The 2nd tool concert i went to, way back in 2001,... yeah, you can see where this is going... That was when the decision to go digital solidified in my mind.
I have a tip too : when you rewind your roll and don't feel any "tension" (the film being pulled back into the canister kinda make you feel the pressure and the "pop" at the end) is a big indicator that you loaded your camera badly. :)
Pendora Wunderkammer that feeling you have when you had a shooting that went great, wanna change your film and then you have no tension while rewinding... :(:(:(
@@pendorawunderkammer7824 I learned a why easier trick: take the leader of a fresh roll and put some water in it, then stick it in the roll that had the leader in the cannister
I really appreciate you making this video! I’m in San Francisco and took over 60 shots only to find out 24 were good and the rest were blank *cries* I checked my camera rn and followed your tips to find out that I was about to shoot more blanks! Fixed it and might have saved my trip. Shoutout to you and I hope more people my age (23) appreciate film and take photos on film!
one day recently I took 36 exposures in London, and went to rewind the film once I was home and realised it hadn't been loaded properly and was all blank :((( wish I'd watched this first!
We old wedding photographers learned these tips early on. Can you imagine the tragedy and shame if this accident happened during a wedding shoot? 😬😬😬😱😱😱😱
I really don't want to be the photohrapher in that situation… not only because I would have to pay for messing up, but also just because everybody's sad because of me…
I did EXACTLY the mistake you mentioned here for my first Holga film loading experience. I got a call from the film processor and said it was blank and my heart sank. Then I Googled and figured out it wasn't loaded right and this UA-cam video confirmed it further. Now I can confirm it was loaded properly. Got a Pentax KM in the mail last week too so I'm glad I learned this first. I used to only have point and shoot film cameras and disposables growing up so I never had to insert it this manually and wind it. Thank you so much for your video!
It may sound silly and borderline patronizing but this UA-camr's advice is one of the most basic and useful tips anyone can learn when starting (or re-starting after years hiatus) with film photography. Cheers!
here is my extra tip: after you install your canister, carefully turn the rewind crank until it just starts pulling the leader. this takes all the slack of the film from inside the canister so you know imediatelly if the film is being advanced The first time I shot film, I loaded the camera and kept checking if the rewind knob was turning. It only starting turning after 3-5 shots! Until then I was getting worried that the film isn't advancing.
I panicked when the rewind knob isn't turning when I advance my films mid reel. So I rewinded back and then double check that it stretches the film when Loading the leader. In the end, I still get blank rolls which sucks :(
@@anguscallahan8347 how many shots have you taken? I think you have two options. Keep going, hoping the film is correctly loaded. It shouldn't take more than 5 shots for the rewind knob to start turning when you advance the film. You could try to turn the rewind knob to see if the film is loose of if the mechamism holds it properly. If it's properly loaded, you'll feel resistance and you'll know for sure that you're ok. If it's not properly loaded, you'll feel no resistance and you risk rewinding the film all the way inside the canister, which can be a pain to pull out again, but at least you won't miss your future shots because of poorly loaded film.
My daughter had the opposite problem. All of her first rolls in high school came back 100 percent fogged. No one told her not to open the back of the camera. Not her fault! Boomer teachers assumed that everyone knew this and didn’t mention it when they handed out the K1000s. Parenthetically, when I did news photography I was told to always come back with something. No excuses short of a bullet hole in the camera or meeting up with Sinatra on a bad day accepted.
It seems so simple loading film, yet it can easily go wrong, I do have a couple of EOS cameras that load automatically once you’ve put the leader in the take up spool cavity. I have a dead film that I always use in any camera I’ve just bought in case there any anomalies. I found learning to load a back off a system MF camera a bit different when I first loaded it. A very useful video, I think if there were more of the 'basic' videos around more people are likely to take to film as I think a lot of younger people are nervous about things like this and may be too embarrassed to ask.
Mark Harris Yes! The good thing about electronic cameras is that they tend to avoid loading errors. Very true about beginners being afraid to ask... At the shop they often feel embarrassed to ask simple things, but like anything new you have to learn from scratch.
Yes I loaded film in my secondhand purchased Canon AE-1 and thought I may have bought a dud. Although I shot on an old fully manual camera before, my Canon 300x automatically loads the fIlm like you mentioned. There's no need to weave the film in the receiving spool. Costly mistake but I know now ☺
Dont forget the sheer cost of messing up rolls. One tiny mistake costs you $10+ every single time GRRRR. Even finding expired film for this purpose is giving me the shits
Great video! it happened to me a while ago, shooting a roll over a longer period of time on different locations and getting back a blank roll. I knew I was fucked when it kept shooting past 36 and rewinding only took 2 seconds lol. Checking if the rewind knob is moving is definitely a good practise!
the bonus trick requires some practice, I've learned how to get up to 26-27 shots out from 24 exp. rolls but I've messed up some exposures in the way. thanks for all the tips.
I only started shooting yesterday, thought I had 6 shots and was progressing well. Saw this video this morning and realised the rewind knob wasnt turning, opened up the back and the film wasnt even in the right place!! I cannot thank you enough for saving me not only the time and money, but the inevitable disappointment that would have followed a blank roll!! Hope you see this, and have a wonderful weekend.
ahhh i spoke too soon. I opened up, reset the film and it took nicely, closed the back and took a few shots and the rewind knob turned and all seemed well. Just took 3 more shots and suddenly the rewind knob isnt turning again. I know the film was properly loaded so any idea why this would suddenly happen? Thanks for your time.
Sometimes a bit of slack builds up in the canister. You can also do this simple check mid roll: just rewind the crank (without engaging the rewind release) until you hit a "wall" of tension; this indicates that the film is taken up properly.
I've been shooting an SLR for around 60 years, and in my excitement I just shot a roll last week that ended up blank because I didn't check the rewind knob like I always did. It can happen to anyone. Good video tip. I noticed when rewinding there was no pressure on the knob.so I didn't loose the roll.
Found this video at the perfect time! I just loaded my first roll two days ago and I felt like something was wrong and it was! I followed your video and now I know the pictures are going to be there. Thanks soo much for this! Greetings from the Dominican Republic.
