I Screwed up Pretty Hard

violini · 01-30-2012, 09:27 AM

Since i only used "auto" cameras such as MZ-5N and 6, I've never had the experience of "rite of passage". These "smart" cameras would avoid making such dumb mistakes. If the film is not proper loaded, it will signal on the LCD. At the end of the film, it will automatically rewind. MZ-6 can be programmed to leave 1" outside after rewind. I often take out the film when half roll is exposed, cut and develop it and put the remaining film back to the camera.

Last edited by violini; 01-30-2012 at 09:36 AM.

Nesster · 01-30-2012, 10:22 AM

Definitely. Who hasn't done that, or broken sprokets or worse by winding way past the end of the film, or by improper rewinding, or if possible done the lens cap thing... and let me add: forgotten what film is loaded and its speed (I'm currently suffering this with a folding camera

) and/or shot with an empty camera, or even loaded a previously exposed roll for a second go-round... who hasn't done these things hasn't really shot film yet

As to development: I've developed 2 rolls in photo-flow instead of t-max developer (the bottles are the same shape), I've developed 120 film in sufficient liquid to develop 35mm, I've completely mangled the film trying to get it on a reel...

Digital photography is so uneventful by comparison. I mean, really the worst that can happen with digital is your hard drive crashes and you haven't made a backup (or the backup turns out to be bung) and you lose all 150,000,000,000 frames you've so promiscuously shot. Well, that and going out for a nice day / weekend of shooting and realizing the memory card is sticking out of your PC at home.

Yeah, film gives us discipline...

Fl_Gulfer · 01-30-2012, 10:27 AM

Originally posted by twitch

If that's the dumbest thing you ever do then you'll be one of the smarter photographers.:

Here Here.

**monochrome** · 01-30-2012, 10:37 AM

Originally posted by Nesster

... who hasn't done these things hasn't really shot film yet

Whatever requires human interaction can go wrong . . .

Originally posted by Nesster

As to development: I've developed 2 rolls in photo-flow instead of t-max developer (the bottles are the same shape), I've developed 120 film in sufficient liquid to develop 35mm, I've completely mangled the film trying to get it on a reel...

Whatever requires human interaction in total darkness can go wrong

Originally posted by Nesster

Digital photography is so uneventful by comparison. Well, that and going out for a nice day / weekend of shooting and realizing the memory card is sticking out of your PC at home.

Whatever requires human interaction with the brain can go wrong

Originally posted by Nesster

Yeah, film gives us discipline...

So we're all human

blacknosugar · 01-30-2012, 12:03 PM

I'm glad I saw this.

I did this on Saturday, spent hours walking around the city with my new MX taking a roll for my evening class. The moon was out during the day and I tried using filters for the first time to get some really cool dark skies with the moon behind statues etc.

39...40... "Maybe it varies a bit how much film is on each roll, and this one is just really long." 41...42... "What the...?" 43...44... "...ah... I'm an intelligent human being and have just come to understand what's happened here..." "Oh @€%*!!!"

blacknosugar · 01-30-2012, 12:06 PM

Originally posted by kcobain1992

Do you know what this is?

Yes, this is film loading failure resulting in 15 overlapped photos on the first frame. Now that frame looked almost black, but the lab that scanned it managed to pull this out of it. Immense dynamic range, I might say. Digital would have hit pitch white after the second shot.

By the way, this is really nice. You should pretend it was on purpose and stick it in a gallery.

**ChrisPlatt** · 01-30-2012, 12:31 PM

Originally posted by violini

Since i only used "auto" cameras such as MZ-5N and 6, I've never had the experience of "rite of passage". These "smart" cameras would avoid making such dumb mistakes. If the film is not proper loaded, it will signal on the LCD. At the end of the film, it will automatically rewind. MZ-6 can be programmed to leave 1" outside after rewind. I often take out the film when half roll is exposed, cut and develop it and put the remaining film back to the camera.

Those plastic Pentax cameras left me dead in the water when the famous plastic gear broke.

I'd rather chance making my own mistakes using a properly made (i.e. metal) manual camera
than risk the spectacular sometimes unrecoverable failures "smart" automation often produces.

