Basic interpretation of color negatives?

[BetterSense]

Any tips on distinguishing a successful color negative on a light box? That is, a negative worth attempting to learn printing with, or worth sending out to a full-service lab? I figure it should be pretty simple matter of ensuring there is density in the shadows that I care about, and making sure it's sharp and in focus with a loupe, and that the image is what I wanted (no lens caps or fingers in the picture). Then there is the matter of color, but it seems like as long as I shot the film in daylight, the color basically be in a correctable state. Is that right?

Once upon a time, when I wanted to shoot color film I would shoot color slide film and send it away to get developed. When I got it back, I would look at the slides, and it was easy to tell if I liked them. 35mm slides can be projected, at least. But with medium format and 4x5 slides, there wasn't much I could do with them, because I can't print Cibachrome in my darkroom, I can't afford to send the film to a custom Cibachrome lab just for vacation pictures (can anyone recommend one just in case), and I haven't had any luck finding a full-service digital lab that will scan slide film and provide corrected digital prints. For color, I wouldn't mind digital prints, but labs seem to sell scanning services and digital printing services separately, and I don't want to think about it.

 

[Tim Gray]

Since I get thumbnail scans of my color negatives, and then do a real scan of the ones I want to keep, take this with a grain of salt. Personally, I think if the negative is sharp enough, which can be determined on the light table and with a loupe, I like the composition, and it's properly exposed, then it's good to go. All of these can be determined easily by inspection.

I keep a mental list of where some of this stuff was shot, in good or bad lighting, etc., that gives me an idea of what the color might be like. But yes, as long you shot in approximately the right color temperature (daylight for daylight films, tungsten for tungsten films), you should be able to color correct while printing.

 

[perkeleellinen]

I make contact prints with my colour negs and these give me a good indication of things like colour and composition. To check focus, I just put the neg in the enlarger and see how it look on the base board. I suppose if you wanted to just check the negative you could at least see the composition and focus (with the lupe's help). I've never had any weird colour casts but then I always use fresh film and shoot in daylight.

 

[Photo Engineer]

If you have a set of Wratten filters (R/G/B types like 98, 99, and 70) you can view the negative through each of these. If a white is the same in all 3 filters and a black is the same, then the negative at least has good balance. If the highlight details and shadow details that you want show up through the filters then the negative is properly exposed.

Other than that, you learn by experience. I can now read a negative by naked eye.

PE

 

[mts]

You learn best by printing images taken of the MacBeth chart and comparing with the original chart. You learn a lot about how various films render color this way too. The "perfect" print that has good white & greyscale will quite likely have good primary colors but be slightly off in some of the mixed chart colors.

 

[Photo Engineer]

You learn best by printing images taken of the MacBeth chart and comparing with the original chart. You learn a lot about how various films render color this way too. The "perfect" print that has good white & greyscale will quite likely have good primary colors but be slightly off in some of the mixed chart colors.

That is the ideal way provided you have a color chart with gray scale. Couple that with the filter method described above. That is even better. Then the chart gives you a great reference for the rest of the negatives on the roll too.

PE