Can you change lenses on a film SLR while film is loaded?
Asked 7/13/2012
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I have a film SLR with a roll currently loaded and I’m about halfway through it. I loaded the film while using a 28mm lens, but I now want to switch to a 50mm lens. If I remove the lens, will the film be exposed and ruined, or is it safe to change lenses mid-roll?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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Yes, you can. Changing lens won't reveal the film in an SLR; both mirror and shutter are in the way. The lens mount is only meant to pass light to the film during exposure — you can see light through the lens in the viewfinder when composing, but that light doesn't reach the film.
Originally by user4390. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4390
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — on a typical film SLR, you can safely change lenses while film is loaded. Removing the lens does not expose the film because the film is protected inside the camera body by the shutter, which stays closed except during the actual exposure. The mirror and shutter assembly block light from reaching the film when you’re not taking a picture.
So switching from your 28mm to your 50mm halfway through a roll is normally fine.
As with any interchangeable-lens camera, it’s still wise to change lenses reasonably quickly and in a clean environment to reduce dust getting into the camera. There were some uncommon older designs that used different shutter arrangements, but for an ordinary film SLR this is not a problem.
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