Can you indicate to this novice where I am going wrong? Photographs from AE-1P+issues

[HMA27]

Greetings from a new reader and first-time poster,

I am a ~2 month novice in the world of 35mm film, and I am having basic difficulty in making it 'work'. If this is not the correct area to post, I apologise. I tried to find some answers through this site's Search function but I did not use it effectively. This was largely because I would really appreciate some guidance in the right direction to find out what exactly I am doing incorrectly in the first place.

Here are four images from a roll of film I had developed today. I have shot two previous test rolls in the past few weeks, just daytime photographing trees or general open outside spaces which were hard to get wrong. But it is these four images (the 'best' of the whole roll, all similar in condition) where I am coming unstuck.

HMA27 - Imgur

- Canon AE-1P
- Canon FD 50mm lens
- AgfaPhoto 200 Vista Plus

I can tell you that for the whole roll of film I set the camera's ISO to 200 (what I assume was the correct thing to do), I set the shutter speed to value 125 (I read this number had to be at least the reciprocal of the 50mm lens?), and rotated the lens aperture ring before taking each picture to the value as close as indicated by the tiny number that appears in the viewfinder when the shutter button is half-pressed. When looking through the viewfinder it mostly said 1, so the lowest I could rotate it was 1.8, etc.

I think I have two main issues, but again I am still very much the novice so any input will be greatly appreciated. (1)There are the very obvious and unsightly lines running lengthwise across each photograph, and (2) there is the very bad quality of the photographs themselves.

(1) The lines across each photograph, are they because I took such bad photographs? Has the developer (Boots, if you live in the UK) had to do something very drastic in his process to enable me to see anything? Or is the developer terrible at his job and making his own developing mistakes over my photographs?

(2) Is it right to say, these photographs are "underexposed" or "overexposed"? Again, I am hoping someone with knowledge can properly diagnose what I'm doing! If I've been setting the ISO and the aperture as they ought to be set, is my shutter speed my weak link?

That is my train of thought, but if it's wrong it's wrong. But if anyone has any thoughts on any of the above and can give input to steer me in the right direction,
I will be very thankful.

HMA27

 

[Derrel]

The photo shown is **severely** under-exposed. Starting with the shutter speed at 1/125 second with ISO 200 film, in a night-time shot like that, you will "run out of f/stop", as the old saying goes, meaning that the LENS will not be able to open up wide enough to bring in enough light for a 1/125 second time duration. My guess is that the shot would have required something more along the lines of 1/2 second at f/1.4, which is a much different exposure.

1/125 second is a very workable time during daylight, sunny conditions; in night-time work, a much longer-duration shutter speed is a more appropriate place to begin.

I'm not familiar with what happened in the film development...but the lines of the image I "think" might be from scanning your severely underexposed negative; my guess is that the scanner was operating right at the very bottom edge of its capabilities, due to the "thinness" of the negative. I believe the lines are software artifacts.

 

[Compaq]

Since the lines are consistently at the same spot, is it possible that the camera is slightly scraping the film when advancing it?

 

[Derrel]

Since the lines are consistently at the same spot, is it possible that the camera is slightly scraping the film when advancing it?

I do not think we are seeing evidence of any physical, film-based scratches, but rather "electronic" noise from the scanner, as it attempts to scan a very underexposed piece of film. My scanner produces similar patterned noise when I scan very under-exposed film.

 

[webestang64]

Since the lines are consistently at the same spot, is it possible that the camera is slightly scraping the film when advancing it?

I do not think we are seeing evidence of any physical, film-based scratches, but rather "electronic" noise from the scanner, as it attempts to scan a very underexposed piece of film. My scanner produces similar patterned noise when I scan very under-exposed film.

Agreed.......also, I have encountered lines like that from an UN-calibrated scanner.

 

[vintagesnaps]

They look underexposed to me... I like Agfa Vista but I'd use 100 or 200 ISO film outdoors. I usually use 400 indoors and even that might not be enough light sensitivity for indoors using the existing room light.

