Newbie with some embrassing first shots

[macdawn]

Hi,

I just registered, and needed some advice. I had always been a digital point-and-shoot camera kinda girl. But had been fustrated with the limitation of the idiot proof camera. So recently I decided to try back to basic photography, after I got my hands on a 2nd hand Nikon FM 2, and as I prefer landscape pics, I also got a wide angle lens.

I had read up on photography, and had a rough idea about exposure, aperture and composition. So, I decided to experiment on my recent trip to Taiwan. But when I developed my very first roll of negatives, I found that, while some of my exposures were okay, some of them ended up with a dark ring around the pic. something like the one below.



You can see the dark ring round the pic, even though I try to crop them out. Otherwise the proportions looked a bit funny.

And I have no idea what happened! I mean, you dun get this kind of problem with my digital camera

Sure, I can crop it out everytime I get this, but I want to know what I did wrong, so that I can take note of it the next time I shoot. Please excuse my very ametuerish attempts.

Thanks a lot.

[iso100]

did you use any filter(s)?
some unfit filters may cause such problem.

[Francis247]

Did you have a hood or filter on? I believe the vignetting is cause by the filter.

[kevyan]

Originally Posted by macdawn Hi, I just registered, and needed some advice. I had always been a digital point-and-shoot camera kinda girl. But had been fustrated with the limitation of the idiot proof camera. So recently I decided to try back to basic photography, after I got my hands on a 2nd hand Nikon FM 2, and as I prefer landscape pics, I also got a wide angle lens. I had read up on photography, and had a rough idea about exposure, aperture and composition. So, I decided to experiment on my recent trip to Taiwan. But when I developed my very first roll of negatives, I found that, while some of my exposures were okay, some of them ended up with a dark ring around the pic. something like the one below. You can see the dark ring round the pic, even though I try to crop them out. Otherwise the proportions looked a bit funny. And I have no idea what happened! I mean, you dun get this kind of problem with my digital camera Sure, I can crop it out everytime I get this, but I want to know what I did wrong, so that I can take note of it the next time I shoot. Please excuse my very ametuerish attempts. Thanks a lot.

Looks like taken with a Holga....

[rebbot]

which lens are you using on your fm2?

[macdawn]

I think it is the TAMRON AF 17-35MM, wide angle lens. I'm at work now, so I can't confirm the type of lens I was using. I got it at this 2nd hand camera shop, so it didn't come with a hood.

I was experimenting with a circular polarising filter then, but the funny thing was, I took a series of shoots, but the dark ring appeared on some of the exposures, but not on others. Like I took 6 shots of the streets, only 2 or 3 showed the dark ring around the pics, that was why I was mystified. I mean, if the whole series had the same problem, it would mean something on the lens or my shooting techniques

But I had some good shots between the lousy ones... *scratch head*
I thought it was because I didn't set the aperture right or something but I dun remember anything blocking when I was taking the pic....

[mfopus]

Were you using the polarizing filter in the shots with dark corners (vignetting)?
Did you stack filters ie. polarizing on top of the UV/sky filter?

One possible reason why you don't see it all the time, is that the vignetting occurs only at the wider angles: 17mm+ and not throughout the entire 17-35 focal range. This will be compounded by stacked filters.

[macdawn]

Hmmm.... the filter I was using doesn't have any dark edges. It's just a normal circular polarising filter, I think And I wasn't stacking filters, cos I thought you can only use one at a time?

Oh, what is a Holga?

[Michael]

The problem is simple: you are using your zoom with a pol filter, at extreme wide angle the rim of the filter is getting into the opening angle of the lens. Hence, the black cut outs in the corners of your pics. This is likely to happen at 17mm only, if you zoom to 25mm or so you will see that the black edges disappear. Higher aperture might reduce the black edges as well.
This is the reason why Nikon produces oversized pol filters for their wide angle lenses.

[espn]

The vignetting is probably caused by stacking of filters.

[micah4]

Originally Posted by Michael The problem is simple: you are using your zoom with a pol filter, at extreme wide angle the rim of the filter is getting into the opening angle of the lens. Hence, the black cut outs in the corners of your pics. This is likely to happen at 17mm only, if you zoom to 25mm or so you will see that the black edges disappear. Higher aperture might reduce the black edges as well. This is the reason why Nikon produces oversized pol filters for their wide angle lenses.

I tend to agree w Michael here...it has to do w the filters at 17mm.

[ortega]

the strange thing is, why is the vignetting only at the top?

the best way to figure it out is to test
mount your camera on a tripod
take a series of pictures at different focal lenghts
one series with the cir pola and one without

do you also have another filter on your lens?
if you do, try another series without the filter
and one more with just the cir pola and no other filter

this will confirm the cause of your vignetting

good luck! and welcome to ClubSnap

[macdawn]

Originally Posted by Michael The problem is simple: you are using your zoom with a pol filter, at extreme wide angle the rim of the filter is getting into the opening angle of the lens. Hence, the black cut outs in the corners of your pics. This is likely to happen at 17mm only, if you zoom to 25mm or so you will see that the black edges disappear. Higher aperture might reduce the black edges as well. This is the reason why Nikon produces oversized pol filters for their wide angle lenses.

Oh.... oh.
Hmm.. that sounds logical to me. Maybe that the problem? I'll take more notice the next time I try the filter at that length. I think I didn't notice if the filter was blocking at the side....
So does that mean I can't use that filter at 17mm?

I still have half a roll of film in the camera, will take note and see how it turn out?

[kex]

another possible cause is the aperture blade in the lens not stopping down fully when u release the shutter.

take out the lens from the camera and turn to the smallest aperture hole(F22?) and check whether the blade is oily or damaged.

a more thorough way to check is to mount the lens back on the camera with the film back open.

set ur shutter speed to Bulb(B) **** the shutter,release it(shoot) and hold it there,and visually check by looking thru the lens from the open film back,see whether the hole created by the aperture is fully rounded or in any way restrained.

Do this for all the aperture setting.

If all seems ok,then most likely is the filter..

[macdawn]

wow! That's sounds like something I could do! I mean, after I finished with the roll that's inside....

Thanks alot all! These are great advice

[AReality]

Aiya..
As explained, stacking 2 filters at 17mm. Been there, done that.
Viewfinder usually don't show coz it's not a 100% view.

.

[macdawn]

But, but, but....

I really didn't stack filters. I always thought you can only secure one filter on the lens at one time. I mean, there are no grooves on the filter where you can screw on another filter, or is there? I am getting confused.

Besides, I only have two filter, the polarising one and the UV one, and when I had used the polarising filter, my UV one is inside my camera bag....

[kex]

hi dawn,

some brand/make of PL filter are thicker and will cause vignetting even when used alone.
that's y there are slim version of PL filters available.

and yes,u can screw on 2 filters 2gether

hope this will clear up ur doubts.

[Wai]

reminds me of my army days where i got to climb mountain and bash thru the thick vegetation in taiwan..once in a while will pass by some villages and see houses like that

[micah4]

Originally Posted by ortega the strange thing is, why is the vignetting only at the top? ...

IIRC, macdawn did mentioned she cropped the pics we are seeing now.