K-3 Loading

Mateusz Kukla · February 6, 2007

Hello, I've just loaded my k-3 with FOMAPAN R100 B/W. I've loaded this at my bathroom with minimum light coming up from the bulb outside doors. I've changed the reels for the original that came up with k-3. It took me 30 minutes. Is there any chance that my film have been exposed by the light? And one thing - the darkest side of film must be at top of the reel? Cheers.

Mike Panczenko · February 6, 2007

Do you mean that you transferred the film from the spool that it came on onto one of the spools that came with the camera? If that's the case, your film is ruined. The light leaking under the bathroom door is more than enough to fog it if you did the spool change. There is no need to use any particular spools with the K3, just use whatever daylight spools they give you. And, if the film comes on a daylight spool, you can load in dim light without problem normally- just the first 3 feet or so will be fogged. The film is wound on the spool in such a way that it overlaps itself sealing the interior of the roll from light fogging. But if you unwound the roll and respooled it, every bit of film was at one point exposed to the light seeping in under the crack, so it is ruined.

Also, when respooling film, I'm not sure if Fomapan has keycode, but you need to make sure the Keycode orientation is correct, which requires an extra step in spooling.

ryan_bennett · February 6, 2007

Also, the perfs are correct right? You had to have respooled because it takes awhile to load a k-3 but certainly not 30 minutes.

Mateusz Kukla · February 9, 2007

Also, the perfs are correct right? You had to have respooled because it takes awhile to load a k-3 but certainly not 30 minutes.

The perfs on the spool that came up with film were on the wrong side (it was only one side perf.) so I was supposed to respooled it. It's hard to change 30 meters of film in something like 5 minutes. When I've loaded the film everything run smoothly. There is some site that describing the basics of 16mm cinematography? It's hard to ask everything here and I don't want to ruin another spool of tape. And one thing - can I cut the tape (1-2 meters) and take it to the lab to check that is ruined or not? Cheers.

Do you mean that you transferred the film from the spool that it came on onto one of the spools that came with the camera? If that's the case, your film is ruined. The light leaking under the bathroom door is more than enough to fog it if you did the spool change. There is no need to use any particular spools with the K3, just use whatever daylight spools they give you. And, if the film comes on a daylight spool, you can load in dim light without problem normally- just the first 3 feet or so will be fogged. The film is wound on the spool in such a way that it overlaps itself sealing the interior of the roll from light fogging. But if you unwound the roll and respooled it, every bit of film was at one point exposed to the light seeping in under the crack, so it is ruined.

Also, when respooling film, I'm not sure if Fomapan has keycode, but you need to make sure the Keycode orientation is correct, which requires an extra step in spooling.

Where's that keycode?

Robert Glenn · February 9, 2007

I doubt it exposed anything longer than maybe 2 feet. They are on covered spools so after a few rounds of film all light will be blocked out

Mike Panczenko · February 9, 2007

I doubt it exposed anything longer than maybe 2 feet. They are on covered spools so after a few rounds of film all light will be blocked out

That would be if he loaded the spool in the light, but he transferred the film from one spool to another, so all of the film was off the spool at one point and exposed to light.

Keycode is a system of markings that Kodak uses, and I believe Fuji has their own version, don't know others, but it is a system of markings outside the picture area on the film that scanners and telecines can read that allows you identify where in the roll you are, so that it can be logged and identified for editing purposes.

Curtis Bouvier · February 9, 2007

testing

Mateusz Kukla · February 10, 2007

That would be if he loaded the spool in the light, but he transferred the film from one spool to another, so all of the film was off the spool at one point and exposed to light.
Keycode is a system of markings that Kodak uses, and I believe Fuji has their own version, don't know others, but it is a system of markings outside the picture area on the film that scanners and telecines can read that allows you identify where in the roll you are, so that it can be logged and identified for editing purposes.

Hmm i think that Foma doesn't have keycode. So every frame of my film is exposed at one point of light but it is still visible? I don't need some extra well exposed scenes but only some footage at 16mm. And one question - if I exposed all film by this one point it means that at all film would appear clutter? (those red/orange flashes [in b/w there are white]). Cheers and thanks for so many comments, it's really meaningful and helpful to me.

Mike Panczenko · February 10, 2007

Hmm i think that Foma doesn't have keycode. So every frame of my film is exposed at one point of light but it is still visible? I don't need some extra well exposed scenes but only some footage at 16mm. And one question - if I exposed all film by this one point it means that at all film would appear clutter? (those red/orange flashes [in b/w there are white]). Cheers and thanks for so many comments, it's really meaningful and helpful to me.

I don't completely understand the first question, but if you exposed the film in the spool transfer, depending on how much light under the door there was, it would be either the flashes, or it would be completely white. If you could see yourself working and winding the film, it will be completely white. Either way, it will be unusable.