Chris

Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 01-30-2012 at 02:05 PM.

puderse · 01-30-2012, 12:40 PM

Grandpa says "Any fool can learn by experience---a smart man learns from other's experience!"

TaoMaas · 01-30-2012, 12:54 PM

Originally posted by bam431

...ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE REWIND KNOB SPINS.

Yep...it'll save you a lot of grief. Once you've loaded your film...and before you advance it to frame #1...gently turn the rewind knob to take up any slack that might be inside the film cannister. Then advance the film to frame #1. You ought to see the rewind knob turn as you advance the film. Make a habit of doing this and you'll never shoot a blank roll again. And, yes...I learned this the hard way.

womble · 01-30-2012, 01:27 PM

The ME Super has a little window on the back that has a orange and black thingy in it that jigs about when the film is advancing... you do have to remember to look at it though and quite what the advantage is over the rewind knob I am not sure.

K.

PS The Super A has it too.

séamuis · 01-30-2012, 01:38 PM

I have shot thousands of rolls of film since I started shooting film for my personal photography and even on the move, I have NEVER mis-loaded a roll of film. I know its a simple mistake, and so I wouldn't look down upon anyone who has done so, but at the same time its also very easy to make sure its loaded properly before you shut the back door and start shooting... so I've never screwed it up. I have however on several occasions shot my M3 and my bessa rangefinders with either the lens cap still on, or the collapsible lens still collapsed, one one occasion both. I like them, but rangefinders and I don't seem to be very good friends.

LesDMess · 01-30-2012, 05:04 PM

Originally posted by violini

These "smart" cameras would avoid making such dumb mistakes.

Prior to me knowing any better, someone asked me how he would know if there is film in a camera? I told him with these smart cameras, I would think that it wouldn't open if film is loaded and not rewound but wasn't sure. So he opened the back in full light and quickly confirmed it was loaded and film was not rewound! Lesson is there is not enough smart in a camera . . .

Alliecat · 01-30-2012, 06:49 PM

I have also done the film-not-engaged thing... somehow I've also managed to get it to jam. I turn the spool on the canister before I load it, so the rewind lever will start turning sooner. Maybe I put too much tension in it, but on a couple of occasions I've loaded in a hurry, tried to stick just the very end of the film in the take-up spool so as to squeeze an extra frame or 2 out of the roll, & then after 3 or 4 shots, usually of something un-repeatable, the film would jam & not advance. ?????

Off to the windowless bathroom to open the back & start over. Or, wind it back till the right clicky noises occur, then open it & re-thread. Then guess how many frames I have to advance past for the shots that might have worked.
When doing double exposures I can easily go past 24 or 36 on the counter.
So, yes, ALWAYS watch for the turning rewind lever!

bam431 · 01-30-2012, 10:59 PM

Originally posted by Nesster

Digital photography is so uneventful by comparison. I mean, really the worst that can happen with digital is your hard drive crashes and you haven't made a backup (or the backup turns out to be bung) and you lose all 150,000,000,000 frames you've so promiscuously shot. Well, that and going out for a nice day / weekend of shooting and realizing the memory card is sticking out of your PC at home.

Yeah, film gives us discipline...

So true.

AndyDean · 02-01-2012, 03:35 PM

sort of along the same lines - I was loading film into plastic dev tanks in the darkroom (pitch black w/ no lights) and I dropped my roll on the ground. Keeping in mind this was a high school darkroom and the photography students had been practicing loading film into dev tanks earlier that day. Not a single one of them had cleaned up after themselves so the floor was riddled with already exposed rolls of film. Placing my hand down on the floor; completely blind, I felt a numerous rolls resulting in me thinking in my head "awwww shiiiik!!!". I grabbed one that I had thought to be mine and loaded it in the dev tank. I then continued to develop my rolls and to my disappointment I had grabbed just another random practice roll. I went back the the floor to find my roll well exposed now and I could i.d. it by the type of film I was using. Lesson learned: always keep the darkroom clean!!!

