Do you think I ruined my film?

[IlfordFan]

I was trying to pre-flash my film for some Lomography, and I think I might have overdid it. I opened the roll of 35mm in a dark room with light coming through the bottom of the door. The room was very dark, the only light was the light coming through the door and a little ambient light coming through the blinds. I tried to roll it back into the canister very fast. Do you think the film is ruined?

 

[MattKing]

There is no way to tell.
You may have done nothing - no effect on the film at all.
You may have fogged the film beyond use.
You may have got it just right.
Again, there is no way to tell.
The best way to flash film is to run it through a camera which allows you to accurately control the amount of (unfocused) light that actually hits the film. You also need a way to rewind the pre-flashed film and then start it again in registration with the flashed frames.

 

[BrianShaw]

(not that it will matter much) but what speed film? And approximately how long was your "pre-flash" exposure? Or alternatively, how fast were you able to reel that film back into the canister? And what, exactly (if can be written in polite company), were your first words when you realized what happened?

 

[Saganich]

Your film exists in a simultaneous state of ruin and perfection until you develop it.

 

[removed account4]

Your film exists in a simultaneous state of ruin and perfection until you develop it.

this is beautiful and very true !

 

[MartinCrabtree]

Just shoot the roll as intended unless it is important to get good shots. Experiment? Go for it and if it works out poorly don't do it again.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

This is an experiment I did with some expired C-41 color film and Rodinal. Nuthin' special but I learned from it.

 

[Saganich]

this is beautiful and very true !

You may blame Erwin Schrödinger...and his cat.

 

[IlfordFan]

It is 800 speed film.

 

[BrianShaw]

It is 800 speed film.

I'd write it off and waste no more time thinking about it.

 

[Bill Burk]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Consider how "underexposed" a picture would have been if you tried to take it in that room, even if you had the camera on "B" for that long.

 

[Sirius Glass]

No way to tell until you develop the film.

 

[pentaxuser]

I was trying to pre-flash my film for some Lomography, and I think I might have overdid it. I opened the roll of 35mm in a dark room with light coming through the bottom of the door. The room was very dark, the only light was the light coming through the door and a little ambient light coming through the blinds. I tried to roll it back into the canister very fast. Do you think the film is ruined?

Can I ask how much of the roll was out of the cassette in the darkroom when you noticed light? That will determine how many frames might be affected. Any film still in the cassette and never withdrawn should be unaffected as might the exposed film be, depending in how much light actually was in the room.

pentaxuser

 

[IlfordFan]

Can I ask how much of the roll was out of the cassette in the darkroom when you noticed light?

All of it. I was trying to flash the film for neat effects. Should I shoot at a slower ISO speed and pull?

 

[keenmaster486]

I opened my developing tank with a full roll of film in it once, under a bright bathroom light... and there were still faint images on the film when developed.

 

[IlfordFan]

I opened my developing tank with a full roll of film in it once, under a bright bathroom light... and there were still faint images on the film when developed.

What ISO speed? I have loaded large format in the same room without fogging.

 

[Fall]

i second mattking's advice. Shoot it, see what happens. just don't use it for something important, and don't be disappointed if it doesn't work .

 

[removed account4]

You may blame Erwin Schrödinger...and his cat.

 

[keenmaster486]

What ISO speed? I have loaded large format in the same room without fogging.

It was a 400 speed Fomapan!

 

[Arklatexian]

I'd write it off and waste no more time thinking about it.

I agree and do remember that a room with light coming under a door and through blinds is not a "dark room" If you can hold your finger in front of your nose and can't see it, THAT is a "dark" room and the one a 400 speed film (and, in my opinion), all other films require. But you knew that......Regards!

 

[Kino]

I'd relegate that roll to casual and experimental subjects, not really important work, but I would develop it!

How will you ever know if it was ruined or got great results if you don't develop it?