Simple test to see if a E-6 roll was exposed ?

Hello everyone,

Please pardon me in advance for this silly question :

Just to describe briefly context :
Due to certain turns (too long to be narrated here) I just ended with a Provia 100F Roll (35mm) where the begining is rewinded fully in the cartridge, but... I am not sure this film was *really* exposed.

Of course I can send it to the labo or do E6 processing myself anyway, but if I can avoid to throw away a full unexposed dia roll plus the processing cost, I will be glad !

So my silly question is, is a "simple" test exists to see if a E6 film was exposed or not ? My idea is to cut a 20/25 cm bit from the film begining (of course, hypothetical pictures in it will be lost) and use a chemical (B&W developper ? what type ? Or other thing ?) to see if there is any hint of pictures taken.

Do you think this have any chance to work ?

Best regards,
and happy new year !

Raphael

If you shot it in a manual-load camera, if you extract the leader the very end of it will show a crease from where it attached to the winding spool.

If your camera is one of the take-it-out-to-the-red-mark cameras, then this won't work.

A clip test can be done,. Get the lab to do a clip test if they have a dip and dunk machine. They will cut off the first 5 frames and process. From there you should be able to tell if you have exposures or not.

Faced with similar circumstances (usually a large format sheet that I'm confused about) I'll just develop it and see. Would rather waste a couple of bucks than lose a good shot.

PhotoJim said:

If you shot it in a manual-load camera, if you extract the leader the very end of it will show a crease from where it attached to the winding spool.

If your camera is one of the take-it-out-to-the-red-mark cameras, then this won't work.

Click to expand...

Another thing to look for is a line next the image area (on emulsion side) where the film rubs against the edges of the gate which the pressure plate presses it against. The film looks a little more shiny where it has been rubbed.
If you see the line that is most likely has been run through a camera. However the absence of it doesn't mean that it hasn't been run through! There may be some cameras that don't leave the marks.

n.b. only check this on the length of film that is pulled out when loading the camera normally otherwise the film will magically become exposed

A few precisions

Hello everyone,

PhotoJim said:

If you shot it in a manual-load camera, if you extract the leader the very end of it will show a crease from where it attached to the winding spool.

If your camera is one of the take-it-out-to-the-red-mark cameras, then this won't work.

Click to expand...

Thanks to all for your answers !
I use a old fully manual mechanical SLR, and of course, the leader should present the mark dues to the windind spool that's Jim described.

I should be more precise to the circumstance of the mess :

The problem occurs when I discovered I can cock and trigger the camera again, in despite the view counter is far away after the #36 view. I didn't see sooner, the camera was moslty used for night shots.

So, this is a film advance problem, with two hypothesis :
1°) the film wasn't properly attached, never winded, and the film is totally unexposed. It is unlikely but not impossible, since I generally check if the rewinding knob rotates properly on the firsts dead shots.
2°) I have other mechanical problem, and the film was caught somewhere, and I torn film perforations with the camera sprocket using cocking lever.

I am unable to decide one hypothesis to the other, I haven't rewinded the film myself, and the person who done it is unable to tell me if the rewind was very shorter than usual or simply shorter...

I am aware this became to do a lot of self-generated bothers for a E6 roll (almost €8 here, for all that !), but my question had to do also with simple curiosity : is there a chemical test to check if a transparency film was exposed ?

Happy new year again !

Regards,

Raphael