What method to use to keep track of films and individual frames as your archive grows

[phc]

I can often use many films in a day, in at least two cameras, so I number each roll as it goes in with year, month, day, hour and minute, i.e. yymmddhhmm. Frames are then numbered as they are on the film. So frame 24 on the film I would put in right now would be 0901101745/24. I've been using this system for years, sometimes estimating the time later as I'm loading film so fast.

It's also useful to be able to look back and see where you were when you loaded the film.

Cheers, P.

 

[Tim Gray]

I cannot use YYYYMMDD-rollnumber-framenumber system because I am using four cameras and one of them has interchangeable film back. So I can have a roll in a camera for a couple of months and use a camera that was loaded earlier or has a new roll in it.

This is a direct fallout of G.A.S.

Steve

I just label the roll with the date of when I finished the film.

 

[MikeSeb]

I just label the roll with the date of when I finished the film.

Same here, more or less. I usually can finish a given roll within a few days or a week, and I try to batch process like films (eg C-41, B&W films of same dev time). Whichever roll had the earliest start date gets the lowest roll number, as best as I can remember.

I try to keep track of dates I use a roll, when one stretches over several days. I've got most of my film backs/bodies labeled with an erasable writing sticker I can mark on.