Gray sky with Ektar

[molested_cow]

When I take a shot using my telephoto lens looking into deep blue sky while on Ektar 100 negatives, it always gives me gray sky, almost never fails ( actually it's 100% fail rate). When using shorter lens (50 and 20mm), no problem. It only happens when it's a combination of blue sky + 70~300 AF ED lens + Etkar 100.

When using consumer grade negatives like Kodak Gold or Fujifilm, it's fine as well. Anyone knows why?


Taken with Ektar100




Taken with Kodak Gold 200

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[David R]

A few more particulars would be helpful. Scanner, software, scanning mode (auto-manual). Possibly lens models.

But to just guess I'd say that the combination of this negative's coloured base and the colour cast of your lens, or lack compared to the others has reach a tipping point in the software's auto colour correction. The software no longer says the background is blue, but should be auto corrected to gray.

Does that help?

David R

[molested_cow]

I have Epson V700 using the issued software (Epson scan).
Lens is Nikkor ED AF F4~5.6 70~300mm.

Any recommendation on how I can make the adjustment?

[compur]

My guess is that the sky is going gray because it's over-exposed. It's difficult
to photograph an object against a bright sky without either blowing out the
sky or underexposing the object.

Ektar 100 has some peculiar traits when it is either under or over exposed.
This causes color shifts and/or changes in saturation. I think that's what
we're seeing it in your gray sky.

Using different focal length lenses would change your metering pattern
and that would account for a more correct exposure with a wider lens
because the sky would be nearly all the meter is "seeing" so it would give
a correct exposure for the sky alone.

If my "theory" above is true then a polarizer should lessen the problem
of sky color shift with Ektar 100 when using a longer lens.

[David R]

Unfortunately I don't have any experience with that particular scanner, and its been along time since I've used the Epson software. With the two scanners I use, Minolta and Nikon, I use Vuescan, Nikon oem software, and occastionally Silverfast. I can dial in manual values quite easly.

If you view the negatives side-by-side do they look like significantly different exposures?

As an experiment you might try setting up a controlled scene. Say, a Greta-McBeth card (or other repeatable objects) in the middle of a blue plastic tarp in open sun. Shoot a couple exposures with each lens on the same roll of film. Then you can compare the results much more effectively.

Changing directions, given that you're having a problem with an ED lens, maybe try a UV filter. Possibly the Ektar reacts badly to UV (a sun-burn, couldn't resist).

David R

[molested_cow]

Changing directions, given that you're having a problem with an ED lens, maybe try a UV filter. Possibly the Ektar reacts badly to UV (a sun-burn, couldn't resist).

David R

I have UV filters on all of my lens all the time.

Will check if the negatives look vastly different.... but I have to dig them out first!
Too bad I don't know any one else who has a negative scanner to test the negatives. Our world is small.

[Professional]

I have a scanner and scanned negatives so far and got nice results including Ektar 100, our sky is not blue but even though i never have gray sky unless it is really gray sky.

[O|||||||O]

Ektar 100 has some peculiar traits when it is either under or over exposed.

I've always shot it at 100, but I've read that it's better over exposed.

I honestly didn't like it that much... Too much of a red cast for the kind of shooting I usually do.

Though, for certain things, it is very nice. Just no good for skin tones.

This was taken on Ektar:

Blue Swirl 2 by J E, on Flickr

Stuff like that is the only reason I would buy it again...

I've seen some films having trouble with certain colors, but Ektar doesn't seem to have any issues with blue, as seen above. The problem with the sky turning grey is very strange...

edit
That was scanned on an Epson V600. I don't think it's the scanner causing your problem.

Though, I don't use the Epson software. Not sure if that matters. I use ImageScan for Linux.