What Do You Do Half Way Through Film?

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Yo,

After giving up digital, I'm new to the world of film. I've had a Rolleicord VAII for about a year but only really getting round to using it after getting it serviced recently. My question is what do you do with the camera if you don't use all the film to stop the film spoiling? I've got an expired Velvia 50 that I want to use but fear that I won't use the whole film on an outing and due to the cost of development etc (won't be doing it myself) I don't want to just waste the film on random shots. What do I do in this circumstance?

I think my next 120 camera will have to have exchangeable backs. :)
 
It depends on how long you're planning on leaving it, and where the camera is stored I suppose. Unless you leave the camera somewhere unsuitable (in a hot car for days or weeks for instance) I doubt it will make much difference. I carry a compact camera in my coat pocket and that can sometimes take months to finish a roll and it's always fine, despite the coat being stored at room temperature for much of the time.

Generally speaking though, it's not often (above case excepted) that I have a part-used roll in my camera for more than a week.
 
Seal the whole caboodle in a plastic bag with some dessicant and stick it in the fridge/freezer. Make sure it's completely defrosted before next use!
 
How will this:

my next 120 camera will have to have exchangeable backs

stop this::


to stop the film spoiling?

Put a roll of film in the camera, go out today ( for example) shoot half a dozen frames ( as another example), come home, do other activities for a couple of weeks, go out again with camera shoot another few shots, come home, repeat process of doing othe activities for a month, take camera out again, finish film, return home, remove film, send for developing, await results then jump with joy or jump off a bridge with dissapointment…..It's a fairly straighforward procedure!

Just to add thatshould the film be of such a make up that it deteriorates rapidly if left with latent images in camera for any length of time ( there is a rollei film that poses this problem) then the options again are easy:

1. Ensure the whole film is used and processed within a short period of time

2. If film only half used, process anyway and lose frames / money

3. Avoid said film and use a different brand
 
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Ideally film should be processed as soon as possible after exposure, but this is perhaps a counsel of perfection. Some films are more susceptible than others to latent image degradation - PanF carries dire "health warnings" about processing as soon as possible - but in general terms it isn't that important. Films were designed (at least they were some years ago) on the assumption that the mass market wouldn't finish a roll very quickly- the Christmas/summer holiday/Christmas sandwich of pics - and so have some safety margin built in. Films designed for professional use had different priorities.

In practice, unless you're thinking of leaving the film in a hot place for a year or so, I wouldn't worry.
 
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When I was a working Photographer I developed all the films that I had taken that day when I got back . That included films that only had a couple of exposures on them. I never saw a particular need to finish a film. films were never split between jobs. but were numbered and filed in the Job bag.
Films are unlikely to spoil in the camera if left for a couple of days or even months if kept cool and dry.

One thing to note when using a Rolleicord or Rolleiflex is that the film develops a kink in the film in the middle of the second frame if left for any time. this will result in a band of out of focus image. It was normal for professionals to wind on a couple of shots if they had to leave the camera overnight with a film in it.
This is not the case with a Minolta Autocord which winds the film in the other direction and the bend is always on an exposed frame.

You will not find this mentioned in any Rollei book, they were not very proud of the fact.
 
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The good thing about forgetting half finished rolls, that way when you do eventually finish it, you get the fun surprise of seeing what other photos are on the roll!

I do try and finish a roll off though, if I don't manage to get through it in one outing then I'll make an effort to use it within a week or two. I have never really worried about film sitting in the camera, as I'm not sure I'd notice the slight reduction in quality amongst all the other factors that make a bad image
 
I thought i'd pick up a film camera last summer to take some photos, shot 1 and half rolls and it's sitting with that half a roll of film in it upstairs...ah well - I wonder if i'll ever get them developed. Maybe not
 
I try and finish the roll off. It's not that hard with MF because you're looking at 10-16 exposures. I struggle more with 35mm because 36 is quite a lot of images. I tend to leave the camera empty until I'm going out, then load the camera before I get in the car. I'll generally try and use the whole film if I can though and with 35mm I'm just a bit more snap-happy.

