101 ways to ruin a roll of film

Mr Badger said:
Hope you put the phone back on mute before all the swearing started! ;)
Click to expand...

I thought it would be fine. The swearing was in the kitchen later this evening...
 
Harlequin565 said:
I thought it would be fine. The swearing was in the kitchen later this evening...
Click to expand...
Never mind, there's plenty more photos and film out there. That's the best way to look at it, so chin up, load another roll and get back behind that camera again... Badger's orders! (y)
 
I've unwittingly used oxidised developer (gone off). One needs to look out for bottles which have concave sides, a sign of oxidisation.

I've also put fixer in first as others above have but only once when I was a schoolboy.
 
Nothing new, but recently took a film holder off the back of the 5x4 without replacing the dark slide. Perfectly good frame of provia and £5 down the proverbial. :(
 
Woodsy said:
Nothing new, but recently took a film holder off the back of the 5x4 without replacing the dark slide. Perfectly good frame of provia and £5 down the proverbial. :(
Click to expand...
Ouch. :banghead: You'd have thought that somewhere along the timeline of LF cameras, someone would have come up with a simple way of attaching the darkslide to the back of the camera so that it would be really, really obvious that it wasn't fitted? :thinking:
 
Woodsy said:
Nothing new, but recently took a film holder off the back of the 5x4 without replacing the dark slide. Perfectly good frame of provia and £5 down the proverbial. :(
Click to expand...

You and me both stuffing a sheet of film although mine cost considerably less.
Only last week, removing dark slide with lens preview still open.

That was annoying but more so was that it was the last unexposed sheet that I had so the photo was one of those that got away :(
 
Peter B said:
Ouch. :banghead: You'd have thought that somewhere along the timeline of LF cameras, someone would have come up with a simple way of attaching the darkslide to the back of the camera so that it would be really, really obvious that it wasn't fitted? :thinking:
Click to expand...

Actually peter that’s a darned good idea and has made me wonder why shutters haven’t incorporated a mechanism to ensure they cannot be cocked whilst the preview is open.
 
Peter B said:
Ouch. :banghead: You'd have thought that somewhere along the timeline of LF cameras, someone would have come up with a simple way of attaching the darkslide to the back of the camera so that it would be really, really obvious that it wasn't fitted? :thinking:
Click to expand...

Maybe some sort of latch on the film holder that is only unlocked when the dark slide is re-inserted? I'm sure something like this must have been considered or implemented at some point but discounted for good reason.

I know little of LF cameras though, so excuse any ignorance. :)
 
Asha said:
Actually peter that’s a darned good idea and has made me wonder why shutters haven’t incorporated a mechanism to ensure they cannot be cocked whilst the preview is open.
Click to expand...
I think that's probably historical and unlikely to change after all these years, or maybe it's because they can be used on different cameras? I know that the Sinar DB shutter system is completely different, but that looks to be about the most radical differnce for LF lenses.

Maybe some sort of latch on the film holder that is only unlocked when the dark slide is re-inserted? I'm sure something like this must have been considered or implemented at some point but discounted for good reason.
Click to expand...

All this would need to be is some kind of double ended peg to hold the darkslide, although in the old days there might have been an assitant to do these menial tasks while the artists did the visualisation. ;)
 
Last edited:
Tbh that could very easily be added implemented by a small latch screwed to the rear standard ( well two, one for each orientation)that when in place would make it impossible to remove the film holder and be a ‘warning message ‘ to the tog.
Something along the lines of the metal L shaped catches on the film holders to avoid accidental removal of the dark slide.
 
Tbh that could very easily be added implemented by a small latch screwed to the rear standard ( well two, one for each orientation)that when in place would make it impossible to remove the film holder and be a ‘warning message ‘ to the tog.
Something along the lines of the metal L shaped catches on the film holders to avoid accidental removal of the dark slide.
Click to expand...
Possibly a challenge for @stevelmx5 on his next Chroma or plateholder designs? :thinking:
 
Last edited:
Peter B said:
Possibly a challenge for @stevelmx5 on his next Chroma or plateholder designs? :thinking:
Click to expand...