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01-30-2012, 09:27 AM	#31
violini Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Winnipeg MB Photos: Gallery Posts: 350	Since i only used "auto" cameras such as MZ-5N and 6, I've never had the experience of "rite of passage". These "smart" cameras would avoid making such dumb mistakes. If the film is not proper loaded, it will signal on the LCD. At the end of the film, it will automatically rewind. MZ-6 can be programmed to leave 1" outside after rewind. I often take out the film when half roll is exposed, cut and develop it and put the remaining film back to the camera. Last edited by violini; 01-30-2012 at 09:36 AM.

01-30-2012, 10:22 AM	#32
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	Definitely. Who hasn't done that, or broken sprokets or worse by winding way past the end of the film, or by improper rewinding, or if possible done the lens cap thing... and let me add: forgotten what film is loaded and its speed (I'm currently suffering this with a folding camera ) and/or shot with an empty camera, or even loaded a previously exposed roll for a second go-round... who hasn't done these things hasn't really shot film yet As to development: I've developed 2 rolls in photo-flow instead of t-max developer (the bottles are the same shape), I've developed 120 film in sufficient liquid to develop 35mm, I've completely mangled the film trying to get it on a reel... Digital photography is so uneventful by comparison. I mean, really the worst that can happen with digital is your hard drive crashes and you haven't made a backup (or the backup turns out to be bung) and you lose all 150,000,000,000 frames you've so promiscuously shot. Well, that and going out for a nice day / weekend of shooting and realizing the memory card is sticking out of your PC at home. Yeah, film gives us discipline...

01-30-2012, 10:27 AM	#33
Fl_Gulfer Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Florida Gulfer Photos: Albums Posts: 3,054	Originally posted by twitch If that's the dumbest thing you ever do then you'll be one of the smarter photographers.: Here Here.

01-30-2012, 10:37 AM	#34
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by Nesster ... who hasn't done these things hasn't really shot film yet Whatever requires human interaction can go wrong . . . Originally posted by Nesster As to development: I've developed 2 rolls in photo-flow instead of t-max developer (the bottles are the same shape), I've developed 120 film in sufficient liquid to develop 35mm, I've completely mangled the film trying to get it on a reel... Whatever requires human interaction in total darkness can go wrong Originally posted by Nesster Digital photography is so uneventful by comparison. Well, that and going out for a nice day / weekend of shooting and realizing the memory card is sticking out of your PC at home. Whatever requires human interaction with the brain can go wrong Originally posted by Nesster Yeah, film gives us discipline... So we're all human

01-30-2012, 12:03 PM	#35
blacknosugar Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 58	I'm glad I saw this. I did this on Saturday, spent hours walking around the city with my new MX taking a roll for my evening class. The moon was out during the day and I tried using filters for the first time to get some really cool dark skies with the moon behind statues etc. 39...40... "Maybe it varies a bit how much film is on each roll, and this one is just really long." 41...42... "What the...?" 43...44... "...ah... I'm an intelligent human being and have just come to understand what's happened here..." "Oh @€%*!!!"

01-30-2012, 12:06 PM	#36
blacknosugar Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 58	Originally posted by kcobain1992 Do you know what this is? Yes, this is film loading failure resulting in 15 overlapped photos on the first frame. Now that frame looked almost black, but the lab that scanned it managed to pull this out of it. Immense dynamic range, I might say. Digital would have hit pitch white after the second shot. By the way, this is really nice. You should pretend it was on purpose and stick it in a gallery.

01-30-2012, 12:31 PM	#37
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,692	Originally posted by violini Since i only used "auto" cameras such as MZ-5N and 6, I've never had the experience of "rite of passage". These "smart" cameras would avoid making such dumb mistakes. If the film is not proper loaded, it will signal on the LCD. At the end of the film, it will automatically rewind. MZ-6 can be programmed to leave 1" outside after rewind. I often take out the film when half roll is exposed, cut and develop it and put the remaining film back to the camera. Those plastic Pentax cameras left me dead in the water when the famous plastic gear broke. I'd rather chance making my own mistakes using a properly made (i.e. metal) manual camera than risk the spectacular sometimes unrecoverable failures "smart" automation often produces. Chris Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 01-30-2012 at 02:05 PM.

