Leena Amin , Nov 20, 2009; 11:54 a.m.
I recently acquired a pentax me. I cleaned it and shot a roll of film through it. everything looked fine. So i took it on an mini road trip with my friends this week. Loaded it with Kodax tri-x 400. I took the first 4 or 5 frames, no problem. Then at our next stop, my friend decided to take some pictures with it. She is a brilliant photographer, but i don't think she's ever used a rangefinder before. So i guess in her attempts to use to the camera she turned the exposure compensation dial to 4x. Well it was about 14 frames later that i noticed. What should i do? Should i take the rest of the roll (maybe 18 frames) on 4x and pull two stops in processing. I've never pull processed anything. I would really like to salvage the 14 frames shot on 4x. Or should i just call them a lost cause and shoot the rest on regular 1x exposure and process normally?? How over exposed are the frames shot on 4x? Will there be anything to salvage if its processed normally?
Thanks in advance for any help!
Lars Holtgrewe , Nov 20, 2009; 12:26 p.m.
Do you do your own developing?
What access to chemicals do you have?
One way to save the shots, not ideal for all but would suffice, would be to develop in a 2 bath developer like Diafine or any of many other formulas out there if you mix your own chemicals.
That's really the only sure way to save all frames.
One other possibility would be to cut the film apart, though this would be a delicate operation figuring out just where to cut and you almost certainly would lose a few frames. The first cut could be made by reloading the film in the camera, in a changing bag, advancing the first 4-5 frames, then opening the camera and cutting the film. The 14 frames could then be estimated by figuring out the length each frame plus the space in between, ~1.5 inches or counting sprocket holes, ~9 per frame. Some quick math and that works out to around 21-22 inches or 125-130 sprocket holes. Again you would very likely lose 4 frames around the cuts, but it may be your best option depending on you access to darkroom equipment.
Best of luck, and hope they aren't irreplaceable shots if something goes wrong.
Chris Waller 
, Nov 20, 2009; 12:57 p.m.
Essentially, those frames have been over-exposed by two stops. Shoot the rest of the film at x4 compensation then when you process the film, reduce the development time by 50 percent. Your negs will be flat (i.e. low contrast) but you can recover that when you print them by printing at, say, grade 3.5 or 4.
Larry Dressler 
, Nov 20, 2009; 02:12 p.m.
Are we talking the same camera? The Pentax ME I know is not a rangefinder but it is an SLR. That said I would do what Chris said but developer it just a little longer than 50%.
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