no images on a roll

[jmccl@yahoo.com]

I just ran a roll of "purchased at a drug store" Kodak 400TX with the result from the lab being that film was not exposed. I checked the camera to verify that the shutter was actually firing - it is. Camera is a range finder, so nothing in the path between shutter and film. Maybe I failed to load properly and the film never actually advanced - that's my guess. Is it possible that film which had not had good environmental storage could have all the exposure sensitivity "leach out"? I've still got a couple of rolls, so I don't want to waste opportunity if bad film has the potential of being the culprit.

Jim

 

[summicron1]

no, it is not possible. film doesn't lose its sensitivity, not that much. 100 year old film can still grab some sort of image.

when you load any camera, make sure the film is hooked to the take-up spool by advancing a bit before closing the back. After you close the back, turn then rewind crank in its usual direction until you just barely start to feel tension, then advance the film. If the rewind crank turns backwards, the film is advancing.

don't sweat it -- we all make this mistake. nothing to do but say a bad word and start over.

 

[cepwin]

Yeah, this is part of the learning process....I've made about every mistake...even shot thinking there was film in a camera (there wasn't.)

 

[removed account4]

hi jim

sorry to hear of your problem
its no fun when something like that happens.
tell me, on the edges of your negatives, do you see numbers ( frame numbers ) ?
if the answer is yes then it was a user error, maybe the film was loaded wrong, maybe the camera
malfunctioned &c ... if there is nothing on the film, ... frame numbers &c it might have been a lab mistake.
frame numbers mean the film was processed correctly ... can you post a skan of a strip of film ?

 

[Michael W]

Are the frame numbers and text such as the film code visible on the film rebate, e.g. the word "Kodak" along the edge where the sprockets are? If not, it means the film wasn't developed properly. Was it processed by a lab that regularly does B&W film? If the edge markings are there it means the film was processed OK and you hadn't loaded it correctly in the camera.

 

[Alan W]

How did you know when it was time to rewind the roll?Would the film not advance anymore-was there tension on it?Was there any tension when you were rewinding?

 

[eddie]

In the future, after you load the film, and close the back, look at the rewind crank as you advance the film. It should turn as you advance the film.

 

[dnjl]

It sucks when that happens, doesn't it. My first roll of HP5+ in my grandfather's AE-1 ended up that way. As eddie said, always check if the rewind crank is moving when you advance the film.

I recently got a lovely, pure black roll of Provia 400X back from the lab because the mirror lock up mechanism on an RB67 lens failed to disengage. Don't feel bad about this one roll, it happens to all of us every once in a while. I'm sure others can testify.

 

[canuhead]

I always check to make sure the film is caught and advancing on the take up spool before closing the back. Then I give the rewind a turn to make sure there's tension, if not, the leader will come off and tension will drop off. Then I check the rewind knob/post to make sure it turns as I advance to the first frame.

 

[jmccl@yahoo.com]

It was lab error.

Thanks to all responders. There were no markings along the sprockets. I just assumed (ugly word that it is) that "drug store film" could be developed by "drug store machines". I don't know if the machines have different settings for B&W vs Color or if they just can't do the 400TX. Next roll goes to a more professional lab.

Jim

 

[BrianShaw]

Yes it was a lab error. They processed traditional B&W in C41. They should have known better. Now you know. My suggestion, if you are looking for one, is to have your B&W processed by thedarkroom.com if your not doing it yourself. Not very expensive and they are good quality and fast. See their ad as an APUG sponsor.

 

[Peltigera]

The odd times I take a B&W film in to be developed for me (i.e. 127 size films) I make a point of saying that it is old fashioned B&W film, not colour. They then know to send it away to their central facility.

 

[GarageBoy]

Tri X isn't really "drug store" film (who coined that term anyways? It ranks up there on the cringe list, along with nifty-fifty...)
I'm not even sure if minilabs (the machines that do C-41) handle b&w
Make sure you spec B&W film.
Conversely, if you use a C-41 B&W film, make sure they run it in C41

 

[pentaxuser]

Frankly unless you are devoted to trad B&W film and are prepared to put up with the extra postage cost, time, potential loss in mail etc then it might makes sense to buy Ilford XP2 Super which is a B&W C41 film that is designed for printing in B&W chemistry

If you decide to go with local mini-lab printing as well which is RA4(colour) paper then it is said that the Kodak C41 equivalent is designed for RA4 paper so Kodak B&W C41 film may be the best bet.

pentaxuser

 

[Cold]

Sorry to hear about the burnt roll.

It was a similar situation that convinced me to start developing myself. I was specifically buying BW400CN so that I could just take it to a drug store. Little by little the local places stopped developing and there was only one drug store that still did it. I dropped off a roll there and came back later to pick it up to find a lady working there completely irate with me for "ruining her machine".

When I asked what she meant, she accused me of purposely sabotaging her machine by not telling her it was black & white film and it had turned the machine into a sticky mess, mangling and destroying my film and causing some sort of unspecific mayhem within the machine as well.

After she was done, I grabbed a box of BW400CN from the rack beside her and showed her that it specifically said it was meant for normal process, even though it was black & white, so it couldn't have been my film. In response she didn't apologize, offer me a free roll of film or anything other than asking me to leave the store.