Thank you, you're an actual savior. I shoot with film all the time and have done so for 3 years or so now, so I've definitely gone through roughly 50 rolls or so. But last summer in Paris, I shot two rolls and they both came back blank. I was gutted, they were all shots I could remember taking which made me even more excited for getting them back, but everything was blank. It was heartbreaking. So once again, thank you so much 😇⚡️
Oh boy. This video is just priceless. I just googled for it because they told me my roll came unexposed. I should have known after my film took only about few seconds to unroll. Great tips, thanks man! Also feels good to not be alone :).
Magnificent information! Great video! A couple of warnings and explanations from a former Olympus repair tech, though...most important last. Users may note that the take-up spool in almost every 35mm camera slips -- it's supposed to. If it didn't, it would try to pull more and more film each time the camera was wound as the film wrapped around it, making it effectively larger. This would waste film, as the space between shots would increase frame by frame. It is the sprocket (the toothed wheel just before the take-up spool) that actually meters the proper amount of film for each shot. On the front of most early OM cameras below the shutter button is the "rewind release" that has to be rotated in the direction of the arrow to disengage the wind mechanism so that the film can be freely rewound into the cassette. It is supposed to snap back into the vertical position by itself immediately during the camera's next wind stroke. But sometimes, if the mechanism is damaged, it may not. If not, you may be able to gently turn it back vertical by hand -- don't force! When loading a roll of film, be sure that the film cassette feeds the film flat across the back of the camera, and the film is not bowed up into the air. Otherwise, when closing the back cover, the film may become pinched between the spring on the back cover that holds the cassette in place and the cassette itself. Of course, if you are watching to be sure the rewind knob begins turning as the camera is wound, you will know something is wrong! But most importantly! When loading a roll of film in most Olympus cameras, be sure to put the film leader INTO BUT NOT THROUGH the take-up spool. (This warning is in their manuals.) If you push the tip of the leader all the way through so that it pokes out the other side, the take-up spool will get too big too quickly, push back against the pressure plate, and the film will begin to jump over the sprocket teeth beginning around 14 frames into the roll, resulting in overlapping frames from there to the end of the roll. Next most importantly! On OM-10's and later models (OM-G, F, PC, 20, 30, 40, et al), be sure to turn the rewind knob CLOCKWISE ONLY to rewind the roll! If you turn the rewind knob the wrong way, it will get harder and harder to turn as the film is forced to make an oblique turn back into the cassette. (On earlier models, the knob will simply unscrew -- no so on these models) As more force is applied, the rewind shaft or it's collar may fracture, or the film may receive "stress exposure". Stress exposure looks like shadowy lines radiating out from the corners of the sprocket holes of processed film. Thanks for your patience!
Omg thank you. I watched so many different loading videos but yours was so much clearer and zoomed in that I could see. I had a blank roll for a class. Was disappointed, so I just used a roll to practice loading.
Thank you for this, I found an old camera in my parents' house and my mom told me it is still functional. so I bought a roll of film but the spool wasn't turning. I finally figured out why! 🙏🙏
Maja Popovska I also got a second hand camera from a store and I seem to have the same problem. The spool isnt turning either however I think I loaded the film inside correctly
I loaded my camera an hour ago and took maybe 8 shots. Watched this video and thought, hey, let's check the film for a laugh. (put room in dark room mode) Camera was shooting blanks. Happy to have come across this in time!
When I started shooting film, I had three or four blank rolls because I didn't watch to make sure the spool was spinning. Super discouraging (and expensive). I wish I'd seen this video then! Although I'm happy seeing it now and realizing I can get another couple of shots by closing the door before doing the initial winding :)
You forgot to tighten the film (tension) by using rewind knob in opposite direction . It’s quite important as film can sometimes loosen up if your camera is in bag and the rewind knob is being moved accidentally if you are walking or something. Additionally you just need to install the first side of the film and close immediately the door. This way you will get 38-39 shots instead of 36. Even better to load the film in dark room.
This Video just saved my life i just shot 4 pictures so it wasnt a big deal to "loose" them but you just saved me a blank roll thank you so much! Its the first time im shooting film
Nice video, but you forgot a few things: Even before you open the camera back, roll the rewind knob to check for resistance. If resistance is present, you probably already have a roll of film in the camera. Rewind that roll before you open the back; this is very important if you have several cameras, changing cameras quickly, and shooting quickly for whatever reason. When you load that fresh roll, put the film leader into the take-up spool, and advance the film one or two frames so that the sprockets catch both sides of the film, turn the rewind crank clockwise just enough to put a slight tension on the the film. This action will help the film lay flat and assure you that the rewind crank is rotating when you advance the film. Also, do a visual check for any lint, dirt, etc in the camera or on the film pressure plate. Additionally, before you pull the film leader to the take up spool, cock and fire the shutter to make sure it is working. And last but not least, put the shutter on "bulb," trip and hold the shutter open, and check for lint or hairs at the rectangular opening that frames the film; this doesn't happen often but can ruin roll after roll if it does. Lastly, if your camera has a "battery check" button, check the battery, too, as well as the ISO setting. After you go through this procedure a few hundred times, it will be second nature for you especially if you are assisting a commercial, fashion, or studio photographer and blowing the shot means losing your job.
Hey, thanks for all this... I did indeed forget a few things when making this video years ago. I especially wish I mentioned the aspect of using the rewind to check for tension and remove slack from the film roll, something I do regularly.
i just had this happen to me a few weeks ago 😭 it’s so discouraging to have a blank roll and i’m so glad i’m seeing this video now! very informational! thank you so much!
Sometimes there will be a bit of slack inside the canister so even if you load it correctly, once you close the door and wind the rewind knob won't spin. I very carefully crank the rewind knob as if I was rewinding (not pressing the release button) to take out the slack, once you feel a TINY amount of pressure you know you're good.
Joseph Delgadillo I think that just happened to me---if there was slack and it wasn't turning the knob (but was otherwise loaded correctly) will the pictures turn out? In your experience?
I just got my first 35mm camera passed down from my great aunt, and am trying to do all the research I can before shooting my first roll. this was a wonderful guide and I feel very confident that I'm loading correctly now! thank you so much!
