Anyone else need idiot proof dark slides?

[Certain Exposures]

Today I ruined a carefully composed Provia 100f portrait by double exposing it with an urban landscape shot. I forgot I'd exposed one of the two sides of my film holder because I was rushing to capture a scene before the light changed and someone started a conversation about my camera.

I didn't have both sides on the same color when I loaded the film, but I figured I'd recall which was which.

Pain.

Most of my mistakes happen after getting interrupted. If I don't focus, I screw up!

In my experience, color just isn't a significant enough cue for me to realize this error fast. Do any of you know of a dark slide designed to address this problem in a different way?

[xkaes]

Depends on which you use. Some brands are set so that when they have unexposed film the dark slide has one configuration, and after you take the exposure, you flip it over and put it in reversed. Mine use small bumps.

If yours don't have that style, you can add a piece of red tape on one side to indicate exposed, etc.

[John Layton]

But what if you're like me and sometimes forget to flip the dark slide?

Seems like there should be some mechanism which automatically pre-loads itself during the film loading process, and allows the dark slide to be removed once for the exposure and locks the slide in place when its re-inserted.

Hmmm...then again - how many times have I replaced the dark slide on purpose without exposing...because conditions changed? Maybe a manual override of the aforementioned mechanism? Then again...would I even remember this? Jeeesh!

[Willie]

Make "idiot proof" darkslides and evolution will come up with better "idiots".

[Tin Can]

True

I seldom do it now, maybe 5%

Make "idiot proof" darkslides and evolution will come up with better "idiots".

[Certain Exposures]

Depends on which you use. Some brands are set so that when they have unexposed film the dark slide has one configuration, and after you take the exposure, you flip it over and put it in reversed. Mine use small bumps.

If yours don't have that style, you can add a piece of red tape on one side to indicate exposed, etc.

Mine are that style. The Series of Unfortunate Events started with me loading my film with the dark slides in the opposite orientation for just one holder...then taking out 4 holders. I thought I'd have the sense to remember this.

I thought wrong!

I won't take that chance again.

I used to put a piece of tape on the exposed side of the dark slide with "EXPOSED" in sharpie. I didn't have tape with me.

But what if you're like me and sometimes forget to flip the dark slide?

Seems like there should be some mechanism which automatically pre-loads itself during the film loading process, and allows the dark slide to be removed once for the exposure and locks the slide in place when its re-inserted.

Hmmm...then again - how many times have I replaced the dark slide on purpose without exposing...because conditions changed? Maybe a manual override of the aforementioned mechanism? Then again...would I even remember this? Jeeesh!

That's the exact thought process I went through

Make "idiot proof" darkslides and evolution will come up with better "idiots".

At least we're good at something

[jp]

My filmholders I put labels on each side, "loaded" or "exposed"
Loaded is for unused film.
Exposed is for exposed film (or empty).

[Daniel Unkefer]

I just got a pile of 9x12cm ones from Arca Swiss in the sixties looks like. There is a little silver button on each side of the holder, and the slide cannot be withdrawn, until the holder is in the camera. I've yet to test these but thinking about it. Any way I have six of them

[John Layton]

...sounds good Daniel - but that would not solve my problem! (sounds like it could be part of a possible solution though)

[Greg]

The dark slides on all my holders are labeled at the top (brother P-touch label/adhesive tape) with "EXPOSED' on one side and "UNEXPOSED" on the other. When a film holder is loaded, I also attach a piece of painters tape (easy to remove) in the middle of the holder's dark slide with " FP-4 PLUS film loaded" and the date. When I go to use the holder, I remove the tape just before placing the holder in the camera. Redundant and I'm proud of that. My problem was more with the shutter not firing the first time... not a good thing to process a sheet of 11x14 film and have it come out blank. So now I fire the shutter several times confirming it works before removing the dark slide.