Loading film; how dark is dark enough?

[Tim k]

Another in my series of stupid noob questions, I'm just about ready to (brace yourself) take a picture. But first I've got to load some film holders. I know its supposed to be dark, but...

If say, after I've been in a dark place for a few minutes, initially its pretty darned dark, but after a couple of minutes I can start to make out some light around the door jamb. Is that something to be worried about?

Any rules of thumb in this regard? Is any light too much?

thanks again guys

Tim K

[Ron Marshall]

Another in my series of stupid noob questions, I'm just about ready to (brace yourself) take a picture. But first I've got to load some film holders. I know its supposed to be dark, but...

If say, after I've been in a dark place for a few minutes, initially its pretty darned dark, but after a couple of minutes I can start to make out some light around the door jamb. Is that something to be worried about?

Any rules of thumb in this regard? Is any light too much?

thanks again guys

Tim K

I've loaded in closets with no ill effects. Just stuff a towel in the cracks or use some black masking tape.

[MIke Sherck]

It needs to be really, really dark. One rule of thumb is, if you can see your hand held in front of your face after ten minutes in the "dark", then it isn't dark enough.

Mike

[David Karp]

Be in a place so dark, that when you have been in the room struggling with your holders for a while, you wish you could see something, anything at all, but you can't.

[Scott Kathe]

Tim,

Wait till night to load the filmholders and make sure all the lights are out in the house. If you want to check maybe you should set a sheet of film on the counter top emulsion side up and put a coin on it for five minutes or so and then develop and see what you get. Or maybe you should do it longer if you plan on developing in there as well, figure your developing time, stop bath time and maybe a minute or so for fixing just to estimate the time that your film would be exposed to whatever light is present.

I put a sheet of black foamcore board recessed in our bathroom window, cut to fit snug, and hold it in place with a couple of the small round (cross section) compression curtain rods. I have a dark blue heavyweight curtain over the door into the bathroom and a towel along the bottom of the door. I only use it at night for loading film holders and developing film and it seems to work very well.

Scott

[steve simmons]

I agree that either there is light or there isn't. Isn't is better. However, I once changed film on the tailgate of a pickup under the stars on a moonless night and did not see any fogging.

But, again, isn't is better.

My point is, if you see light in the loading room after about 10 minutes you may still be ok as long as the source is behind you, underneath the loading surface or table, etc.

steve simmons

[cotdt]

one trick i use is to load the film under my shirt, to block the remaining light.

[Walter Calahan]

Find a deep, deep cave if your room isn't absolutely dark. Or get a changing tent.

[David A. Goldfarb]

If all else fails, close your eyes while loading.

[Clay Turtle]

Buy a dark bag they aren't that expensive & you can always fold it & carry it with you while shooting . . . never know when you will end up with a slide not sliding back into the holder or (the need to reload holders). PS Close your eyes, can get to be a real bad habit . . . good to know that the door is ajar or the towel on the floor pulled away from the door when you turned to yell back to someone who is calling (looking) to you.
Silver lining about a truly dark room is that it teaches you to use your other senses!