Probably the best video out there on loading film. By the way, it's a little different for cameras that are, well, a little different. I have a Diax IIb rangefinder camera from the 50s. You've probably never heard of it, but here's my experience thus far: I was a little concerned when the film advance lever turned the spool anticlockwise, but after consulting the manual it turns out that was normal as you actually put the film canister in upside down! I then pulled the film across to the other side, the right. A little to the left of the main spool, there was a little plastic rod with the plastic "teeth" which slotted into the film perforations. Now most cameras like the one in the video have a big slot in the spool to slot the film onto. This one did not. Instead, a thin strip of metal wrapped around about 300 degrees of the spool. You are actually supposed to insert the thin end of the film into the end of this metal strip (description sounds confusing but I'm sure you'll work it out). I cocked it and pressed the shutter once, closed it, and did this three more times. The fourth time, the shutter wouldn't work and I couldn't advance the film - maybe I pressed the shutter without cocking it first or maybe I just held it wrong, but once I turned the rewind knob a bit, the film advance lever was stiffer but the rewind knob actually spun when I cocked the camera (like it's supposed to, the manual even says that it's "Proof the film is loaded correctly". I'll update this comment once I get the film developed, but as of now I hope this helps you with some of the problems you might face with more niche cameras with less familiar workings.
I am currently shooting my second roll and I did not know this. I have just given my first roll into development, so I hope they turned out nicely. I did not realize that the rewind thing is turning when loading the camera to shoot, but I double checked now and thankfully it is turning. But I also checked, that, when putting in the film, I would should once or twice to see if the film is moving. But many thanks!!!! Now I know on what to watch out
This helped me so much! The very first film in my camera was loaded by the lady at the store, and sadly she got it wrong. But I got it right on the next one :)
I'm thinking to do the same xD. Buying a 100ft roll, refillable rolls and due it on night just for getting 15 frames rolls with ALL frames used xD xD xD. Fill is a little bit expensive in my country
Thanks for the tip about very slightly bending the leader before inserting it into the take up spool slot. I reloaded my Pentax K1000 today and had some trouble getting the leader to stick. But now the rewind knob is turning nicely.
I did that very thing with my first SLR (Nikon F3) threaded the film through and fired the shutter a couple times like you do...then happily shot away thinking I was getting some nice pics only to get back a blank roll..havent made the same mistake since though....lol..love the video's ,keep them coming :-)
New to 35mm, bought a little Minolta Hi-Matic. Didn’t quite get the folding back of the film and so wasted a roll, and wasted a bit of the second roll, though not all of it. I bought some budget film, so not too bothered. I finally get it now on how to load the film properly. Bit of a struggle, got there in the end.
oh my god thank you!!!! I am new to shooting film but have had 4 blank rolls come back to me and havent seen anyone break down these tips to look for so that you know you are loading correctly!
I shot a roll of film that expired in 2005 and took pics at a really funny Halloween party and it came back blank, most gutting thing ever, was fully sad for at least 2 weeks. Scared to ever shoot expired film again
If you buy bulk film and a "Watson 66"-type loader plus some "Kodak Snap Cap"-type film cassettes, you can load as many/few frames as you need for test purposes. A film changing bag a blunt tip/kid's scissors, and 3/4 inch masking tape are must buys to "load by feel." (After all, not everyone has access to a completely dark room to handle film.) A wide variety of bulk film can be found hither and yon should you become interested in foreign film manufacturers such as Ilford, Ferrania, Adox, etc.
Hashem, thanks for the tips. I was having a hard time loading the film at first and saw that the rewind button wasn't moving like the manual book said it should when loading. I tried a few more times and then finally got it after putting the edge of the film in the insert of the spin wheel. I was looking for a troubleshooting video and your video was helpful. Now I know with more confidence what to look for and how to redo it without future mistakes. Thank you. PS thanks for the extra shot secret. Cheers.
i just bought a pigeon 35 1956 camera from a garage sale for $5 its really in perfect mint condition and there was canister of film inside. Ive never used a film camera and i didnt understand it so i bought it to my mom and she somehow knew how to use it and showed me. I wanted to figure out how to load the film myself since I know exposing parts to the air wouldnt be good and this video helped me a lot i cant wait to start using it
Once again excellent content, and nice last tip. It's sad to know that someone can receive blank rolls. Thanks and keep shooting some film. Hug from Portugal
thank you so much this was an incredibly helpful video. I have been shooting film for months now and never properly understood loading film .. I have shot one blank roll and a few that were photos short. This is so comprehensive! Thank you so so much
Thanks man really appreciate this, i once went on a trip i had just sold my 7D and took my dads OM2n and literally didnt load 5/6 rolls of film, was devastating. Havent really shot with the camera again since then as it was so disheartening, but now i am keen to get back into photography so wanted to get it going again and this really helped. I also have a canon eos 100 that was also my dads, keen to see how a digital film camera works once i can get around to buying the right size batteries for it.
I've only been shooting film 2 days and the first day i messed it up. i did a few things you mentioned there. I didn't load the film correctly and the winder wasn't moving when i winded to wind it 3 times. Until today i dids it right. just need to get the roll developed. i found shooting film quite fun
Really useful tips thank you. Loaded up my first film in my Olympus Trip 35 - wish me luck! Followed the steps and all seems to be working. Excited to see how my first roll of film turns out.
Great video, helped me a lot! I got as a gift an old camera Zenit and I don't know anything about photography. So when you say 400 ISO (and I see the number 400 on the film), what when I don't have this on the camera? The numbers there are: 60, 125, 250, 500, B, 30-X What does that mean? 😁 Thanks!
Hey! It sounds like your camera doesn't have a light meter, in which case you don't need to set the ISO (in this case, you can use a separate meter or phone app) The numbers you mentioned are the camera's shutter speeds. Hope that helps!
At 5:30 time Mark,thats what propably happend, with my canon ae-1. Two blank Films,1 kodak Gold 200,and 1 kodak ultramax 400.picture counter counting,everything seems working,but no photos on the negatives.
Thank you this is super helpful. Getting back into photography after 10 years. I did it at school but had some many troubles 😔. This was something I should have watched back then 😂
I have an exposure question: I just had my first roll developed and I was so sad to find most of my shots super dark. I even used my light meter on my camera (with new batteries). What did I do wrong? Should I start using a light meter app?
