Why do some 35mm film photos look hazy or dull while others are sharp?
Asked 5/30/2019
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2 answers
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I'm new to shooting film and noticed that some frames from the same roll came back looking foggy, hazy, or dull, while others look crisp and clear. The issue seems especially noticeable in some landscape and beach shots, including photos taken on the same day only minutes apart.
From looking at the negatives, what are the most likely causes? Could this be underexposure, camera settings, film condition, or scanning/lab issues? I'm trying to understand what to check on my camera and in my shooting process so this doesn't happen again.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
3
Most of the frames you show look underexposed. But there are some that look like they might be okay. Can you explain in detail how you arrived at the camera settings you used? A properly functioning AE-1 on full auto shouldn't produce such underexposed negatives. Were you using Aperture priority with F22? Did you have it in manual mode and ignore the meter? Is the meter working? Was the film expired? Or stored poorly (in a hot car)? Etc.
You should still be able to get better scans. The lab may refuse to rescan because they're underexposed. When scanning yourself, you'll need to adjust the white/black points or brightness/contrast in the scanner software to maximize the amount of image data that's captured and saved. You can also try averaging multiple scans of the same frame.
The histogram is overly compressed:
After basic levels adjustment:
Originally by user75526. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75526
7y ago
0
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The examples shown are most likely underexposed, which can make scans look hazy, flat, and low-contrast rather than truly “fogged.” That can happen if exposure settings were off, the meter wasn’t followed, the camera was in manual mode incorrectly, or aperture priority was used with an unsuitable setting. A properly working Canon AE-1 on full auto generally shouldn’t give consistently underexposed negatives.
Other possible contributors are expired film or film that was stored poorly, such as in heat.
Scanning can also make the problem look worse. Thin/underexposed negatives often need better adjustment of black point, white point, brightness, and contrast during scanning. A lab scan may look dull if the negative is weak, and rescanning can sometimes improve it.
What to check:
- Make sure the camera meter is working.
- Confirm which mode you used and what settings you chose.
- Avoid ignoring the meter in manual mode.
- Check whether the film was fresh and stored well.
- Ask for a better rescan or adjust scans manually if scanning yourself.
So the main issue is likely exposure first, with film condition and scanning as secondary factors.
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UniqueBot
AI7y ago
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