FP100C - Trapped Frame!

[bvy]

I'm about halfway through a pack of FP100C in a Polaroid 450. Usually everything works out, but with this particular frame, when I pulled the tab, it came right out and the black tab did not. I looked around, and everything relates a torn tab and follows with instructions about how to retrieve the white tab. But the white tab did not tear in my case. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[bvy]

Anyone? I found a diagram online of the film pack. It looks like I can take the pack out in the dark and try to fish the tab through the rollers. I wonder if anyone's had experience doing this...

 

[NedL]

I hesitated to respond because I've only used FP-100C in the "common" size and not in 4x5. If they are the same, then I had this happen once when the rollers got dirty... the black tab failed to come through. I was able to open the back of the camera, find and grab the black tab, and then pull it out. I did not try to put the tab into the rollers manually, but just got it out so that I could use the rest of the pack normally. It worked... I gave it a good pull and everything that normally comes out did, but the photo was not developed and the little packet of developing chemicals was unbroken. After I was done with that pack of film I washed the accumulated gunk off the rollers with warm soapy water and it never happened again. So... it IS possible!

 

[bvy]

Thanks. The 450 is actually not a 4x5 camera, so these are the 3x4-ish pictures. If I could, I'd like to salvage the frame I exposed.

 

[Kyle M.]

I could be wrong but I imagine you could open the back in the dark and remove that frame, then after your done with the rest of the pack you could put it through the rollers so that it breaks the chemistry packet and develops the image. I can't tell you for certain how long the exposed neg is good for sitting undeveloped but I had a friend who I gave a Polaroid 103 too, and she broke a tab, it was over a month later that she got it to me and I was able to fish it out. That image developed just fine.

 

[bvy]

Thanks. I managed to salvage the frame last night. I'm just now getting around to updating this thread. In the dark, I opened the back of the camera, and the positive is on top inside the film pack. I was able to pull it out somewhat (laterally), reach my fingers underneath it, pull out the black tab, reposition it, and feed the tab through the rollers. I closed the camera and pulled it through the rollers. It developed just fine.

This diagram was helpful:
http://polaroids.theskeltons.org/img/filmpack.jpg