Summiting Mt. Adventure hey, the light meter on the camera may be inaccurate. We're all the shots under? Does the meter reading change correctly as you change the iso? It would be good to compare it to the reading on a light meter or other digital camera to gauge the accuracy
thank you for your advice! unfortunately, yes all the shots turned out to be under. I haven't actually checked if the meter changes with the ISO...I know for sure it does with the aperture and shutter speed. I'm going to check that for sure now! thank you so much. I just went ahead and got an app for my phone so I can compare the meters with each other.
got a super cheap analog camera a few weeks ago (basically a reloadable disposable camera lol, def not as fancy as the one he’s using) and have been anxious about wether or not i loaded it correctly... never thought i’d be so relieved to see another button turn when i ‘scrolled’ to the next exposure 😂
This video was very helpful! If only I had know this before. I was a bit disappointed picking up my first role of film to find it was completely blank. I’m using a Canon Ftb with a 50mm lens. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with the camera, so hopefully next time I will have some photos not just a blank roll!
That's me constantly, luckily my n2000 I use as a beater in substitute for my f3, has a thing that moves inside the back of the body. I used to have a pentax that was full auto though, and I was always scared to death of not having it load right
The Canon EOS film bodies had an infrared sensor that would read the movement of the sprocket holes. If the sprocket holes did not advance, you'd get a flashing "E" and an audible beep to indicate a load error and it would lock out until the film was reloaded correctly. I never ever had a blank roll on the EOS. Had one hard lesson on the Pentax K1000.
Never had any blank rolls in my life because: 1) after loading a film I advance the film once and then turn the rewind knob so that it pulls the film back and the gears prevent it from moving back , so a pressure is created and then I close it . 2) after closing I advance it to number 1 and you can see the rewind knob turning at double 0 and 0 but still I have a habit of keeping a watch on the rewind knob even at the 36th shot so that I get a satisfactory feeling 😊. Flashback: When I used my 1st film camera I forgot to press the rewind button and pushed the rewind knob hard only to separate the film from the canister and the film got stuck, lost all the 36 shots 😂.
just now watching this after i thought i finished 9 rolls. i didnt load any of them correctly, theyre probably all blank. i was so excited to see all the exposures id done on these over the past 6 months. now i have to buy a leader retriever and start over.
Saw this just after sending my film to develop... pray for it
any updates on the film 😦
Need that update
same
Did you get your film back? 🤭
Ugh, my film went all BLANK tho 😭😩
I would actually cry if I developed my film and it came back blank
I just sent my first 2 rolls of film and they came back blank. I'm bummed as hell.
The 2nd tool concert i went to, way back in 2001,... yeah, you can see where this is going... That was when the decision to go digital solidified in my mind.
I almost did. Got so discuraged i didn't pic my camera since last spring. Going back at it 👌
I just did and I'm currently reevaluating my life as I lost a whole project AYYYYYYY
all 3 of my first rolls are blank. so fuckin heated.
I have a tip too : when you rewind your roll and don't feel any "tension" (the film being pulled back into the canister kinda make you feel the pressure and the "pop" at the end) is a big indicator that you loaded your camera badly. :)
Pendora Wunderkammer that feeling you have when you had a shooting that went great, wanna change your film and then you have no tension while rewinding... :(:(:(
But can i open it and load it again? Or will my whole roll be gone?
@@pendorawunderkammer7824 I learned a why easier trick: take the leader of a fresh roll and put some water in it, then stick it in the roll that had the leader in the cannister
i went on a 1 month trip to europe and guess what... i had 6 canisters and they all came back empty :(
FrenchieFries Jesus. I’m so sorry.
Nathan get out lmfao 🙄🙄 did you rlly need to call him a dumbass ?
And what was the fault? Six times the same mistake? And which camera did you use?
That would hurt so bad. Ah! I feel for you
yxng plxg ur really angry person
I really appreciate you making this video! I’m in San Francisco and took over 60 shots only to find out 24 were good and the rest were blank *cries* I checked my camera rn and followed your tips to find out that I was about to shoot more blanks! Fixed it and might have saved my trip. Shoutout to you and I hope more people my age (23) appreciate film and take photos on film!
Awesome! So happy it potentially saved you from getting blank rolls before a trip, thanks for watching and leaving a comment :D
one day recently I took 36 exposures in London, and went to rewind the film once I was home and realised it hadn't been loaded properly and was all blank :((( wish I'd watched this first!
Oh no! Hopefully this doesn't happen to you again though
@@pushingfilm is it the same with point and shoot camera?
tilda may If it means anything I went to London and got back the film and some of the shots were white because the lid flung open 🤦♂️
@@OtakBolong most point and shoots are a little easier but it can happen as well
We old wedding photographers learned these tips early on. Can you imagine the tragedy and shame if this accident happened during a wedding shoot? 😬😬😬😱😱😱😱
I really don't want to be the photohrapher in that situation… not only because I would have to pay for messing up, but also just because everybody's sad because of me…
I did EXACTLY the mistake you mentioned here for my first Holga film loading experience. I got a call from the film processor and said it was blank and my heart sank. Then I Googled and figured out it wasn't loaded right and this UA-cam video confirmed it further. Now I can confirm it was loaded properly. Got a Pentax KM in the mail last week too so I'm glad I learned this first. I used to only have point and shoot film cameras and disposables growing up so I never had to insert it this manually and wind it. Thank you so much for your video!
I'm so glad I watched this, I was 10 shots into a blank roll in my OM20 man! Thanks again!
A. Craig Fontes, Jr No problems! Glad you caught it
How are you liking your OM20 so far? I just got my my grandfathers OM20 but we don't know if it still works, going to buy new batteries tomorrow
wish i saw this video before
Same here
me too
It may sound silly and borderline patronizing but this UA-camr's advice is one of the most basic and useful tips anyone can learn when starting (or re-starting after years hiatus) with film photography. Cheers!
Hiii
here is my extra tip: after you install your canister, carefully turn the rewind crank until it just starts pulling the leader. this takes all the slack of the film from inside the canister so you know imediatelly if the film is being advanced
The first time I shot film, I loaded the camera and kept checking if the rewind knob was turning. It only starting turning after 3-5 shots! Until then I was getting worried that the film isn't advancing.
