Haha I do that too!
First lot of photos came back - where did I go wrong?
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Haha I do that too!
I not only send $3US for each download, I sometimes send him money just because he is a valuable asset.
I've done more than enough underexposing to be convinced from the very start this was the case. However, my comment was not concerning this present issue, but a general reply to not having the negatives to prove to the lab guy that they screwed up.
That looks like pretty severe underexposure. Maybe the shutter is stuck at 1/2000 of a second.
You can try some simple tests without film in the camera. Try the low shutter speeds like 1 second up to 1/15 of a second. You can tell by the shutter sound if it's about the right speed. Anything above 1/60 of a second will sound the same, so this check is only for the slower speeds. If the slow speeds all sound the same, then the shutter isn't working properly.
You should also be able to fire the shutter with the back open, to see if the shutter is opening properly at slow speeds. It should also be possible to see if the aperture is closing down properly.
If it seems to be working properly on manual settings, you can switch to auto and try that too. Inside your house the light levels are pretty low, so the auto shutter speed should be low if the aperture is set to f8. You should be able to hear the shutter at slow speeds.
You can try some simple tests without film in the camera. Try the low shutter speeds like 1 second up to 1/15 of a second. You can tell by the shutter sound if it's about the right speed. Anything above 1/60 of a second will sound the same, so this check is only for the slower speeds. If the slow speeds all sound the same, then the shutter isn't working properly.
You should also be able to fire the shutter with the back open, to see if the shutter is opening properly at slow speeds. It should also be possible to see if the aperture is closing down properly.
If it seems to be working properly on manual settings, you can switch to auto and try that too. Inside your house the light levels are pretty low, so the auto shutter speed should be low if the aperture is set to f8. You should be able to hear the shutter at slow speeds.
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I am not a betting person but I wager it is not the lab's fault, either processing or scanning.
It's the camera exposure and maybe the film.
Have a look at the second image (see here)
The image appears underexposed and there is a magenta cast to the top and bottom of the frame. This is usually associated with out of date film and/or poor storage (temperature fluctuations).
@eeellieee Was the film in date? And if our of date, do you know how long it was?
It's the camera exposure and maybe the film.
Have a look at the second image (see here)
The image appears underexposed and there is a magenta cast to the top and bottom of the frame. This is usually associated with out of date film and/or poor storage (temperature fluctuations).
@eeellieee Was the film in date? And if our of date, do you know how long it was?
This is the important thing. Don't give up because one roll turned out bad. Solve the problem, then get a good roll, and you will feel good about what you are doing. Sometimes when I get a nold (nold = new old) camera, I have to go through a learning curve with it and the initial results are sometimes very disappointing. The key is to go through that learning curve.
In my camera I use aperture priority and on this setting the camera via its meter chooses the appropriate shutter speed for that chosen aperture in line with the lighting conditions. The meter seems to always ensure that I get correct exposure via the correct shutter speed for the prevailing light and my chosen aperture
I have a Pentax MZ7. Does aperture priority operate differently on the Chinon? If it doesn't then unless the meter is faulty or fails to send the correct info that results in the shutter speed I'd have thought that aperture priority should have given a better exposure that seems to be the case?
pentaxuser
A good tool is the slow-motion video mode in a smartphone. You can get a pretty detailed look at exactly how the shutter behaves.
I have gotten scans that look like this from outdated poorly stored films.
With your next roll, I suggest:
1) Read the manual
2) Use fresh film
3) Take a notebook with you
4) For each shot, shoot once in "auto" and once with manual settings determined by an external meter of some sort (phone meter should be OK)
5) Make sure exposure compensation is set to "0"
6) Make sure you get your negatives back.
With your next roll, I suggest:
1) Read the manual
2) Use fresh film
3) Take a notebook with you
4) For each shot, shoot once in "auto" and once with manual settings determined by an external meter of some sort (phone meter should be OK)
5) Make sure exposure compensation is set to "0"
6) Make sure you get your negatives back.
Great advice. This will tell you if the camera is accurate.
Your camera was a pretty good camera back in the day. It also uses the Pentax K mount so there is no end to the variety of lenses available for you to use.
I also do that with Photrio.
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Test your camera. Fresh battery and film. A roll of 36 exposures. Get an 18% gray card to include in the composition. Find an evenly lit subject and if possible use a tripod. Make sure your metering mode remains the same for all exposures (ie center weighted or the whole frame etc). Take the first 2 frames in the camera's AUTO. Take the next frames in APERTURE PREFERRED starting with your widest f stop (f2.8 or 3.5 whatever your lens has) change the f stop for each frame until you get to the least open (probably f22). Then change to SHUTTER PREFERRED and select say 1 second letting the camera set the aperture and go through one shutter setting at a time until the fastest maybe1000/sec. If there are any frames left you can test in MANUAL against your app but remember that the angle of acceptance may be different than that of your camera lens resulting in a different reading so it's best to test in a constant light. Do get your negatives back and if everything is working right all the negatives and prints should be pretty close to each other and the gray card should be very close in color to the actual card. Note that shutter speeds aren't always what they are so there can be some variations but you can tell if your camera is not the issue.
I have a sample image that is germane to this discussion, and I got to use the word "germane." Wheee! For this discussion, can we agree to leave the vignetting issue alone please? This image is not the worst from this roll, but my mistake was that I did not reset my ISO/ASA dial after switching film types (Delta 400 to Agfa APX25). Mistakes can happen to all of us. I managed to pile 3 issues into one roll, I'm trying to "get back on the horse" as they say.
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One of the ways to learn is by making mistakes. If one does not make mistakes, then they are not working at learning.
Looks like the OP has vacated. Too bad.
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