How do you mark you film roll when Pushed/pulled

[McErland]

Hey!

So I've ran into a new problem the other day.
The pen I used to mark my film roll dissolved in the Fridge. Luckily I could remember it was pushed to 800.

How do you mark your film roll? Tried 3 different pens no and none would stick. Dnd the glue on post-its does not cope well with the cold either.

 

[elekm]

Sharpie brand pens work very well and can be bought with a fine-point tip. I don't know if they are sold in Sweden.

 

[sandholm]

Hej,

I use water proof pens that can write on metal, for example an over-head fin tip pen, works great both on metal canisters and on 120 paper.

(I am Swedish living in Switzerland... )
mvh

 

[mweintraub]

Labels or a piece of paper and rubberbands

 

[effae]

I just tend to write on the cap of my plastic film containers. I've found that my markers wont hold on the container itself, but the matte finish of the cap works well!

 

[Shawn Dougherty]

Sharpie brand pens work very well and can be bought with a fine-point tip. I don't know if they are sold in Sweden.

I use the fine tip Sharpie brand pens as well. I bought a pack of several and put a couple in each bag. Never had them fade on me and they won't smear as long as you give them a short drying time.

Everything gets marked N, N+, N- and so on, location(s) and date(s), as much info as I have room. Obviously there is more label real estate on 120 film.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I just tend to write on the cap of my plastic film containers. I've found that my markers wont hold on the container itself, but the matte finish of the cap works well!

Or put a slip of paper in the container with the film.

 

[removed account4]

i don't, but process everything as "normal" even if it is over/under exposed by 3 stops

 

[ignatiu5]

I use a Sharpie too, but for 35mm I fold the leader as well. One fold for a 1 stop push, twice for 2 stops.

 

[OldBodyOldSoul]

Or put a slip of paper in the container with the film.

This. Never had a problem.

 

[q_x]

I'm sometimes out for a long time, making photos while hiking or visiting friends. I have no sharpie in the wild. What I have though, is my terrible memory. I reload all cassettes many times, with different films, so the info on the cassette is insignificant (so is DX code, so I'm sometimes taping these, depending on a camera). I'm always leaving the beginning (it's hard to call it a leader) of a film sticking out when rewinding the film for more confusion. Helps reusing cassettes.

So you can imagine this situation: smelly guy, tired as hell, working in a hurry in the middle of nowhere, cause the sun is going down... With a bag of films, all looking the same. That, without a clear and working solution, would lead to a complete chaos followed by a certain failure.

There's a system that works for me. I'm scratching whatever I'll need in the emulsion with whatever I have in my hand. Pen, knife, cable release, pebble, whatever. If I'm in a real hurry, I'd bite the film to mark and remember which roll needs to be taken care of later and should not be used. I scribble a place I'm in, the number of a roll from a given place and push/pull info if needed. After getting back home, I have have zero problems with developing, chronology or subjects, and the information isn't lost even after the development. S2 50 translates to: sea, second roll, 50 ASA. I may (or not) remember which rolls or subjects need more or less contrast while developing, so I can process things accordingly.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I know this is the 35mm forum, but I also keep a notebook handy at all times when I'm taking pictures of any degree of seriousity. For sheet film, the holders are numbered and I can take notes of what EI i used for each sheet.

 

[momus]

"i don't, but process everything as "normal" even if it is over/under exposed by 3 stops"

Another happy Tri-X user I perceive. I use a sharpie to remember which film came from which camera, or a regular pen on a piece of masking tape.

 

[bob01721]

I know this is the 35mm forum, but I also keep a notebook handy...

35mm shooters aren't supposed to carry a notebook? :confused: Personally, I take notes shooting 35mm the same as when shooting 4x5.

 

[BradS]

35mm....write the pertinent info on a note card or the side of a barn and photograph it (with that roll).

 

[removed account4]

35mm....write the pertinent info on a note card or the side of a barn and photograph it (with that roll).

i thought the same thing, "write a note and photograph it!"
but then i remembered
you would only see the note after the film was processed

haha
john

 

[HowardDvorin]

I use Dixon CHINA MARKERS. i get them a stationary stores. I also use them on backs of prints and nega file pages. they are available in many colors.

Howard Dvorin

 

[BradS]

i thought the same thing, "write a note and photograph it!"
but then i remembered
you would only see the note after the film was processed

haha
john

Oh...yeah....(chuckes to self). I do this with place info, sometimes date and time if I think it important.

 

[Xmas]

Because I use reloadable cassettes they already have a new Avery label on them with text e.g. '3x'.

 

[sepiareverb]

Sharpie here. And a notebook. Each roll/sheet comes out of the camera and gets a sequential number on it in sharpie, along with an N or +1 depending on how I shot it.The notebook records the number, film type, development needs, place, and camera body/lens/filter/back/film holder# used. Takes only a minute, has been my practice for the last fifteen years, I did a somewhat less coherent version of this for about ten years before that. When shooting stock slides these notes were invaluable for being sure films were handled properly, and are a simple way for tracking down problems in equipment.

I use those little Avery removable adhesive labels on my film holders and bulk loads also.

 

[photopriscilla]

I used paper and elastic bands until once it fell off...That was not a happy day! I use sharpies now!

 

[BradleyK]

Sharpie brand pens work very well and can be bought with a fine-point tip. I don't know if they are sold in Sweden.

Another vote for the Sharpie. I keep a black marker (retractable, fine point) in each of my 35mm camera bags for marking up the film cassettes for those occasions when I have shot the film in anything other than my usual EI. BTW: The "Sharpies" seem to handle colder temperatures reasonably well.

 

[Neal]

Dear McErland,

I usually use whatever is at hand. It obviously works easily on re-loadable cassettes, but it is pretty easy to write on the plastic container. Of course you have to make sure you don't mix things up!

Neal Wydra

 

[McErland]

Thanks guys! Bought a sharpie on Ebay now, since it wasn’t available here in “Nässjö” J
I have tried “Permanent markers”, but the ink just dissolves, or retracts into small drops whenever I tried it.
Mainly Tri-X or Arista premium rolls that I need to mark. My Lucky 200 is always shot at 200 so that is not a problem…

 

[NB23]

I scratch the canister off the sidewalk or with a rock.
One scratch pattern=800, 2 scratches=1600... This was by far my most reliable method