Asahi Pentax 6x7

[psmithp]

Am I the only one to find that squeezing a roll of film into the camera very difficult? It seems that the room is just a bit to small or the spool a bit too long? I have had to grind away part of the spool to make it go in.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I've never heard of this, especially with a camera that is meant to hold 120 film.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

The mechanism is a bit of a pain in the ass, if you don't know how to use it (and even if you do). You have to flip the latches on the bottom, then turn them, and then pull down to get the spools to release/insert.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Am I the only one to find that squeezing a roll of film into the camera very difficult? It seems that the room is just a bit to small or the spool a bit too long? I have had to grind away part of the spool to make it go in.

Sorry to here you're having problems with your Pentax. I'd say there is operator error involved if you have to grind spools in any way, shape or form. Do you have a operators manual for your camera? If you don't, I would strongly suggest you get one. A manual or a copy of one is much, much cheaper than repairing a Pentax 67 for sure. There should be "online" copies of the operators manual if you do a search online.

 

[Franswa]

I've owned this camera twice now and it's always been a little stubborn like that. More so than other MF cameras. Especially when removing a completed roll.

 

[DREW WILEY]

The P67 is one of the harder cameras to load and unload. It helps to have it in upright orientation atop a tripod. What really worked well were the EZ-load spools once standard with Fuji roll films, which were slightly curved at the top and the bottom. I saved up some of my old ones for the take-up side; but you still have to work with conventional spools at the other end - the new film itself. Wish somebody would resume making those and license the patent from Fuji or whoever. So much easier.

 

[itsdoable]

I don't recall the P67 being that difficult to load/unload (I don't own it any more), but I remember it helped to align the key in the take-up spool so it would slide right in. Never had to grind anything.

 

[DREW WILEY]

It can definitely be a challenge with half-frozen fingers on a snowshoe outing!

 

[John Wiegerink]

I agree that it's not the easiest camera to load, but there is no way one should have to file, sand or shave any spool to get it into the film chamber.

 

[Taylor K Nankervis]

Early Asahi Pentax 6x7 and Honeywell 6x7 cameras had annoyingly long spool holders in the film chamber, unheard of in the later and final-generation Pentax 67 cameras from 1990 to 1992. It is not really difficult to load a 120 roll in these cameras, but you do have to follow proverbial process and procedure and do it patiently! It is more important to protect the installed roll from light spoilage during loading, and again when unloading.

 

[Taylor K Nankervis]

I agree that it's not the easiest camera to load, but there is no way one should have to file, sand or shave any spool to get it into the film chamber.

But cutting, filing down excessively long or jamming spool poles is what many users did do, with a Dremel tool and wet sandpaper. I have a colleague still using one of the early cameras modified like this.

 

[John Wiegerink]

But cutting, filing down excessively long or jamming spool poles is what many users did do, with a Dremel tool and wet sandpaper. I have a colleague still using one of the early cameras modified like this.

Wow, I never knew about anybody doing any filing on pre-1990 or post-1990 cameras. I had two earlier cameras and never filed anything on those. I always got my film loaded and unloaded just fine in both. It was a little time consuming compared to other cameras, but not impossible. I always make sure the cameras wind cogs lined up with the film spool end notches.

 

[Taylor K Nankervis]

Wow, I never knew about anybody doing any filing on pre-1990 or post-1990 cameras. I had two earlier cameras and never filed anything on those. I always got my film loaded and unloaded just fine in both. It was a little time consuming compared to other cameras, but not impossible. I always make sure the cameras wind cogs lined up with the film spool end notches.

Only the earliest Honeywell Pentax and Asahi Pentax 6x7s had the "trapping" spools. Many known and emerging niggles about the cameras were progressively fixed over several generations, the finals from 1991 to 1992 having the most refinements. Alas, the winding mechanism remains the single most problematic pièce de résistance of any and all Pentax 6x7/67 cameras.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Only the earliest Honeywell Pentax and Asahi Pentax 6x7s had the "trapping" spools. Many known and emerging niggles about the cameras were progressively fixed over several generations, the finals from 1991 to 1992 having the most refinements. Alas, the winding mechanism remains the single most problematic pièce de résistance of any and all Pentax 6x7/67 cameras.

The two bodies I have now are a little different when advancing the film. They both wind smoothly and space just fine, but one has a click when you come to the end of the advance wind. Noticeable enough that you can actually hear and feel the click. I often thought about sending it out for repair, but since it didn't seem to have any ill effects on the final negative I just put it off. It has only been doing the click for 40+ years and never missed a lick in all that time. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

[cloudbowman]

Should be ok , as a post below once the latches opened/pulled down the film roll goes in fine usually with a little twist

 

[Richard Lawson]

My Pentax 6x7 is an early one and I haven't had to file anything down. However I agree that loading fresh rolls and getting finished rolls out is annoyingly stiff and tricky to do, especially in the field.

 

[DREW WILEY]

My Pentax bodies are the MLU version, not the older ones. All I can say is that putting in and extracting the rolls is annoyingly harder to do than with my Fuji 6X9 RF bodies, both II and III version (the III is especially easy). More difficult than my 6X9 roll film backs for the 4X5 cameras as well. But one gets used to it.

 

[abruzzi]

I never had issues loading. Unloading was a challeng though until I figured out the trick. After oening the release lock on the bottom, I'd press up and in on the upper rim of the spool I was removing. That would cause the bottom to flip outward enough that I could grab the spool to remove. I don't think that would work with gloves on though.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Yeah, no gloves... especially when you wake up to four feet of snow around your tent from the following night at
11,000 foot altitude, look out and see a magical view, and then remember you've only got one unexposed frame left in your 6X7 before you need to reload at 15 degrees above zero F.