Hi-Matic blankness...

[climbing_vine]

So. I shot two rolls of film on my honeymoon in Crete (in addition to a fair amount of digital).

It came back blank. Utterly and completely. The last roll I went through the week before leaving came out as normal. I have checked out the camera and verified that the shutter is opening, and the film is advancing.

Does anyone have any clue what might be going on here?

 

[colyn]

Did you remove the lens cap??

 

[JeffGreene]

I agree with Colyn, sounds like lens cap syndrome! I suffer from it periodically as well! :<)

 

[rogue_designer]

do the numbers on the film show? or the film leader as exposed?

Did you do the processing? Color or black and white?

It is possible that the film didn't take up on the spool, even tho the advance works fine.

I've also been known to send the wrong roll of film to the lab (in the past... I'm over that.. honest).

 

[climbing_vine]

I agree with Colyn, sounds like lens cap syndrome! I suffer from it periodically as well! :<)

Made sure of that. 🙂 I forgot to mention that since I got those two blank rolls, I have run through one more for testing, including snapping on slow speeds while I look through the lens and see the shutter opening.

 

[climbing_vine]

do the numbers on the film show? or the film leader as exposed?

Sorry, what do you mean by "the numbers on the film"?

Did you do the processing? Color or black and white?

Nope, and both. True b/w, not chromogenic.

It is possible that the film didn't take up on the spool, even tho the advance works fine.

Yeah, on another roll, for testing, I snapped and wound on for about the first eight frames to see that the transport was working. It was, at least that far into the roll.

I've also been known to send the wrong roll of film to the lab (in the past... I'm over that.. honest).

Hehe. Since it was three rolls (two of real shots, one of testing) I'm pretty sure I didn't send the wrong one every time. I've never done that... I always rewind the film entirely into the canister so that I can tell spent rolls from non-, and set it aside in my laptop bag immediately, to be dropped off on my way home from work.

 

[Trius]

The numbers refer to the frame numbers on the edge of the film. Those appear if the roll was developed properly, or at least somewhat properly. If there are no frame numbers on the film margins (or manufacturer ID), then it is a problem with development, i.e. exhausted or no developer, fix/bleach only. I would find that highly unlikely for a roll of C41 and a roll of traditional b&w. If they were both done at the same lab then I'd say there's something wrong at the lab.

If they went to different labs, I'd say there's something wrong with the camera/exposure, etc.

 

[climbing_vine]

The numbers refer to the frame numbers on the edge of the film. Those appear if the roll was developed properly, or at least somewhat properly. If there are no frame numbers on the film margins (or manufacturer ID), then it is a problem with development, i.e. exhausted or no developer, fix/bleach only. I would find that highly unlikely for a roll of C41 and a roll of traditional b&w. If they were both done at the same lab then I'd say there's something wrong at the lab.

If they went to different labs, I'd say there's something wrong with the camera/exposure, etc.

Ah, that. Gotcha. Yeah. The color was done in-house by my local guy, and the b/w are sent out. Had other rolls of the same types of film from my Spotmatic done at the same time, and those all came out. It's definitely a problem with the camera.

I don't have them with me to check, but I seem to recall that margin info being present.