I panicked when the rewind knob isn't turning when I advance my films mid reel. So I rewinded back and then double check that it stretches the film when Loading the leader.
In the end, I still get blank rolls which sucks :(
@@sonyviva308 I am having the same issue- rewind not turning mid roll. Did you find a solution?
@@anguscallahan8347 how many shots have you taken? I think you have two options.
Keep going, hoping the film is correctly loaded. It shouldn't take more than 5 shots for the rewind knob to start turning when you advance the film.
You could try to turn the rewind knob to see if the film is loose of if the mechamism holds it properly. If it's properly loaded, you'll feel resistance and you'll know for sure that you're ok. If it's not properly loaded, you'll feel no resistance and you risk rewinding the film all the way inside the canister, which can be a pain to pull out again, but at least you won't miss your future shots because of poorly loaded film.
My rewind knob isn’t urning either but the film is moving i checked (probably screwed up some shots doing so) 🤷♀️
This whole time I’ve been loading film wrong. 😐 no wonder when I develop, my film has sprocket lines. Thanks for the tips! I appreciate it so much. ✌🏼
Glad it helped!
What did you do wrong?
My daughter had the opposite problem. All of her first rolls in high school came back 100 percent fogged. No one told her not to open the back of the camera. Not her fault! Boomer teachers assumed that everyone knew this and didn’t mention it when they handed out the K1000s. Parenthetically, when I did news photography I was told to always come back with something. No excuses short of a bullet hole in the camera or meeting up with Sinatra on a bad day accepted.
shut mouth
It seems so simple loading film, yet it can easily go wrong, I do have a couple of EOS cameras that load automatically once you’ve put the leader in the take up spool cavity. I have a dead film that I always use in any camera I’ve just bought in case there any anomalies. I found learning to load a back off a system MF camera a bit different when I first loaded it. A very useful video, I think if there were more of the 'basic' videos around more people are likely to take to film as I think a lot of younger people are nervous about things like this and may be too embarrassed to ask.
Mark Harris Yes! The good thing about electronic cameras is that they tend to avoid loading errors. Very true about beginners being afraid to ask... At the shop they often feel embarrassed to ask simple things, but like anything new you have to learn from scratch.
Yes I loaded film in my secondhand purchased Canon AE-1 and thought I may have bought a dud. Although I shot on an old fully manual camera before, my Canon 300x automatically loads the fIlm like you mentioned. There's no need to weave the film in the receiving spool. Costly mistake but I know now ☺
Dont forget the sheer cost of messing up rolls. One tiny mistake costs you $10+ every single time GRRRR. Even finding expired film for this purpose is giving me the shits
Great video! it happened to me a while ago, shooting a roll over a longer period of time on different locations and getting back a blank roll. I knew I was fucked when it kept shooting past 36 and rewinding only took 2 seconds lol. Checking if the rewind knob is moving is definitely a good practise!
SpaceZombie I had the exact same problem :'(
I just checked my rewind knob and it isn’t moving! But when I opened to peep, I saw films were already rolling. Not sure what I should do :(
Kent Ridge Hall Videos mine too :(
the bonus trick requires some practice, I've learned how to get up to 26-27 shots out from 24 exp. rolls but I've messed up some exposures in the way. thanks for all the tips.
I only started shooting yesterday, thought I had 6 shots and was progressing well. Saw this video this morning and realised the rewind knob wasnt turning, opened up the back and the film wasnt even in the right place!! I cannot thank you enough for saving me not only the time and money, but the inevitable disappointment that would have followed a blank roll!! Hope you see this, and have a wonderful weekend.
ahhh i spoke too soon. I opened up, reset the film and it took nicely, closed the back and took a few shots and the rewind knob turned and all seemed well. Just took 3 more shots and suddenly the rewind knob isnt turning again. I know the film was properly loaded so any idea why this would suddenly happen? Thanks for your time.
Sometimes a bit of slack builds up in the canister. You can also do this simple check mid roll: just rewind the crank (without engaging the rewind release) until you hit a "wall" of tension; this indicates that the film is taken up properly.
I've been shooting an SLR for around 60 years, and in my excitement I just shot a roll last week that ended up blank because I didn't check the rewind knob like I always did. It can happen to anyone. Good video tip. I noticed when rewinding there was no pressure on the knob.so I didn't loose the roll.
Found this video at the perfect time! I just loaded my first roll two days ago and I felt like something was wrong and it was! I followed your video and now I know the pictures are going to be there. Thanks soo much for this! Greetings from the Dominican Republic.
Great, so glad it could help! Greeting all the way back from Australia 😁
Thank you, you're an actual savior. I shoot with film all the time and have done so for 3 years or so now, so I've definitely gone through roughly 50 rolls or so. But last summer in Paris, I shot two rolls and they both came back blank. I was gutted, they were all shots I could remember taking which made me even more excited for getting them back, but everything was blank. It was heartbreaking. So once again, thank you so much 😇⚡️
That's so sad about the Paris rolls! But I'm glad this video could help, thanks for watching :-)
Oh boy. This video is just priceless. I just googled for it because they told me my roll came unexposed. I should have known after my film took only about few seconds to unroll. Great tips, thanks man! Also feels good to not be alone :).
Yes, I felt TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE. So many memories lost :(
Magnificent information! Great video! A couple of warnings and explanations from a former Olympus repair tech, though...most important last.
Users may note that the take-up spool in almost every 35mm camera slips -- it's supposed to. If it didn't, it would try to pull more and more film each time the camera was wound as the film wrapped around it, making it effectively larger. This would waste film, as the space between shots would increase frame by frame. It is the sprocket (the toothed wheel just before the take-up spool) that actually meters the proper amount of film for each shot.
On the front of most early OM cameras below the shutter button is the "rewind release" that has to be rotated in the direction of the arrow to disengage the wind mechanism so that the film can be freely rewound into the cassette. It is supposed to snap back into the vertical position by itself immediately during the camera's next wind stroke. But sometimes, if the mechanism is damaged, it may not. If not, you may be able to gently turn it back vertical by hand -- don't force!
