Took me 3 years to realize I was loading 35mm film backwards every time

I've been shooting film on and off for about 5 years now. Always had trouble getting a full 36 exposures out of a roll. Usually got stuck around 32 or 33. Thought it was just bad luck or cheap film. Then last month I was at a shop in Portland and the guy behind the counter watched me load a new roll into my Canon AE-1. He goes "you know that sprocket side should face the lens, right?" I felt like an idiot. Been doing it wrong the whole time. Now I get the full 36 every time. Anyone else make this kind of basic mistake early on?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_vera1d ago

You're far from the only one who has done that. A simple trick is to always look for the little arrow on the canister that shows which direction the film spools out.

patricia90521h ago

I read an old photography blog that said you can also check by looking at the canister's felt light trap. The film always comes off the spool from the side with the slit, and that's usually opposite the little arrow. That blog post was from 2018, but it saved me from ruining a whole roll of Portra 400 last summer. I was loading in low light and totally forgot the arrow trick, but I remembered the felt trap thing. Felt traps are on the outside of the canister where the film exits, so if you feel for that fuzzy strip, you know which way it comes out. It's a lifesaver when you're in a hurry or the arrow's worn off.