101 ways to ruin a roll of film

You probably don't want to hear this, but I once opened my (35mm) camera when it had a half finished film in. I immediately closed the back, and having wound on a couple of frames continued to use the film. Most of the frames that were still in the camera when the back was open turned out reasonably. Perhaps I was very lucky...
 
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Kell said:
Picked up my camera after a 20 year absence.

Bought a few rolls to shoot with.

Got to the end of the first roll and had completely forgotten that there's a button on the bottom of the camera to release the sprocket so it can be rewound.

Rewound it. Got tighter and tighter and tighter until it snapped.

In some ways it was like Schrodinger's Film - until I opened the camera, the film was both ruined and not ruined.

I'd estimate that maybe two frames went back into the canister, the rest was just spooled in the camera.
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I believe that just pushing the button will free the mechanism for rewinding, but I obsessively keep it pressed until I feel the film end come loose just in case .....:rolleyes:
 
Not strictly ruined film, but how about "101 ways to ruin a camera with the film?"

Just took my MP into the Leica store in Manchester today to look at an intermittently sticking shutter transport. Guy pressed the shutter a couple of times - struggling to get it to fire, then asked me if I bulk rolled my own. I nodded, and he told me it was probably a piece of film that had broken off and got stuck in the shutter transport mechanism. I guess Leica's don't like me hacking my leader using a pair of scissors and my dubious judgement. Off it goes for repair. Lesson learned. Now I need to find one of these... https://rrjphotography.wordpress.com/2016/05/04/leica-ablon-film-trimmer/
 
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Peter B said:
And now a lesson on always looking around the frame when shooting large format, not just concentrating on the faraway subject. :oops: :$

View attachment 423065

Happily for me, the subject suited a panoramic crop to save the day. ;)


Kintail from Ratagan by Northsnapper, on Flickr
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It's not just a problem with large format in my experience. It can happen sometimes when using an old camera with a squnity viewfinder.

Actually, a similar problem occurs when the small white dog strays into a corner of the frame or pops out of hiding in the distance. This habitual photobombing has resulted in a special collection of photographs where the dog also features, or is the dog the subject?
 
My most recent attempt at ruining a roll of film involved slipping on some shale up the side of a fell in the Lake District. Luckily I only fell a few feet, 99% undamaged, but my MX took a knock, and its back flew open, showing the 3/4 exposed roll of FP4 from that day's walking up the Copper Mines Valley near Coniston! I've been trying to convince myself it's worth developing the film, but since the back wouldn't fasten closed, I doubt anything could be rescued!
 
ChrisR said:
My most recent attempt at ruining a roll of film involved slipping on some shale up the side of a fell in the Lake District. Luckily I only fell a few feet, 99% undamaged, but my MX took a knock, and its back flew open, showing the 3/4 exposed roll of FP4 from that day's walking up the Copper Mines Valley near Coniston! I've been trying to convince myself it's worth developing the film, but since the back wouldn't fasten closed, I doubt anything could be rescued!
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:(
Falling over has happened to me a few times over the years but luckily only once damaged a camera when I fell over hitting my 135mm lens on a Pentax S3 and bent the lens mount on the camera......good old fashioned camera when I just screwed on another one. (y)
 
I recently inherited a Ricoh PAS film camera which I've used a couple of times with no issues other than light leaks.

Replaced the foam and shot a new roll of film. When it came to the end, I used the auto rewind button (there is no other way to do it).

Was convinced it was fully rewound and safely tucked away in the canister so opened to back to fit a new roll - only to find out that it was only part way through.

No idea what I've ruined or how much. But i will still process it and see what remains.
 
Another one for the list.
I went out walking a couple of weeks ago and used most of a 36 exp colour neg film. I got home and set up the processor to develop it and while it was warming, took the film and the developing tank into the kitchen and started to load the spiral inside the changing bag. I got to the end of the cassette then discovered that I had not zipped up the bag so the complete roll was exposed again, this time outside the camera. Bright sunny days like the one where I used the roll are not common where I live which was the worst of it.
 
ChrisR said:
My most recent attempt at ruining a roll of film involved slipping on some shale up the side of a fell in the Lake District. Luckily I only fell a few feet, 99% undamaged, but my MX took a knock, and its back flew open, showing the 3/4 exposed roll of FP4 from that day's walking up the Copper Mines Valley near Coniston!
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happened with the Olympus xa3 the other day, my 3 year old daughter playing like a tasmanian devil as usual and next thing she knocked my camera off my hands ended up on the floor with the back open. Unfortunately that day I took many good pictures and of course proceeded to shoot the rest of the film with 100% rubbish photos
Rodinal said:
Another one for the list.
I went out walking a couple of weeks ago and used most of a 36 exp colour neg film. I got home and set up the processor to develop it and while it was warming, took the film and the developing tank into the kitchen and started to load the spiral inside the changing bag. I got to the end of the cassette then discovered that I had not zipped up the bag so the complete roll was exposed again, this time outside the camera. Bright sunny days like the one where I used the roll are not common where I live which was the worst of it.
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Happened to me once, i can imagine your disappointment… ever since I go in the dark room with a changing bag:geek:
 
Trying to add a small length of 35mm roll onto a reel that has a 24 frame roll loaded, in a changing bag. Couldn't get the short film out of the plastic camera and decided to give up on it and opened the bag.... to see the 24 frame roll on the reel in the light!. It may be an age thing... one of many.
 
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Cluster said:
Trying to add a small length of 35mm roll onto a reel that has a 24 frame roll loaded, in a changing bag. Couldn't get the short film out of the plastic cam and decided to give up on it and opened the bag.... to see the 24 frame roll on the reel in the light!. It may be an age thing... one of many.
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I once put two rolls of 120 on a single reel in an attempt to get through my backlog a bit faster and somehow managed to feed the second film over the top of the first. Salvaged 5 shots from a potential 24 and none of those were worth scanning.
 
Turned up at a church yesterday to take some panoramic shots and discovered I had forgotten my phone and the exposure times were of the order of 5 plus minutes apiece. So I had to guess the exposure time, the church clock isn't working either. Hope I get something.
 
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