Do you change films mid roll?

[matti]

Hi all!

Do you change films mid roll?

It seems like I have a couple of different films and exposure settings I use. Currently Tri-x at 1000 for Diafine, Tri-X at 400, Ilford Fp2+ at 80 or 200 and Efke at 25 and sometimes a positive film like Sensia or Velvia. Everything according to subject, light, weather and my own mood.

Then often I get the urge to finish off the last 5, 10 or 15 frames of a film just to be able to change. Bad idea! Not so much that it is a waste of film. But it really kills my self-esteem and takes so much time to look at these bad pictures that I didn’t want to take in the first place.

So I started to change films in mid roll, as they thought us at the photo course some 20 years ago. (of course then I changed between Tri-x and… eeh Tri-x, as far as I remember.) So do you do this as well? Any risk involved in it? Can I do it with films that are going to be processed at a lab or will they cut mid frame?

Sorry if this is a question that has been frequently discussed here. (It was kind of hard to search for “change” “films” “mid” “roll”.)

/matti

 

[rover]

I have really slowed down in the number of photographs I am taking, and therefore film has remained in my camera for longer than I like. I have a couple times decided to just pull a roll without exposing the last 5, 10 frames or so and simply move on. I develop my own, so no big deal regarding the cost of processing.

 

[ch1]

I've never tried to pull a partially-exposed roll and then put it back in at a later date. I always figured that it would be difficult to ensure that the exposures correctly "lined up". I guess if you didn't really care if the last shot from the pre-pull got double exposed it would be okay.

I'd rather just shoot out the roll (I have shot the white birch tree in my backyard so often that it now "cringes" when it sees the camera 😉 ).

Some here have suggested using 24-exp rolls vs. 36's. I've been trying that (although the cheap side of me hates the cost/frame difference b/w the two).

 

[pshinkaw]

I use to change films mid-roll, but seldom do it today. I have several cameras, so it is easier to dedicate a particular body to a certain film and just change cameras. Cameras don't cost too much more than a roll of film plus processing.

-Paul

 

[wdenies]

Yes I do, but only for 35mm.(colour - BW for example)
For that purpose I put a small sticker on the cassette where I mark with a pencil the number of shots taken.
Do not rewind the film completely into the cassette! Otherwise you need a special device to retract the film out of the cassette before reusing it.

After reloading the film advance the film (cap on the lens!) to the number of frames marked on the sticker and sacrifice 1 or 2 frames to avoid overlaps.

Ask the lab NOT to cut your roll into strips.

With MF (Mamiya 645) I use 2 backs

Wim

 

[kaiyen]

I did so extensively while in Paris. At one point I had like 10 rolls that had been shot partially at different EIs, etc. I see no problem with this, as long as you are careful to advance to the correct frame and, as Wim said, burn a couple extra just in case. You will have issues with frames lining up so you _must_ go to a lab that will leave the film uncut.

It's just about how well organized you are, and what tolerance you have for that kind of stuff. I drove myself batty in Paris, but it was worth it. I probably wouldn't do it on a regular basis. In fact, that's why I roll 20 exposure bulk-loads myself.

allan

 

[markinlondon]

All the time, Matti. You know how it is, you're halfway through a roll of FP4 and the weather changes dramatically or the sun goes down and it's time for HP5. I carry a sheet of sticky labels in the pocket of my notebook for labelling EI and number of frames shot. I usually allow 1 or 2 frames extra when reloading in case I miscounted the leader frames or pulled out a bit more leader than usual.

Mark

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I do that too... althoug not really often as I have two bodies and use one with B&W and the other for color stuff. However. at times I do need to change rolls (mostly because of the subject matter) and then, with my ever present roll of masking tape, I write a reminder to myself: "Advance to frame 25" (If I shot 23 frames before). That way I don't have to worry about missing or overlapping images.

 

[hth]

Not anymore. I did it a couple of times years ago and after a mishap I avoid it. I am obviously not competent to do it... 😱

/Håkan

 

[JoeFriday]

I do it, too.. but usually if I'm really just halfway through a roll (like under frame 24 on a 36 exp).. I've never had a problem.. the trick is to do as Francisco says.. advance at least one frame beyond what you previously shot

 

[JohnL]

Hi all!

Do you change films mid roll?

{snip}

I'll rarely change the film type in the camera I'm using. Sometimes I rewind a partly-used film to finish it in a different camera. More often I just have it developed before it's fully used. I don't order prints, so I only pay for the processing. Then I scan.

 

[chenick]

I tried it a few times until I got burnt with a 'light-leaky' camera. Ruined the first half of the roll with some great shots!
But if you know the camera's Ok then why not. Like Paul I'd reather have 2+ different cameras with different films (Murphy's law says when I want film X, I'll have the camera with film Y though!)

-nick

 

[sleepyhead]

I used to change film mid roll, but now I carry too bodies - one with fast film and one with slow film. So much more convenient!

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I never do it.

My film is free, so it's just the cost of processing and that's €3 whether it's all used up or not. Often I'll pull the film out at about 20 exposures because i'm bored and want to see the pictures.

 

[aizan]

all the time. one of the nice things about the hexar rf and af. no overlapping or lost frames. 😀

 

[tarasi]

yes I do, all the time,with my hexar AF and I`ve never had any problem.

Corneliu

 

[RayPA]

I never do it, because I bulk load, and always try to load the minimum number of frames, based on how often I'm shooting. My max/roll is 29 'clicks,' or 25 shots. I rarely load above that per roll. I also have backup camera bodies, which is very convenient. If I didn't bulk load, and didn't have a backup body, I wouldn't have an issue with unloading, as Allan described.




.

 

[wtl]

I think it all depends on how organized you are and how much work you want to do. It also depends on your shooting style.

For me, I am lazy and so I don't normally do that. I also shoot until the film ends so I can go for coffee or beer. Hardly I ever left an event with still some frames in the camera.

And I don't get into that many film types. There is very little needs for me to switch film in the middle of the shooting.

 

[remrf]

The issue does not come up for me very often. When shooting as a news photographer I used to carry two bodies but that was for different focal lengths. Not different film types. I would have a 28-85mm on one body and an 80-200mm on the other. Now I use a 28-210mm lens on one body and carry the other as a spare loaded body and switch the lens if the situation requires that kind of speed. The last news type situation I was in was about a year ago on the Mexico/Arizona border and I was shooting the Minutemen during their month long border watch for a Tucson radio station's online publication. At the end of the first weekend I had shot two 36 exposure rolls through the body with the 28-85 mm and a half roll with the longer lens. I just rewound the half roll and sent it in for processing with the others. Film and processing in Tucson doesn't cost enough to worry about the lost frames or to waste time shooting useless shots to fill the roll. And the job was about visually depicting an event . Not watching the film counter on the camera.

 

[matti]

The site seems up again! Thanks for all the comments. I am beeing tempted to look into buying a bulk film loader as well. They should be able to get hold of second hand quite cheap, I can imagine.

My main concern here is to be able to slow down before pushing the shutter.

If I rush to finnish off a film, I take 10 bad pictures and I want to stop doing that. And I will keep changeing films mid roll as well. But probably try to stop doing that with positive films that might be chopped up the wrong way in the lab. (I am waiting for one right now...)

/matti