# Processed film came out blank? Nikon F-501



## MarkStern (Jan 15, 2013)

So I finished a roll of film today with my Nikon F-501 (named N2020 in the states). 

After having the film processed I was told the film was blank and probably hadn't advanced through the camera. However I did rewind the film and i was sure having done so that the whole film advanced through the camera.

What other things could have caused this to happen? 

Maybe a problem with the shutter?

If i have started a new thread unnecessarily I apologise.

I did a bit of searching but didn't find anything that helped.


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## The_Traveler (Jan 15, 2013)

New camera?
Has it worked before?
Can you set off the shutter with the back open and see it open?
Can you run it on a long exposure and hear it open/close?


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## powasky (Jan 15, 2013)

The_Traveler said:


> New camera?
> Has it worked before?
> Can you set off the shutter with the back open and see it open?
> Can you run it on a long exposure and hear it open/close?



All of these are good questions.

Perhaps you have a sticky shutter.


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## amolitor (Jan 15, 2013)

Have you seen this film?

If the frames are blank, but the markings and indications on the sides of the filmstrip are visible, then you have a camera problem (busted shutter, failure to advance, etc). If the markings and indications on the sides of the film strip are NOT visible, the film was processed incorrectly and the processor is trying to blame you.


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## MarkStern (Jan 15, 2013)

Not a new camera.
Has worked before, hasn't been used for a couple of years though.
Yes I can set off the shutter with the back open and see it open.
Yes I can run LE and hear the shutter open and close.

I don't have the film but from what i can remember there wasn't any markings on the film. Completely blank.


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## amolitor (Jan 15, 2013)

If the film was literally blank, then your camera may or may not be broken, but the film was definitely processed wrong. Unless it was a roll of certain very specific brands that don't come with identifying marks and frame numbers designed to be developed in. I forget those brands, but I think they're strange, cheap, eastern european things.


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## BrianV (Jan 15, 2013)

If there were no markings, no frame numbers, no printed film type- there was problem with the developer.

An N2020 has a manual rewind knob. Load the camera, take up the slack on the rewind knob. Take the lens off, set the shutter to a slower speed so you can watch it open and close. As the film advances, you should be able to watch the rewind knob spin. If all that works, I would shoot the roll and have it developed somewhere else.


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## Mully (Jan 15, 2013)

Since the shutter is working...sacrifice a roll of film....load it, fire off the shutter for at least half the roo and open the camera back without rewinding and see if the film is advancing.... Also looking through the back of the camera see if when you change shutter speeds that they look different


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## MarkStern (Jan 15, 2013)

Unfortunately I have no film left at the moment. I am planning to shoot a roll tomorrow simply to make sure this doesn't happen again, and will have it processed in a different store.
They had a new girl working in the place, maybe they let her process the film and she messed it up. They did refund me the cost also but i don't know if that's normal as I haven't had this happen before.

If i get the same results tomorrow then i guess it's the camera, or I am an idiot.

Cheers guys!


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## maris (Jan 15, 2013)

If you shot a perfect roll of black and white film and they processed it in colour chemistry you will get a _completely_ blank result.


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## molested_cow (Jan 15, 2013)

Can it be that when you installed the film, it didn't actually "catch on" with the "teeth"? It's happened to me before with my F501. IF that was the case, the camera was working fine but your film wasn't moving at all.
Regarding the rewind knob, there were also times when I thought I felt resistance rewinding it but it wasn't actually rewinding anything. If you've left the camera untouched for a few years, it's worth having it serviced (overhaul). The lube could have gone dry. The circuit board may have been corroded. The rubbers may have cracked up. Mine had to be serviced for the mentioned reasons after it spent probably a decade in the storage.


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## MarkStern (Jan 16, 2013)

I guess it is possible that it didn't catch on. It would mean admitting fault but at least I would know it's not the camera.

I'll get the guy in the shop to give it a once over today.


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## MarkStern (Jan 16, 2013)

Shot a roll today. It came out fine which means I am probably to blame.

Thanks everyone that helped.


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## Sw1tchFX (Jan 16, 2013)

If it's color negative, try overexposing a stop. It'll open up shadows without really affecting highlights.


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## bhop (Jan 16, 2013)

MarkStern said:


> Shot a roll today. It came out fine which means I am probably to blame.
> 
> Thanks everyone that helped.





BrianV said:


> *If there were no markings, no frame numbers, no printed film type- there was problem with the developer.*




this..


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## georgienne (Oct 8, 2013)

maris said:


> If you shot a perfect roll of black and white film and they processed it in colour chemistry you will get a _completely_ blank result.



I don't know anything about developing, but is that true? I didn't know there was a difference between developing the two (makes sense though); I sent a B&W roll to be developed today and it was completely transparent (no brand markings to begin with). I was baffled, and my other roll (colour) came out fine, so I didn't know what I did, but I should now assume it was the developer's fault?


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## Light Guru (Oct 8, 2013)

georgienne said:


> I sent a B&W roll to be developed today and it was completely transparent (no brand markings to begin with). I was baffled, and my other roll (colour) came out fine, so I didn't know what I did, but I should now assume it was the developer's fault?



Maybe maybe not there are a few types of B&W film that are made to be developed in color chemistry. 
What type of B&W film was it?


