DU Photographers: I just got back film from my trip...

[AlFrankenFan]

And three of the four rolls came out blank.

Of course it happens when I am reunited with my father's side of the family and have picture from that and Gettysburg!

Now, I use an older Kodak camera - 35 mm I think. Only one of the rolls came out correctly - that's the one that was the last one I used and was still in the camera when I was on the way home. The clerk thought they were new rolls, but I clearly said that I had used them - taking pictures in PA, MA, NY, and NJ. He said then it might be my camera.

Could anyone explain how and why this happened? And, is it possible someone (like my father - if you didn't already know he's paranoid and likes to steal things like my journal) could have sabotaged them?

Thanks.

[Fenris]

1. Did you put it in your with your non-carryon luggage?

It could have been irradiated for "security".

[AlFrankenFan]

2. Shit I did but this has never happened before.

n/t

[MercutioATC]

3. That very well may be it. They vary the intensity on the machines

(at least they used to) for our different security levels.

[AlFrankenFan]

4. Ugh...so next time I should have it in carry on?

But why didn't it ruin the film that was still in the camera?

[MercutioATC]

9. Maybe the camera body shielded it enough...

Always carry on your film...especially higher-speed film.

[Xithras]

15. I lost many rolls of Maui photo's this way

I had nine exposed rolls in my checked luggage, all of which came out blank. I had partials loaded in my three cameras, which came out fine. I had six more rolls in my carry on and requested a hand-search, and they came out fine. Modern high intensity XRay machines can damage any ISO400 or faster film, so film should NEVER be checked.

A friend recently warned him about another problem with airports for DIGITAL camera users. He had a 512MB CF card in his pocket with 300 vacation photos when he went through the airport, and they made him take it out with his keys and wallet to get run through some scanning machine at SFO. When he got home, the CF card was corrupt and all his photos were lost :( Apparently, you DO want to check CF cards...X-rays don't harm CF, but these new radiation scanners do.

[rednek_Liberal]

5. Look at the negatives

if they are clear then they were never exposed, suggesting the camera was either improperly loaded or the takeup spool did not,well take up.
If the negatives are black, then they were overexposed meaning a light leak either when loadin or in-camera.

[AlFrankenFan]

6. They were clear...

and I know I put them in correctly, and what do you mean by the "take up spool"?

[rednek_Liberal]

7. the spool that holds the film on the other side of the shutter plane

[AlFrankenFan]

8. I see thanks n/t

[sniffa]

10. i just wanted to say hi cuz

i Like your name. :hi:

[AlFrankenFan]

11. Hehehe thank you :)

:hi:

[sniffa]

12. just reaLized

my franken sig Line isn't working today. doh!

[AlFrankenFan]

13. Yeah high traffic

My sig-lines pictures of Wellstone.

[sniffa]

19. ah, now i see

:D

[Nay]

14. Since you said the film came out clear, you most likely did not

"attach" the film leader well when you loaded the roll. The film never advanced through the camera.

Did the advance lever seem to move almost too smoothly when you advanced the film after taking a photo? When you rewound the film, did you feel no resistance? If these two things are true, your film never rolled through your camera.

Also, I'm not sure, but I believe that any x-ray damage would result in BLACK or STREAKED film, not clear film, after development.

A good way to avoid this in the future is to watch the film wind around the spool you attach it to at least once, to make sure it has caught, before you close the back.

How do I know? Been there and done it. At a wedding, no less. I wanted to kill myself.

[AlFrankenFan]

16. Thank you

Next time I'll definitely make sure this doesn't happen. I feel the same way - my mom wanted so much to see the relatives she "left behind" after her divorce.

[TreasonousBastard]

17. So, we have established that...

the film was unexposed.

There is the slim possibility that the processor put those rolls in the chemicals in reverse order, which would make them turn blank, but you probably didn't expose them.

(I once processed a roll of slides and grabbed the bleach bottle instead of the second developer, so I know it CAN happen-- with disastrous results)

Tough to believe that the film didn't properly take on the takeup spool, because most people keep shooting until the film doesn't wind any more. When you have 50 shots on a 24 shot roll, it's time to ask questions. But, stranger things have happened.

If this camera was a rangefinder camera, or anything else that's not an SLR, it is entirely possible that the lens cap was left on. You have no idea how many photojournalists have done this with Leicas, to the intense amusement of their fellow photographers.

It is also possible that the shutter is broken, but that doesn't make sense becaue the LAST roll was exposed.

[rednek_Liberal]

18. This is unlikley

>There is the slim possibility that the processor put those rolls in the chemicals in reverse order, which would make them turn blank, but you probably didn't expose them<

If this was run through a Kodak or Fuji C-41 machine it is imposible to reverse the chemicals, unless the technician put the bleach or stop in the developer tank, but I think that unlikeley as well.

I would agree to the lens cap maybe being on, but we don't know what kind of camera it is. Iv'e never used one but,dont most point and shoots have an automatic cover?

[AlFrankenFan]

20. Doesn't have a lense cap

It has a thing you slide open manually to turn it on.

[bif]

21. That happened to me once.

Ever since, I advance the film a bunch of times to make sure the film was advancing, even if it wastes film. Now I shoot digital and don't have to worry about that.