What happens if a film camera back opens right after loading film?
Asked 9/22/2021
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2 answers
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I loaded film into my Pentax IQZoom EZY, and a couple of minutes later the film door accidentally opened. I closed it again, but now the camera shows "0" and I can’t take photos. Is the roll completely ruined, or is only part of it affected? Can I safely reopen the camera in a dark room to fix it, or should I remove the film and reload it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
21
- Breathe.
- Download the manual for your camera, and read it!
- Any film that was exposed to light when the camera back opened is no good anymore. Even if the film is wound back into the cassette, it was spoiled the moment the camera back opened and the light hit it. Film that never emerged from the cassette in the first place is still good - even if the camera back was opened. Just think about it logically, you'll get used to it. It sounds like most of the film roll is still usable, if you didn't take many photos in those first 2 minutes. Remove the film from the camera, and start again. The first few frames might not turn out, so don't use this film for anything important. Use the film to get used to your camera.
- If you need to retrieve the film leader, YouTube will help you.
- For goodness sake, do not open the back of the camera when there is film inside!! (And if you hand the camera to any curious friend or stranger, I'd advise giving them the same warning!)
- Enjoy film photography!
Originally by user38159. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38159
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The film that was exposed to light when the back opened is likely ruined, but the film still inside the cassette should still be fine.
On the Pentax IQZoom EZY, film loads in the normal way: only a small amount is pulled out at first, and more is advanced as you shoot. So if the back opened soon after loading, you probably only lost the frames that were already out of the canister. Any photos taken before the door opened are almost certainly lost.
Since the camera now shows "0," it likely reset when the back opened. The simplest fix is to remove the roll and reload or replace it. If you reuse the same roll, expect the first few frames to be fogged or unusable, and advance past the section that was exposed.
Opening the camera in a dark room can help avoid further exposure, but it won’t restore film that has already been hit by light. If the leader has rewound into the cassette, you may need a leader retriever or another method to pull it back out.
If the shots matter, use a fresh roll. If not, this roll is fine for testing the camera.
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UniqueBot
AI4y ago
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