film economy

[vishwanath_chandrahas]

<p>Once the film is loaded to camera, how many initial shots go waste? I use Nikon f100 and FM2N, does film economy depends on camera ?<br>

thanks<br>

vishwanath</p>

[wclark5179]

<p>"does film economy depends on camera ?"<br>

Maybe. Depends on camera.<br>

"how many initial shots go waste?"<br>

I usually think they all go to waste.<br>

Did a gig last night.<br>

People liked my photography.<br>

I don't like my photography.<br>

Next time I'll do better.<br>

I don't think I'll ever get the "best" photo.<br>

Got another gig in a few hours.<br>

Maybe I will get some decent photos.<br>

Mary Kay ladies.<br>

Beautiful.<br>

Someone has to make the photos!</p>

<p> </p>

[Michael R Freeman]

<blockquote>

<p><em>"Once the film is loaded to camera, how many initial shots go waste?"</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>None, if you load it properly. In other words you'll get at least 24 exposures from a 24-exp roll of film, and 36 exposures from a 36-exp roll of film.</p>

<p>Depending on how thrifty you are with the leader when you load a roll of film in the FM2N, you can usually squeeze 25 exposures from a 24-exp roll of film, and 37-38 exposures from a 36-exp roll of film.</p>

<p>Stick the film leader in the take-up spool slot, pull the cassette over to the other side, drop it in and engage the rewind shaft. Then roll the take-up spool to the left with your right thumb until the sprocket teeth engage the sprocket holes on both edges of the film. Close back and wind on normally to frame 1. Watch the rewind lever to make sure it is turning. Should get you one extra exposure every time.</p>

<p>And I seem to recall that I could usually get at least one extra exposure from 36-exp rolls on my F100 (which auto-loads of course).</p>

[starvy]

<p>I tend to find that with my present batch of 35mm, a Bessa R and OM4 I don't lose any more than one frame at most.</p>

[User_5888660]

<p>The film leader is the part of the film you pull out of the cassette to load the film. On the F100, there is nothing to change as the camera automatically winds the film on to the take up spool. As Michael mentions, you can possibly squeeze out an extra frame on your other camera by being thrifty when you load the other camera. </p>

<p>If you really want to save film, load the camera in complete darkness. Once the film is engaged with the take up reel, close the back and start shooting. You will get two to three extra exposures this way. This was a trick many used with infra-red film, which had to be loaded in complete darkness. </p>

[bebu_lamar]

<p>Film can be expensive but I don't care for the extra 1 or 2 frames at the beginning or at the end of the film. Most of the cost associated with film has to do with processing so it's not really worth it to save the couple of frames. </p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>When I was a kid my father had a tiny little Bosley rangefinder. One of the things he liked about it was that the distance from the cartridge chamber across the back to the take up spool was so short that he easily got two or three extra shots from every roll. My current Olympus Stylus Epic is the same size or even smaller and does the same thing -- 27 shots on a 24 roll is pretty common for me. If you've ever bulkloaded your own B&W film from 100 foot rolls you'll find that the frame numbers go up to 42, though I've never gotten that many usable frames in any camera I've had. The one problem with extra shots for me has come when I'm shooting B&W, which I cut into strips of six and put into PrintFile pages. The pages only hold six strips of six frames, so if you have extra frames you have to use another whole page to hold them, or put a bunch of them from several rolls together on a page. </p>

[brian_quinn2]

<p>If I load my Pentax Super Program in the darkroom and develop it myself I can get 40 shots form a 36 exposure roll. If I use my <strong>Yashica Samurai I can get 75 shots per roll with no trouble.</strong></p>

[User_502260]

<p>I got the most extra shots with a Rollei 35 and probably the fewest with a Canon F-1. The Konica AA 35 (Recorder in Japan) should also be able to get 75 shots (1/2 Frame) on a 36 exp. roll.</p>

[jason]

<p>Leica-M with the removable take up spool, can be loaded in the dark. I easily get 2 extra frames on a 24 exposure. It means one extra roll ever 12 rolls..The Rollei-35 does 3 extra frames. My Pentax Me-Super and MG each do extra 2~3 frames.This is on Kodak or Fuji color negative film. It's so long since I had a 36 exp, I don't know! Thanks to my pal Mark, I do indeed have many extra rolls from his cleared fridge.<br>

My Nikon-F3 gave me most trouble to get extra. Stayed awake at night figuring it out. It can be shot immediately but,BUT at 1/90th shutter speed,no meter.. It needs 3 frames moved! Finally I had it! Do the 3 forward. Then slowly rewind about 2 frames. I watch how much the film rewind turned earlier..<br>

Don't be envious of these cameras.. They are all maimed and wounded!<br>

Oh! The Stylus Zoom 140, full auto loading does 2 extra! That one cost me $5.25 at Goodwill.</p>

[brian_quinn2]

<p>I made the note about developing the film myself. This is because the labs tape rolls together to feed them through the devloper. Often the last frame is lost this way. So don't make the last shot and important one.<br />As far as loading the film in the dark is conserned I started doing this when I was using IR film that required this to avoid fogging the first few frames.<br>

Some Pentax cameras also require that you shoot the first 3 frames at 1/1000 of a second. then the meter starts working. This was to ensure that you would not shoot a crital shot on the exposed leader. You could get a shot if you set the F stop manually and did not rely on the meter for the 3rd of the first three. the first 2 shots were exposed leader so it did not matter.</p>

[rossb]

<p>I always get 37 with my F100 and when I had my FE2 I got 36. </p>

[ian_gordon_bilson]

<p>I remember..<br>

Back in the day when photo magazines had real content, one of the seriously good contributors had an article which ran along these lines : Pick up your camera. Now,close your eyes. Next,select a shutter speed of 1/125.<br>

Next,eyes closed,children,select F5.6 -you do remember which way the aperture ring runs,don't you?<br>

Next test :In complete darkness,load your camera with film, and advance to the first frame.<br>

And you think you are a pro?</p>

[James G. Dainis]

I never try to get more than 36 frames. My negative file sheets hold 36 frames. If I have 37 frames, that extra frame becomes a problem. If I eliminate one frame, that usually results in me having one loose frame next to a five frame strip.