How to remove film from a broken point and shoot camera
July 30, 2021 12:49 AM Subscribe
I'd like to remove a roll of 35mm film from a broken point and shoot camera. I have a dark bag and some simple tools.
I have a Samsung Fino 800 which has been in a box for many, many years. There's a roll of film in it, and I want the film. The electronics are non-functional, there is no power at all, so therefore no film return. There's no manual release.
I have opened the back inside a dark bag, to try to release the film from the takeup reel. This isn't budging, at least with gentle pulling.
If you've done this task before, I'm keen for suggestions.
I have a Samsung Fino 800 which has been in a box for many, many years. There's a roll of film in it, and I want the film. The electronics are non-functional, there is no power at all, so therefore no film return. There's no manual release.
I have opened the back inside a dark bag, to try to release the film from the takeup reel. This isn't budging, at least with gentle pulling.
If you've done this task before, I'm keen for suggestions.
There is often a small round button on the underside of the camera that, when pressed, will allow the film spool to turn.
posted by xo at 4:54 AM on July 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by xo at 4:54 AM on July 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
If you are at the point of giving up, I might bring it to a pro-lab and ask them. Let them know if you are willing to have the camera broken. They may do a plan like Lanark's but in a whole darkroom.
posted by advicepig at 7:45 AM on July 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by advicepig at 7:45 AM on July 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
I concur with Advicepig - if you have a darkroom nearby with someone experienced that's probably the best bet - they can probably transfer it straight onto a reel and process it.
It's not hard handling film in the dark but it does require a bit of practice.
posted by brilliantmistake at 9:36 AM on July 30, 2021
It's not hard handling film in the dark but it does require a bit of practice.
posted by brilliantmistake at 9:36 AM on July 30, 2021
There is often a small round button on the underside of the camera
But rarely if ever on these cheap auto point and shoots. And the manual shows that there's indeed no such button on this one.
Fiasco da Gama: if you have a small phillips screwdriver you could remove the bottom plate andlookfeel if you can now access the gears that drive the spool and the canister, and remove/break/strip them allowing the takeup spool to turn freely, the canister to be removed and the film wound back into it. In general, taking just the bottom off to get a view of those gears should not expose the film, but I wouldn't count on that and do it in the dark anyway..
posted by Stoneshop at 10:36 AM on July 30, 2021
But rarely if ever on these cheap auto point and shoots. And the manual shows that there's indeed no such button on this one.
Fiasco da Gama: if you have a small phillips screwdriver you could remove the bottom plate and
posted by Stoneshop at 10:36 AM on July 30, 2021
Best answer: I used to work in a one-hour photo lab so I've done this operation a few times.
I can't find an image or citation on the Internet, but we had these temporary 35mm film canisters for when we had loose film (not on a spool) to develop, normally because the original canister was damaged or destroyed. It was kind of like this thing except without the spool. Even with the spool something like that would probably work. (It looks like these canisters might be lightproof? Maybe ask B&H.)
You'll want two dark bags, or at least some kind of light-tight container you can keep the camera/film in if you botch this, forget a tool, or want to end the attempt. Be sure to put this in the dark bag before starting, of course. Note that light is pretty insidious so most stuff like this is double-zippered or gasketed. A dim room is a plus (I always had to do it under harsh retail lighting).
You can pry the film canister open with a screwdriver or other prying tool at the slot the film comes out of (don't scratch the film!) and the rest pulls apart pretty easily once you can get your fingers in there -- it's thin metal. Watch the edges. Once you've compromised the outer shell you should be able to easily remove the ring holding the film spool, and then the spool itself. Depending on the film brand, the film is attached to the spool either with a couple "tabs" of film, or just some tape. In the latter case you're going to want some scissors to cut it off.
If the film wasn't entirely used yet, you can skip all this by just pulling out a length of film and cutting it. Note that if you're not sure about the status of the film, it's possible that it jammed / ran out of battery / whatever while rewinding, in which case you're going to want to salvage as many frames as possible by opening the canister or at least pulling all the film out. Lots of cameras cut things pretty close so you might have only a couple cm of leeway between the end of the film and the last exposed frame.
