Camera leaking light, bad development or just underexposed images?

Ste_S · Aug 9, 2018

benjiboy said:
I have a light meter app in my smartphone too Thomas, but I don't use it because it underexposes by about two stops as well, so it's about as much use as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. I suggest you buy yourself a modern digital light meter made by Sekonic or Gossen.

I shoot with an iPhone app (myLightMeter or ASLightMeter) to meter for my meter-less medium format cameras and have had zero issues with exposure.
They're normally pretty good as long as you 'spot' meter for the shadows for C41/B&W

glbeas · Aug 9, 2018

I would question the lab quality except the fact the lightstruck frame the fogged area looked like it had plenty of density. Only other avenue is to have the camera checked for accuracy. Timing on the shutter may be dead and defaulting to the highest speed.

Thomas Hyttel · Aug 9, 2018

I will get the new roll back from the lab today. The roll was a new fujicolor pro 400H (not a portra 400) - the next one is portra 400 and I used a real lightmeter.
This was the best I could do with backlightning of the negatives right now. The fames look very underexposed?

Old-N-Feeble · Aug 9, 2018

You're right, those too are extremely underexposed.

MattKing · Aug 9, 2018

They do all appear to be extremely under-exposed backlit scenes. Backlighting tends to fool meters, but if the subjects were in sun and not deep shade then the exposure settings you remembered should give better results.
One problem with discussing light meter apps is that it is the app + the phone that does the metering. For that reason, one person's phone may very well function differently than another person's phone using the same app.
I'd try a roll in even light - a cloudy day is perfect. If those exposures come out well, I'd look to a combination of my metering techniques and the peculiarities of my cel phone as meter.
Otherwise, it may be a problem with your camera and lens.

Sirius Glass · Aug 9, 2018

Old-N-Feeble said:
You're right, those too are extremely underexposed.

MattKing said:
They do all appear to be extremely under-exposed backlit scenes. Backlighting tends to fool meters, but if the subjects were in sun and not deep shade then the exposure settings you remembered should give better results.
One problem with discussing light meter apps is that it is the app + the phone that does the metering. For that reason, one person's phone may very well function differently than another person's phone using the same app.
I'd try a roll in even light - a cloudy day is perfect. If those exposures come out well, I'd look to a combination of my metering techniques and the peculiarities of my cel phone as meter.
Otherwise, it may be a problem with your camera and lens.

Yes, underexposed.

Agulliver · Aug 10, 2018

If you look at the edge characters describing the film type and frame numbers, they are nice and vivid while the photographic negatives themselves are very thin. That indicates that the lab probably processed the film well, and your negs were extremely under exposed as others have said.

Either the light meter was giving bad information, though from your description you'd still be in the ballpark, or there's an issue with your camera or with your use of the camera. You sound like you have a good idea of what you should be doing, so I'm edging towards the idea that it's the camera at fault.

Camera leaking light, bad development or just underexposed images?