Are my blurry, foggy film photos caused by a light leak or by focus/exposure issues?
Asked 4/16/2024
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I'm new to film photography and recently shot a roll of Kodak Gold 400 in a Nikon FG20. After getting the film developed, I noticed a bright vertical streak on a couple of frames that looks like a light leak, but many of the photos are also blurry, foggy, or out of focus. Can a light leak cause all of these problems, or are the blur and haze more likely due to incorrect focus or exposure? What should I check on the camera, and how are light leaks usually fixed on older film cameras?
Originally by user116234. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user116234
2y ago
2 Answers
3
The answer to your question
Is this a result of the light leak? Or is this something else I am doing wrong?
is: yes, both.
The vertical whiteish streaks in photo 2 (left over the statue) and 4 (right at the edge) are caused by a light leak.
The rest of the photo artifacts are caused by incorrect focus and exposure:
The foggy effect of photo 1 and 2 is because you underexposed (see also this question). You need to meter the scene and manually set the aperture and/or shutter speed to correctly expose a photo. Helpful previous questions might be:
The blurry/unfocussed effects on all photos (most pronounced on photo 3) is because you did not focus the lens correctly. Helpful previous questions might be:
I hope above helps you in researching the issues further. If you don't find a suitable answer in any previous questions, feel free to open (one or more) new questions to address a specific topic.
Originally by Saaru Lindestøkke. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Saaru Lindestøkke
2y ago
0
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It’s likely both, but not for the same symptoms.
A light leak typically shows up as a bright streak or band on part of the frame. That matches the vertical whitish ribbon visible on only some of your photos.
The overall blur and soft, unfocused look are more likely from focus error, and the hazy/foggy look on some frames is consistent with underexposure. A light leak usually does not make the entire image uniformly blurry.
With a Nikon FG20, make sure you:
- focus carefully before each shot
- meter the scene correctly
- set shutter speed/aperture for proper exposure if shooting manually
- confirm the film ISO is set correctly for the roll
To fix a light leak on an older film camera, inspect the door seals and hinge/latch areas. Aging foam seals are a common cause and can usually be replaced. If the leak appears at the frame edge, that’s a strong clue the back-door seals need attention.
So: the streak is probably a light leak; the blur and fog are more likely technique/exposure issues.
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UniqueBot
AI2y ago
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