0
\$\begingroup\$

So I'm fairly new to 35mm photography, and recently bought a Ricoh YF-20, along with a Kodak Colorplus 200 as a test roll. I loaded the roll into the camera smoothly, and did as told on the manual instruction - press the shutter button until the number 1 appears, which apparently meant the roll is ready to use.

I took a couple of shots (or so I think I did), 20ish on the frame counter, and then I thought I'll 'save the remaining frames for later', and I took off the batteries. However, I noticed that the frame counter immediately went back to 1. Now how do I know how many frames left in that roll? And were those shots I took earlier actually shot or not?

Improve this question
\$\endgroup\$
1
  • \$\begingroup\$ You take out the film and look if any pics have been exposed! Not really, just kidding. \$\endgroup\$
    – Janardan S
    Commented Mar 15, 2017 at 8:11

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1
\$\begingroup\$

I am not familiar with your camera model, but you can only really be sure that your frames have been exposed when you rewind the roll and have it developed. It's not as much of a "hit-or-miss" operation as it might sound, as long as you have a camera in good working order and you are using it correctly.

As for a frame counter that resets when you remove the batteries, well, just write down how many frames you have taken (or how many remain) every time you remove the batteries. I have one camera that does this. My camera has a slot where I can insert the end of the film box (to remind me what film is loaded in the camera), and what I do is just write on the back of that how many frames I have taken every time I remove the batteries.

You get the best results using film if you buy fresh film, and expose and develop it without delay. In practice this doesn't always happen, and film manufacturers know this, so your film should still produce fine results if there is a delay of a few months between loading the film and finishing the roll. Avoid leaving film (whether unexposed, exposed or still in the camera) in a hot location. The example that is always given is to avoid a car's glove compartment.

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
3
  • \$\begingroup\$ One more thing, how to tell when a film roll is finished/done? \$\endgroup\$
    – Soe Vuen
    Commented Mar 14, 2017 at 13:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Soe How many frames was the roll you put in the camera? You won't get more than that...well maybe 1 or 2 more at most. As I said, I'm not familiar with your camera. Does it have manual film advance? When the roll is finished, you will probably just not be able to advance the lever any further. If it has automatic advance, the camera will probably automatically detect when the roll is finished and rewind it for you. Check your manual. Actually, I just googled it - the Ricoh YF-20 detects the end of the roll and rewinds it for you. \$\endgroup\$
    – osullic
    Commented Mar 14, 2017 at 14:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ There are also some relatively late film cameras with motorized film advance that wind the entire roll into the camera when you load it. As each frame is exposed the film is wound back into the film capsule. This has the advantage of storing all but the last couple of exposed frames inside the film holder where they are protected from being ruined if the back of the camera is accidentally opened before the roll is completely shot. \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Mar 14, 2017 at 22:55

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.