Once you have the film detached from the spool it should be possible to get the film off the takeup spool the hard way, by threading it through backwards. You might also want to be sure to roll up the film in your temporary canister "tongue out", since an inch or two of film is necessarily exposed during processing, and you want this to happen to the leader, which has already been exposed. You'll necessarily have to crease the film a bit to get a tight roll, but be careful since creases *do* show up on the prints. If you get the spooled film canister you can probably just use the spool for this instead of doing it manually.
It's probably also in your best interest to wear cotton/nylon film handling gloves to keep skin oils and scratches away from your film.
Good luck!
posted by neckro23 at 1:53 PM on July 30, 2021
I can't find an image or citation on the Internet, but we had these temporary 35mm film canisters for when we had loose film (not on a spool) to develop, normally because the original canister was damaged or destroyed. It was kind of like this thing except without the spool. Even with the spool something like that would probably work. (It looks like these canisters might be lightproof? Maybe ask B&H.)
You'll want two dark bags, or at least some kind of light-tight container you can keep the camera/film in if you botch this, forget a tool, or want to end the attempt. Be sure to put this in the dark bag before starting, of course. Note that light is pretty insidious so most stuff like this is double-zippered or gasketed. A dim room is a plus (I always had to do it under harsh retail lighting).
You can pry the film canister open with a screwdriver or other prying tool at the slot the film comes out of (don't scratch the film!) and the rest pulls apart pretty easily once you can get your fingers in there -- it's thin metal. Watch the edges. Once you've compromised the outer shell you should be able to easily remove the ring holding the film spool, and then the spool itself. Depending on the film brand, the film is attached to the spool either with a couple "tabs" of film, or just some tape. In the latter case you're going to want some scissors to cut it off.
If the film wasn't entirely used yet, you can skip all this by just pulling out a length of film and cutting it. Note that if you're not sure about the status of the film, it's possible that it jammed / ran out of battery / whatever while rewinding, in which case you're going to want to salvage as many frames as possible by opening the canister or at least pulling all the film out. Lots of cameras cut things pretty close so you might have only a couple cm of leeway between the end of the film and the last exposed frame.
Once you have the film detached from the spool it should be possible to get the film off the takeup spool the hard way, by threading it through backwards. You might also want to be sure to roll up the film in your temporary canister "tongue out", since an inch or two of film is necessarily exposed during processing, and you want this to happen to the leader, which has already been exposed. You'll necessarily have to crease the film a bit to get a tight roll, but be careful since creases *do* show up on the prints. If you get the spooled film canister you can probably just use the spool for this instead of doing it manually.
It's probably also in your best interest to wear cotton/nylon film handling gloves to keep skin oils and scratches away from your film.
Good luck!
posted by neckro23 at 1:53 PM on July 30, 2021
Please just take this camera into the closest remaining old-school photography store and let them do the film extraction for you. It will take them five minutes, and they'll know what they're doing, and they'll either be in a dark bag or an actual darkroom, and they may not even charge you if you have them develop it for you.
It's so easy to lose a whole roll of film instantly to a light leak if you've never done this before and are feeling your way through. There's no repairing that.
posted by gum at 9:17 PM on August 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
It's so easy to lose a whole roll of film instantly to a light leak if you've never done this before and are feeling your way through. There's no repairing that.
posted by gum at 9:17 PM on August 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Success: I opened the camera inside a dark bag, cut the film and pushed it backwards around the takeup spool (as Lanark suggested), then taped and rolled it back onto a reusable bulk reel (as neckro23 suggested). That job I'm very familiar with, as I use a bulk roller. I've just got the film back today from my processing shop.
Most of the film was unexposed but I got three frames, one of them a baby photo.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 9:32 PM on August 10, 2021
Most of the film was unexposed but I got three frames, one of them a baby photo.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 9:32 PM on August 10, 2021
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If the length of the film starts to get unmanageable inside the dark bag, you may need to cut it again about halfway through.
Once out of the camera, roll it up and place inside a black film container.
Your next problem will be finding a place to develop it who can handle the lack of a proper film canister, you may need to spring for a pro-lab with a proper darkroom.
If you can unravel the film in one piece you could possibly re-wrap it into a reusable film canister but that's going to be tricky to do inside a dark bag.
posted by Lanark at 3:08 AM on July 30, 2021