[filmmaster]

do you swap lenses mid roll?

I ask because on a roll i shot with my ftb, i changed the lens out twice, and i have two blank frames..

[pres589]

No only do I change lenses mid-roll, from time to time I'll change rolls mid-roll.

[UncleVanya]

do you swap lenses mid roll?

I ask because on a roll i shot with my ftb, i changed the lens out twice, and i have two blank frames..

I no longer shoot film, but when I did, I changed lenses as often as I wanted and never had blank shots from changing lenses.

[gofour3]

do you swap lenses mid roll?

For sure repeatedly, that's normal if you have a prime kit. Changing lenses on a film camera is not going to cause your blank frame issue, unless you accidentally tripped the shutter when changing the lens.. If your camera has a lock lever then it's best to set it before you change a lens.

Phil.

[UncleVanya]

For sure repeatedly, that's normal if you have a prime kit. Changing lenses on a film camera is not going to cause your blank frame issue, unless you accidentally tripped the shutter when changing the lens.. If your camera has a lock lever then it's best to set it before you change a lens.

Phil.

My assumption was it was an accidental discharge due to inexperience. I didn’t think the op thought it was directly caused by the lens change… just the distraction.

[filmmaster]

Well the issue is that i had a new lens to test, and i swapped it twice with the one on the camera.

i did NOT fire the shutter with the lens off. I did that when i first got the camera by mistake, and lifting the mirror and firing the shutter on a canon ftb when the lens is off WILL kill any film outside of the canister, its not fun.


I also got on this roll, and randomly over the rolls i have shot, frames that are really really out in exposure. Almost a +8 but the meter was always balancing out on the needles.

[sfkazimierczak]

I also got on this roll, and randomly over the rolls i have shot, frames that are really really out in exposure. Almost a +8 but the meter was always balancing out on the needles.

Meter may have been right, but frames might got bad exposure due to different reasons. Maybe a faulty shutter is to blame. Were you travelling with by plane? If so, X-ray scanners might have ruined your film. If the camera in question is healthy and without faults, changing lenses mid roll shouldn't do anything to your film.

[tuco]

No mention of your camera model? And you are a film master?

[JoelA]

As others have mentioned, I've never had this happen when shooting film, and there were rolls where lenses were changed almost every other frame back in the day (broke college student!).

If you're getting +8 exposure and the needles are balancing out, there may be some other issues.

When ever we had "weirdness" of expsoures, one trouble shooting solution was just to run a bracketed set of manual expsoures...then try to replicate with meter on.

Hope this helps a little...

[sarge]

I used to shoot film cameras years ago and changed lenses mid roll all the time and never had something like this happen due to it.
I cannot figure out why the OP may have had this happen, if there is a light leak it would most likely show on all frames. It is possible it could have happened during processing of the film roll. It not properly spooled to the tank reel I could see it maybe.

[pschlute]

Maybe a faulty shutter is to blame

Agree. An intermittent shutter fault would explain all the OP's problems. Perhaps time for a service.

[SelrahCharleS]

No only do I change lenses mid-roll, from time to time I'll change rolls mid-roll.

Do you develop the half-shot roll then? Or take note of where you were and advance to that point with the lens cap on to finish up the roll at a later time?

[filmmaster]

Do you develop the half-shot roll then? Or take note of where you were and advance to that point with the lens cap on to finish up the roll at a later time?

Ive always followed the Canon ftb directions on changing partial rolls.. read the counter, roll the film back into cartridge, pull. Only issue is that your stuck shooting a blank frame, preferably two blanks once you put the partial back in and use a lens cap to to advance by number

I dont do it often as my canons get extra frames for some reason. 39 on a roll of adox super max

[TwoUptons]

Do you develop the half-shot roll then? Or take note of where you were and advance to that point with the lens cap on to finish up the roll at a later time?

You can do it either way...
In the film era, if it was a roll for work, I would develop it and waste the rest of the roll. There was typically a hurry involved...
Nowadays, I'll rewind it, write the frame number on the leader with a sharpie marker, and then load one frame past that when I want to shoot the rest.
That works pretty reliably. And that's a great way to film-test a couple of cameras at once...

For the issue the OP is having, I'll join the "intermittent shutter issue" chorus. It may be the mirror, too, but it sounds to me like the shutter isn't happy for whatever reason.
It may need more than a CLA (Clean, Lube, Adjust), which will likely be more expensive.

And I'm afraid I don't know a Canon expert... does the Ftb have the AE1 mirror bearing squeaking issue? Is every frame shot accompanied by a sound like a tortured rodent?

-Eric

[tuco]

Did you hear the mirror move up/down when you took those blank shots? And I assume they are blank from no exposure as apposed to way, way over exposed?