Due to film being a chemical process, several problems can occur that lead to the final image appearing less than ideal. We’ve compiled a list of common issues that can happen during any part of the process of film photography.
In-Camera Issues
These are issues that occur due to a problem with the camera. Film cameras are getting pretty old now, and if they haven’t been serviced or have been poorly maintained, this can show in your photos. Errors can occur with the exposure (taking the photo) as well, leading to under or over-exposure.
Underexposure
Underexposing your image will make it look dark and grainy. All film has a sensitivity rating, referred to as ISO or ASA. To make a correct exposure, you have to make sure your light meter is set to the ISO that matches the film. If you have taken an incorrect reading or if your camera has incorrectly read the available light, this could lead to underexposure.
The image below has been underexposed. Notice the shadows have been lifted. Regardless, there is no detail in the shadows, and it is very grainy.
Overexposure
Overexposure is the opposite of underexposure. Overexposed images look very bright and washed out. Older cameras that haven’t been serviced for a while can have issues where the shutter is slower than indicated because of hardened grease in the mechanism.
This image has been overexposed. You can see that the highlights are completely blown out, leading to no detail in the clouds or the side of the building.
Frame Obstruction
When you see dark spots around the edge of the photo, something in your camera could obstruct the frame. Usually, it will be a hair or some dust that has gotten stuck on the inside of your camera, most likely on the edge of the film gate. If you gently give your camera a wipe with a soft cloth around the film gate, this should solve the issue.
On the right edge of this image, a bit of fluff has become trapped in the film gate. While it’s not a huge deal when this happens, it’s just a good idea to keep your camera inside clean to stop this from happening.
Light Leaks
Light leaks can appear as white or reddish streaks on your film. As you can imagine, your camera needs to be 100% light-tight in order to work properly; any stray light that enters can affect the film. Usually, this is caused by the degradation of light seals around the camera back, but it can also be from other parts of the camera failing and letting in unwanted light.
The image has a few little red marks around the edge, resulting from degraded light seals. A lot of older camera manufacturers used foam for their light seals. They didn’t know that the foam would eventually become a crumbly mess after many years. Once the seals crumble away, light leaks around the film door’s edges.
Camera Opened Mid-Roll
We’ve all fallen victim to this one. If you’re halfway through a roll and have accidentally opened the back, this will expose your film to too much light. Exposing film to direct light pre-processing will destroy the images that were exposed. The Film wound around the take-up spool can sometimes retain the previously exposed images but will almost always have light damage.
The back of the camera was opened very slightly and closed quite quickly here, resulting in a uniform streak of light hitting the image. This is the best-case scenario, as doing this can completely flood a few frames with light if the back is open for a long time.
Light Flares / Veiling
Flares are caused by light from a strong light source entering the camera lens and reflecting off the internal surfaces. All lenses handle flaring differently depending on the construction, lens formula and coatings used. There are a few ways to limit flaring, including using a lens hood. Shooting away from the sun or a strong light source helps too.
The image on the left shows a ghosting flare from a coated lens being pointed towards a strong light source.
The image on the right has been affected by a veiling flare. This can happen when you point an uncoated vintage lens towards a strong light source.
Film Advancement Issues
Whether your camera is mechanical or full auto, the film inside will have to be advanced to the next frame so that you can keep shooting photos. If the film advence mechanism isn’t working properly, it can lead to frames overlapping, multiple exposures or frame spacing issues. If this occurs, your camera will most likely need a good service.
When you have frame overlapping issues like this, it can sometimes occur infrequently and is caused by a minor hiccup in the frame advance mechanism. If it’s only a couple of frames out of a whole roll, it wouldn’t be a huge cause for alarm, but if it happens consistently, it’s probably time for a service (or a new old camera).
Flash Sync Issues
If you are using an external flash with your camera, you must ensure the camera is set to the correct shutter speed for it to work properly. Most cameras with a focal plane shutter will sync at 1/60 of a second (Sometimes indicated by an ‘x’). If the shutter speed is set faster than this, you’ll find that the image becomes partially obscured by the shutter.
Most SLRs use a focal plane shutter to expose the image. While this type of shutter is great for day-to-day use, it does have limitations. Usually, you won’t be able to use shutter speeds over 1/125 of a second due to how the mechanism functions. If you try to take a photo with a high shutter speed and a flash, you’ll most likely get an image that looks much like this one.
Shutter Capping
Old cameras sometimes need a service for the shutter to function properly. If the shutter has not been serviced in a while, the shutter mechanism can become sticky or slow. The shutter curtains won’t travel in sync, leading to a partially obscured image or uneven exposure across the frame.
