Cassette capsules that you can't write on to say: "Exposed"

[wlaidlaw]

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Both Agfa, Fomapan and Fuji seem to have switched from cassette capsules' caps with a grey matt finish, that you could write on with either a pencil or ball point pen to indicate an exposed roll. When you have a pocketful of films, this was a very useful feature so that you could instantly see if the roll was exposed or unused. The new cap is made from the same hard shiny plastic (translucent for Fuji and Agfa, black for Fomapan) as the main body of the capsule. This is impossible to write on, as is the body. I now have to remember to put some masking tape round the capsule, so I can mark them. I wish these film makers would revert to a cap you can write on. I have just been at a family event in the New Forest UK, taking a lot of photos with my M7. I had forgotten to put masking tape on the capsules, so I had to resort to borrowing a nail file from my wife to put scratch marks on the capsules with exposed film.

 

How do others mark their capsules containing exposed film? 

 

Wilson

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Edited August 29, 2017 by wlaidlaw

[andybarton]

Isn't that what the other pocket in your jacket is for?

 

Unexposed on the right, exposed on the left? Or vice-versa. I forget which

 

Ditto the two front compartments of your camera bag.

 

At least the canisters are translucent so that you can peer through to see.

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[david strachan]

Wind the film back once exposed...leaving the tongue out. Then put a hard crease in the tongue,showing it is used.

 

...

[lct]

I did a notch with a small knife when i used films. 

[Mute-on]

I carry a Texta/Sharpie/felt tip marker suitable for writing on plastic. Available next to the biros/pens/Bic/pencils at your local newsagent.

These will write on the smooth or textured plastic of most containers.

 

I also put a hard fold in the leader that I leave out, like Dave S, above.

[wlaidlaw]

Isn't that what the other pocket in your jacket is for?

 

Unexposed on the right, exposed on the left? Or vice-versa. I forget which

 

Ditto the two front compartments of your camera bag.

 

At least the canisters are translucent so that you can peer through to see.

 

It was very hot over the week-end and I was not wearing a jacket. I had the cassettes in one trouser pocket and a 28 Summaron in the other, with a 50 Summilux III on the M7. I was not carrying a camera bag. 

 

Wilson

[wlaidlaw]

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I carry a Texta/Sharpie/felt tip marker suitable for writing on plastic. Available next to the biros/pens/Bic/pencils at your local newsagent.

These will write on the smooth or textured plastic of most containers.

 

I also put a hard fold in the leader that I leave out, like Dave S, above.

I borrowed a felt marker from my brother's office and marked the first capsule. When I got the capsules out of my pocket, on the very greasy shiny plastic that Fuji and Agfa use, it had just wiped off inside my pocket. That is when I borrowed a nail file to scratch an indelible mark. I think David's idea of folding the film back is fine with Fuji and Agfa translucent capsules, as I have just checked and you can definitely see the folded back tab through the plastic. However it does not help so much with Fomapan and Rollei, who use black plastic capsules. this means you always have to prise the cap off to check. I will just have to remember to put masking tape on those. 

 

Wilson

[Mute-on]

I borrowed a felt marker from my brother's office and marked the first capsule. When I got the capsules out of my pocket, on the very greasy shiny plastic that Fuji and Agfa use, it had just wiped off inside my pocket. That is when I borrowed a nail file to scratch an indelible mark. I think David's idea of folding the film back is fine with Fuji and Agfa translucent capsules, as I have just checked and you can definitely see the folded back tab through the plastic. However it does not help so much with Fomapan and Rollei, who use black plastic capsules. this means you always have to prise the cap off to check. I will just have to remember to put masking tape on those. 

 

Wilson

Hmmmmm. I've always selected permanent markers (labelled as such) and not had any wipe off. All black canisters are a little more problematic. There are white markers that are permanent, but these are more like paint in a felt pen. Often sold in hardware as grout pens (to recolour your dirty tile grout white).

 

I've also used the stick-on paper reinforcing rings in different colours - red, green yellow seem to be available. I used red for exposed

[mikemgb]

I switch all my film to clear canisters and generally wind the leader into the can when I rewind the film, if I do leave it out I fold a crease in it.

[wlaidlaw]

Here is my solution. I have printed these off with my Dymo Letratag on cheap self adhesive paper roll. When I take a load of cassettes out in their capsules, before I go out I will pop one of these labels into each capsule. Then when exposed, I can peel off the backing paper and stick the label on to the outside of the capsule. 

 

Wilson

 

 

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[earleygallery]

I can't say this has ever been an issue - I can tell which films have been used by looking at the leader - it's usually obvious if the leader has been inside a camera by marks or kinks on the film.

[Doug A]

I put a strip of blue painter's masking tape labeled with the film type, the ISO I anticipate using and the number of exposures, e.g., TX40020, on the bottom of the camera when I load it. When I finish the roll I take the tape off the camera and wrap it around the film container. This helps when I develop the film, of course, but it also helps when I'm out shooting because I usually carry two Barnack bodies and don't remember what film is in which.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Doug A

[earleygallery]

The other option, mark and X on the end of the film leader or crease as already suggested.

[wlaidlaw]

I can't say this has ever been an issue - I can tell which films have been used by looking at the leader - it's usually obvious if the leader has been inside a camera by marks or kinks on the film.

 

My M7 hardly seems to mark the film at all or the Precisa is very bend/scratch resistant. I was peering at a film and trying to work out if it had been through the camera or  not. In the end I decided it had. 

 

Wilson

[wlaidlaw]

I put a strip of blue painter's masking tape labeled with the film type, the ISO I anticipate using and the number of exposures, e.g., TX40020, on the bottom of the camera when I load it. When I finish the roll I take the tape off the camera and wrap it around the film container. This helps when I develop the film, of course, but it also helps when I'm out shooting because I usually carry two Barnack bodies and don't remember what film is in which.

That is what I usually do, especially if I have two cameras with me but I forgot to "masking tape" the film before I left France for the week-end. 

 

Wilson

[andybarton]

For the translucent pots, you could just print out onto a small piece of paper the word "UNEXPOSED" *

 

Then, when you take the film out of the canister, you take out the paper too, and dispose of it responsibly. Any canister without the paper is exposed.

 

Transfer films in black canisters to translucent ones.

 

* Actually, you don't even need to go to the bother of printing anything on the paper. If there's paper, it's unexposed film. No paper, it's exposed.

[wlaidlaw]

For the translucent pots, you could just print out onto a small piece of paper the word "UNEXPOSED"

 

Then, when you take the film out of the canister, you take out the paper too, and dispose of it responsibly. Any canister without the paper is exposed.

 

Transfer films in black canisters to translucent ones.

 

That is basically what I have done but in reverse with my exposed labels (see above). Exposed is a shorter word than Unexposed so is cheaper to print on Dymo tape 

 

Wilson

[andybarton]

And "        " is cheaper still

[pico]

Why leave the leader out? I've never in my life done that.

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[wlaidlaw]

Why leave the leader out? I've never in my life done that.

 

I have gotten into the habit of leaving the leader out for self developing in my Rondinax 35U daylight tank, which winds out of the cassette. I do have a leader extractor but it is very fiddly to get it to work and usually takes me about 10 goes before it grabs the end. The last lab I used in France, charged an extra euro if the leader had been wound in. I don't use them any longer. 

 

The cap on some of the Fomapan capsules are a pain to get off, as they sit nearly flush on the capsule body and is a very firm fit. I have occasionally had to use a knife blade to get them off. I therefore want a method of identifying exposed films without having to lever the cap off. I am going to stick with the Dymo labels. 

 

Wilson