When you advance film on Hasselblad, does the effort increase towards the end of the roll?

[Sirius Glass]

In the Hasselblad back, film transport is by driving the take-up spool, and as the film gets wound up on it, a turn of the take-up spool moves more film, so there is a natural tendency to need a bit more force to move the film. This is subtle, but noticeable if you are careful. When enough film has been moved, the clutch in the back releases and lets you complete the shutter wind - at which point the wind gets easier. This change happens sooner during winding as the spool builds up, because it does not need to rotate as far for the same amount of film.

However, the film shifting to one side towards the end of the roll, and the paper getting bunched up on one side is a red flag. The film running crooked in the back definitely adds friction to the end of the roll. I've seen this on a back or 2, and I think I can trace one back to the insert being dropped on a roller, which caused it to be ever so slightly crooked.

I have never run into the problem of the paper bunching up. That is a CLA problem.
One cannot complain about the paper running crooked when they know that they dropped the insert and it is out of kilter. A repair problem, not normal operation.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Just tried my backs on another body. The same thing... At this point I have just two theories left: either I am too sensitive to the change in the effort level, or I somehow load the film differently than you guys.

It happened to me but went away after being super-careful with the film loading

 

[itsdoable]

I have never run into the problem of the paper bunching up. That is a CLA problem.
One cannot complain about the paper running crooked when they know that they dropped the insert and it is out of kilter. A repair problem, not normal operation.

I don’t know if being dropped was the reason, I’ve dropped a lot of stuff that was fine, Hasselblad included. It was the only thing that that I could find.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I don’t know if being dropped was the reason, I’ve dropped a lot of stuff that was fine, Hasselblad included. It was the only thing that that I could find.

Perhaps you would consider not dropping things or at least changing lenses and backs over a table or shelf?

 

[Philippe-Georges]

I only had it some years ago, actually in 2012 as I recall, when I shot Rollei Retro film which was/is coated on a PET base, and PET is more stiffer (and somewhat thicker) than the traditional ESTAR base.
I stopped shooting film on PET base, and film advance went smooth again...

BTW, when, loooooong time ago, I send an A12 to the Hasselblad Belgium Agency for repair, the technician always asked what film I was shooting, as he could fine tune the film holder on the thickness of the film/paperbacking, he told me that AGFA was considerable thicker than Kodak.
I ended up with two film backs for AGFApan and four for Ektachrome...

 

[etn]

Meanwhile, the Youtube people have a ton of backing paper hanging around. I will try this next time.

I never unroll the film up to the arrow like this guy does at 3 minutes into the video. I just unroll enough to engage the paper into the take up reel. Once it is engaged, I wind it (like he does at 4:07) until the arrow lines up.

To come back to your original question, with my Hassy the effort is pretty much the same through the entire roll... or I am too insensitive to changes...

 

[itsdoable]

Perhaps you would consider not dropping things or at least changing lenses and backs over a table or shelf?

I'd like that, perhaps you can advise me on how not to drop anything. I thinks it's inevitable, just like needing body part replacements. Most drops are on a table, but sometimes that is enough.

It's not where you drop it, it's how you drop it.

Oh, and it was not me that dropped the Hasselblad insert.

 

[GLS]

I think so. I watched three Youtube videos last night to see how people load A12 backs. One consistent difference between them and me is that I never leave any slack of the backing paper. In other words, I stick the paper leader into the takeup spool, hold everything tight, and start advancing using the takeup spool knob. Meanwhile, the Youtube people have a ton of backing paper hanging around. I will try this next time.

The difference may come down to how the backing paper gets aligned on the spool: maybe not putting much pressure on the paper allows it to self-center properly and not rub against the spool wall.

Like you, I leave no slack in the backing paper when loading. I unwind the paper leader just enough to get the pre-folded tab into the take-up spool, then with one hand keep tension on the paper as it winds onto the spool core, whilst slowly turning the spool knob with the other until the starting arrows align. Using this technique I have never experienced the problem you describe, on any of my three A12N backs.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Like you, I leave no slack in the backing paper when loading. I unwind the paper leader just enough to get the pre-folded tab into the take-up spool, then with one hand keep tension on the paper as it winds onto the spool core, whilst slowly turning the spool knob with the other until the starting arrows align. Using this technique I have never experienced the problem you describe, on any of my three A12N backs.

I use the same technique that GLS does. I hold the backing paper tight as I wind the take-up spool. A many-decade Hasselblad photographer taught me to keep the paper from flopping around. I have not obviously noted a change in tension between exposure 1 and 12 in 2 A12 backs. This is for commercial 120 rolls from Kodak and Ilford.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I too leave only a little slack in the backing paper. Just because something is posted on YouTube does not mean it is completely correct. I think the slack shown on YouTube is to show that some slack can be there.

 

[Steven Lee]

Just to close the loop on this one. The culprit was my back loading method. Somehow it deteriorated over the years. What I was doing was keeping my thumb and applying excessive pressure on the roll while advancing the take-up spool to align the arrow while loading. I guess this caused a tiny misalignment of backing paper on the take-up spool, which only got worse as I was approaching frame #12.

Letting the roll rotate freely solved the issue. The backs already have a built-in sprung push rod to prevent the roll from accidentally unrolling.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Just to close the loop on this one. The culprit was my back loading method. Somehow it deteriorated over the years. What I was doing was keeping my thumb and applying excessive pressure on the roll while advancing the take-up spool to align the arrow while loading. I guess this caused a tiny misalignment of backing paper on the take-up spool, which only got worse as I was approaching frame #12.

Letting the roll rotate freely solved the issue. The backs already have a built-in sprung push rod to prevent the roll from accidentally unrolling.

Another Photrio success story! Now please become a paid subscriber.