Aaah! Help! Film disaster!

Thirdfox

Just like the Titanic my maiden voyage into SLR film photography was a disaster... my Dad forgot to tell me to push a button before rewinding the film and I ended up snapping the film.

However we took the film out in a completely dark room and put it back into its container (which we sealed tightly with brown tape).

My question is: Is there any shop that will process a loose roll of film inside a chipped open canister sealed by brown tape.

The roll is very important to me as I have shots of former President Mary Robinson on it (and it was my first ever roll that I shot with a SLR).

Please does anyone know any information that would of use to me?

Thanking you for any advice you can give.

FinoBlad

I doubt the container is totally light tight, keep it away from strong light for the moment. And I doubt the "totally" dark room was dark enough.

Ring around some labs, it shouldn't be any hassle to develop it.

Thirdfox

Well Jessops said they'll try their best.

I closed all curtains, door etc. and opened it under my bedcovers

it was carried in at the bottom of my backpack today.

Anyway fingers crossed!

DotOrg

black film cannisters are 100% lightproof but to get a film out of the cannister and into one, in a normal room without ruining or damaging the film is pretty much impossible.

did you open the back of the SLR whicle the film was in it? most of the time you'll lose several pictures completely, several will have light damage but many will be ok.

what do you mean 'snapping the film'

any lab can do this if they have a semi-competent member of staff

Thirdfox

Well there was a button one must press before rewinding the film (my Dad forgot to mention this to me). So I started rewinding (until I felt something give way and the winder started spining quite freely). Alarmed I went into my room (closing all doors, curtains etc.) and opened the camera from underneath the bedcovers (I thought that would be dark enough...)

The film had completely snapped i.e. the canister had become separated from the film. So we cracked open the canister and put the film back in (all in the dark) and sealed it with some brown tape (lol)

I opened the back of the SLR only after trying to minimise the any light sources...

Let's hope some pictures of Mary Robinson will still be left on it!

Thirdfox

Oh by canister do you mean the plastic holder or the metal film container? (I was talking about the metal container btw)

DotOrg

if the metal film container is cracked or bent then light will get in

i meant the black plastic canister that you get the film in when new

my old canon film slr used to wind the film back into the container as it shot so even if you opened the back of the camera, you'd only lose one or two photos ever

Thirdfox

Well Fujifilm are cheapos with their White!!! plastic canisters

I have a Minolta X300 (well the Chinese version actually) - still, better than a compact