no images????

[jj golden]

hello all, i purchased a 6x9 film back for my 4x5 omega, i shot the images, or so i thought, i processed the film, washed it, pulled it out of its tank, and and wa la. nothing.... clear film, the numbers are there and the kodak 400 writing is along the top, but there are no images, is there another way to load the film back?, i know i pulled the dark slide out. hmmm oh well, feed back would be appreciated, thanks

[Ron Marshall]

However unlikely, is it possible that you loaded it with the paper backing toward the lens?

[jj golden]

oh yea, and there is two distinct lines that run the entire length of the film, from the top maybe a half inch to the first line, then down another inch to the other line, then half inch to the bottom of the film, between the two lines its kind foggy looking, but you can see through it. thanks

[Randy H]

If the numbering is there, development was correct (or close enough to have some image, even if very faint).
Black film = no exposure.
Clear film = overexposed.
If film is clear, hold the negative up to a light, or in enlarger, and look "real" close. See if there is any image at all.

[Ron Marshall]

oh yea, and there is two distinct lines that run the entire length of the film, from the top maybe a half inch to the first line, then down another inch to the other line, then half inch to the bottom of the film, between the two lines its kind foggy looking, but you can see through it. thanks

Can you post a scan of a frame?

[jj golden]

nothing there, just kind of foggy looking, but its uniform all through out, between those lines.

[Randy H]

As Ron stated, and with the lines in it, you may have inadvertantly loaded it paper-side to the lens, slightly overexposed it enough to get exposure above and below the paper, but not enough to get an image.

[jj golden]

im beginning to think thats what ive done:o

[jj golden]

ok now, the take up spool goes on the winder, correct?

[Randy H]

If it is any consolation, how do you think that problem could have been the issue?
Been there.
Done that.
More than once.

[Randy H]

Take-up spool goes on the winder, yes.
The film will lay over the film plane with the paper facing the back of the film holder. Film surface should be facing the dark slide when put together.

[jj golden]

i opend the back and looked at how i had loaded it, and there would have been no way the film could have gotten exposure. i thought there was only one way to load it,

[Randy H]

If you're not for 100% sure, load it up, slide the dark slide out and look to make sure the film is lookin at you. If you see paper, it is backwards. So you lost two shots. Better than a whole roll, yes?

[Randy H]

Like I stated earlier:
Been there.
Done that.
More than once.
Mr Smart-A** here took his MF to photojournalism class one day to "show off".
Guess what I did? Got a real neat roll of 220 blanks!

[jj golden]

ok, so if you have the loader in your lap, you put the film on the left side and do you take the film around the back, then to the winder?

[Randy H]

With the loader in your lap, looking at the side where the dark slide goes. Take-up spool to your right. Film on left side. Turn film so that as you pull it across the film plane, the paper will be away from you, and the film will be facing up. Hook it onto take-up spool, and advance it a couple turns to make sure it has caught. Then when you remove the dark slide, you should see film.

[jj golden]

ok i loaded it, and i removed the darkslide and there was the film, i really appreciate the help, what i did, when i loaded it the first time, i just went from the film spool to the take up spool, so the film wasnt even going through the film plane lol, i wasnt even thinking. thanks again so much. i dont know what i would do if i didnt have this forum. best regards

[tim atherton]

I assume you didn't have the lens open for each shot when the back was on and the darkslide pulled out....?

[jj golden]

no, actually i did that when i shot my first 4x5, lol, i was so excited that i forgot to close the lens before i pulled the slide out.

[Brian Ellis]

"Black film = no exposure.
Clear film = overexposed"

Assuming we're talking about black and white negative film, I believe this is backwards. If the film has been grossly overexposed or was subject to a major light leak it will be black. If it wasn't exposed at all it will be clear (except for chemical fog). It's clear because the silver halides were never exposed to light, which means they were never reduced to metallic silver during development. It's the metallic silver crystals that form the latent image so the absence of any image indicates that the conversion of silver halides to matallic silver never took place, i.e. no light struck the film. So all he's seeing is chemical fog from the development process.

There could be a lot of reasons why the film is clear. As others have said, since you can see the film identifying information your problem most likely isn't in the development, it's in the exposure. Possible reasons in addition to the one already mentioned (paper side being on the wrong side) include failure to pull the dark slide, film not advancing (are you sure it was on the take-up reel?), shutter not cocked or otherwise not opening as it should, lens cap on the lens, and probably four or five others that don't come to mind. If the problem was loading the paper side the wrong way I would have expected to see a very faint image in at least a few places on the film but perhaps not, especially if the film was also underexposed or you were photographing in very dim light.

[jj golden]

yes brian thats exactly what happend, clear with some film fog. my film was in wrong, no exposure at all.

[Glenn Thoreson]

I've done it myself, too. It's part of the experience. Those things aren't exactly intuitive.

[Chuck Pere]

Couple of loading things. Make sure the film counter is in the freewheeling position at the end of roll before loading. Load the film and wind to lineup the film arrow with the back start mark. Close the back. Turn the film counter knob until it clicks. Mine seems to have two clicks. I go to the second. Wind the film to #1 and it should be lined up OK. This is all for lever backs and I assume the same for knob type. Also been awhile since I've done this but I assume someone will correct me if I forgot something.

[GPS]

If you're not for 100% sure, load it up, slide the dark slide out and look to make sure the film is lookin at you. If you see paper, it is backwards. So you lost two shots. Better than a whole roll, yes?

You don't need to loose any film whatsoever if you want to know how you loaded it. Go to a dark room or try it in a changing back - take away the dark slide, put your finger on the film and you know it instantly if you touch film or its paper cover. Put the dark slide back and by happy.