How do you tell if your film holders are full?

[Loose Gravel]

I'm wondering what others do. After you shoot a little and the film holders are sitting around the darkroom and you've developed some. Maybe it's time to reload holders, how do you check to know if there is film in the holder or not? Do you turn out the lights and check? Do you keep good track? Can you tell if there is one sheet or two?

Personally, I shake the holder. If there is film, I can hear it. I can't tell about one or two sheets. Sometimes I remember to mark the holder with 'MT'.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I write the film type on the holder, and when the holder is empty, there is no film type written on it.

[John Kasaian]

Turn out the light, open the flap end and feel for the edge of the film. If its not there, then niether is the film:-)

This has happened to me more times that I'd care to recall.

Cheers!

[ron mcelroy]

Here's my system. I store all my holders in zip lock bags. Each holder is numbered and after both sheets have been exposed the exposure record goes into the bag. It stays there until both sheets have been processed. This works for me.

The problem I have is when traveling and unloading/reloading film into boxes. It seems that no matter how organized I think it is, some of the shots get mixed out of sequence.

[Jeremy]

My film holders are numbered with one of those electronic labeling machines. These numbers are then used to delineate the exposure times and such for each shot. Once a holder has been used it is put on a shelf while those that have not been used yet are still in the bag.

Jeremy

[Nige]

I'm keeping two piles, empty and loaded. Each DD is numbered (eg 1A & 1B, 2A & 2B)and I keep track of what film is in it in a booklet... however I need to make sure i expose the DD I think I'm using and write down, cause I've had a couple of double exposures and accompying blanks!

If I'm really unsure i use John's method

[BradS]

Empty holders go in a special drawer where loaded holders are never found. Loaded holders are kept in the "film bag". After loading the film holders, they go in zip lock bags with individual post-it note lables. While film is in the holders, I do the usual thing with the bumps on the end of the darkslides - bumps out: un-exposed, bumps in: exposed.

[Lee L]

Well, all the studios I've worked in used a similar method, and it's what I've always used.

White/silver darkslide face out = loaded and unexposed

Black darkslide face out and hook/lock in place = loaded and exposed

Black darkslide face out and no hook/lock preventing removal = empty

I always turn the white darkslide face out again as I blow out the holders and prepare a stack for loading.

Lee

[Robert Hall]

I shake them.

[joeyk49]

I wait till they burb...then I know they're full. They usually want a nap soon after, too.