Changing partially exposed film ?

After owning my M6 for several months, I'm using color film for the first time tonight at a party. However, I have a roll of partially exposed B&W film in my camera. Obviously, I know how to wind it back into the spool but when I want to use it again, how do I advance to the first unexposed frame?

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Please forgive my new-user question - it's not very interesting - but it's not something I've done before. I was just going to try it out (I'm assuming I can keep winding after loading the film back in) but there are some shots I'd hate to kill on that roll.

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On another note, what's the closest Kodak film to HP5? Tri-X? I just bought a Kodak RFS 3600 scanner and it has profiles for only Kodak products.

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Regards,

Fergus Hammond

Adobe Systems Inc.

Make note of the frame number before you rewind the film. Rewind the

film so the leader protrudes. When you are ready to complete the

roll, find a dark spot, re-load the film, set your camera to the

fastest shutter speed and smallest aperture, keep the lens cap on,

and repeatedly fire the shutter and advance the film until you are

back to the frame number where you removed the film. Then, fire the

shutter and advance the film once more to be safe.

If you're going to be keeping the partially exposed roll of film for

any period of time, use a Sharpie marker to write the number of

exposed frames onto the leader when you take it out of the camera.

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When I put the film back in I usually wind two frames past that number

just to be on the safe side. I'd rather waste unexposed film than

exposed film :-)

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I'd try Tri-X as the closest match to for HP5. They're very similar

films.

I do this all of the time, usually to finish a roll from a Leica in a

Nikon or visa versa. It is not too hard.

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First, make a note of what frame you are on, for example 18. Next,

rewind the film in the normal way, but slower than normal. As soon

as you feel the resistance change or you hear the leader come off of

the take up spool, STOP WINDING. remove the film from the camera

with the leader still out of the cassette... and this is

important...CLEARLY mark the film as partially exposed with the frame

number. I use a sharpie marker on the plastic container that the

film comes in.

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When it is time to re-install the film, you must guard against

exposing the frames that have already been used. Keep the lens cap

on, and I being too much of a worrier, set the f-stop to the minimum

and the shutterspeed to the fastest. Wind and fire the camera until

you come to frame 18. I usually also go TWO MORE FRAMES to insure

that due to variations during loading, I don't expose on the last

frame.

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Be aware that you can buy at good camera stores a tool for about 5

Dollars (US) that will allow you to retrieve the film leader from a

fully retracted film. This comes in handy if you forgot to stop or

you are using film from a motordriven camera that rewinds

automatically.

Paul Chefurka said:

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"I usually wind two frames past that number just to be on the safe

side."

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Paul,

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Thanks for your reply. How are you doing the winding? Shutter button

and lever? That's what the other replies discussed but your reply

sounds like you wind on the film another way.

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Fergus