But- I would still get it processed. Sometimes people get lucky and strange things happen. I was not there in the room with you, so I can only guess as to how much light there was coming under the door, etc. From what you describe, it sounds like it was normal hallway light on outside seeping in under the door crack, which would be more than enough to completely ruin the film, but, like I said, if you can afford it, get it processed, and see what happens. Good luck!

Mateusz Kukla · February 10, 2007

I don't completely understand the first question, but if you exposed the film in the spool transfer, depending on how much light under the door there was, it would be either the flashes, or it would be completely white. If you could see yourself working and winding the film, it will be completely white. Either way, it will be unusable.

But- I would still get it processed. Sometimes people get lucky and strange things happen. I was not there in the room with you, so I can only guess as to how much light there was coming under the door, etc. From what you describe, it sounds like it was normal hallway light on outside seeping in under the door crack, which would be more than enough to completely ruin the film, but, like I said, if you can afford it, get it processed, and see what happens. Good luck!

OK:) I understand now. There wasn't so much light and while transfering the film to the other spool I've turned off all lights at house, only some little light came out from under of the doors.

Another question - my friend is in New York City right now. Where he can buy some film stocks? I mean Kodak Vision 2. And maybe someone could give me some hints how to transport it to my country (he lives in Poland so he will arrived to home by plane) without any problems? Maybe in freezer?

Edited February 10, 2007 by Mateusz Kukla

Charles MacDonald · February 11, 2007

1) There wasn't so much light and while transfering the film to the other spool I've turned off all lights at house, only some little light came out from under of the doors.

2) my friend is in New York City right now. Where he can buy some film stocks? I mean Kodak Vision 2. And maybe someone could give me some hints how to transport it to my country (he lives in Poland so he will arrived to home by plane) without any problems? Maybe in freezer?

1) you don't (should-ent) transfer the film off the Spool FOMA puts it on, except by way of shooting the film. If you re-rolled it by hand to put it on a russian spool, you may have added fog, or scratches... As the old saying goes- don't shoot anything important on that roll. If you did have all the lights out you may get away with it mind you so don't decide that you have a 100 foot of "light struck" Leader just yet.

2) Shipping film is always a bit of a problem. Their was a blurb in the saturday paper here that the folks that shoot the "LOST" TV series, accidently sent a batch in such a way that it was treated like passenger Luggage, and so it was X-rayed. They are going to have to re-shoot everything.

a) you can get stock in New york for both Kodak''s Office as well as a few dealers and labs.

B) you probaly can get it from Kodak in Poland.

c) best bet is to buy in New York what you plan to shoot there, and at least have it deleoped to negatives before traveling. Buy what you need in Poland in Poland.

d) if you have a sense of adventure (or budeget such that you want lower price film, you could buy ends in New york and have them sent Fed-EX. to poland, - but let the dealer ship them so that they are proerly documented and won't get zapped.

ASIDE) The FOMA 16mm (and Regular 8) that I have used does not seem to come with ANY sort of edge print. I even went though 5 feet of one roll with a lupe looking. No numbers - no bar code - no brand name.

ASIDE2) Fuji calles their version of KeyCode "MR CODE"

Clive Tobin · February 11, 2007

The perfs on the spool that came up with film were on the wrong side (it was only one side perf.) ...

This makes absolutely no sense at all. I have never heard of a film manufacturer furnishing single perf that was wound the wrong way on the camera spool.

Were you maybe mounting the spool the wrong way, so you had the dark side of the film towards the lens?

By the way, Kodak used to make camera spools with a square hole one side and round on the other, so the spool could not be put on wrong. I think they stopped doing this in the 50s.

Mateusz Kukla · February 11, 2007

This makes absolutely no sense at all. I have never heard of a film manufacturer furnishing single perf that was wound the wrong way on the camera spool.

Were you maybe mounting the spool the wrong way, so you had the dark side of the film towards the lens?

By the way, Kodak used to make camera spools with a square hole one side and round on the other, so the spool could not be put on wrong. I think they stopped doing this in the 50s.

I promise that it was on the wrong side. When I have putted spool (with the right side) on the feed spindle I couldn't close the camera. When I just reverse the spool everything worked fine but film would feed not from the right side... It would feed from the marked with red colour circle:

And One thing - try to put orginal K-3 spool to the spindle from the other side (zenit logo towards the entire baffle plate) - it wouldn't fit so it was exactly my problem with this Foma.

And I wanted to do some only basics shots on this Foma so it is not so important

Thx for advice with buying stocks abroad. I will buy 120 meteres (400feet) of Kodak Vision2 in Poland for something like 160$. It is good price? (from orginal Kodak Lab)

Thx as always for comments.

Edited February 11, 2007 by Mateusz Kukla