Experiment: Shooting less than a full roll and developing them.

[rpavich]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I was messing around this morning and was wondering how to develop just a partial roll. It started because I had a roll of Tri-X 135-36 in the camera and was impatient to make sure that everything was ok.

 

I had shot 14 shots so I took a sacrificial roll and marked off 14 frames using a sharpie and then I started it threading onto a Paterson roll and counted the "ratchets" so that 14 shots got onto the roll.

Then I threaded the real film onto the roll and went into the dark bag. I ratcheted it the same number of times and put it into the tank.

After developing I found that it worked perfectly..the exact right amount of images was developed. I put the rest of the film back into the camera.

Good to know.

You veterans may know this already but it's new and interesting to me

[fotohuis]

I put a small sticker on the film surface. In this way I am also using one film for a zone system in 2 different developing times. It works even sometimes better then short loads from bulk film.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[rpavich]

I put a small sticker on the film surface. In this way I am also using one film for a zone system in 2 different developing times. It works even sometimes better then short loads from bulk film.

I don't understand what you are saying. Can you explain it differently?

[fotohuis]

Transport one frame, remove the lens, lock the shutter on "B" and put a small self adhesive sticker on the film surface. Then close the shutter fit the lens, transport one frame extra and continue.

[fotohuis]

When spooling the film in a reel cut the film at the sticker and put the second part in a different reel and tank. 

[rpavich]

Thanks for explaining, that makes sense.

[gbealnz]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Good stuff RP.

In the past whenever I've wanted to do this I simply got into the dark, opened the back, and cut the film while it was in the camera, taking care of course not to wreck the shutter curtains!!!

Once cut, unraveled the film from the take-up spool, and fired it onto the developing tank reel, and into the tank. Lights on, trim the leader, marking that "X Frames Left", and processed the exposed section.

I even transferred a roll of B&W from one camera (my Leicaflex SL), to another camera (my M6), mid-roll. Yep, it took some doing, but went OK.

Gary

[rpavich]

Good stuff RP.

In the past whenever I've wanted to do this I simply got into the dark, opened the back, and cut the film while it was in the camera, taking care of course not to wreck the shutter curtains!!!

Once cut, unraveled the film from the take-up spool, and fired it onto the developing tank reel, and into the tank. Lights on, trim the leader, marking that "X Frames Left", and processed the exposed section.

I even transferred a roll of B&W from one camera (my Leicaflex SL), to another camera (my M6), mid-roll. Yep, it took some doing, but went OK.

Gary

Oh wow, how interesting!

 

i wouldn't have thought of that.

[fotomas]

Good stuff RP.

In the past whenever I've wanted to do this I simply got into the dark, opened the back, and cut the film while it was in the camera, taking care of course not to wreck the shutter curtains!!!

Once cut, unraveled the film from the take-up spool, and fired it onto the developing tank reel, and into the tank. Lights on, trim the leader, marking that "X Frames Left", and processed the exposed section.

I even transferred a roll of B&W from one camera (my Leicaflex SL), to another camera (my M6), mid-roll. Yep, it took some doing, but went OK.

Gary

Done it this way regularly with SLR cameras. But how to do this with an M?

 

[TomB_tx]

Don't forget the Exakta had a built-in film knife that could be pulled from the bottom of the camera to slice off the film just outside of the cassette:

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

I believe the Leitz ABCOO film knife was really made to do the same on Barnak bodies: pushed in from the bottom next to the cassette to slice off the film. Then wind the stub onto the take-up spool and remove it. Pull out the cassette, trim the leader and reload the roll into the camera. (All in the dark, of course.)

[adan]

Yeah, the REAL old-timers used to call this "robbing a roll" in the news biz in the 70's (I was just a kid intern then).

 

Shoot a quick headshot in the newsroom, and cut it off to process fast on deadline, while saving the other half of the roll for the next time. We weren't especially precise about where to cut (so long as we cut far enough along) since film was cheap. Just labelled the leftovers "short roll", and shot it until the frame advance wouldn't move any further.

[gbealnz]

Done it this way regularly with SLR cameras. But how to do this with an M?

 

Dunno, going through it mentally in my head as I type.

Pull both the cassette and the exposed film from the take-up tulip?

Cut near the cassette, load the exposed section into the development tank.

Gary

[tobey bilek]

I have a piece of cardboard I marked with frame numbers.    Put the cassette  at the correct spot and pull out the film to the end of cardboard.

 

Take care to always pull film on proper tangent or you will damage it.

 

The tape trick also works.