Cheers for the idea. I'll put it on my future design list (y) I may or may not be sketching a dedicated 617 rear standard/film holder for the Adventurer. Although, with the latest announcements about schools closing from friday, I reckon my workshop time is going to be limited for a while with the kids at home!
 
Last edited:
stevelmx5 said:
I may or may not be sketching a dedicated 617 rear standard/film holder for the Adventurer
Click to expand...

Does it have to be dedicated purely to that camera .......Consider the potential additional sales if it could be made to work on most 5x4 cameras ;)

stevelmx5 said:
with the latest announcements about schools closing from friday, I reckon my workshop time is going to be limited for a while with the kids at home!
Click to expand...

Your family comes first Steve (I'm sure that you don't need me to say that ;)).......Difficult times agreed but business, money and camera projects will still be there when we eventually come out of this global mess and we can rebuild all that.
Supporting each other , particularly those closest to us, has to be a priority imo
 
Asha said:
Does it have to be dedicated purely to that camera .......Consider the potential additional sales if it could be made to work on most 5x4 cameras [emoji6]



Your family comes first Steve (I'm sure that you don't need me to say that ;)).......Difficult times agreed but business, money and camera projects will still be there when we eventually come out of this global mess and we can rebuild all that.
Supporting each other , particularly those closest to us, has to be a priority imo
Click to expand...

Thanks Asha, much appreciated. My daughter particularly is going to find it hard as she has autism, so struggles with changes of routine. Her being out of school until the summer holidays (potentially) is going to be a serious challenge for us all!

With regards to the 617 body/back, there are already existing 617 holders from the likes of Shen Hao/Mr Alvanadi etc so I’m not sure I can add much (apart from price maybe) to what they already offer. My main reason for looking at a dedicated rear body is to allow wider lenses to be used, rather than the common limitation of the film plane having to move back 40-50mm on a standard 4x5 camera.
 
I've opened the preview with the dark slide out, but haven't yet removed a holder without the slide in place. This would only be because I take out the darkslide, turn it round (so I don't forget) and reinsert it just enough to stay in place without covering the film. It then remains sticking out until I push it fully home after the exposure, and the fact that something is sticking out reminds me to complete the action.

I have once or twice managed to dislodge the sheet in the holder by my actions (probably not loaded correctly to start with) and had to remove the holder with the slide not fully home.

One other disaster I don't think I've mentioned occurred with Acros in a Quickload. Those who've used them know that there's a certain amount of tearing involved to detach the sheet from the rest of the gubbins. And if conditions are propitious, and if there's a vowel in the month and if you're in a hurry, you can produce static electricity. And unlike just the static you get from stroking a cat, it can produce a spark. Which means light.... Photoshop retouching fixed that one, but it's regretable as it was/is a good photo.
 
Last edited:
StephenM said:
I've opened the preview with the dark slide out, but haven't yet removed a holder without the slide in place. This only be would because I take out the darkslide, turn it round (so I don't forget) and reinsert it just enough to stay in place without covering the film. It then remains sticking out until I push it fully home after the exposure, and the fact that something is sticking out reminds me to complete the action.
Click to expand...

That's what I usually do, mainly due to paranoia about light leaks through the slot, especially with 1-4 minute exposures in a 5x4 pinhole camera on a sunny day.

It strikes me that if I did want to remove the dark slide entirely, holding it in the same hand I'd use t remove the film holder, while using the other hand to press on the cable release, would result in a pretty fail-safe way to notice that the dark slide isn't back in - it would be in the hand and getting in the way.
 
Nomad Z said:
That's what I usually do, mainly due to paranoia about light leaks through the slot, especially with 1-4 minute exposures in a 5x4 pinhole camera on a sunny day.
Click to expand...