This is shutter capping. The dark area in the image would suggest that the shutter’s first curtain is opening a little bit too slowly at the start of its travel so that light only hits the film during the last part of the exposure. This is generally only a problem for speeds 1/500 and upwards.
Scratches on the Film
A big contributor to this issue is a bit of sand or grit getting stuck somewhere in the back of the camera. You will have to hunt down the offending debris and fish it out. Keeping the inside of the camera back clean helps a lot. Again, wipe the bits with a soft cloth (be extra careful around the shutter curtain). If you have a rocket blower, give the internals a blowout.
It’s a little hard to see, but there is a faint white line across the image that results from grit being trapped in the back of the camera. This causes the film to be scratched every time it’s wound on.
Film Handling Issues
There are various factors that can help or hinder the success of your roll. If your film has been stored improperly or if it has been through an X-Ray machine can affect the outcome. These are just a few things that can lead to imperfections in the end photo from mishandling.
Loose Film Roll (120 only)
This can either be an issue with your camera’s tensioning mechanism or a failure to apply enough pressure when taping the end of the roll. If the roll isn’t tightly rolled up, light can leak around the film’s edges.
Notice the orange streaks on the edge of this image. The roll unfurled a little bit before it was taped at the end, which meant it was a little loose, allowing light around the edge.
Creases and Scratches
When a roll has been handled roughly, this can lead to the film emulsion being marked or scratched.
Being rough with the film is not advisable. You’ll scratch it.
X-Ray Damage
When the film is put through a scanning machine at the airport, it can damage your film. We recommend that you only hand-carry film and NEVER put it in check-in luggage.
Blank Roll
If you get your film back and there isn’t a single photo on it, it’s usually due to improper loading. When loading your film, always make sure that the film is advancing. There are several ways you can check this, depending on what camera you are using.
Expired Film
A lot of people shoot expired films for a variety of reasons. You can get some cool effects, including fogging, mottling etc. It’s usually cheaper than fresh film too. If your film looks like this image, it’s usually because it’s an expired film that has been improperly stored.
The photo below shows strong mottling. This roll of Ektar (120 format) had been left in a car for many years past its expiry date. The halides will become dry and desensitised, but not uniformly, leading to shifts in colour across the frame. You can also faintly see the number ‘13’ on the left imprinted from the backing paper.
Moisture Damage
If your film has gotten wet somehow (spilled coffee, a water bottle in a bag, swimming with a camera etc), it can wet the emulsion on the film and affect the final image. Even keeping your film long-term in a humid environment can affect the emulsion. If you know your film has gotten wet, please inform us, as our processing chemicals don’t like impurities. We can then process your film separately, and everybody else’s film can happily be processed without being affected.
This picture, taken in The Philippines, captured more than just the scenery. After being left in the camera for several months in the humidity, the emulsion started to degrade, strongly affecting the final image.
Processing Issues
We do our best to treat your film with the utmost care, but occasionally there can be issues during processing. Professional processing equipment greatly reduces the margin of error, but problems crop up from time to time that lead to imperfections.
Twin Check Stickers in Frame
We use “twin check” stickers to match your film to your order. Without these, we would have a lot of photos getting sent to the wrong people. Sometimes (usually with 120 rolls), the sticker can be in a photo. A faulty winding mechanism in the camera almost always causes this. The sticker is always applied to the very end of the roll, so when this issue occurs, it’s because the image has been taken over the end of the roll.
The white rectangle on the left is the twin check sticker.
Dusty Negatives
This is almost always a black-and-white film issue. Because the black and white film goes through a manual process and is then hung to dry, dust can land on the drying film and get stuck. We do our best to ensure your film doesn’t get too much dust on it; also help by giving it a good wipe before scanning, but dust is everywhere. Everywhere!
The dust in this image was trapped on the film after being left to dry in a dusty environment. When the film dries, the dust sticks to the film. If you are developing your own film at home, you can re-wash the film to try and get rid of the dust, and we would recommend a bit of wetting agent or Photoflo as a final measure to limit dust sticking to your negatives.
Scanning Issues
Scanning is the final step to making digital images from your negatives. We utilise professional-grade scanning equipment to digitise film negatives, but issues can arise from dust getting into bits that it shouldn’t be in.
Dust in Photos
If you see anything that looks like white dust in your photos, that likely is what it is. Before scanning, we wipe and blow as much dust off the negative as possible. Our scanners then use an infrared beam to detect and eliminate dust from most photos, but sometimes the dust can still find its way onto the final image. If you are unhappy with the amount of dust that you find on your final images, please inform us, and we’ll be happy to rescan or edit the dust-out.
