Opened camera with film in it

[mmik]

My hands must've been too frozen. I managed to pull the film out of film roll when I advanced past the last shot. I thought maybe I did not roll the film right when it kept going so I just opened the camera in the car. It was getting pretty dark in the car and I closed it right away. Did I expose entire roll or just few shots that were on the outer side of a roll? Film was Fuji 800Z.

 

[Olsen]

mmik,

You are the born digital camera user! Be glad that 'the camera just for you' can be bought just about everywhere, these days.

 

[Paul Luscher]

Pulled this stunt myself a few times. Much depends of how quickly you closed the camera back up. Anything on the outside on the roll on the take-up reel is toast, but it is possible that some of earlier shots (on the inside of the roll on the take-up reel) might be saved.

Of course, this only happens after you've taken some of the best shots ever in your life...never to be captured again....😱

 

[Chris101]

I think I have done every stupid thing at least once. I remember this one specifically. In fact, I have the pictures. It didn't do them any good. I hope yours faired better than mine:

 

[sevo]

It happens. By user error with cameras that are rarely used, by accident with cameras with a unprotected back lock.

I have never lost more than maybe six or seven shots on a reel to it - usually the film itself will protect anything more than two layers deep on the take-up spool, so that only the bit in the film path and the outermost coils on the spool are hit if you close the film door immediately. 120 film will often even escape undamaged, if it is tight on the film path.

But ultra-high speed film and clear base films (like Efke IR Halo) might get more or less entirely zapped - 800Z will be deeper in the danger zone than e.g. Kodachrome 25...

 

[Roger Hicks]

Pulled this stunt myself a few times. Much depends of how quickly you closed the camera back up. Anything on the outside on the roll on the take-up reel is toast, but it is possible that some of earlier shots (on the inside of the roll on the take-up reel) might be saved.

Of course, this only happens after you've taken some of the best shots ever in your life...never to be captured again....😱

Dear Paul,

Not really -- ANY variation is quite modest compared with the speed of light.

As you say, we've all done it.

Cheers,

R.

 

[GoneSavage]

Sometimes I do this for effect if a roll isn't going the way I'd like it to. I wouldn't worry too much!

 

[Mister E]

You might loose a few shots. We've all done it.

 

[mmik]

Thanks for the advice guys!

Thanks for the advice guys!

Here is a fun photo I found online as a thank you!

 

[Vilk]

...ANY variation is quite modest compared with the speed of light.

hmmm... oh-keee... in fact, i have always suspected that this whole shutter thingy is just a superfluous gadget conceived by greedy marketing people to make us part with our money all the more cheerfully

😱

 

[dfoo]

What you closed the back at 1/500s? 😉

I just developed a roll of B&W that I accidently exposed by opening the camera back in my hall at night. Out of 36 3 shots were totally ruined, and 4-5 others are probably not salvageable.

 

[pachuco]

Oh yeah, been there, done that. When I did that with my M3, many of the images came out fine.

 

[paulmd]

You might be okay. My girlfriend's first roll of Tri-X ripped in her camera when she let the rewind switch flip back to the normal position. I popped open the camera to find film still in there. It wasn't terrible, she obviously lost a half dozen shots but the rest of the roll was salvageable. I've also had people walk into a loading room while I was loading developing reels, most of that turned out okay too.

I think the film goes opaque pretty fast and the outer layers will protect the inner layers underneath. I'd say give it a try, it's only money.