bad focus, bad tripod or bad lens?

[johnnymoped]

Just bought a Linhof V 6x9 a few weeks ago.
Though my first test film (black and white) was incredible sharp I'm having problems getting as sharp color negatives.
Please have a look at the attached photo:
- Porta NC 160, f32, 1/15
- lens used was a symmar 100/5.6 from the mid-sixties

Do you think this comes from motion blur due to the tripod (not the most expensive one) or did I just focus wrong (though I can swear that it looked perfectly sharp on the groundglas with a Schneider 8x loupe - and yes, groundglas is perfectly correct adjusted).
Or could it also be the lens that most certainly isn't coated at all?

thanks,

d.

[Dan Fromm]

What did you focus on?

The lens is coated. Why do you think it isn't?

[johnnymoped]

I thought it isn't coated because it flares like hell and that this very low (micro)-contrast leads to these unsharp pictures.
I focused on the tall building on the banner.

[IanG]

The coatings on pre-Multi coated Schneider lenses are quite good, none of mine flare at all even in conditions where the lens on my DSLR (Multi coated) is useless.

Any flare will knock micro contrast but not basic sharpness which is what you're suffering.

An observation, often a camera will suffer more from camera shake on a light tripod at speeds like a 1/15th due to vibration as you release the shutter via a cable release. At slower speeds it's not significant, expensive cable releases particularly the heave plastic covered type are the worst for this.

Ian

[engl]

Are you seeing the same problem on a lot of shots, or just this one?

Could you provide an even closer crop of the banner? Motion blur (from camera shake etc.) looks quite different from blur caused by misfocus. From the provided crop it looks like misfocus blur but it would be easier to tell from a larger crop.

It most certainly is not related to coatings. Non-coated lenses or lenses with damaged coating still provide good detail but lose contrast. Yours is single coated, but I'm surprised you say it "flares like hell", I would not expect it to.

[johnnymoped]

Here is one very low contrast example (due to flares?).

[johnnymoped]

Are you seeing the same problem on a lot of shots, or just this one?

Yes. I do see it on a lot of shots.
Though all of them seemed to be perfect in focus on the groundglas.
The groundglas is pretty new and has been installed and adjusted by linhof.
I also did check the groundglas against the super-rollex housing with a groundglas on the filmrails of the empty housing.

Could you provide an even closer crop of the banner? Motion blur (from camera shake etc.) looks quite different from blur caused by misfocus. From the provided crop it looks like misfocus blur but it would be easier to tell from a larger crop.

unfortunately I don't have a larger scan right now.
will have to look at home.
here is another one with another lens (angulon 65/8 from the early 70ties).
This time I did focus on the trees and no, there was no wind at all that day.

My scanner is ok btw. My first black and white test film came out great and was incredible sharp.

[Bill_1856]

My guess is that you're using roll film, not sheet film, and the roll film holder isn't holding the film flat.
Years ago I had the same problem with an Ikonta III. The (thin) B&W film worked fine, but the (thicker) color film was OOF.

[timparkin]

My guess is that you're using roll film, not sheet film, and the roll film holder isn't holding the film flat.
Years ago I had the same problem with an Ikonta III. The (thin) B&W film worked fine, but the (thicker) color film was OOF.

If the film wasn't flat, wouldn't something else be in focus?

[IanG]

You need to check your lens, if it's flaring there's something wrong with it.

It's either got significant surface cleaning marks/scratches or is dirty. It's most likely the inner glass surfaces either side of the shutter/aperture. The lubricants used can out gas and cause a slight deposit on those surfaces that can cause severe loss of contrast.

I had this happen with enlarger lenses, and a simple clean with proper glass cleaner and they were as good as new. So try giving your lens a very careful clean.

Ian