When loading a roll of film, be sure that the film cassette feeds the film flat across the back of the camera, and the film is not bowed up into the air. Otherwise, when closing the back cover, the film may become pinched between the spring on the back cover that holds the cassette in place and the cassette itself. Of course, if you are watching to be sure the rewind knob begins turning as the camera is wound, you will know something is wrong!
But most importantly! When loading a roll of film in most Olympus cameras, be sure to put the film leader INTO BUT NOT THROUGH the take-up spool. (This warning is in their manuals.) If you push the tip of the leader all the way through so that it pokes out the other side, the take-up spool will get too big too quickly, push back against the pressure plate, and the film will begin to jump over the sprocket teeth beginning around 14 frames into the roll, resulting in overlapping frames from there to the end of the roll.
Next most importantly! On OM-10's and later models (OM-G, F, PC, 20, 30, 40, et al), be sure to turn the rewind knob CLOCKWISE ONLY to rewind the roll! If you turn the rewind knob the wrong way, it will get harder and harder to turn as the film is forced to make an oblique turn back into the cassette. (On earlier models, the knob will simply unscrew -- no so on these models) As more force is applied, the rewind shaft or it's collar may fracture, or the film may receive "stress exposure". Stress exposure looks like shadowy lines radiating out from the corners of the sprocket holes of processed film.
Thanks for your patience!
Your comment is so great I will print it and translate the technical terms.
Great advice, thank you
Omg thank you. I watched so many different loading videos but yours was so much clearer and zoomed in that I could see. I had a blank roll for a class. Was disappointed, so I just used a roll to practice loading.
Glad it helped!
Thank you for this, I found an old camera in my parents' house and my mom told me it is still functional. so I bought a roll of film but the spool wasn't turning. I finally figured out why! 🙏🙏
Maja Popovska I also got a second hand camera from a store and I seem to have the same problem. The spool isnt turning either however I think I loaded the film inside correctly
Watching this after what you said at 0:57 happened to me lol i moved on pretty fast but i cried myself to sleep that day
Sorry to hear! Hopefully this helped :-)
I loaded my camera an hour ago and took maybe 8 shots. Watched this video and thought, hey, let's check the film for a laugh. (put room in dark room mode) Camera was shooting blanks. Happy to have come across this in time!
I am SO GLAD I watched this video. I couldn't figure out why the rewind spool wasn't turning and I have this exact camera. Thank you!
When I started shooting film, I had three or four blank rolls because I didn't watch to make sure the spool was spinning. Super discouraging (and expensive). I wish I'd seen this video then! Although I'm happy seeing it now and realizing I can get another couple of shots by closing the door before doing the initial winding :)
You forgot to tighten the film (tension) by using rewind knob in opposite direction . It’s quite important as film can sometimes loosen up if your camera is in bag and the rewind knob is being moved accidentally if you are walking or something. Additionally you just need to install the first side of the film and close immediately the door. This way you will get 38-39 shots instead of 36. Even better to load the film in dark room.
Should you tighten the film before you take every picture?
I just finished developing my first 2 rolls for a class and I actually did that bonus tip without realizing it
This tutorial was SO much more helpful than the other ones I’ve watched. THANK YOU!!!!
Really glad it helped! 🙂
I stopped using my mirrorless for a while. I couldn't believe I'd enjoy film. It's very fulfilling :D
This Video just saved my life i just shot 4 pictures so it wasnt a big deal to "loose" them but you just saved me a blank roll thank you so much! Its the first time im shooting film
im literally just watching every video about how to use film cameras and mine in particular because i seriously dont want to screw it up
Same bro same lol
@Mike Zielinski exactly! Watch it with back open for one cycle of advancing just to be sure
Same
Nice video, but you forgot a few things: Even before you open the camera back, roll the rewind knob to check for resistance. If resistance is present, you probably already have a roll of film in the camera. Rewind that roll before you open the back; this is very important if you have several cameras, changing cameras quickly, and shooting quickly for whatever reason. When you load that fresh roll, put the film leader into the take-up spool, and advance the film one or two frames so that the sprockets catch both sides of the film, turn the rewind crank clockwise just enough to put a slight tension on the the film. This action will help the film lay flat and assure you that the rewind crank is rotating when you advance the film. Also, do a visual check for any lint, dirt, etc in the camera or on the film pressure plate. Additionally, before you pull the film leader to the take up spool, cock and fire the shutter to make sure it is working. And last but not least, put the shutter on "bulb," trip and hold the shutter open, and check for lint or hairs at the rectangular opening that frames the film; this doesn't happen often but can ruin roll after roll if it does. Lastly, if your camera has a "battery check" button, check the battery, too, as well as the ISO setting. After you go through this procedure a few hundred times, it will be second nature for you especially if you are assisting a commercial, fashion, or studio photographer and blowing the shot means losing your job.
Oh yeah. And don't forget to reset the shutter to were it was before you checked the shutter/film plane for lint.
Hey, thanks for all this... I did indeed forget a few things when making this video years ago. I especially wish I mentioned the aspect of using the rewind to check for tension and remove slack from the film roll, something I do regularly.
just started film and was confused as to I was doing this right! thank u!!
Been shooting film for a little over a year and wish I watched this when I began, primarily for the bonus tip. Superb video, thank you.
I just got into film. This helps a lot.
i just had this happen to me a few weeks ago 😭 it’s so discouraging to have a blank roll and i’m so glad i’m seeing this video now! very informational! thank you so much!
Sorry to hear about that, but glad this could help!
Sometimes there will be a bit of slack inside the canister so even if you load it correctly, once you close the door and wind the rewind knob won't spin. I very carefully crank the rewind knob as if I was rewinding (not pressing the release button) to take out the slack, once you feel a TINY amount of pressure you know you're good.
Joseph Delgadillo This is absolutely true! Sometimes it is good to remove the slack from inside the film can.
Joseph Delgadillo I think that just happened to me---if there was slack and it wasn't turning the knob (but was otherwise loaded correctly) will the pictures turn out? In your experience?
Pushing Film will slack ruin your photos?
@@stevenpronesti it should be fine, it'll just take a little longer for the rewind knob to start spinning when you wind the film!
I just got my first 35mm camera passed down from my great aunt, and am trying to do all the research I can before shooting my first roll. this was a wonderful guide and I feel very confident that I'm loading correctly now! thank you so much!