If you look closely, a little speck of dust is near the middle of the frame. Our professional scanners are equipped with Digital ICE (Digital Image Correction and Enhancement) which uses an infrared beam to detect and remove dust on the surface of negatives, but this only works for colour photos. Black and white negatives need to be thoroughly cleaned before scanning to be dust-free, but sometimes dust can remain in the image.
Scan Lines
This issue is also caused by dust. When doing the final edits to your images, we can usually see when this error has occurred, but the occasional image can sneak through. Just as above, if you see this on your images, please let us know, and we can do a rescan.
You can see a dark streak down the left side of this photo. Over the day, dust can somehow find its way into the scanner head and settle on the light source. This doesn’t happen often, thankfully.
We have a take-home guide for all of you!
Ethan has been a wiz and compiled a PDF with all the tricks and tips listed above. It is available for download, and you can use it to avoid these nasty problems in the future for all your film endeavours.
Hit the download link to grab a copy for yourself!
2 replies to “Film Issues – Troubleshooting Film & Your Camera”
Mike Van Houtte
Great tips. For home developing I have a couple of extra tips that I have found helpful:
1. Handling negatives (dark bag/scanning) I use vinyl Food Handling Disposable Gloves -cheap from Countdown. These gloves avoid the ‘sweats’ in the dark bag and keep off any finger marks .I never had any luck with cotton gloves.
2. In the final rinse I add 10ml of Isopropyl Alcohol to 600ml of water and ONE drop only of Photoflo in purified or rain water. The Isopropyl Alcohol speeds the evaporation process and too much Photoflo can cause watermarks.
I rarely have dust or watermarks anymore using these two techniques.
Thanks for keeping film alive. Most appreciated & have a great Christmas. Cheers & regards.
Have just received my scans from yourselves of three x 120 films and thank the team for great service and results.
Went away for a holiday taking the phone camera and my trusty Mamiya 645 with one lens (45mm) and manual crank.
Due to weight restraints , didnt take a tripod and also left the digital at home and felt great.
Welcome back film.
Film Issues – Troubleshooting Film & Your Camera
Film can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be!
Due to film being a chemical process, several problems can occur that lead to the final image appearing less than ideal. We’ve compiled a list of common issues that can happen during any part of the process of film photography.
In-Camera Issues
These are issues that occur due to a problem with the camera. Film cameras are getting pretty old now, and if they haven’t been serviced or have been poorly maintained, this can show in your photos. Errors can occur with the exposure (taking the photo) as well, leading to under or over-exposure.
Underexposure
Underexposing your image will make it look dark and grainy. All film has a sensitivity rating, referred to as ISO or ASA. To make a correct exposure, you have to make sure your light meter is set to the ISO that matches the film. If you have taken an incorrect reading or if your camera has incorrectly read the available light, this could lead to underexposure.
The image below has been underexposed. Notice the shadows have been lifted. Regardless, there is no detail in the shadows, and it is very grainy.
Overexposure
Overexposure is the opposite of underexposure. Overexposed images look very bright and washed out. Older cameras that haven’t been serviced for a while can have issues where the shutter is slower than indicated because of hardened grease in the mechanism.
This image has been overexposed. You can see that the highlights are completely blown out, leading to no detail in the clouds or the side of the building.
Frame Obstruction
When you see dark spots around the edge of the photo, something in your camera could obstruct the frame. Usually, it will be a hair or some dust that has gotten stuck on the inside of your camera, most likely on the edge of the film gate. If you gently give your camera a wipe with a soft cloth around the film gate, this should solve the issue.
On the right edge of this image, a bit of fluff has become trapped in the film gate. While it’s not a huge deal when this happens, it’s just a good idea to keep your camera inside clean to stop this from happening.
Light Leaks
Light leaks can appear as white or reddish streaks on your film. As you can imagine, your camera needs to be 100% light-tight in order to work properly; any stray light that enters can affect the film. Usually, this is caused by the degradation of light seals around the camera back, but it can also be from other parts of the camera failing and letting in unwanted light.
The image has a few little red marks around the edge, resulting from degraded light seals. A lot of older camera manufacturers used foam for their light seals. They didn’t know that the foam would eventually become a crumbly mess after many years. Once the seals crumble away, light leaks around the film door’s edges.
