[PRCo] Film tricks

[Bob Rathke]

I don't usually perform the tight-wound-take-up trick, but when I think of
it, I try to watch the rewind knob to be sure it's turning.  However, I
sometimes switch film among cameras, especially if it's a 36-exposure roll
of special film with only a few exposures on it, and I need to put a
different roll of film in that camera.  I note the exposure number on the
counter, then rewind the film until I hear the leader slip off the take-up
reel; when I reload that roll later, I advance it to the exposure number
where it was last exposed, and then give it 2-3 extra advances to be safe
(this is all done in a dark area, lens cap on, and shutter set at 1/1000
second).  However, if the roll of film is near the end of the reel, I'll
simply rewind it, forget about the lost exposures, and get it processed.

For most B&W exposures, unaided I can't differentiate among similar
negatives of the same view, so I use an 8X loupe for that chore.

Bob 10/18/01

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Holland" <pghpcc at pacbell.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 3:52 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: 3-car fantrip from Pittsburgh to PRMA Washington


>
> Good Morning!!
>
> > Bob Rathke wrote:
>
> > When I snap extra B&W shots, for each "extra" view I always take a step
> > right or left by a about a foot.  Later, this trick makes it easy to
match
> > each negative with the appropriate print.  It's surprising how such a
slight
> > lateral movement of the camera will produce great differences in the
> > apparent position of background objects (e.g., telephone poles) near the
> > main subject.
>
> Interesting system, Bob  --  but even looking at such a small negative
> for these details can be baffling to the  Old--Eyes!   I try to number
> the photos as soon as they return to match the negative numbers, using
> *both*  numbers in the correct sequence, i.e.::::
>
> 1)--  4, 4A  or.......
> 2)--  4A, 5
> 3)--  0, 1  etc.,  etc.,  etc!!
>
> Depends on how well the film is wound to begin with.
>
> When purchasing the prepaid mailers from Kodak, I would wind the film
> tight in a dark place, immediately close the camera, advance once and
> shoot with lense cap on and then try to rewind the film without
> releasing the take--up spool  --  this way I could tell if the film was
> tight on the take--up spool.   (I once thought I had completed a roll of
> film and rewound it to find that it had never caught on the take-up
> spool  --  rewound within 1-2 turns!   Lessons in the  School--of--Life
> are easily remembered!)   AND  I would get 2- or 3-extra
> slides//photos  per roll for the price of the prepaid 36!!
>