Hey, thanks for such nice feedback. I hope you enjoy the camera and keep it for a long time 🙂
Probably the best video out there on loading film. By the way, it's a little different for cameras that are, well, a little different.
I have a Diax IIb rangefinder camera from the 50s. You've probably never heard of it, but here's my experience thus far:
I was a little concerned when the film advance lever turned the spool anticlockwise, but after consulting the manual it turns out that was normal as you actually put the film canister in upside down!
I then pulled the film across to the other side, the right. A little to the left of the main spool, there was a little plastic rod with the plastic "teeth" which slotted into the film perforations.
Now most cameras like the one in the video have a big slot in the spool to slot the film onto. This one did not. Instead, a thin strip of metal wrapped around about 300 degrees of the spool. You are actually supposed to insert the thin end of the film into the end of this metal strip (description sounds confusing but I'm sure you'll work it out).
I cocked it and pressed the shutter once, closed it, and did this three more times. The fourth time, the shutter wouldn't work and I couldn't advance the film - maybe I pressed the shutter without cocking it first or maybe I just held it wrong, but once I turned the rewind knob a bit, the film advance lever was stiffer but the rewind knob actually spun when I cocked the camera (like it's supposed to, the manual even says that it's "Proof the film is loaded correctly".
I'll update this comment once I get the film developed, but as of now I hope this helps you with some of the problems you might face with more niche cameras with less familiar workings.
I am currently shooting my second roll and I did not know this. I have just given my first roll into development, so I hope they turned out nicely. I did not realize that the rewind thing is turning when loading the camera to shoot, but I double checked now and thankfully it is turning. But I also checked, that, when putting in the film, I would should once or twice to see if the film is moving. But many thanks!!!! Now I know on what to watch out
This helped me so much! The very first film in my camera was loaded by the lady at the store, and sadly she got it wrong. But I got it right on the next one :)
first useful video that helped me understanding my camera, i've been watching all youtube videos: nothing really clear and precise. finally!
Hey, really appreciate it! I'm glad it helped you in some way, and enjoy shooting :-)
09:27 years ago I loaded film in darkness to have one more shot
I used to load my film in my dark room to get that 2-3 ekstra frames on my 135 roll of Tri-X 400. Those were the days.
I dont use darkroom and get 38-39 frames on my Minolta/Canonet.
I'm thinking to do the same xD. Buying a 100ft roll, refillable rolls and due it on night just for getting 15 frames rolls with ALL frames used xD xD xD. Fill is a little bit expensive in my country
I got 40 exposures with my fuji c200.
how does that work?
Thanks for the tip about very slightly bending the leader before inserting it into the take up spool slot. I reloaded my Pentax K1000 today and had some trouble getting the leader to stick.
But now the rewind knob is turning nicely.
I did that very thing with my first SLR (Nikon F3) threaded the film through and fired the shutter a couple times like you do...then happily shot away thinking I was getting some nice pics only to get back a blank roll..havent made the same mistake since though....lol..love the video's ,keep them coming :-)
catey62 Haha yes many of us have to learn the hard way
That happened to me today ): I’m really bummed because of it (we also have the same camera hahahaha)
New to 35mm, bought a little Minolta Hi-Matic. Didn’t quite get the folding back of the film and so wasted a roll, and wasted a bit of the second roll, though not all of it. I bought some budget film, so not too bothered. I finally get it now on how to load the film properly. Bit of a struggle, got there in the end.
Another fantastic video 😀 this is super comprehensive and easy to follow, especially for those who are new to film :) well done Hashem!
oh my god thank you!!!! I am new to shooting film but have had 4 blank rolls come back to me and havent seen anyone break down these tips to look for so that you know you are loading correctly!
Happy to help!
I’m here because I just finished shooting and forgot to press the button before rewinding the film and it snapped and now my HEART IS BROKEN.
Oh no!
I've just got a blank roll and this video really explain what i need. Thank you!
I shot a roll of film that expired in 2005 and took pics at a really funny Halloween party and it came back blank, most gutting thing ever, was fully sad for at least 2 weeks. Scared to ever shoot expired film again
If you buy bulk film and a "Watson 66"-type loader plus some "Kodak Snap Cap"-type film cassettes, you can load as many/few frames as you need for test purposes. A film changing bag a blunt tip/kid's scissors, and 3/4 inch masking tape are must buys to "load by feel." (After all, not everyone has access to a completely dark room to handle film.) A wide variety of bulk film can be found hither and yon should you become interested in foreign film manufacturers such as Ilford, Ferrania, Adox, etc.
I'm getting my first mechanical film camera tomorrow I hope I get everything right!😄
Did you get everything right?
Hashem, thanks for the tips. I was having a hard time loading the film at first and saw that the rewind button wasn't moving like the manual book said it should when loading. I tried a few more times and then finally got it after putting the edge of the film in the insert of the spin wheel. I was looking for a troubleshooting video and your video was helpful. Now I know with more confidence what to look for and how to redo it without future mistakes. Thank you. PS thanks for the extra shot secret. Cheers.
Hey Jarrod, glad the video helped!
@@pushingfilm thanks.
I just got back two blank rolls : ( this video was helpful!
i just bought a pigeon 35 1956 camera from a garage sale for $5 its really in perfect mint condition and there was canister of film inside. Ive never used a film camera and i didnt understand it so i bought it to my mom and she somehow knew how to use it and showed me. I wanted to figure out how to load the film myself since I know exposing parts to the air wouldnt be good and this video helped me a lot i cant wait to start using it
cheers matey opened my film to see if i did it right nd it went back to 1
I used to do this as a kid. Why am I needing a tutorial now 😂😂😂😂
Once again excellent content, and nice last tip. It's sad to know that someone can receive blank rolls. Thanks and keep shooting some film. Hug from Portugal
thank you so much this was an incredibly helpful video. I have been shooting film for months now and never properly understood loading film .. I have shot one blank roll and a few that were photos short. This is so comprehensive! Thank you so so much
Glad it helped! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
Thanks man really appreciate this, i once went on a trip i had just sold my 7D and took my dads OM2n and literally didnt load 5/6 rolls of film, was devastating. Havent really shot with the camera again since then as it was so disheartening, but now i am keen to get back into photography so wanted to get it going again and this really helped.