Camera Opened Mid-Roll
We’ve all fallen victim to this one. If you’re halfway through a roll and have accidentally opened the back, this will expose your film to too much light. Exposing film to direct light pre-processing will destroy the images that were exposed. The Film wound around the take-up spool can sometimes retain the previously exposed images but will almost always have light damage.
The back of the camera was opened very slightly and closed quite quickly here, resulting in a uniform streak of light hitting the image. This is the best-case scenario, as doing this can completely flood a few frames with light if the back is open for a long time.
Light Flares / Veiling
Flares are caused by light from a strong light source entering the camera lens and reflecting off the internal surfaces. All lenses handle flaring differently depending on the construction, lens formula and coatings used. There are a few ways to limit flaring, including using a lens hood. Shooting away from the sun or a strong light source helps too.
The image on the left shows a ghosting flare from a coated lens being pointed towards a strong light source.
The image on the right has been affected by a veiling flare. This can happen when you point an uncoated vintage lens towards a strong light source.
Film Advancement Issues
Whether your camera is mechanical or full auto, the film inside will have to be advanced to the next frame so that you can keep shooting photos. If the film advence mechanism isn’t working properly, it can lead to frames overlapping, multiple exposures or frame spacing issues. If this occurs, your camera will most likely need a good service.
When you have frame overlapping issues like this, it can sometimes occur infrequently and is caused by a minor hiccup in the frame advance mechanism. If it’s only a couple of frames out of a whole roll, it wouldn’t be a huge cause for alarm, but if it happens consistently, it’s probably time for a service (or a new old camera).
Flash Sync Issues
If you are using an external flash with your camera, you must ensure the camera is set to the correct shutter speed for it to work properly. Most cameras with a focal plane shutter will sync at 1/60 of a second (Sometimes indicated by an ‘x’). If the shutter speed is set faster than this, you’ll find that the image becomes partially obscured by the shutter.
Most SLRs use a focal plane shutter to expose the image. While this type of shutter is great for day-to-day use, it does have limitations. Usually, you won’t be able to use shutter speeds over 1/125 of a second due to how the mechanism functions. If you try to take a photo with a high shutter speed and a flash, you’ll most likely get an image that looks much like this one.
Shutter Capping
Old cameras sometimes need a service for the shutter to function properly. If the shutter has not been serviced in a while, the shutter mechanism can become sticky or slow. The shutter curtains won’t travel in sync, leading to a partially obscured image or uneven exposure across the frame.
This is shutter capping. The dark area in the image would suggest that the shutter’s first curtain is opening a little bit too slowly at the start of its travel so that light only hits the film during the last part of the exposure. This is generally only a problem for speeds 1/500 and upwards.
Scratches on the Film
A big contributor to this issue is a bit of sand or grit getting stuck somewhere in the back of the camera. You will have to hunt down the offending debris and fish it out. Keeping the inside of the camera back clean helps a lot. Again, wipe the bits with a soft cloth (be extra careful around the shutter curtain). If you have a rocket blower, give the internals a blowout.
It’s a little hard to see, but there is a faint white line across the image that results from grit being trapped in the back of the camera. This causes the film to be scratched every time it’s wound on.
Film Handling Issues
There are various factors that can help or hinder the success of your roll. If your film has been stored improperly or if it has been through an X-Ray machine can affect the outcome. These are just a few things that can lead to imperfections in the end photo from mishandling.
Loose Film Roll (120 only)
This can either be an issue with your camera’s tensioning mechanism or a failure to apply enough pressure when taping the end of the roll. If the roll isn’t tightly rolled up, light can leak around the film’s edges.
Notice the orange streaks on the edge of this image. The roll unfurled a little bit before it was taped at the end, which meant it was a little loose, allowing light around the edge.
Creases and Scratches
When a roll has been handled roughly, this can lead to the film emulsion being marked or scratched.
Being rough with the film is not advisable. You’ll scratch it.
X-Ray Damage
When the film is put through a scanning machine at the airport, it can damage your film. We recommend that you only hand-carry film and NEVER put it in check-in luggage.
Blank Roll
If you get your film back and there isn’t a single photo on it, it’s usually due to improper loading. When loading your film, always make sure that the film is advancing. There are several ways you can check this, depending on what camera you are using.
Expired Film
A lot of people shoot expired films for a variety of reasons. You can get some cool effects, including fogging, mottling etc. It’s usually cheaper than fresh film too. If your film looks like this image, it’s usually because it’s an expired film that has been improperly stored.
