Well processed colour negatives.

soupdragon

soupdragon

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I just realised I have no idea what a well exposed and well processed negative should look like.
I get quite a variation in mask colour but don't know what is affecting the film.

Sometimes the mask looks brown, others orange and occasionally the mask is very light.

I scoured the interweb for examples but only found mediocre images with little to no information as to what was good or bad.

If anyone would like to step up to the plate and publish some examples or even descriptions, that would be great.
 
soupdragon said:
I just realised I have no idea what a well exposed and well processed negative should look like.
I get quite a variation in mask colour but don't know what is affecting the film.

Sometimes the mask looks brown, others orange and occasionally the mask is very light.

I scoured the interweb for examples but only found mediocre images with little to no information as to what was good or bad.

If anyone would like to step up to the plate and publish some examples or even descriptions, that would be great.
Click to expand...
Well it's only helpful if negs were posted of current popular films as IIRC there were quite a difference in colour over the years of films not made any more. For exposure it's the same as B/W films e.g. contrasty, under exposed etc.
 
One of the reasons I use slide film when testing new kit is because they are easy to read on the lightbox and don't have much exposure lattitude.

For B&W negs I can read for exposure but it is very difficult to explain how it just came with years of home developing and printing but too thin is under exposure (but can be under developing) as with too dense is over exposure (but can be over developing).

For colour negs it greatly depends on the film stock as Chris @sirch is hinting at. I go on density of the neg.

On the matter of Neg density keep in mind that subject matter will also affect the overall density, mainly bright skies etc will produce a denser overall neg than a green pasture landscape on any neg.

BTW I have no idea how I could post examples of any of what I have said.
 
To narrow it down, it is really the edge mask colour of the negative I'm getting confused about.
I only use kodak film in either 120 or (for a short time) 4X5 and I get anything from orange to brown.
I would assume that if the neg is well exposed and correctly processed that the mask would be constant.
 
soupdragon said:
To narrow it down, it is really the edge mask colour of the negative I'm getting confused about.
I only use kodak film in either 120 or (for a short time) 4X5 and I get anything from orange to brown.
I would assume that if the neg is well exposed and correctly processed that the mask would be constant.
Click to expand...

Exposure shouldn't affect the edge mask as, by design, it shouldn't be exposed anyway.
 
FishyFish said:
Exposure shouldn't affect the edge mask as, by design, it shouldn't be exposed anyway.
Click to expand...
Good point, I hadn't thought of that.
Which also suggests my processing is inconsistent.
 
soupdragon said:
Good point, I hadn't thought of that.
Which also suggests my processing is inconsistent.
Click to expand...
Are you getting differences with the same type of Kodak film? I imagine comparing Portra to Ektachrome for example there would be differences.
 
sirch said:
Are you getting differences with the same type of Kodak film? I imagine comparing Portra to Ektachrome for example there would be differences.
Click to expand...
Differences between 120 Ektar and 5X4 Ektar.
I assumed the emulsions would be the same.
 
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