Why are my Velvia 50 slides underexposed with a purple cast, and how can I avoid it?
Asked 2/11/2012
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I shot my first roll of Fujifilm Velvia 50 in a Nikon F100 using matrix metering. The processed slides/prints look underexposed, and many images have a noticeable purple/magenta tint, especially in snowy scenes. Why does this happen with Velvia 50, and what exposure technique should I use to get better results next time?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
5
The purple cast is typically Velvia - learn to love it, embrace it and you'll get some stunning results. The underexposure is a compound of two things - firstly your camera is compensating and trying to make the snow appear as a mid-tone, and secondly Velvia is known for being a bit slow, many people rate it at ISO 40 or even ISO 32.
When shooting Velvia remember that you've only got 4 stops of latitude, in order to record this scene properly I'd meter the snow with a spot-meter, and then pull this up to the highlight by over-exposing that by 2 stops. You'll then get far more detail in the dark areas, and your snow will be sparkly white.
Originally by user5304. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user5304
14y ago
0
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Two things are likely happening.
First, the purple/magenta cast is normal for Velvia 50. That film is known for a strong color bias and saturated look, so some of what you see is simply the film’s character.
Second, the underexposure is likely from metering a bright snowy scene with matrix metering. The meter tries to render snow as a midtone, which makes the exposure too dark unless you compensate. Velvia also has very little exposure latitude, so small metering errors show up clearly. Many photographers also rate Velvia 50 a bit slower than box speed, around ISO 40 or even 32.
To improve results:
- In snow or other very bright scenes, add exposure compensation rather than trusting the camera to average the scene.
- Better yet, spot meter the snow and place it about 2 stops brighter than the meter reading so it stays white instead of gray.
- Be extra careful with exposure because slide film like Velvia has limited latitude.
- Consider rating Velvia slightly slower than ISO 50 if your results consistently look dark.
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