I've seen lines caused by the developing process but these lines are so even and close together my best guess would be that it was from the scan (as Derrell said since I started my response!) - I'm thinking that when a negative is thin the light from the scanner would show thru the negative. By 'thin' I mean the layer of emulsion on the film that got exposed and darkened was thin; if a negative is 'dense' from overexposure it has more emulsion darkened from exposure.

I rely on the meter to let me know if I'm getting a proper exposure (the appropriate amount of light coming into the camera). My starting point is usually 1/125 and f8 and then I adjust from there depending on what the meter indicates. I don't like to go slower than 1/60 but it depends on what shutter speed you find that you can use and still get a sharp enough image.

It sounds like you're on the right track with your process of taking pictures - I'm sure it took me way longer than two months to learn how to shoot film (or to use a camera at all for that matter!). You might want to take a look at Film Photography Project | An Internet Radio Show & On-Line Resource for Film Shooters Worldwide - you could ask questions on their Flickr discussion group page, or look at their videos, and they do a podcast.

 

[compur]

Can you indicate to this novice where I am going wrong?

You're trying to shoot with too little light for the film and lens you are using. Your camera is telling you to shoot at "f/1" because it ran out of numbers and "1" is at the end of the list. In other words, your camera's meter is off the bottom of the scale.

I set the shutter speed to value 125 (I read this number had to be at least the reciprocal of the 50mm lens?)

Yes, this is fine when there's plenty of light such as out doors in daylight but your meter indicated an aperture you don't have (f/1) so you need to lower the shutter speed until the meter is back on the scale at least.

For the scenes in your photos it appears that a film in the 800-1600 range would be more suitable. You may get by with 400 but you'd probably have to shoot at too low a shutter speed to get sharp photos without some support for the camera.

Like many newcomers to film you're starting out by trying to do what even experienced photographers often have trouble with -- namely hand-held, low available light photography or night photography.

I suggest starting out by shooting outdoors in daylight and then working up to low light photography as you gain more experience. It's harder than it looks.

 

[limr]

Don't you all think the film looks a bit fogged as well? The first and fourth pictures are obviously severely underexposed, but the second one is bright - looks like it might have been exposed better but it's foggy, and the third pictures looks underexposed AND fogged. I see slight splotches on all of them.

There are absolutely exposure issues, and possibly scanning as well, but I wouldn't count out crappy developing as well.

Is this the first time you've used that particular Boots location? Have you gotten other rolls back from them that were fine? Maybe try a different one next time.

 

[HMA27]

Thank you all for your replies, you have all definitely widened my understanding of the issues in play here. As per a lot of what you've all said, I'm going to really try to proverbially 'walk before I can run'. Seems that trying to sprint straight away is not conducive to good, start-out photography. In the last few days I've read a lot more on most of the technical and environmental variables you've all kindly talked about. I am also going to get my next roll developed at a different shop, just to be safe.

Thanks again all,
HMA27.

 

[limr]

Be sure to post' em when you've got 'em!

 

[trythis]

Since you are just getting started, why not park that lens on A and the shutter speed indicator in Program?
If you are shooting manually with an AE-1p, you should be aiming for the 5.6 with the line next to it. The reason for this is that older cameras had a needle that moved up and down on the side of the view finder indicating exposure. Canon emulated that function on the AE-1p by making the LED lights turn on where the needle would be, so ignore the actual numbers in that case.

When you pop your FD lens aperture ring into the green circle, or A for FDn lenses, you make the camera control the aperture if the shutter speed dial is set to Program. That would be full auto mode.
When you manually adjust the shutter speed and leave the lens in A or green circle, you are in Shutter priority, you will see the aperture it selects. If it is blinking then you are out of exposure range, high or low.
If you put the lens in manual and leave the camera in Program it just thinks you are in manual... There is no aperture priority in this camera.

Get the manual for this on the web and read it, you film will thank you!