Urgent help needed! - Opened box of bulk film

LeicaFoReVer

LeicaFoReVer

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Hi Guys,

I ordered a box of rollei 100 from Macodirect. After painful a month of shipping finally the boxed arrived but there was a surprise. The tapes on the box's lid were cut so the box was probably opened. Then I opened because I thought there will be another box or something. And saw the film in the black bag. I think the bag wasnt sealed (which is silly to be designed that way!) then without further rolling the bag I put the bag inside the box (I didnt take out the film). So there is a possibility now that either the box (and the bag) were open at the customs and the whole film is burned or I opened it first time but didnt open the bag so may be little damage was done to the film.

What is the best way to proceed? I emailed the provider and waiting for the reply. Anyone else faced with similar problems?

I plan to cut a half roll tonight, take some shots and develop it to see the damage. How could I be sure if the rest of the film or whole or partly damaged?

Thanks in advance!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-i5wrTufsqEQTNEamQwVVdab214aVRSR0dvYlEwMW1KMG5F
 
LeicaFoReVer said:
Hi Guys,

I ordered a box of rollei 100 from Macodirect. After painful a month of shipping finally the boxed arrived but there was a surprise. The tapes on the box's lid were cut so the box was probably opened. Then I opened because I thought there will be another box or something. And saw the film in the black bag. I think the bag wasnt sealed (which is silly to be designed that way!) then without further rolling the bag I put the bag inside the box (I didnt take out the film). So there is a possibility now that either the box (and the bag) were open at the customs and the whole film is burned or I opened it first time but didnt open the bag so may be little damage was done to the film.

What is the best way to proceed? I emailed the provider and waiting for the reply. Anyone else faced with similar problems?

I plan to cut a half roll tonight, take some shots and develop it to see the damage. How could I be sure if the rest of the film or whole or partly damaged?

Thanks in advance!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-i5wrTufsqEQTNEamQwVVdab214aVRSR0dvYlEwMW1KMG5F
Click to expand...
There's only one way to definitely know whether a film is fogged or not, and that is to develop it. I think that if I was in your situation I would probably load the entire roll into canisters, with three short rolls loaded at various parts of the beginning, centre and near the end of the bulk roll, noting carefully, which is which. Expose these with some unimportant shots and process them.

If they all come out OK, you're good to go. If they're fogged, it's probably reasonable to assume that the film from the loaded rolls adjacent these portions of the bulk roll will be fogged as well. It's the only way you are going to know for certain what the status of the film is.
Cheers,
Brett
 
I have only 5 canisters. I cant load all. Are we not safe if the first canister is ok? As it is the outermost layer in the roll?
 
LeicaFoReVer said:
I have only 5 canisters. I cant load all. Are we not safe if the first canister is ok? As it is the outermost layer in the roll?
Click to expand...
If you're saying you don't know whether or not the package has been opened, I don't know how you can assume any of it is safe. If it's been tampered with the entire roll might be fogged to varying degrees, from completely stuffed to fogged edges depending on how long it might have been exposed to light for and how intense any light sources were. Perhaps I misunderstood your post, but from what you wrote it sounded like you don't know how the film was handled when it was in transit? I understand the answer you want to hear but, please, tell me how else you'll gain any certainty, other than as I have suggested?

I really do not know why anybody still bothers with re-usable canisters if they are using a camera that accepts standard 35mm types. Any film lab is usually happy to let you raid their bins and take home as many dozen spent canisters as you need. Providing they are not cutting the ends off or peeling them apart to extract the films they will be fine for a few more rolls. They're generally free. They've only had one prior film through them so with a little attention to their cleanliness and overall condition there is little risk of damaging your new film or leaking light. The latter being something I have seen with re-usable canisters in the past that were no longer in optimum condition (not my own, I do not use them as you may have gathered, but I have processed films for others who loaded re-usable ones). All you need to do is to tape the end of the bulk roll neatly to the stub of the original film and away you go. (I tape both sides for security with normal sticky tape, never had a single issue). Why pay for something you can get as many as you need of for free? Recycle!
Cheers
Brett
 
how many canisters do I need for 30m roll? I can try to find used ones at home but there is not many shops in Turkey keeping film, even for display purposes.

You say short rolls at 3 different places. How many shots for those test rolls? 10-15 shots per roll is enough?

And I would also need to know how to analyze is after developing. How do I understand fogging etc.
 
