Film Issues 101
Here at the lab we want to help you get the best out of your film. As avid film shooters ourselves, we understand the frustration that comes with getting your photos back and discovering that they aren’t exactly what you expected - or worse - that you didn’t get anything back at all!
We’ve compiled a list of the most common issues that we see on a day to day basis as well as our pro tips on how to troubleshoot and prevent them from happening again.
Light Leaks
Light leaks, as the name suggests, are caused by stray light leaking into your camera and hitting your film when it isn’t supposed to.
The most common causes are:
Light seals (the light proof foam around the back door of your camera) is rotten and no longer light tight.
You inadvertently opened the back of your camera (resulting in a large red leak throughout your entire image or no image at all)
You have a front lens ring leak (very common in MJU zoom cameras)
If you see light leaks on your photos, they usually can be solved by replacing the light seals on your camera.
Shoot us a message if you need a hand troubleshooting your leaks.
Humidity Damage
Humidity damage is when moisture gets in between the film and the backing paper on 120 film. Ink from the backing paper can start to rub off onto the film itself and cause all sorts of mottling and damage.
This issue is most common with film shot and stored in humid environments. It is recommended for film shooters situated in humid environments to keep their film in the wrapper up to the point of shooting, try and store it in a cool, dry place and develop promptly. Investing in a dry cabinet isn’t a bad idea either if you can’t process your film promptly.
This type of damage can also happen in non-humid environments and just happen over time with poor storage.
X-rays
Ani Pansari
We would hazard a guess that there aren’t many topics in the film community more widely discussed and argued about than that of film and X-ray scanners.
As a rule, never put your film in checked luggage and always request a hand-check for your carry on film.
The checked luggage X-rays are extremely strong, and while carry-on X-rays weren’t too much of a problem, we have recently been seeing more and more x-ray damage due to airports switching to CT technology.
While this isn’t a problem right now (2020, am I right?), it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Some cabin luggage X-ray scanners are stronger than others (i.e. holiday photos from the US are where we see most X-Ray damage) so there’s no guarantee that just because it hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t mean it might not at some time in the future.
If you arrive at the airport early, have your film rolls out of their boxes, put them in a clear ziplock bag and ask nicely, you shouldn’t have any problems in getting a hand-check.
The noticeable effect of X-rays varies depending on the intensity of the damage. The roll could just have a slightly higher “base fog” than usual and you might not even notice, or you may get a sine wave through your entire roll like above.
Always hand check your film.
Not winding on - The Blank Roll
So, you’ve got a blank roll. You have our sympathy.
The biggest cause of blank rolls we encounter is due to the film not winding on correctly in your camera. If you don’t pull your film over far enough onto the take-up spool/teeth, you could think you’re shooting a roll of your best work when, as a matter of fact, you’re practically shooting an empty camera.
This generally occurs more often with SLR and rangefinder cameras as a vast majority of point and shoots don’t actually let you continue shooting if the camera hasn’t registered that there’s film inside of it.
As a first step, check the (beautifully 90’s) Butkus film camera manual resource here, and read your camera’s manual. This will tell you how to load it correctly.
When loading, make sure you have pulled the leader of your film across far enough. Usually there’s a coloured indicator on the right hand side of your camera to show you how far the film needs to be pulled across. If you're using an SLR, you may need to slot the end of the film down into a take-up spool slit.
While shooting an SLR, you can usually confirm the film is loaded correctly by simply observing the left hand side spindle. If your film is loaded correctly it should be rotating after each shot you take.
Correct loading can also be checked by winding the camera with the back open and wasting 1 or 2 shots observing that everything is working as it should.
At the end of the day, it’s better knowingly burning 1 or 2 photos than unknowingly losing an entire roll. - Nobody likes that.
Once you know how to load your camera and how far to pull your film across, you should be able to load it the right way, every time.
Film Advancement Issues
Occasionally we see overlapping frames on negatives which cause double exposures and indicate that the camera’s advance mechanism is slipping.
If you see shots overlapping, it’s likely that your camera needs a service. There should be a relatively even amount of space between each shot you take.
A lot of cameras being used today could be anywhere from 20-80 years old so it shouldn’t be surprising they may need a bit of TLC.
Under/Over exposed film
Colour negative film generally has quite a large dynamic range and is relatively forgiving with under and over exposure, at least compared to other types of film.
You can generally get away with being a stop or two under or over exposed without a catastrophic change to your image, however, anything more than this can often result in some strange effects.
If your photos look dark, blotchy, muddy, super grainy or even non-existent, it means they’re under exposed. It’s always better to slightly over expose than under expose your colour negative film. Remember that dynamic range we mentioned? It’s pretty difficult to blow highlights with colour negative film, so if you over-expose a bit, it’s easy to bring your highlights back into check.
If there isn’t enough light hitting your film, it simply means there’s no information being recorded. This results in non-existent shadow detail and general muddiness throughout the image.
When you’re starting out, a general rule for colour negative film is to set your ISO to either half, or slightly below box speed and meter for your shadows when possible. This ensures all the darkest parts of your scene will be recorded on the negative and then some. Over exposing your film won’t make your image “brighter” it simply records more information into the negative so we have more to work with when scanning.
That being said, you don’t want too much of a good thing!
While it is difficult to blow highlights, it isn’t impossible. If you over expose your film by too much ,especially in harsh light, your photos will look washed out and “bleachy”.
The above shots are 3-4 stops over and under exposed.
