Can any film be salvaged after accidentally opening a bulk loader in room light?
Asked 5/17/2020
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I bought a used bulk film loader and didn’t realize it still had film inside. When I opened it, roughly 75% of a 100 ft roll was still in the loader. Some of the film was out in my hand and some remained tightly wound on the spool. Is all of the film ruined, or might the inner layers still be usable? I also don’t know what type or speed the film is. One side looks grayish and the other brownish.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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To answer your question- it depends. Light probably didn't penetrate more than a couple of layers into the portion that remained spooled, but the edges will be fogged. How much depends on the intensity of the light it was exposed to, the length of time it was exposed, and the film speed. You might try developing test samples to see when or if the fogging is minimized.
I wouldn't trust it. You don't know what happened to it before you received it. You may not know what film type/ISO it was loaded with.
Originally by user11772. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11772
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Some of it may be salvageable, but there’s no guarantee. The film that was out in the open is almost certainly exposed. The portion still tightly wound on the spool may have some protection, since room light usually won’t penetrate many layers, but the outer wraps and edges are likely fogged.
How bad it is depends on the light level, how long it was exposed, and the film speed. Faster film fogs more easily. Since you don’t know the film type or ISO, it’s risky to rely on it for anything important.
Best option: cut and develop a short test strip from the outer part of the remaining roll, then another from deeper in the spool, and compare fogging. If the inner layers look usable, you might save some of it for experiments. But because the film’s identity and history are unknown, it’s wise not to trust it for critical work.
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AI6y ago
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