 BetterPhoto Member |
Film Developing Problems Hello, I am taking a photography course at the local college where I live, and so far I am enjoying it, but for some reason when I develop my film some pictures come out on the negative and some don't. My teacher thinks it may be my shutter not completely opening when I take my shot. I took the lens off with no film in the camera and the shutter mirror seems to be working fine. I am becoming extremely frustrated because I only seem to be getting a few shots here and there. I have two cameras and its doing it on both. Any suggestions or possible reasons why this would be happening would be really really helpful. Thanks
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Alan N. Marcus |
Hi Melissa, Fist let’s determine if the problem is film processing. If some of the frames are visible and others are blank, it is highly unlikely that processing is to blame. Also, every roll of film has edge printing applied at the factory before packaging. This edge printing usually gives the brand like KODAK or FUJI etc. Additionally there are barcodes and frame numbers and emulsion numbers. All edge printing is applied using light printing. In other words the edge printing is exposed on the film just as if it were photographed. This is important because if we can view the edge printing on the developed film, we know the film was developed properly or else any error in process was not too serious. So if you see good clear edge printing you can dismiss faulty processing as the culprit. So why some of the frames are blank? One problem could be severe under-exposure. If the exposure error is gross likely nothing will record on that frame. I advise scrutinizing the blank frames looking for any sign of exposure. You might find traces of an image, especially regions that have been exposed by tiny points of gleaming light from shiny objects (highlights). Finding no trace of an image points directly to a possible camera malfunction. The shutter mechanism and the mirror movement are clock based. The camera uses an escape movement like that inside a pocket watch. Older cameras can malfunction. If you can remove the camera back, try to operate the camera while looking through it backwards. Some allow this procedure. Look while firing the camera at various shutter speeds and apertures. If the gear train is malfunctioning you will surly find it on this examination. If you can’t see anything wrong, take to a camera store with a gray-haired clerk and ask for his kind assistance. Hope all is resolved. Alan Marcus (marginal technical gobbledygook)
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Christopher A. Walrath |
Alan is spot on here. If the fault were due to processing then it would not be so cut and dry as to be only in one frame and then not in the next. There would be an uneven edge or fuzzy edge perhaps where improperly loaded film rested against itself or some such. My I ask what sort of camera are you using and do you notice a lag or lack or strength in the shutter's action from time to time? Thank you
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