Differents results with Minolta SRT-101

Nico595 · Jul 29, 2014

Hi everyone, I'm Nicolas, and I'm starting film photography with a minolta SRT-101.
I still have a lot to learn about film photography, I only shot about 5 films so far, and I fail at least 10 pictures per film... But I do love it. Anyway, that's not the question.
My question is, I tried some black and white with the Kodak BW400 CN, and I realised that sometimes I have some deep, well contrasted blacks, sometimes it's closest to sepia. I like both, but the thing is that I don't understand why do I have differents results.
Also, I tried the Potra 160, so color this time. Here sometimes the reds are highly saturated (even if the portra 160 is supposed to have nice skin tones) and sometimes I have more gentle colors...

So, do you think this can come from the camera? It is pretty old (and sometimes the shutter got stuck, annoying...). Is it a randomness due to film photography? Or is it related to shutter speed/exposure ?

Thanks for the help, if you want I can upload pictures to show you guys the differences.

PS: I'm not english, so sorry if I made mistakes.

Big Mike · Jul 29, 2014

Hi Nicolas, welcome to the forum.

Are you talking about how the prints (or scans from lab) look?
You have to keep in mind that a machine at the lab (or maybe a person running that machine) can make adjustments. Sometimes they will try to 'save' a bad exposure and it ends up looking pretty terrible.

When trying to learn photography with a film camera, I would suggest telling the lab 'no adjustments' or 'no corrections'.

Nico595 · Jul 29, 2014

Hi Mike, thanks.
yes indeed I'm talking about how the scans (I didn't print anything yet, maybe I should try) look like. I will upload two pictures later to show you.
I didn't know they could change the aspect of the picture, but I am not sure that it's the case, because as I said it doesn't really looks wrong, but more sepia. I will ask them next time not to touch anything

Edit: Maybe this post should be more in the film photography section? Sorry for the mistake

gsgary · Jul 29, 2014

There is no way of telling without seeing the negatives there are more variables than digital, it could be bad exposure, bad developement, bad scanning

PWhite214 · Jul 29, 2014

Since you get the scans, one thing you can do is download some photo processing software. There are several that are Freeware. There are software comparisons on the net, this is just the first one I found: Best free photo editing software: 10 top image editors you should try: | News | TechRadar.

With even the simplest software, you can correct exposure, color balance ETC. So if the processing is off, or poor scanning, you may be able to fix it.

Phil

gsgary · Jul 30, 2014

PWhite214 said:
Since you get the scans, one thing you can do is download some photo processing software. There are several that are Freeware. There are software comparisons on the net, this is just the first one I found: Best free photo editing software: 10 top image editors you should try: | News | TechRadar.

With even the simplest software, you can correct exposure, color balance ETC. So if the processing is off, or poor scanning, you may be able to fix it.

Phil

Not if it is a poor scan , but that doesn't get to the real problem, I take it you don't shoot film

Derrel · Jul 30, 2014

Often times the scanner will output a scan of a black and white negative that has a very decided color cast to it, but that can be cancelled out or corrected in editing after the scan is made. I am not an expert in scanning, but it happens to me often enough. Are YOU making the scans yourself? or are the scans ones you pay to have made at a lab?

As far as color image sshot on Portra...there are good labs, bad labs and great labs. There are not that many great labs, and there are not that many good labs, and there are plenty of bad labs.

Designer · Jul 30, 2014

Nico595 said:
It is pretty old (and sometimes the shutter got stuck, annoying...).

Sometimes just exercising the shutter will help it, but I think taking it to a repair station is the better choice. First, when there is no film in the camera, open the back and cock the shutter, then release it. You will have to move the little mechanism that moves with the film between actuations. Do several shutter actuations at each shutter speed until you get tired of it. If that loosens up the shutter, fine, try film again. If you think the shutter is still sticking, take it in for repair.

SoulfulRecover · Jul 30, 2014

how are you metering for the exposures?

if you/the camera under exposes youll have richer colors and more contrast but if you/the camera over exposes youll have less contrast and colors that are more pastel. The level of this depends on the film and how under/over exposed the image is.

Nico595 · Jul 30, 2014

Hi guys, thanks for the answers.
Derrel, I'm going in a lab, they do the process for me. They look really professional and passionate, I would be more tempted to say that this comes from me...
SoulfulRecover, there is a light meter in the minolta srt 101, so I always try to match the needle. I saw that some people shoot with the Portra 160 not with 160 asa but less or more. Do you think it could be a good idea too shoot like in 200 asa if I want more pastel colors?

I upload to you guys some examples:

So, the 1st one one the left you can see the high contrast and the saturated reds, then on the right the nicest contrast and pastel colors.
Same for the black and white, you can see the difference between the two: left high contrast and right the blacks are more brown...

So, let's say, I take two pictures, both are exposed as my light meter tells me, but they have different shutter speed and aperture. In terms of colors, would I get the same result?

Thanks anyway for the answers.

PS: Designer, I opened the camera as you said and realised that in fact it is the miror that doesn't come up when the speed is inferior at 1/60, but the shutter seems to work fine.

SoulfulRecover · Jul 30, 2014

Nico595 said:
SoulfulRecover, there is a light meter in the minolta srt 101, so I always try to match the needle. I saw that some people shoot with the Portra 160 not with 160 asa but less or more. Do you think it could be a good idea too shoot like in 200 asa if I want more pastel colors?

So, let's say, I take two pictures, both are exposed as my light meter tells me, but they have different shutter speed and aperture. In terms of colors, would I get the same result?

for a more pastel colors you will want the film to be over exposed ever so slightly so you would want to shoot the 160 as if its 100 speed. 100 speed film is slower than 200 speed which means the exposure has to be longer. a lot of people say its better to over expose than under.

as for your second question they should be the same. that would be called equivalent exposures. so lets assume the film speed stays the same at 100. so f/1.4 at 1/1000sec, f/2 at 1/500sec, f/2.8 at 1/250sec, f/4 at 1/125sec, f/5.6 at 1/60sec, f/8 at 1/30sec and f/11 at 1/15sec are all the same. the only difference would be your depth of field changing because of you aperture.