I also have a canon eos 100 that was also my dads, keen to see how a digital film camera works once i can get around to buying the right size batteries for it.
TheRealUnconnected No worries! That really sucks but definitely get back up and give it another go!
I've only been shooting film 2 days and the first day i messed it up. i did a few things you mentioned there. I didn't load the film correctly and the winder wasn't moving when i winded to wind it 3 times. Until today i dids it right. just need to get the roll developed. i found shooting film quite fun
Glad I watched till the end
Thank you so much for you advice! Was about to embark on an empty film journey but you saved the film and my day, cheers!
No worries!
Wish I had seen this when I started off. My Pentax Manual focus is notoriously difficult to jam the leader into the spool
Finally! I have found what I needed. Just picked up a blank roll from the shop. I was pretty sad.
Hey, dope video!
I recently bought a canon photura (Point & Shoot) and have difficulty loading in film
Really useful tips thank you. Loaded up my first film in my Olympus Trip 35 - wish me luck! Followed the steps and all seems to be working. Excited to see how my first roll of film turns out.
Great video, helped me a lot! I got as a gift an old camera Zenit and I don't know anything about photography. So when you say 400 ISO (and I see the number 400 on the film), what when I don't have this on the camera? The numbers there are: 60, 125, 250, 500, B, 30-X
What does that mean? 😁
Thanks!
Hey! It sounds like your camera doesn't have a light meter, in which case you don't need to set the ISO (in this case, you can use a separate meter or phone app) The numbers you mentioned are the camera's shutter speeds. Hope that helps!
At 5:30 time Mark,thats what propably happend, with my canon ae-1. Two blank Films,1 kodak Gold 200,and 1 kodak ultramax 400.picture counter counting,everything seems working,but no photos on the negatives.
Q: once my film is loaded, and correctly in place, should the film door should be shut throughout all 36 exposures until wound back up?
Yes!
john robertson yes, otherwise any light exposure will ruin your shots.
best explanation of how to load a roll in! thank you!
Glad it helped!
It happens to me at least once a year!
Haha, well when you shoot as much film as Nick Mayo... It's bound to happen by some chance 😁
I think this is the solution to 2/4 of my rolls coming back blank! Thank you so much!
Happy it helped! :-)
Thanks man! Here is a like! 👍🏼
I appreciate this! Thank you!
Okay, the first thing I see is a Killers top. I immediately trust every word out of your mouth
Thank you this is super helpful. Getting back into photography after 10 years. I did it at school but had some many troubles 😔. This was something I should have watched back then 😂
I have an exposure question:
I just had my first roll developed and I was so sad to find most of my shots super dark. I even used my light meter on my camera (with new batteries). What did I do wrong? Should I start using a light meter app?
Summiting Mt. Adventure hey, the light meter on the camera may be inaccurate. We're all the shots under? Does the meter reading change correctly as you change the iso? It would be good to compare it to the reading on a light meter or other digital camera to gauge the accuracy
thank you for your advice! unfortunately, yes all the shots turned out to be under. I haven't actually checked if the meter changes with the ISO...I know for sure it does with the aperture and shutter speed. I'm going to check that for sure now! thank you so much. I just went ahead and got an app for my phone so I can compare the meters with each other.
got a super cheap analog camera a few weeks ago (basically a reloadable disposable camera lol, def not as fancy as the one he’s using) and have been anxious about wether or not i loaded it correctly... never thought i’d be so relieved to see another button turn when i ‘scrolled’ to the next exposure 😂
thank you so much! just came back from the lab, and got a blank roll :(
do you have any tips on praktica ltl3?
Ehre an dich Brudi
please an advice for a begginer! is it possible I can get my film from somewhere that's not internet?
Of course! 🙂
Walmart sells some. Fuji color negative. 400 ASA ISO.
This video was very helpful! If only I had know this before. I was a bit disappointed picking up my first role of film to find it was completely blank. I’m using a Canon Ftb with a 50mm lens. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with the camera, so hopefully next time I will have some photos not just a blank roll!
what if you got an automatic camera? im scared my films gonna turned out blank
That's me constantly, luckily my n2000 I use as a beater in substitute for my f3, has a thing that moves inside the back of the body. I used to have a pentax that was full auto though, and I was always scared to death of not having it load right
The Canon EOS film bodies had an infrared sensor that would read the movement of the sprocket holes. If the sprocket holes did not advance, you'd get a flashing "E" and an audible beep to indicate a load error and it would lock out until the film was reloaded correctly. I never ever had a blank roll on the EOS. Had one hard lesson on the Pentax K1000.
Very helpful, I just loaded my first roll of film! Thank you!
Glad it helped!
*immediately runs and checks cameras*
Thank you for this video! I just bought my first manual camera and I’ve been so nervous about loading film into it. This really helped me~
No worries! Glad to help 👍
Never had any blank rolls in my life because:
1) after loading a film I advance the film once and then turn the rewind knob so that it pulls the film back and the gears prevent it from moving back , so a pressure is created and then I close it .
2) after closing I advance it to number 1 and you can see the rewind knob turning at double 0 and 0 but still I have a habit of keeping a watch on the rewind knob even at the 36th shot so that I get a satisfactory feeling 😊.
Flashback:
When I used my 1st film camera I forgot to press the rewind button and pushed the rewind knob hard only to separate the film from the canister and the film got stuck, lost all the 36 shots 😂.
Was about to take a blank roll! Thank you!
“Avoid BLANK FRAMES” you meant to say!
ty for this video. I did this last week and might have done it this week too now i know.
Am I the only one that really hates that background song? I hear it in literally every photography video!! Thanks for the info though lol
i literally did this on my first ever roll, on that exact camera (om10) lol..great in-depth video man
Loved the video, but had to ask if the shirt is a Killers joke
Henry Morgan Thanks! The victims is the name of the killers official fan group/site ;)
just now watching this after i thought i finished 9 rolls. i didnt load any of them correctly, theyre probably all blank. i was so excited to see all the exposures id done on these over the past 6 months. now i have to buy a leader retriever and start over.
Oh damn! If you're not totally certain they misloaded, would it be worth getting one of them processed just to make sure?