nikon 28 mm f/2.8 [AI-S]
Nikon 35 mm f/1.4 [AI-S]
Nikon 35 mm f/1.8 G AF-S DX
Nikon 50 mm f/1.4 G AF-S
Nikon 50 mm f/1.8 G AF-S
Nikon 60 mm f/2.8 AF Micro - Macro: 1:1
Nikon 60 mm f/2.8 AF-D Micro - Macro: 1:1
Nikon 60 mm f/2.8 G AF-S ED Micro - Macro: 1:1
Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 Micro [AI-S] - Macro: 1:2
Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 Micro AF - Macro: 1:1
Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 Micro AF-D - Macro: 1:1
Sigma 70 mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro - Macro: 1:1

 B. Zoom Lenses

1. No hot-spot reports
Canon 10-22 mm f/3.5-4.5 EF-S USM
Canon 17-55 mm f/2.8 EF-S IS USM
Canon 24-70 mm f/2.8 EF L USM
Canon 24-105 mm f/4 EF L IS USM
Canon 28-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 EF IS USM
Canon 70-200 mm f/4 EF L USM
Canon 75-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Canon 80-200 mm f/2.8 L
Canon 100-300 mm f/5.6 L
Canon 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 EF L IS USM
Nikon 14-24 mm f/2.8 AF-S G IF-ED
Nikon 16-85 mm f/3.5-5.6 G AF-S DX ED VR
Nikon 17-55 mm f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S DX
Nikon 18-35 mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-D IF-ED
Nikon 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 G AF-S DX ED
Nikon 24-85 mm f/2.8-4 IF AF-D
Nikon 28-70 mm f/2.8 AF-S D IF ED
Nikon 28-80 mm f/3.3-5.6 G
Nikon 35-70 mm f/2.8 AF
Nikon 35-70 mm f/2.8 AF-D
Nikon 35-70 mm f/3.3-4.5 AF
Nikon 35-135 mm f/3.5-4.5 AF
Nikon 70-210 mm f/4-5.6 AF-D
Nikon 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR
Sigma 15-30 mm f/3.5-4.5 EX DG
Sigma 18-50 mm f/3.5-5.6 DC
Sigma 24-70 mm f/3.5-5.6 UC
Sigma 55-200 mm f/4-5.6 DC
Tokina 11-16 mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro IF SD DX

2. May produce a hot-spot, etc.
Canon 17-40 mm f/4 EF USM L
Canon 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 EF-S
Nikon 18-70 mm f/3.5-4.5 G IF ED AF-S DX
Nikon 18-105 mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED AF-S DX VR
Nikon 24-70 mm f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S
Sigma 10-20 mm f/4-5.6 EX HSM DC
Sigma 18-50 mm f/2.8 EX DC
Sigma 70-200 mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM
Tokina 28-200 mm f/3.5-5.3 SZ-X

3. Poor IR performance
Canon 16-35 mm f/2.8 EF L USM
Canon 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 EF-S IS
Canon 24-85 mm f/3.5-4.5 EF USM
Canon 28-70 mm f/2.8 L USM
Canon 35-80 mm f/4-5.6 EF USM
Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8 EF L IS USM
Nikon 12-24 mm f/4 AF-S G IF-ED DX
Panasonic 14-50 mm f/2.8-3.5 D OIS
Tamron 17-35 mm f/2.8-4 SP AF Di LD IF
Tamron 17-50 mm f/2.8 SP AF XR Di-II LD IF
Tamron 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 AF XR Di-II Macro
Tamron 28-75 mm f/2.8 XR Di LD
Tamron 28-300 mm f/3.5-6.3 AF XR Di LD Macro
Tamron 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 AF Di LD Macro
Tokina 12-24 mm f/4 AT-X Pro DX
Tokina 12-24 mm f/4 AT-X Pro DX II