My daughter once opened a bulk roll of mine, the first roll was toast, but the next was fine as was the rest of the roll. Except the edges which were fogged to the perforations without effecting the image. If it was still rolled tight then it might be okay.
I'd take a short roll off the top and shoot and develop it, if it's okay then cool, if not contact the seller, I wouldn't bother rolling it all out if the first roll is no good.
It'll be 20 or so 36 exposure rolls per 30m.
 
michaelwj said:
My daughter once opened a bulk roll of mine, the first roll was toast, but the next was fine as was the rest of the roll. Except the edges which were fogged to the perforations. If it was still rolled tight then it might be okay.
I'd take a short roll off the top and shoot and develop it, if it's okay then cool, if not contact the seller, I wouldn't bother rolling it all out if the first roll is no good.
It'll be 20 or so 36 exposure rolls per 30m.
Click to expand...
Well that is a good point indeed, so obvious, that I didn't even think to mention it, so thank you for doing so. If the first roll is just fine it's reasonable to assume the remainder very likely will be. But if not you'd need to load further rolls in order to ascertain just how far into the roll any fogging extends.
Cheers
Brett
 
If it's rolled tightly, then probably some burnt edges and a few bad feet at the beginning. I say discard the first few feet, then do a test roll. If the edges are clean, then you are in good shape. Even if edges exposed, the image area may be OK.

Strange to get a bulk roll that's been opened.

Reminder to self: Changing bag for exploration.
 
"Reminder to self: Changing bag for exploration."

Exactly! It is also strange that the black plastic bag has open end. Why not sealing for such cases?
 
ColSebastianMoran said:
If it's rolled tightly, then probably some burnt edges and a few bad feet at the beginning. I say discard the first few feet, then do a test roll. If the edges are clean, then you are in good shape. Even if edges exposed, the image area may be OK.

Strange to get a bulk roll that's been opened.

Reminder to self: Changing bag for exploration.
Click to expand...
Customs officials in some countries are pretty dim and arrogant. I've heard of the same problem in China -- with specially cut ultra large format film!

Cheers,

R.
 
LeicaFoReVer said:
"Reminder to self: Changing bag for exploration."

Exactly! It is also strange that the black plastic bag has open end. Why not sealing for such cases?
Click to expand...
No need. The box keeps the bag closed, unless some cretin opens the box in daylight. Imagine the difficulty of hacking your way into a sealed bag in complete darkness.

Cheers,

R.
 
Some if not most manufactures seal the box, but leave the plastic bag unsealed. So far I don't have problems with this. Same with photo paper.

But it should have tape at beginning of the roll.

Some are using scraped single use cassettes. I have tried it and switched to metal reusable cassettes. Around twenty of them since 2012 and after hundreds of meters of film they provide me fast, hassle free reloading.

If it is one camera, one bulk of the film, five reusable cassettes will do.
 
I also found bulk loading quite tricky.
In your case, 1st roll would be tossed for sure. However you may still suffer of foggy negatives randomly later rolls, depends on how the bulk film was exposed to light.
For the canisters, I go to my local lab and take them for free after film is developed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yes I developed the first roll and it is completely black, only not on where the tape was. To understand the rest I need to load all into canisters and get 3 random rolls as suggested by one member above. What a shame. It is my first attempt tp use bulk loading and this happens.

Sent from my m2 note using Tapatalk
 
I recently received a 100 ft of Rollei IR and the inner bag was sealed with a piece of tape rather than totally unsealed. They may package 100 differently; I don't know.

I am also waiting for an order from Macodirect to the US - I am crossing fingers that I don't have similar problems!
 
LeicaFoReVer said:
After third try, I found the unexposed part of the film approximately at 10 meter. I attach the photo of it. macodirect was late answering my inquiry but they were very helpful afterwards, they offered a full refund. I asked for couple of rolls for that 10m damage.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-i5wrTufsqETEh6VnotYjNPSnFRdWR2X1pWSmVPTmpWNjZj/view?usp=sharing
Click to expand...

This is what my roll looked like the whole way through apart from the first roll. Good to hear that the lesson has not been too expensive - I doubt you'll do it again. Now don't give the unopened 30m roll to a curious 4 year old, the results are the same as customs officials!

Don't give up on bulk rolling though, I find it relaxing sitting down at the end of the day and rolling a few off. (I know that sounds a bit weird...:eek:)
 
Haha I am still stressed while rolling as I am afraid of making mistake. I realized that the lid on my loading machine might pop up while rolling so I have to hold it tight.

Sent from my m2 note using Tapatalk
 
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