Lens Issue: Outdoor Photos Look Like Faux Paintings

Andrew West · Sep 18, 2008

I'm using a Minolta Maxxum 5000 with a 35-80mm 1:4 (22) - 5.6. The camera seems to work fine, but I've noticed a recurring soft focus effect that seems to effect outdoor photos more than anything. It reminds me of the Palette Knife effect in Photoshop.

I've also noticed some photos will end up with streaks of light or ghost images - some of the background might be visible through the subject in the foreground.

I just cleaned the lens, but I don't want to waste film. Would a thorough cleaning solve these issues or do I need a new lens?

I'll try to post some scans later.

marsbars · Sep 18, 2008

What brand of lens is it? Without seeing an example my first guess would be a nasty case of lens flare.

keithwms · Sep 18, 2008

Ditch the lens. What's it worth, $20? Is it worth the time and effort? Get a lens that you can trust to be excellent, and be happy.

keithwms · Sep 18, 2008

Look what a few seconds of googling turned up....

http://www.photodo.com/product_958_p3.html

Coke bottle. Ditch it, I say.

keithwms · Sep 18, 2008

Andrew West said:
I've also noticed some photos will end up with streaks of light or ghost images - some of the background might be visible through the subject in the foreground.

Now this sounds like a camera issue. Sounda like it is double exposing frames...

Excalibur2 · Sep 21, 2008

Andrew West said:
I've also noticed some photos will end up with streaks of light or ghost images - some of the background might be visible through the subject in the foreground.

erm My first night shots with a Canon T90, set on auto, came out like this, works perfectly in daylight (or dull light) with the same lens....I haven't tried any more night shots to test the camera esp manual setting...but has anyone any idea what caused the problem?

2F/2F · Sep 21, 2008

Excalibur2,

Looks like your shutter may be sticking open for the first 1/3 frame or so as the film advances. Or for some reason it starts advancing slightly before the shutter completely closes.

ricksplace · Sep 21, 2008

I agree with 2F/2F. I think it's a camera (shutter) problem. Try a different lens under the same conditions and see what you get.

Excalibur2 · Sep 21, 2008

2F/2F said:
Excalibur2,

Looks like your shutter may be sticking open for the first 1/3 frame or so as the film advances. Or for some reason it starts advancing slightly before the shutter completely closes.

Thanks for replying............but the negative frames are the correct width, one shot was taken after the other.
I'll have to take some test shots again as I've only had the camera for about a month...what puzzles me is that the exposure time was only about 5-10 secs (camera on auto) and if the camera swung on the tripod during each shot, the post box, trees etc would be completly blurred.....

Ian Grant · Sep 21, 2008

If the shutter was sticking open for a 1/3rd of a frame there would be substantially more streaking and over exposure. It may not be quite closing fully so as the camera winds on you get this streaking in the night shots, in bright light it would just be enough to cause ghosting.

Ian

2F/2F · Sep 21, 2008

Ian Grant said:
If the shutter was sticking open for a 1/3rd of a frame there would be substantially more streaking and over exposure. It may not be quite closing fully so as the camera winds on you get this streaking in the night shots, in bright light it would just be enough to cause ghosting.

Ian

If I am correct, those color shots were not posted by the OP, so it is a different problem. I was answering the poster of the color shots, not the OP.

"Not quite closing fully so as the camera winds", etc. is exactly what I meant when I said "sticking open for the first 1/3 frame or so as the film advances".

As I mentioned, re: the color pix, it could also be that the shutter is fine, but the camera starts winding too soon as the shutter closes.

Also, Excalibur2. This would not affect frame spacing at all.

Nor would this problem cause ghosting in bright light over the entire image. My IIIc has the same problem. After exposure, the curtain does not fully close. The curtain sits there open in front of the last frame you shot until you advance/cock. Thus, the longer you wait after the exposure to advance the film, the worse it is. In bright light, you don't get ghosting at all. You get a jacked up overexposed vertical streak from the shutter hanging up after the exposure, followed by bright horizontal lines from pulling the film across the partly open curtain as you advance and reset the shutter. The camera is unusable in the day because of this.

As for the OP, perhaps the curtain stays open entirely sometimes until the film winds and cocks it. This would drag the whole composition across what you had just exposed, making the ghost effect, the soft effect, and the streak effect.

Excalibur2 · Sep 21, 2008

Ian Grant said:
If the shutter was sticking open for a 1/3rd of a frame there would be substantially more streaking and over exposure. It may not be quite closing fully so as the camera winds on you get this streaking in the night shots, in bright light it would just be enough to cause ghosting.

Ian

Well the lens used was either a sigma or Canon W/A....and they are bitingly sharp in bright light.........when I've used the film up in the T90, i'll point the camera at a dark cupboard with the back open and try and see (and hear) what's going on...thanks

2F/2F · Sep 21, 2008

Excalibur2 said:
Well the lens used was either a sigma or Canon W/A....and they are bitingly sharp in bright light.........when I've used the film up in the T90, i'll point the camera at a dark cupboard with the back open and try and see (and hear) what's going on...thanks

I am thinking that the timing of your advance motor might just be slightly ahead. It's nothing you'd probably be able to see.

However, if the shutter hangs up while closing after a B exposure, you could be able to see it briefly.

I would say the T90 might be worth fixing, but probably not the Minolta. I say this based on monetary values and repair costs alone, not as a judgment of the quality of the cameras.

Excalibur2 · Sep 21, 2008

2F/2F said:
If I am correct, those color shots were not posted by the OP, so it is a different problem. I was answering the poster of the color shots, not the OP.

"Not quite closing fully so as the camera winds", etc. is exactly what I meant when I said "sticking open for the first 1/3 frame or so as the film advances".

As I mentioned, re: the color pix, it could also be that the shutter is fine, but the camera starts winding too soon as the shutter closes.

Also, Excalibur2. This would not affect frame spacing at all.

Nor would this problem cause ghosting in bright light over the entire image. My IIIc has the same problem. After exposure, the curtain does not fully close. The curtain sits there open in front of the last frame you shot until you advance/cock. Thus, the longer you wait after the exposure to advance the film, the worse it is. In bright light, you don't get ghosting at all. You get a jacked up overexposed vertical streak from the shutter hanging up after the exposure, followed by bright horizontal lines from pulling the film across the partly open curtain as you advance and reset the shutter. The camera is unusable in the day because of this.

As for the OP, perhaps the curtain stays open entirely sometimes until the film winds and cocks it. This would drag the whole composition across what you had just exposed, making the ghost effect, the soft effect, and the streak effect.

Thanks for your replies.........Well I might have cocked the thread up, by posting but the problems seemed similar i.e. shutter and lens.........I now understand what you are saying, but for me the electonics control advancing to the next frame (shot) automatically....so I might have bought a dodgy camera that doesn't like taking night shots on auto.....but will try again on manual setting.

Lens Issue: Outdoor Photos Look Like Faux Paintings

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