Respooling Leftover Film

[Justin Schroepfer]

I've acquired some left over 16mm film from a friend's film shoot. It's about 40' from a 400' reel. He wound up the excess film and put it in a can without a core, but I don't know if he put it tails out or heads out.

 

I wish to put this film onto a daylight spool, but I don't know the orientation of the film. What is a easy way to tell if the film is heads or tails out?

(the film is single sprocket with the sprockets facing away from me when in the '9' position as opposed to the 'P' position [outer end of film goes under roll, film goes clockwise from center] )

 

Thank you for your help.

[Charles MacDonald]

I've acquired some left over 16mm film from a friend's film shoot. It's about 40' from a 400' reel. He wound up the excess film and put it in a can without a core,

I wish to put this film onto a daylight spool, but I don't know the orientation of the film. What is a easy way to tell if the film is heads or tails out?

(the film is single sprocket with the sprockets facing away from me when in the '9' position as opposed to the 'P' position [outer end of film goes under roll, film goes clockwise from center] )

 

The kodak web site has a diagram of what they call A wind and B wind film. Most 16mm cameras expect "B" wind and emulsion in. (exception being the a-minima and probaly a few others.) I think your description has the film in the right orientation to go in a camera, but studying the diagram will allow you to have the onfidence you are right.

 

I find that I can feel the position of the perfs with a thumb nail if needed, and slightly damp fingers can tell the enusion side, (only on the VERY end of the roll.)

 

With the single perf film, I don't think you can manage to get the film "backwards" and still have it in the right wind.