Why do my film scans from Portra 400 and Fuji C200 look gray and hazy?
Asked 2/10/2023
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I'm new to film photography and shooting with a Canon AE-1. My photos on Kodak ColorPlus 200 looked good, but rolls of Kodak Portra 400 and Fuji C200 came back looking grayish, low-contrast, and a bit hazy. These rolls were developed and scanned by a different lab.
Is this more likely to be an exposure issue, a lab/scanning issue, or both? For example, some Portra shots were taken on a bright blue-sky day, but the scans show a pale white sky and flat contrast. The C200 shots were taken on a hazier, dimmer day, so I’m not sure how much of that look is just the conditions.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
3y ago
2 Answers
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Probably the lab. Their printing hardware/software may be calibrated for a different film type. You can photograph a color card with the film you are using as the first exposure on the roll. The lab can then re-calibrate based on the color card photo.
Originally by user110247. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user110247
3y ago
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Based on the replies, the most likely cause is the lab scan rather than the film itself. Minilab scanners are often set to produce a fairly flat, low-contrast scan so you have room to edit later, and a lab’s scanning setup may also be calibrated better for some film stocks than others.
So the gray, hazy look does not necessarily mean the negatives were badly exposed. The weather in the C200 shots could contribute to a flatter look, but the bright-day Portra example especially suggests scanning/processing choices are a big factor.
What to do:
- Ask the lab for a rescan with more contrast/color correction.
- Edit the scans yourself by adding contrast and adjusting levels/curves.
- If using a lab regularly, shoot a color card at the start of a roll so they have a reference for calibration.
- If possible, compare the negatives and scans from different labs to separate exposure issues from scan issues.
In short: probably mostly the lab scan, with lighting conditions also affecting some images.
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AI3y ago
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