The photo below shows strong mottling. This roll of Ektar (120 format) had been left in a car for many years past its expiry date. The halides will become dry and desensitised, but not uniformly, leading to shifts in colour across the frame. You can also faintly see the number ‘13’ on the left imprinted from the backing paper.
Moisture Damage
If your film has gotten wet somehow (spilled coffee, a water bottle in a bag, swimming with a camera etc), it can wet the emulsion on the film and affect the final image. Even keeping your film long-term in a humid environment can affect the emulsion. If you know your film has gotten wet, please inform us, as our processing chemicals don’t like impurities. We can then process your film separately, and everybody else’s film can happily be processed without being affected.
This picture, taken in The Philippines, captured more than just the scenery. After being left in the camera for several months in the humidity, the emulsion started to degrade, strongly affecting the final image.
Processing Issues
We do our best to treat your film with the utmost care, but occasionally there can be issues during processing. Professional processing equipment greatly reduces the margin of error, but problems crop up from time to time that lead to imperfections.
Twin Check Stickers in Frame
We use “twin check” stickers to match your film to your order. Without these, we would have a lot of photos getting sent to the wrong people. Sometimes (usually with 120 rolls), the sticker can be in a photo. A faulty winding mechanism in the camera almost always causes this. The sticker is always applied to the very end of the roll, so when this issue occurs, it’s because the image has been taken over the end of the roll.
The white rectangle on the left is the twin check sticker.
Dusty Negatives
This is almost always a black-and-white film issue. Because the black and white film goes through a manual process and is then hung to dry, dust can land on the drying film and get stuck. We do our best to ensure your film doesn’t get too much dust on it; also help by giving it a good wipe before scanning, but dust is everywhere. Everywhere!
The dust in this image was trapped on the film after being left to dry in a dusty environment. When the film dries, the dust sticks to the film. If you are developing your own film at home, you can re-wash the film to try and get rid of the dust, and we would recommend a bit of wetting agent or Photoflo as a final measure to limit dust sticking to your negatives.
Scanning Issues
Scanning is the final step to making digital images from your negatives. We utilise professional-grade scanning equipment to digitise film negatives, but issues can arise from dust getting into bits that it shouldn’t be in.
Dust in Photos
If you see anything that looks like white dust in your photos, that likely is what it is. Before scanning, we wipe and blow as much dust off the negative as possible. Our scanners then use an infrared beam to detect and eliminate dust from most photos, but sometimes the dust can still find its way onto the final image. If you are unhappy with the amount of dust that you find on your final images, please inform us, and we’ll be happy to rescan or edit the dust-out.
If you look closely, a little speck of dust is near the middle of the frame. Our professional scanners are equipped with Digital ICE (Digital Image Correction and Enhancement) which uses an infrared beam to detect and remove dust on the surface of negatives, but this only works for colour photos. Black and white negatives need to be thoroughly cleaned before scanning to be dust-free, but sometimes dust can remain in the image.
Scan Lines
This issue is also caused by dust. When doing the final edits to your images, we can usually see when this error has occurred, but the occasional image can sneak through. Just as above, if you see this on your images, please let us know, and we can do a rescan.
You can see a dark streak down the left side of this photo. Over the day, dust can somehow find its way into the scanner head and settle on the light source. This doesn’t happen often, thankfully.
We have a take-home guide for all of you!
Ethan has been a wiz and compiled a PDF with all the tricks and tips listed above. It is available for download, and you can use it to avoid these nasty problems in the future for all your film endeavours.
Hit the download link to grab a copy for yourself!
2 replies to “Film Issues – Troubleshooting Film & Your Camera”
Mike Van Houtte
Great tips. For home developing I have a couple of extra tips that I have found helpful:
1. Handling negatives (dark bag/scanning) I use vinyl Food Handling Disposable Gloves -cheap from Countdown. These gloves avoid the ‘sweats’ in the dark bag and keep off any finger marks .I never had any luck with cotton gloves.
2. In the final rinse I add 10ml of Isopropyl Alcohol to 600ml of water and ONE drop only of Photoflo in purified or rain water. The Isopropyl Alcohol speeds the evaporation process and too much Photoflo can cause watermarks.
I rarely have dust or watermarks anymore using these two techniques.
Thanks for keeping film alive. Most appreciated & have a great Christmas. Cheers & regards.
Gary McCraith
Have just received my scans from yourselves of three x 120 films and thank the team for great service and results.
Went away for a holiday taking the phone camera and my trusty Mamiya 645 with one lens (45mm) and manual crank.
Due to weight restraints , didnt take a tripod and also left the digital at home and felt great.
Welcome back film.