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## georgienne (Oct 9, 2013)

Light Guru said:


> Maybe maybe not there are a few types of B&W film that are made to be developed in color chemistry. What type of B&W film was it?



Ilford hp5.
They said they do b&w (not as often) and hadn't had this happen, but they also couldn't explain it (the girl I was dealing with didn't seem to know a whole lot about film). They did explain they've a different process( or maybe setup) for b&w.
This was my first time with b&w, so I didn't think to ask anything. I'd love to know more next time I go in.


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## Light Guru (Oct 9, 2013)

georgienne said:


> Light Guru said:
> 
> 
> > Maybe maybe not there are a few types of B&W film that are made to be developed in color chemistry. What type of B&W film was it?
> ...



Hp5 is standard B&W film. 

Ether take your film to a place that actually knows about film or BETTER yet develop it YOURSELF.


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## gsgary (Oct 9, 2013)

Where was it developed which lab ?

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## vintagesnaps (Oct 9, 2013)

Could you see frame numbers or anything on the negatives? From what you said it sounds like even those were gone which I've never had happen. I've managed to have part of a roll of film come back with some frames blank but I could read the numbers and the name Kodak or Ilford etc. (when I was first using a rangefinder I used to start taking pictures and _then_ remember to make sure the lens cap was off! so I'd have some frames that hadn't been exposed). 

The lab would have to change the machine for B&W chemistry and some places seem to do mostly color developing and might send out their B&W film elsewhere for processing. If you're interested in other options, Ilford just started doing mail order developing in the US and apparently are located where The Darkroom in San Clemente is (seems like they're sharing lab space). Other places that are supposed to have good reputations are Blue Moon in Oregon and Dwayne's in Kansas.


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## georgienne (Oct 9, 2013)

Light Guru said:


> Hp5 is standard B&W film.  Ether take your film to a place that actually knows about film or BETTER yet develop it YOURSELF.



If I ever get a new place, a darkroom of my own could be a possibility. No space right now!


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## georgienne (Oct 9, 2013)

vintagesnaps said:


> Could you see frame numbers or anything on the negatives? From what you said it sounds like even those were gone which I've never had happen. I've managed to have part of a roll of film come back with some frames blank but I could read the numbers and the name Kodak or Ilford etc. (when I was first using a rangefinder I used to start taking pictures and then remember to make sure the lens cap was off! so I'd have some frames that hadn't been exposed).  The lab would have to change the machine for B&W chemistry and some places seem to do mostly color developing and might send out their B&W film elsewhere for processing. If you're interested in other options, Ilford just started doing mail order developing in the US and apparently are located where The Darkroom in San Clemente is (seems like they're sharing lab space). Other places that are supposed to have good reputations are Blue Moon in Oregon and Dwayne's in Kansas.



There weren't any brands marks, but when I looked at my second (unused) roll, that one doesn't have markings either. So I guess Ilford hp4, or at least mine, were unbranded.

I don't live I the US, so unfortunately I can't take advantage of any services you guys have access to..

My colour roll turned out awesome (yay, the camera's in working condition!), but one shot (which was a shot of trees, which I took two others of, at different f-stop/ shutter combos) came out solid grey. What would've caused that? It's the first of three shots, which I took one after the other, so I'm not sure what would've done that.

Any ideas?


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## Light Guru (Oct 9, 2013)

georgienne said:


> Light Guru said:
> 
> 
> > Hp5 is standard B&W film.  Ether take your film to a place that actually knows about film or BETTER yet develop it YOURSELF.
> ...



It does not take a full darkroom to develop film. You can do it in the he bathroom or kitchen.


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## Light Guru (Oct 9, 2013)

georgienne said:


> vintagesnaps said:
> 
> 
> > Could you see frame numbers or anything on the negatives? From what you said it sounds like even those were gone which I've never had happen. I've managed to have part of a roll of film come back with some frames blank but I could read the numbers and the name Kodak or Ilford etc. (when I was first using a rangefinder I used to start taking pictures and then remember to make sure the lens cap was off! so I'd have some frames that hadn't been exposed).  The lab would have to change the machine for B&W chemistry and some places seem to do mostly color developing and might send out their B&W film elsewhere for processing. If you're interested in other options, Ilford just started doing mail order developing in the US and apparently are located where The Darkroom in San Clemente is (seems like they're sharing lab space). Other places that are supposed to have good reputations are Blue Moon in Oregon and Dwayne's in Kansas.
> ...



If you list your location someone might know of a nearby lab. Or like I said develop the film yourself.


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## gsgary (Oct 10, 2013)

georgienne said:


> vintagesnaps said:
> 
> 
> > Could you see frame numbers or anything on the negatives? From what you said it sounds like even those were gone which I've never had happen. I've managed to have part of a roll of film come back with some frames blank but I could read the numbers and the name Kodak or Ilford etc. (when I was first using a rangefinder I used to start taking pictures and then remember to make sure the lens cap was off! so I'd have some frames that hadn't been exposed).  The lab would have to change the machine for B&W chemistry and some places seem to do mostly color developing and might send out their B&W film elsewhere for processing. If you're interested in other options, Ilford just started doing mail order developing in the US and apparently are located where The Darkroom in San Clemente is (seems like they're sharing lab space). Other places that are supposed to have good reputations are Blue Moon in Oregon and Dwayne's in Kansas.
> ...



If you live in the UK there are loads of good places to send your film 

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