Opened the film door briefly and the frame counter reset to 0 — should I keep shooting?
Asked 6/25/2023
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Someone briefly cracked open the back of my film camera after I had already taken 7 frames. I shut it right away, and afterward the camera’s display/reset counter went back to 0 as if no photos had been taken. It was dark, so the film was only exposed to a little light for a moment. Does this mean the roll rewound or is ruined? Could opening the back have damaged the camera, or should I just keep shooting the roll?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
3y ago
2 Answers
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Almost certainly your film is not rewound, so just keep shooting it, keeping in mind that you have 7–9 shots less than the counter says (camera could advance the film like it does on a new roll when you closed the back).
Next two frames may be affected by the light, but all the frames after that will be fine. Just listen to the sound of the film rewinding after the shots, if you hear it, the film is there and advancing.
Originally by user104897. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user104897
3y ago
0
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A brief opening of the back usually won’t damage the camera. The bigger issue is the film: the frames nearest the door opening may be fogged, but the rest of the roll is often still usable.
The reset to 0 is likely just the camera resetting its frame counter when the back was opened, not proof that the film rewound. In many cameras, after closing the back it may behave like a newly loaded roll, so assume you now have about 7–9 fewer usable shots than the counter shows.
Best option: keep shooting, but listen/watch for normal film advance or rewind behavior. If the film is still loaded, it should continue advancing. You can also make a test shot with the lens cap on to confirm it advances.
If it actually did rewind fully, the film leader may be pulled into the cartridge. In that case, you’d need a film leader retriever to reload it, then advance past the previously exposed section with the lens cap on. If you don’t want the hassle, you can just have the roll developed and accept the lost frames.
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