Old Guy, Newbie Mistakes

[Dave Lusby]

So, I am mostly a medium format user of folders and TLRs, but I have owned and occasionally used large format equipment, mostly Graflex. With the passing of winter I dug into the darkroom and discovered a box of Efke 25 in 2X3 with ten sheets left, expired in 2013, and a box of Foma 100 4X5, expired 2023. Were they still good? I mixed a gallon of D-76 to fill my Yankee tanks that take 2 liters to fill. In short order I made all the newbie mistakes I originally made 40 years ago:
-I failed to shoot the sheet film holder for 2X3 in strict order. One sheet blank, one double exposed.
-I didn't notice that the Efke sheets have paper sheets between the film sheets and loaded both in the holder. Ruined exposure.
-Since I routinely return the chemicals to their gallon bottles between developing sessions, I went to pour developer and fix back in. Oops, I poured fixer into a half full developer bottle, and developer into a half full fixer bottle. Chemicals ruined.
The good news is, both film stocks are still good. So now I get to decide, what will I use the remaining precious Efke sheets for? I have six left.

 

[Vaughn]

That's one way to shake the dust off!

Newbie mistakes eventually age and come maturity mistakes.

 

[Kino]

It's rare that I have an outing in the field or darkroom where I didn't do something and immediately say, "that was wrong".

Life goes on...

 

[Rayt]

There were times when processing film I go into autopilot just to wake up not remembering if I had fixed it, or I am in the middle of doing inversions but had forgotten what time I had poured in the developer. With the Massive phone app I use it religiously as a timer so no such problems anymore.

 

[oneeyedpainter]

So, I am mostly a medium format user of folders and TLRs, but I have owned and occasionally used large format equipment, mostly Graflex. With the passing of winter I dug into the darkroom and discovered a box of Efke 25 in 2X3 with ten sheets left, expired in 2013, and a box of Foma 100 4X5, expired 2023. Were they still good? I mixed a gallon of D-76 to fill my Yankee tanks that take 2 liters to fill. In short order I made all the newbie mistakes I originally made 40 years ago:
-I failed to shoot the sheet film holder for 2X3 in strict order. One sheet blank, one double exposed.
-I didn't notice that the Efke sheets have paper sheets between the film sheets and loaded both in the holder. Ruined exposure.
-Since I routinely return the chemicals to their gallon bottles between developing sessions, I went to pour developer and fix back in. Oops, I poured fixer into a half full developer bottle, and developer into a half full fixer bottle. Chemicals ruined.
The good news is, both film stocks are still good. So now I get to decide, what will I use the remaining precious Efke sheets for? I have six left.

After all that happened, I would have given the six sheets to somebody else, so they get a chance of getting a picture in them (just kidding, obviously, have a good laugh, we all make silly mistakes )

 

[mshchem]

Awesome, think how much you have learned from a few sheets of outdated film! A couple months ago I tripped over a saddlebag on my bicycle, fell a couple feet and cracked a bone in my wrist. I won't do that again. I took the bag off

 

[Vaughn]

Awesome, think how much you have learned from a few sheets of outdated film! A couple months ago I tripped over a saddlebag on my bicycle, fell a couple feet and cracked a bone in my wrist. I won't do that again. I took the bag off

That's what's great about bicycles...one never forgets how to fall off of one. Coming to my front door (it is right on the street) from a trip into town, I decided to just make a loop in front the house since I had the speed, no traffic, and it was a beautiful day. It was such a nice ride home that I forgot to loosen the toe straps and when I came to a complete stop, promptly fell over like the tricycle guy on Laugh-In.

Fortunately, I landed flat on my left side, so the force of fall was spread out evenly, and I kept my head off the pavement, so no injury. No one saw me so pride also not seriously damaged. I did the same thing in Death Valley decades ago. I slowed down around dusk to listen to the desert and slowed down too much...fell the same way. As long as I do not do it riding 25 mph down a gravel road!

 

[Alan9940]

Ah, a few of the little "joys" of our chosen hobby. I vividly remember a waterfall picture I was trying to make with my 8x10. I had to lug everything across very cold water of a rushing stream and scamper across some slippery inclined rockface to get to where I wanted to stand. I composed and took the shot (or so I thought.) One blank sheet of 8x10 film! I couldn't hear if the shutter fired over the deafening sound of the waterfall. Lesson learned!

 

[Logical1]

And you have the maturity to admit your mistakes and laugh (I hope) over them. Welcome to the world of senior citizens.
Best of luck enjoying your "new found hobby".

Another senior citizen with his share of mistakes.

 

[StefantheHun]

One mistake made 30 years ago that will not happen with Copal shutters: When loading 35 mm film in my Canon EOS 650 ( that I was really proud of) in a state of slight alcoholic intoxication my thumb accidentally pressed down on the shutter lamellae so that they bulged inwards and stayed there. How to return them to their prior position? Not from the open back side of the camera, that seemed obvious. After taking off the lens I faced the mirror blocking any access to the shutter. Doomed!?

I finally closed the back, switched the camera on and started a seconds long exposure without attached lens. The mirror swung up, the outward bulging lamellae appeared, and in my semi-sedated state I boldly repeated my thumb‘s exercise - forgotten never to touch the shutter blades - and the shutter swung back in place and worked flawlessly until camera and I had to part.

 

[StefantheHun]

Speaking of the EOS 650, my first SLR, having a powerful motor drive: To save on film expenses, I bought a metallic box containing an astonishing length of Orwo B+W film, which I had to transfer to film cartridges. Measuring length in the dark, cutting in the dark, applying adhesive tape to the film end in the dark and fixing it to the spool in the dark etc. Eventually, I succeeded.

However, not with the motor driven automatic rewinding of the exposed film: The motor was stronger than the adhesive tape was on the spool, so it stuck to the film but let go of the spool and cartridge - and nicely (and securely) fixed the exposed film on the right hand spool inside the camera.

Since you asked: Yes, adhesion to the film was very good, and I presumably used strong language when again fiddling in the dark trying to locate and then loosen the film strip end from a tightly wound film roll.

I still have the metal box, reminding me of the good old days…

 

[Sharktooth]

The "real" rookie mistake was admitting a rookie mistake. For shame!

 

[Kino]

Another fun one is to use a locking shutter release cable on a roll film camera and forgetting to set the lock to off.

After several spontaneous firings of the shutter (manual camera), and after misdiagnosing it as sticky lube in the release mechanism, I realized the error and the camera worked just fine. The three shots of my feet should be suitable for framing...

 

[Don_ih]

The motor was stronger than the adhesive tape was on the spool, so it stuck to the film but let go of the spool and cartridge - and nicely (and securely) fixed the exposed film on the right hand spool inside the camera.

You loop the tape around the spool, attached to both sides of the film. I doubt your motor drive would be strong enough to break two layers of the tape.

 

[StefantheHun]

Oh, valid point! Now let me go back in times and apply the lesson learnt…

 

[StefantheHun]

… which I can‘t since the camera got stolen 22 years ago at a break-in. Worse came to worst.

 

[Don_ih]

You can always get another camera. They're dirt cheap, since no one wants them.

 

[StefantheHun]

Yes, I could, but nobody wanting them includes me.

For now, loading sheet film in the dark with one hand is a worthy replacement for my former 35 mm adventures.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

the dumbest mistake, I ever made when shooting in the studio with the Hasselblad. I loaded the film wrong and exposed an entire roll not on the film side but on the back side of the paper. I felt so stupid.