That said I've got a roll of Portra 160 that's just had 1 photo taken on it. Can't remember when I took it, or what it is, but as it's in a separate back I'm not too worried.
 
I found a camera in a drawer at the end of last year with a roll of film in it, it was one of those that date stamped the photos. I processed the film a couple of weeks ago and the photos were from 2006 - over 12 years old - and they were OK, the colours/contast are a bit off but not too bad. So I wouldn't worry about it for a year or two in a centrally heated house.
 
How will this:



stop this::




Put a roll of film in the camera, go out today ( for example) shoot half a dozen frames ( as another example), come home, do other activities for a couple of weeks, go out again with camera shoot another few shots, come home, repeat process of doing othe activities for a month, take camera out again, finish film, return home, remove film, send for developing, await results then jump with joy or jump off a bridge with dissapointment…..It's a fairly straighforward procedure!

Just to add thatshould the film be of such a make up that it deteriorates rapidly if left with latent images in camera for any length of time ( there is a rollei film that poses this problem) then the options again are easy:

1. Ensure the whole film is used and processed within a short period of time

2. If film only half used, process anyway and lose frames / money

3. Avoid said film and use a different brand

I'd take the backs off and put them in the fridge......or doesn't it work like that? haha.

Ok cool, thanks everyone. Seems I asked a silly question. I will aim to do the whole roll but just never knew what happened since there is a general consensus to get the film in the fridge/freezer when it's bought etc. I don't always get out that much nowadays which is where my thought process was.
 
Rolleicord VAII gives you 12 shots on a roll of film. I cannot imaging NOT using all 12 shots in a day, certainly in a week.

Film kept at room temperature will last a very long time without spoiling. If you avoid keeping the camera with part-used film in the airing cupboard, it will be OK for months.
 
I'd take the backs off and put them in the fridge......or doesn't it work like that? haha.

Ok cool, thanks everyone. Seems I asked a silly question. I will aim to do the whole roll but just never knew what happened since there is a general consensus to get the film in the fridge/freezer when it's bought etc. I don't always get out that much nowadays which is where my thought process was.

It's not a silly question at all. Better to ask it and know what to expect than chance it and end up with disappointment (y).
 
Seal the whole caboodle in a plastic bag with some dessicant and stick it in the fridge/freezer. Make sure it's completely defrosted before next use!
That sounds like a terrible idea. I can't imagine that it would benefit the camera at all.

The film will be fine sat at room temperature until you finish it. Especially if it is still in date. I had a roll of film sat in a camera for years that was only half finished. I shot the rest of the roll and developed as normal (Fuji Xtra 400) and it turned out fine.
 
Back in the heyday of film it was a standing joke that 'joe public' would often send a roll of film in to be developed that had a Christmas tree at either end and a beach in the middle. They say many a true word is spoken in jest, so that's probably the reason that film manufacturers tended to make film aimed at the amateur market that 'kept' well. So keeping a camera loaded with a 'consumer grade' film for a year or so shouldn't result in noticeable degradation issues, providing the camera itself is in good light-proof condition and is kept at room temperature, etc.

However, film aimed at the professional photography market was expected to be used quickly once loaded into a camera. So if I were using a lowish ISO 'consumer grade' film I wouldn't be too bothered about using it up quickly, but if I were using a pro grade film (or a high ISO film such as Portra 800) then I'd try to use it within two or three months of loading it.

In short, spring is on the way, so get out and use that film! Even if it's just for structured practice (testing how it copes with different lighting conditions, or how your camera renders depth of field, and keeping relevant notes of what settings you've used, etc. so you can analyse the results and learn from them). Surely that's got to be better than leaving half a roll blank just because you want to develop it before it starts to degrade?
 
@Mr Badger what an interesting story. That sounds sarcastic but I mean it Haha! Its Velvia 50 I've got. I'm just about to start my project on Saturday as I'm getting sun which is what I need as a contrast to the forgotten places where my images will take place. Hopefully I'll finish the roll then and get it off for development.

Thanks for the input!
 
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