Problem with Aria

[kdl6769]

I have an Aria and a bunch of CZ lenses. I've loved the results I've got over the past couple of years, especially with my 50mm f/1.4 and 35-70 f/3.4. Lately, however, I have noticed that prints I've been getting back from a professional processing shop have been washed-out looking and images have been too fuzzy for CZ lenses. Color rendition and saturation are not what I'd expect -- colors seem biased toward yellow and have been washed out. B&W prints tend toward grey and fuzzy. I have used a wide range of film, including Reala, NPH, Portra UC, various Ilford B&W, and completely rely on the processor (Duggal in NYC).

My question is this -- with a manual focus system, can poorly focused images be the fault of the camera? With autofocus, the answer is obviously yes, but I'm not sure about MF. Or should I assume the problem is with the lenses (most recently, 60mm Makro, 85mm f/1.4 and 28mm Distagon)? I'd like to believe that the problem is camera-based, because my camera is still under warranty.

Another question -- if B&W prints come back looking grey, washed out and slightly over-exposed, does this suggest that the metering is the problem? If so, would that be because the meter is overexposing or underexposing (and the printer then overcompensating)?

I will conduct a few more tests, this time using transparencies, but any advice as to whether this sounds like a lens or body issue would be much-appreciated.

Thanks.

Advice would be much-appreciated.

 

[tbarry]

I seriously doubt this is a camera/lens problem. The best way to be certain is to take some transparencies. Use the camera's meter AND take the same exposures using a handheld meter you trust. Check to be sure you have not accidentally set exposure compensation. I almost always use either the spot meter mode or the averaging mode in my Arias, as the evaluative meter consistently overexposes shots taken in bright light (every Aria will do this, as the evaluative meter is designed to ensure against underexposure in backlit scenes with color print film).

 

[kdl6769]

Thanks, Tom. This test could disclose metering/color problems, but would it shed any light (no pun intended) on the soft-focus problems I've been having? If the problem is neither camera- nor lens- related, what does that leave (aside from user error and bad processing)?

 

[writing4me]

Kirk, Take a lupe and look at the negatives you got back from the lab. Are they sharp? When I was in my late teens I worked a photo-lab doing hand enlargements. While I was there, one of the machine-printers machines got knocked out of focus. I don't know how, but it happens, and makes all the images look slightly soft that are printed. If that is the case, your negs would still be sharp. It's a process of elimination I think to sort this out. Hope that helps a little. -Lynn

 

[wojo]

""Lately, however, I have noticed that prints I've been getting back from a professional processing shop have been washed-out looking and images have been too fuzzy for CZ lenses. Color rendition and saturation are not what I'd expect -- colors seem biased toward yellow and have been washed out. B&W prints tend toward grey and fuzzy. I have used a wide range of film, including Reala, NPH, Portra UC, various Ilford B&W, and completely rely on the processor (Duggal in NYC). ""

It sounds as though there has been enough time for a pro shop to have corrected any imaging problems they may have had.
I agree with looking at the negs, I use a 50mm spare lens rather than a loupe. Gives 4x or so.
If I recall the Aria has removable (user changable) focus screens.
I don't know if the Aria meters off the screen, if it does a mis-alignment "may" affect the exposure.
A mis-alignment would likely affect the focus.
The Aria also has changeable dioptic lenses which may cause focusing inaccuracies if out of alignment, although I doubt that the exposure would be affected.
Mirror problems? I recall a thread about mirrors getting stuck. If the meter diode is behind a half silvered mirror, a change in the mirror resting angle could produce focusing and exposure problems.
Lotta things to possibly go wrong.
Check for a properly seated focus screen for starters.
And take a good close look at the negs.
Joe W

 

[tbarry]

Even if your vision is fuzzy, when you focus the lens and the image you see is as sharp as you can get it, the focus should be accurate unless something has been damaged or misaligned in the camera. I just tried focusing with my bad eye and no diopter lens, getting the image as sharp as I could (it still looked fuzzy) then confirmed focus by looking through the viewfinder with my other eye, which is perfect, and the focus obtained using my bad eye was spot on.

 

[you2]

IF the image is washed out and the lab is doing a good job then you are likely under-exposing. IF the image is blurred and focus is correct your shutter speed could be too slow.

 

[johan1954]

i'm using my aria since 3 months now...the first films were ok...

the last one...from picturen°12 till 24 there was'nt an image at all on the negatives

i'm always working in A-mode

could it be a shutterproblem??

this weekend i made 2 rolls and all were ok

johan

 

[johan1954]

I changed my Aria for an ST

 

[benigafull]

I have had an Aria + 50 f1.7, 85 f2.8 and 28 f2.8. The best and sharp images I got were with 50mm. f1.7. I experienced the same problem described by Kirk Lipsey with the 85mm and the 28mm. and 15X20cm copies. Because it, I sold the camera. Later, I used another Aria body temporaly, and I have experienced the some problems. ¿By chance? It's possible.I am sure that is a "typical" problem of some Aria bodies. I ignore the causes. But I don't know if a similar problem occurs, for ex&le, with the most expensive RX or RX II cameras.