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Serious question, how do you keep track of what film is in your camera?
Three years ago, I started shooting film and just wrote on the canister with a marker. Last month, I loaded a roll of Portra 400 in my Canon AE-1 for a trip to the coast. I got back, developed it, and it was all blank because I forgot to set the ISO and shot it at 100 the whole time. I felt so dumb wasting that whole roll. What's your system so you don't mess this up?
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rivera.henry3mo ago
I keep a small notebook in my bag and write down the camera, film stock, and ISO as soon as I load it. That habit saved me after I ruined a roll the same way you did. It seems simple but it works every time.
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eric_murphy363mo ago
That notebook idea from @rivera.henry is solid. I started putting a small piece of masking tape on the camera back with the film type and speed written on it. Seeing it every time I pick up the camera stops those blank roll moments for good.
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I've got a roll of Portra 400 in my bag that I loaded two weeks ago and honestly I have no idea what camera it's in... I can see where you're coming from with the tape trick but for me it feels like one more thing to carry and one more thing to forget. Half the time I'd probably lose the tape or stick it on the wrong camera. I think there's something to be said for just paying attention and maybe writing it down on your phone or something simple like that instead of adding extra steps. Not saying it's bad, just that my brain works better with less stuff to keep track of.
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