Not a pinhole user, but that apart it's the thought of light leaks that's the reason for me as well.
 
This is a long thread and I just jumped in. Didn't read it all, so I hope this hasn't already been covered.

Probably the easiest and most common way to ruin a roll of film for me was to shoot with flash beyond the sync speed of the focal-plane shutter. p***ed me off each and every time. You'd think I'd learn.
 
StephenM said:
I've opened the preview with the dark slide out, but haven't yet removed a holder without the slide in place. This would only be because I take out the darkslide, turn it round (so I don't forget) and reinsert it just enough to stay in place without covering the film. It then remains sticking out until I push it fully home after the exposure, and the fact that something is sticking out reminds me to complete the action.

I have once or twice managed to dislodge the sheet in the holder by my actions (probably not loaded correctly to start with) and had to remove the holder with the slide not fully home.

One other disaster I don't think I've mentioned occurred with Acros in a Quickload. Those who've used them know that there's a certain amount of tearing involved to detach the sheet from the rest of the gubbins. And if conditions are propitious, and if there's a vowel in the month and if you're in a hurry, you can produce static electricity. And unlike just the static you get from stroking a cat, it can produce a spark. Which means light.... Photoshop retouching fixed that one, but it's regretable as it was/is a good photo.
Click to expand...

There is debate over how leaving the darkslide attached to the holder can exasperate camera shake with it being an ideal trap of any breeze, even slight.
That said, the reasons for leaving the darkslide in place mentioned concerning the avoidance of light entry have equal merit.
 
Made a bunch of rookie mistakes made today on my first large format "portrait session" (aka begging the wife to sit in some spectacular light on our stairs). First - shutter open whilst removing the dark slide... Never done that before and bloody hell that's annoying! Second - expose 4 sheets of film whilst the light lasts, then spot my yellow filter. Still neatly in its bag... And finally - blocked off the wrong dark slide for final unexposed sheet. Six sheets of film used, and 4 (incorrect) exposures made...

And then developing - the learning curve s***-show continued... Turns out you can load 2 sheets on to a single a of a SP-445 holder. Surprisingly, when you do that, neither sheet develops. But you do get the green anti halation layer everywhere... 2 useable negatives [emoji2959]

I'll scan them tomorrow. What's the worst that can happen..?
 
I've done all of those and considering I'm a fairly old hand at this LF malarkey I'm still doing them. I loaded 2 slides (fortunately of old GP3, so not an expensive mistake) and discovered that I'd managed to leave a sheet of the paper that divides them in the box on the slide when I shot it...blank....The second sheet was perfectly exposed and developed, phew!....problem was that I must have jiggled the camera during the exposure so I had a very blurry but otherwise perfect image :banghead:
 
My outing the other day in the mountains ( shown in the shared outings thread) proved a futile exercise with blank clear negatives coming out of the dev tank.:(
Initially I believed that I had got film holders mixed up in the darkroom.

I was out again yesterday and exposed another three frames.
Just developed and one is again completely clear.
I think I have realised my error .... one that for me is a first and perhaps not seen by you lot on here.
I have a feeling that due to tiredness and general lack of concentration I have removed the wrong dark slide.... that’s to say the dark slide nearest the groundglass as opposed to the the correct dark slide nearest the lens !:banghead::banghead::banghead:
Oh well such is life.
The fact that I’ve lost a beautifully lit mountain scene and an interesting architectural image from yesterday that took an age to compose due to some crazy verticals and horizontals is of course irrelevant and not at all frustrating :rolleyes:
 
Yes, I feel your pain, I have done the same thing.:confused:
 
Asha said:
My outing the other day in the mountains ( shown in the shared outings thread) proved a futile exercise with blank clear negatives coming out of the dev tank.:(
Initially I believed that I had got film holders mixed up in the darkroom.

