101 ways to ruin a roll of film

You probably don't want to hear this, but I once opened my (35mm) camera when it had a half finished film in. I immediately closed the back, and having wound on a couple of frames continued to use the film. Most of the frames that were still in the camera when the back was open turned out reasonably. Perhaps I was very lucky...
 
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Kell said:
Picked up my camera after a 20 year absence.

Bought a few rolls to shoot with.

Got to the end of the first roll and had completely forgotten that there's a button on the bottom of the camera to release the sprocket so it can be rewound.

Rewound it. Got tighter and tighter and tighter until it snapped.

In some ways it was like Schrodinger's Film - until I opened the camera, the film was both ruined and not ruined.

I'd estimate that maybe two frames went back into the canister, the rest was just spooled in the camera.
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I believe that just pushing the button will free the mechanism for rewinding, but I obsessively keep it pressed until I feel the film end come loose just in case .....:rolleyes:
 
Not strictly ruined film, but how about "101 ways to ruin a camera with the film?"

Just took my MP into the Leica store in Manchester today to look at an intermittently sticking shutter transport. Guy pressed the shutter a couple of times - struggling to get it to fire, then asked me if I bulk rolled my own. I nodded, and he told me it was probably a piece of film that had broken off and got stuck in the shutter transport mechanism. I guess Leica's don't like me hacking my leader using a pair of scissors and my dubious judgement. Off it goes for repair. Lesson learned. Now I need to find one of these... https://rrjphotography.wordpress.com/2016/05/04/leica-ablon-film-trimmer/
 
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My Bronica played up yesterday, refused to fire on a couple of occasions then fired while I was pointing at nothing, dirty contacts probably but with the price of Ektar being what it is losing probably 3 frames on a roll isn't good. Hopefully the rest of the shots were ok, I'll know when I egt the scans back. :facepalm:
 
Peter B said:
And now a lesson on always looking around the frame when shooting large format, not just concentrating on the faraway subject. :oops: :$

View attachment 423065

Happily for me, the subject suited a panoramic crop to save the day. ;)


Kintail from Ratagan by Northsnapper, on Flickr
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It's not just a problem with large format in my experience. It can happen sometimes when using an old camera with a squnity viewfinder.

Actually, a similar problem occurs when the small white dog strays into a corner of the frame or pops out of hiding in the distance. This habitual photobombing has resulted in a special collection of photographs where the dog also features, or is the dog the subject?
 
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