Keeping track of film

[akptc]

I know this will sound like I am a complete airhead but how do you manage to keep track of what film you have loaded in each camera? Several if mine don't have the cassette window and carrying and updating a notebook just takes too long. Is there some clever way to do this other than putting a yellow sticky on the back? I usually carry 3-4 bodies loaded with different firm, as I am trying to figure out what works for me and what doesn't.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Other than writing it down... I can only think of one: make sure your cameras loaded with black-and-white film have a yellow filter on the lens. At least, that way you'll know that, if there's a Y2, that's a BW!

Sorry... cannot offer a better solution! 🙂

 

[lkgroup]

I use several cameras and on the bottom of each i attach a small peice of masking tape ( 1/2 x 1/2" with the type of film written with magic marker.

After I finish each roll i attach the tape to the cart with the date and speed written on the tape.

This keeps me from forgeting when i haven't used a camera for a week or two.

Leo

 

[Goodyear]

I don't have s system. I need one. I can barely keep track of which cameras have film in them at all!

The other week I opened the back of a camera to load some film, only to find a half-exposed roll of Neopan 1600 staring back at me.

 

[berci]

I only use one film, so I don't have to remember, it's always the same.

 

[Doug]

Several of my cameras have a plastic frame/pocket on the back door where one can slip in the torn-off end-flap of the film box. That's real handy. I believe the same kind of item is available as an accessory, with self-adhesive backing. I have not used one of those... I recall someone mentioned they use the accessory/flash shoe for this!

Otherwise, I do keep track of what film is loaded in every camera another way: When I load a camera I open a record in my Film database, enter the film type and when it was loaded. When I return from short walks out shooting, I add the subject data and lens info. At the end of the roll I note when it went to the lab or to my darkroom for processing. Another part of this file has room for notes about scanning, and which frames should or have been printed, exhibited, given or sold.

If I'm on an extended trip using several rolls I'll scribble some notes on paper, but I bet my gadget-hound wife would say a PDA would serve far better! 😀

 

[bobofish]

It can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.

I personally have a bigger issue figuring out at what ISO I've shot a roll of film...so on the canister, I put a little bit of masking tape, and mark the ASA as soon as i've bulk loaded a lot of, say, 100 or 400. Then, I keep a marker or pen around me somewhere, and when I'm done with the roll, I mark what ISO I shot at; for example it will be 100/200 or 400/1600

A simple system for keeping track of what's in your camera would be a piece of masking tape, large enough for several notations...for example on the top plate. Simply come up with a symbol for color and a symbol for black and white. For example, an I for b/w and an O for color.

To mark the ASA of 100 B/W film, mark "I"; for 400 mark "4I". Then if you like to push or pull, simply ad + for each stop of push, or - for each stop of pull.

Another option is of course to simply write the numbers, just like in the canisters, e.g. 400/800, but you'll miss out on all the James Bond secrecy that you would get with the symbols.

The advantage of the large piece of masking tape with multiple notations is that you don't have to carry a notebook with you, just a simple pen that you can stick in your pocket. If you write small enough (and the symbols can be really compact) then you can easily fit 10 rolls of info on the tape. WHen you're done, you can simply stick that piece of masking tape on your regular notebook, if you have one, and you'll remember what you shot when, and save some time on pulling out the notebook all the time. The only real reason for all the info on both canister and camera is so that you can remember better what film took what picture.

I should also mention it's very helpful to mark each canister with a number, starting from #1 each day. It'll make sure that you know which film was shot for a sunrise, and which for midday, etc.


Now I should add that if you don't spend as much time mucking with ISO as I do, then just put one color tape on your b/w camera and a different for color. A long piece of tape could be for your faster speeds, and a shorter one for slower speeds.

Hope that confuses you just enough that you know what you're doing.

I never was this organized until I started shooting a lot of video, and all the tapes look the same...simply writing a number gave me both continuity, as well as an idea of what was filmed where...it helps in editing, so I figured it would help with film to, and it has.

 

[peter_n]

I just put a white sticker on the top of each cam with the ISO rating I am giving the film, type of film and # of exposures on the roll.

So for a 36exp roll of Neopan 1600 the label reads:

1250
B&W36

 

[Andrew Touchon]

I use a soft relase to keep track of the type of film.. Chrome for slides, red for color, and black for black and white. For ISO I set it when I load the camera.

 

[jan normandale]

I'm with lkgroup, it's fast easy and accurate. I keep an old cannister with a bunch of precut pieces of masking tape in my camera bag with a pen. Peel a precut piece off , notes on the piece, slap it on the bottom of the camera and go. When done I put the tape onto the film cart and take it in. I then stick the tape into a log book for future reference when I get the film back from the lab.

good luck

I use several cameras and on the bottom of each i attach a small peice of masking tape ( 1/2 x 1/2" with the type of film written with magic marker.

After I finish each roll i attach the tape to the cart with the date and speed written on the tape.

This keeps me from forgeting when i haven't used a camera for a week or two.

Leo

 

[akptc]

Thanks for all the great feedback! I like the idea of the colored soft release button but the transferable sticky tape seems to have some advantages. I am thinking of pre-printing some small / tiny shipping labels with a color/black dot, standard ISO numbers, and room for the date (to write by pen). This way I could carry a few sheets of pre-printed "stickies" that I can just grab quickly. Btw, I've never seen the after-market adhesive back-door pocket, any idea where to get one? My Yashica GT has it and it's been pretty handy.

Maybe in the future one will be able to use RFID stickers.. this would cerainly make it simple to update a listing in one's fim database 🙂

 

[pshinkaw]

I use a notebook. I have close to a hundred usable cameras and it's the only way I've been able to keep track. I started it after I opened a camera that was loaded because I forgot that it had film in it.

A side benefit is that you can go back and see how much you've used a particular camera. Some cameras that I really wanted get surprisingly little use. Other pedestrian cameras like autofocus P&S's get used a lot more than I thought.

-Paul

 

[akptc]

I found this discussion on the same topic on photo.net: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008Dj7&tag=

Btw, the link (new to me) for the SLIDE is here: http://www.konermann.net/slide.html

Well, I have been thinking some more, how about this - a film reminder widget that attaches/wraps around the neck strap, perhaps with a sliding color-coded/number coded strip? I think Luigi makes a film holder that attaches to the neck strap - http://www.leicatime.com/SpareBatteriesCarrierBlackWbrownWstrapsfitt.jpg

- it would be the same idea.

Am I over-thinking this, is it worth looking into?