Why was the whole roll of film dull and hazy? Camera?

[bender73]

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I picked up a used 1958 Leica M3.

 

Needs a CLA. 1/15 or slower is real sticky.

 

Anyway, I threw a roll of color 400 ASA CVS film in there and all 24 images are super super dull, no real color, and hazy. Like vintage brownish haze and dull. How can that be the camera? Half the shots were with an old hazy lens, but I cannot explain the super sharp 90mm Elmar-C that works awesome on my Leica M8. Even with the good lens, the shots were junk.

 

Thoughts?

 

(I have not shot film in years and never with a full mechanical Leica)

[Michael Hiles]

This sounds more like a film or processing problem. Your lenses don't seem to be a factor - leaving the camera body as the next place to look. The camera, simplified, is just a shutter, which may not work at all or may be inaccurate. The results would be under or over exposure. But it would have no effect on colour or contrast. Could the film be old? Are you certain that the processing was right?

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[CalArts 99]

What is CVS film? Re-branded Kodak? Fuji?

 

What are you looking at? The negatives themselves or scanned files? Optical prints?

 

Start first with the negatives. How is the density? Underexposed?

 

There are many variables from exposing the film in-camera to the final image that you see with your eyes. You need to trace down the issue. So start with the negatives themselves and not the prints/scanned digital files (or whatever it is that you are looking at.) There's also the processing to take into consideration (which lab? are they at fault?)

 

If I were testing out an unknown camera, I'd load it with transparency film. Then make exposures in various environments and carefully record my exposure data (using a variety of different shutter speeds and apertures.) Then I'd have the film processed at a pro lab. After processing, I'd carefully inspect the images (transparency film is a WYSIWYG type of medium; there's no printing or scanning needed to properly assess exposure and camera operations.) Any problems with the camera will show up.

 

Main thing with film is to keep all your steps consistent and understood, and not have them all over the place and that you can't keep track of (i.e., proper exposure, proper processing, proper optical printing, proper scanning, etc..)

[bender73]

Thanks. CVS film. Unsure if it was expired or not. I kept it in the fridge.

 

The negatives look TERRIBLE. All underexposed and no contrast at all. I mean, hardly anything.

 

I assume these teens working there do 99% digital. I usually send out and I am learning to do my own at home (B&W). I just wanted to test out the M3.

[CalArts 99]

If the negatives look underexposed then it could be a film issue (expired, etc..) and/or a camera shutter/exposure issue. Try a roll of fresh E-6 film and make a note of your exposure data for each frame (and test your meter, too.) Then make an assessment looking at the processed frames. E-6 film will be a good test as it has less tolerance for exposure error, and you can read the results (a color positive) easily.

 

Good luck. After a service the camera will be good for another couple of decades.

[joeswe]

You cannot check a film without a known good camera

You cannot check a camera without a known good film

 

So get fresh film to rule out that variable --- ideal would be slide film, as will react clearly and visibly to any form of exposure failure through the camera AND you get a positive image that is independent of any possible distorting influence through scanning, printing etc --- and shoot a test roll under controlled conditions, that is careful metering with a known good camera or light meter, varying and taking note of shutter speeds, used lens, aperture setting etc. Include some shots with the higher shutter speeds (500, 1000) against a more or less uniformly lit background (overcast sky etc.)

 

Have the film developed and examine the pictures carefully with special attention to the higher shutter speeds and please do all that BEFORE you have the camera serviced.

 

The reason I stress this is that a 55 year old Leica can have issues like curtain bouncing, frayed shutter curtain edges, light leaks etc. that would be easily seen and diagnosed on a test picture, but are difficult or almost impossible to diagnose once the camera is on the workbench. Do not assume that these problems will automatically be corrected for with the usual "clean, lubricate, adjust" routine!

[250swb]

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Yes, deal with one test at a time, don't just throw a film in the camera, use the known quality of a new film, processed by a decent lab, and make careful exposures. It isn't impossible for an old camera to work without any problems at all, even shutters can free up with some use. But you'll just end up chasing your tail without discipline. It's the boring bit about film photography, but all the people talking to you have probably wasted a few hours/days themselves trying to solve problems and learned the hard way, you are getting the fast track advice.

 

Steve

[bender73]

The reason I stress this is that a 55 year old Leica can have issues like curtain bouncing, frayed shutter curtain edges, light leaks etc. that would be easily seen and diagnosed on a test picture, but are difficult or almost impossible to diagnose once the camera is on the workbench. Do not assume that these problems will automatically be corrected for with the usual "clean, lubricate, adjust" routine!

 

Thanks. I am using Ye in Massachusetts.

 

I will give him the photos and I am sure he will know what the likely cause is before going into the CLA. The camera looks/feels solid and the shutter curtain looks excellent. Snappy and in one solid piece. The overall integrity of the structure appears to be tight as a drum so I would not think there is any significant light leak.

 

I sealed my own Nikon FE (and probably poorly at best). That thing has no leaks and it looks half as solid as the Leica.

[pico]

My best guess is that the film was not processed correctly. Are the frame numbers dense and readable? Are there clear spaces between the frames? What color is the space outside the frames?

 

Try another roll and a different place to do the processing.

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