01-30-2012, 12:40 PM	#38
puderse Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: where the west begins Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 102	Grandpa says "Any fool can learn by experience---a smart man learns from other's experience!"

01-30-2012, 12:54 PM	#39
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	Originally posted by bam431 ...ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE REWIND KNOB SPINS. Yep...it'll save you a lot of grief. Once you've loaded your film...and before you advance it to frame #1...gently turn the rewind knob to take up any slack that might be inside the film cannister. Then advance the film to frame #1. You ought to see the rewind knob turn as you advance the film. Make a habit of doing this and you'll never shoot a blank roll again. And, yes...I learned this the hard way.

01-30-2012, 01:27 PM	#40
womble Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Hertfordshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,324	The ME Super has a little window on the back that has a orange and black thingy in it that jigs about when the film is advancing... you do have to remember to look at it though and quite what the advantage is over the rewind knob I am not sure. K. PS The Super A has it too.

01-30-2012, 01:38 PM	#41
séamuis Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Savannah, U.S./Baguio City, P.H. Posts: 5,979	I have shot thousands of rolls of film since I started shooting film for my personal photography and even on the move, I have NEVER mis-loaded a roll of film. I know its a simple mistake, and so I wouldn't look down upon anyone who has done so, but at the same time its also very easy to make sure its loaded properly before you shut the back door and start shooting... so I've never screwed it up. I have however on several occasions shot my M3 and my bessa rangefinders with either the lens cap still on, or the collapsible lens still collapsed, one one occasion both. I like them, but rangefinders and I don't seem to be very good friends.

01-30-2012, 05:04 PM	#42
LesDMess Pentaxian Join Date: May 2011 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,235	Originally posted by violini These "smart" cameras would avoid making such dumb mistakes. Prior to me knowing any better, someone asked me how he would know if there is film in a camera? I told him with these smart cameras, I would think that it wouldn't open if film is loaded and not rewound but wasn't sure. So he opened the back in full light and quickly confirmed it was loaded and film was not rewound! Lesson is there is not enough smart in a camera . . .

01-30-2012, 06:49 PM	#43
Alliecat Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: East of Everywhere, Canada Posts: 740	I have also done the film-not-engaged thing... somehow I've also managed to get it to jam. I turn the spool on the canister before I load it, so the rewind lever will start turning sooner. Maybe I put too much tension in it, but on a couple of occasions I've loaded in a hurry, tried to stick just the very end of the film in the take-up spool so as to squeeze an extra frame or 2 out of the roll, & then after 3 or 4 shots, usually of something un-repeatable, the film would jam & not advance. ????? Off to the windowless bathroom to open the back & start over. Or, wind it back till the right clicky noises occur, then open it & re-thread. Then guess how many frames I have to advance past for the shots that might have worked. When doing double exposures I can easily go past 24 or 36 on the counter. So, yes, ALWAYS watch for the turning rewind lever!

01-30-2012, 10:59 PM	#44
bam431 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Ottawa, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 45 Original Poster	Originally posted by Nesster Digital photography is so uneventful by comparison. I mean, really the worst that can happen with digital is your hard drive crashes and you haven't made a backup (or the backup turns out to be bung) and you lose all 150,000,000,000 frames you've so promiscuously shot. Well, that and going out for a nice day / weekend of shooting and realizing the memory card is sticking out of your PC at home. Yeah, film gives us discipline... So true.

02-01-2012, 03:35 PM	#45
AndyDean New Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 4	sort of along the same lines - I was loading film into plastic dev tanks in the darkroom (pitch black w/ no lights) and I dropped my roll on the ground. Keeping in mind this was a high school darkroom and the photography students had been practicing loading film into dev tanks earlier that day. Not a single one of them had cleaned up after themselves so the floor was riddled with already exposed rolls of film. Placing my hand down on the floor; completely blind, I felt a numerous rolls resulting in me thinking in my head "awwww shiiiik!!!". I grabbed one that I had thought to be mine and loaded it in the dev tank. I then continued to develop my rolls and to my disappointment I had grabbed just another random practice roll. I went back the the floor to find my roll well exposed now and I could i.d. it by the type of film I was using. Lesson learned: always keep the darkroom clean!!!