If you find you are consistently getting rolls that are under and over, it might be worth testing and troubleshooting your camera’s light meter. If you’re serious about film, we recommend investing in an external meter as they’re much more accurate than most in-camera meters.
“Fat Rolls”
If your 120 film is not wound tightly and sealed correctly, it can end up sitting too loosely on the take-up spool and result in light leaks, edge fog and backing paper bleed at the edges of your photos.
When loading, make sure there is a bit of tension on your left film spool as you’re advancing the paper leader onto the take-up spool. if you make sure things are tight when loading it’s likely the roll will remain tight when it has made its way onto the take-up spool.
You will also have to make sure that your camera is set up to take the type of film you are loading into it as 120 and 220 film, whilst looking similar, vary in thickness.
This can be done by checking the pressure plate that may be on the inner side of your film door as well as any switches on the exterior of the camera. 220 film is not something that’s terribly common these days, so if you are buying fresh film, it will be 120.
Make sure you’re sealing your film properly by reading our guide here
Use a rubber band and not tape if you’re worried about it coming undone.
If you notice any future rolls that are looking a bit chubby, make sure you put them in a light tight container or wrap them in foil until a time that you can get them processed.
Note - there are no guarantees that there won’t be any leaks on the rolls, but this will prevent the possibility of them getting worse.
If you keep having this issue, it’s best to send your camera in for a service.
Sneaky Twin Checks
Before film processing, “twin check” stickers are applied to the end of your negatives in a dark bag so we can identify who’s negatives belong to who after processing. There should be no exposure on this part of the film (there should be an even amount of space at the start and end of a roll of 120)
Jeremy Stevens
If you see this effect, it’s likely you’re either not aligning the arrows correctly during loading, or your camera isn’t advancing properly to the first or last frame.
To troubleshoot, make sure you are loading film correctly and that you’re aligning the start arrows. If the problem persists then the camera may need a service.
“Staircasing” Effect
This issue seems to be most prevalent in Hasselblad backs that haven’t had a service for a while. Light leaks in slowly around the dark slide entrance causing a change in density throughout the frame. Due to the way the scanner functions, this change in density shows up as a “staircase” on the left of the image.
It can range from incredibly subtle, to quite noticeable depending on the density of your negatives.
Age Fog
Vinnie Botton
Age Fog is a common issue usually associated with old Cinestill film. All film has a shelf life before it is developed, much like any perishable you would pick up from a supermarket. This is why it is recommended that film be stored in a cool and dry place out of view of direct sunlight (for many people this is a fridge or freezer), and used promptly.
Ryan Bell
As is the case with all motion picture film, Cinestill film has quite a short shelf life in comparison to regular consumer film. Cinestill themselves recommend shooting it within 6 months of purchase to avoid any age damage to the film.
New batches of Cinestill do not exhibit this issue as much as the old batches.
Age fog shows up as what looks like watermarks/streaks throughout your image.
Stress Marks
If film is pulled excessively tight during loading or rewinding, the film itself will actually slightly stretch causing little green stress lines around the sprocket holes of your film.
Most cameras have a small “rewind” button that needs to be pressed/engaged in order to release the mechanism that holds the film in place and allow it to be rewound. This stress mark issue is most common when people do not engage this switch, and forcefully rewind their film. Remember to check your camera’s manual for the correct rewinding procedure.
When you’re at the end of your roll and begin to feel tension, do not try and crank out an extra shot, tempted as you may be. This is a surefire way to tear your film, and get it stuck in your camera. Then you have to come in and see us and say “my film is stuck in my camera” and that will be quite embarrassing.
That being said, if you do get stuck and have to do the walk of shame, it’s very quick and easy for us to take it out in a dark bag and get you rolling. You may lose a shot or two if it’s torn badly though, so try to avoid it!
Lens Haze
Photos looking a bit foggy? Old cameras can often have all sorts of issues with lenses due to age or condition.
Front lens coatings becoming scratched from cleaning
Fungus from being stored in high humidity environments
Haze from internal lubricants vaporising and sticking to the inside of the lens over time
Lens elements delaminating or becoming “unglued”
If your lens exhibits any cloudiness or the issues described above when held under a torch or strong light, it’s best to send it off to a professional for repair. Often times these issues won’t show up in photos, but we’ll let you know if they do!
Shutter Trailing
If your photos are looking half exposed and you’re not using a flash the likely culprit is a sticky shutter.
If your shutter is faulty, at certain shutter speeds the second trailing curtain can move too quickly and catch up to the leading curtain as you’re taking a photo.
If your shots look like this at certain speeds (it’s common for them only to be out of sync at high speeds, rather than every speed), then it’s time for a service.
If your shots look like this and you’re using flash, make sure your flash sync speed is set correctly to the maximum your camera can operate at (check your manual!)
For most cameras this is usually 1/60th or slower. Leaf shutter lenses can usually sync up to 1/500th due to their design.
Poor Quality Scans
Been to another lab and just not getting the results you’re wanting from your film?
All labs and the effort they put into your work are unfortunately not equal.
It isn’t uncommon for some labs to scan your film on “auto” and have the scanner guess what your photo should look like. We think this defeats the whole purpose of using a lab to process your film.
Shooting film is often a considerable investment in your time and money, so why ruin it at the last step?
When we say that we want you to get the best out of your film, this is exactly what we mean.
If things just aren’t looking the way you want them to, let us help get you on the right track.