I was out again yesterday and exposed another three frames.
Just developed and one is again completely clear.
I think I have realised my error .... one that for me is a first and perhaps not seen by you lot on here.
I have a feeling that due to tiredness and general lack of concentration I have removed the wrong dark slide.... that’s to say the dark slide nearest the groundglass as opposed to the the correct dark slide nearest the lens !:banghead::banghead::banghead:
Oh well such is life.
The fact that I’ve lost a beautifully lit mountain scene and an interesting architectural image from yesterday that took an age to compose due to some crazy verticals and horizontals is of course irrelevant and not at all frustrating :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Ouch, that sounds like a poor return for all the effort you put in Asha. :oops: :$ It raises the question of whether we always work from the back of the camera, or if we sometimes walk round and look at it from the side or front before taking the shot? I'm now fairly paranoid about cocking the shutter before drawing the darkslide, and will often trip and reset it a couple of times before just to make sure.
 
Yes it has proved to be an experience with very poor return.
I do have a couple of negs hung up from yesterday, one a portrait for someone, the other a rather pleasing result for myself so I suppose a little compensation for my efforts .
I could be tempted to return to the village for the architectural shot this afternoon although being a Sunday it may be not the best day with people meandering into the frame.
The cocking and firing of sitter prior to exposure I do all the time now to ensure that the preview is closed and that the shutter releases without problem and of course is set to the correct speed.
There are so many stages to sift through, it’s no wonder that errors are easily made regardless of how experienced we may be.
 
Asha said:
could be tempted to return to the village for the architectural shot this afternoon although being a Sunday it may be not the best day with people meandering into the frame.
Click to expand...

Things like this will often sit in my head if I screw up an image, and I'll mentally play with the composition in my head before returning at some future point. I like to tell myself that when I do get that cracking image, my failure made it possible.
 
Harlequin565 said:
Things like this will often sit in my head if I screw up an image, and I'll mentally play with the composition in my head before returning at some future point. I like to tell myself that when I do get that cracking image, my failure made it possible.
Click to expand...

The thing is the next attempt at this image will be my fourth!!! ..... the first being overexposed, the second not being exactly what I wanted compositionally and then of course the third being stuffed!
I’ll get it eventually even if it does prove to be an expensive result.
 
Asha said:
The thing is the next attempt at this image will be my fourth!!! ..... the first being overexposed, the second not being exactly what I wanted compositionally and then of course the third being stuffed!
I’ll get it eventually even if it does prove to be an expensive result.
Click to expand...
Have you considered getting a 35mm camera with full auto? It maybe more suited to your abilities :exit:
 
RaglanSurf said:
Have you considered getting a 35mm camera with full auto? It maybe more suited to your abilities :exit:
Click to expand...

Hmmm
Be careful young man, don’t forget that for someone who could easily become lost in the vastness of the bellows of a LF camera, perhaps a safer option for you would be a coronet midget...... After all we wouldn’t want to lose you.[emoji14]

There again! [emoji848]
[emoji23][emoji23]
 
Asha said:
Hmmm
Be careful young man, don’t forget that for someone who could easily become lost in the vastness of the bellows of a LF camera, perhaps a safer option for you would be a coronet midget...... After all we wouldn’t want to lose you.[emoji14]

There again! [emoji848]
[emoji23][emoji23]
Click to expand...
:LOL:
 
Asha said:
Be careful young man, don’t forget that for someone who could easily become lost in the vastness of the bellows of a LF camera
Click to expand...

Forget getting lost in bellows... NIck seems to be struggling with days of the week!

RaglanSurf said:
I feel like I'm stuck in some bizarre time loop. I keep thinking the poll is closing but there's still another day to go :banghead:
Click to expand...
 
Harlequin565 said:
Forget getting lost in bellows... NIck seems to be struggling with days of the week!
Click to expand...

Yeah he’s ( @RaglanSurf)definetly losing the plot.
What with the FPOTY score chart, now being unable to keep track of time......I suspect the calendar is located too high up the wall for him to read correctly:exit:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top