800 ISO - what did I do wrong?

[kshapero]

Ok, not too bad

Same exposure, just a few seconds later. What happened?

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I don't think it's the "same exposure". The in-camera light-meter got "confused" by the now-prominent brighter light source that is now in the center of the field of the second frame.

To your camera, it was the right automatic exposure; to us, the rest of the scene is underexposed.

 

[ferider]

Center-based AE with your ZI.

 

[ibcrewin]

did you try rescanning the second frame? How does the negative itself look?

I'd say somethings up with the camera. We're you in Av or M? Maybe the light in the BG fooled the meter at the last second.

 

[rogue_designer]

Are these lab scans, or scans you did of the negs? It could be an idiot at the wheel at the lab.

Also, as the others have pointed out, AE can be confused in such scenes. Were you in an AE mode? Or were you adjusting manually.

I'd check the negs and go from there.

 

[kshapero]

Wow, the negs look the same. The scans were from walgreens. I didn't think the Globe lamp would throw it off that much. usually I send film to a Prolab, but this bunch I wanted in hurry so I sent it to Walgreens. I guess if I was really in a hurry I should shoot digital.

 

[Keith]

Center-based AE with your ZI.

The metering of the ZI is actually biased toward the lower left of the frame and that light is slightly in that direction ... the Ikon's metering is not one of it's strong points IMO! 😛

 

[rogue_designer]

If the negs look pretty close, I'd try rescanning. It just looks to me like someone made a "correction" to the scan for you.

 

[kshapero]

The metering of the ZI is actually biased toward the lower left of the frame and that light is slightly in that direction ... the Ikon's metering is not one of it's strong points IMO! 😛

I do not agree. When I use 100-400 ISO film, the ZI metering is the most accurate I have ever used. I use the AE lock quite often. I think in this case the grain must have thrown the Fuji Frontier Scanner off, plus the globe moving into the center of the frame was unnoticed by me.

 

[Keith]

I do not agree. When I use 100-400 ISO film, the ZI metering is the most accurate I have ever used. I use the AE lock quite often. I think in this case the grain must have thrown the Fuji Frontier Scanner off, plus the globe moving into the center of the frame was unnoticed by me.

I can only compare the meter in my Ikon to my Hexar because the Hexar is my only other AE camera ... and the Konica wins hands down! 🙂

 

[jan normandale]

Akiva , FWIW I regularly obtain dismal results from colour 800 ISO film. If I use 400, 200, 100 I'm fine. I just don't have consistent results from 800, yet I know others (RayPA) use it regularly and obtain outstanding results. I'm equally confused by this phenomenon but it's there. I've stopped trying with 800.

As Gabriel has noted on this shot though it does look like your meter is on that light and it has blown out your image. Even digital will get confused there. EV compensation might be a consideration in similar circumstances or meter off the subjects face and lock the reading before shooting if you want to shoot 800.

 

[kshapero]

Akiva , FWIW I regularly obtain dismal results from colour 800 ISO film. If I use 400, 200, 100 I'm fine. I just don't have consistent results from 800, yet I know others (RayPA) use it regularly and obtain outstanding results. I'm equally confused by this phenomenon but it's there. I've stopped trying with 800.

As Gabriel has noted on this shot though it does look like your meter is on that light and it has blown out your image. Even digital will get confused there. EV compensation might be a consideration in similar circumstances or meter off the subjects face and lock the reading before shooting if you want to shoot 800.

Pretty much I have come to the same conclusions.

 

[ferider]

Jan, Akiva,

I also have difficulties with Superia 800. Very sensitive to the slightest
underexposure. If exposure is on, or above it works well.

A film that is easier (but harder to get) on exposure mistakes is NPZ.

Roland.

 

[lZr]

I worked a little bit with your permission, but can't add more light to

 

[MichaelW]

I scan a lot of film & colour neg scans often come out looking like your second example - flat & blue. They need to have adjustments made to the curves & perhaps some colour adjustment. Then they look great. I'd say the lab forgot to do that on this frame, esp as you say the negs look similar. Can't imagine that background light would have thrown the meter out by much & if it did underexpose you should see that neg being much thinner.

 

[furcafe]

Looks like a scanning issue to me, like when I accidentally leave Vuescan on the "auto" color setting. That hypothesis would be confirmed if the negs have the same density.

I think Fuji replaced NPZ last year w/Pro 800Z, which is presumably a "new & improved" emulsion, though I haven't been able to see a huge difference between the 2.

Jan, Akiva,

I also have difficulties with Superia 800. Very sensitive to the slightest
underexposure. If exposure is on, or above it works well.

A film that is easier (but harder to get) on exposure mistakes is NPZ.

Roland.