odd spacing

[Whiteymorange]

I just picked up a good looking Canon FTb at a yard sale for a price that makes this problem .. not so much of a problem, but I wonder if anyone can give me a pointer as to what's happening with the frame spacing in this camera.

I ran a roll through it as soon as I got it and found that the frames are spaced up to 2 cm apart on most of the roll - much further apart than anything I've gotten on any of my other Canon camera bodies. They are not exactly evenly spaced, but never too close to one another, as might happen if the teeth were slipping on advancing the roll. This is the "QL" version of the FTb, with that little steel flap that takes the film into the take-up reel as soon as you close the back (not electric, merely mechanical.)

Any ideas? Is it adjustable? I can keep just the lens and feel I got a good deal, so... . If I can fix it however, I'd be happy to have a solid FTb body to fall back on once in awhile.

 

[Whiteymorange]

OK... No answers. Not to worry, the thing seems to be fine on roll two. I'll write it off to user error, even though I can't see how anyone could screw this sort of thing up -- even me.

 

[bob100684]

OK... No answers. Not to worry, the thing seems to be fine on roll two. I'll write it off to user error, even though I can't see how anyone could screw this sort of thing up -- even me.

not being familiar with your camera my advice won't be the best, but if you are indeed worried, why not send it off for a CLA. God knows it probably needs it anyway.

 

[Akki14]

I was going to suggest my problem with my Finetta 88 which is so old it has no sprocket counting newfangled device so the spacing starts out about normal (knob only turns 180deg each time) then it gets wider and wider as it goes along, probably up to 4 times (or more?) the normal spacing near the end of a 36exposure roll of film.
Slightly peeved that the lab I send my stuff off to returned it with some sort of cryptic warning of "faulty wind-on" - it is not faulty, it is special and it is actually designed that way!

 

[Whiteymorange]

why not send it off for a CLA. God knows it probably needs it anyway

bob100684

Probably does, but $20 cameras have little hope of getting CLA'ed in my collection. I do my best with them and then move on. Actually, it seems fine right now.

then it gets wider and wider as it goes along, probably up to 4 times (or more?) the normal spacing near the end

Akki14

This happens with the Kodak 3A I rebuilt as a 6x14 (120 roll film) camera since I have to count revolutions to advance the film. I could get fancy and remember how much to change each advance, but it always gets away from me.:rolleyes:

Thanks for the feedback, though. I thought I was hanging out there on my own for a bit.

 

[johnnywalker]

Do you really mean 2 cm? 3/4 inch?
I have a camera (Rollei 35S, new to me) that has irregular spacing, but only vary by a mm or two. As with yours, the spacing seems wider than normal, but the pictures never overlap, so didn't think much about it.

 

[Steve Smith]

This happens with the Kodak 3A I rebuilt as a 6x14 (120 roll film) camera since I have to count revolutions to advance the film. I could get fancy and remember how much to change each advance, but it always gets away from me.

I have a Polaroid 160 which I converted into a 6x10cm format with 120 film. It has a little label on the bottom telling me how many rotations to the nearest 1/4 it needs per exposure.

As it only takes five shots per roll it's not too bad so long as you remember how many you have used so far.


Steve.

 

[Whiteymorange]

Do you really mean 2 cm? 3/4 inch?
I have a camera (Rollei 35S, new to me) that has irregular spacing, but only vary by a mm or two. As with yours, the spacing seems wider than normal, but the pictures never overlap, so didn't think much about it.

I do indeed mean 2 cm. They were really quite widely spaced. As you say, however, they never overlapped so - no harm, no foul. I have other cameras that space images differently from one end of the roll to another, but the difference is a matter of a mm or two. This was just a bit bizarre. The only thing I can think of is that the take-up reel, a high-tech looking combination of metal clips and plastic, must have gripped the film incorrectly, resulting in a much larger diameter roll than was intended. Far fetched, but I can't figure out any alternatives.

The third roll is in the camera now. We'll see if this is a recurring problem.

Thanks everyone.

 

[johnnywalker]

Well, I sure would have "thought about it" if the spacing were 2 cm. That's half a picture! Mine is only about 1 1/2 to 2 X normal spacing. You must be right about the effective roll diameter. In any case, good luck with it.

 

[benjiboy]

I have two Canon FTbn bodys Whitey, I have had for more than twenty years that are in constant use and the frame spacing in both of them is 4 m/m , I wonder if you've got the hang of the quick load mechanism yet,( two cm seems a hell of a wide spacing) the way to use the QL mechanism is to pull the film leader out until it reaches the red mark and slip it under the metal tab ensuring that the teeth on the bottom of the take up spool are in the bottom film sprocket holes, close the back and wind and fire the shutter until the counter goes to number one, then gently turn the rewind knob to take up the slack in the film in the cassette. I hope this helps.

 

[Whiteymorange]

Thanks, Ben. The second and third roll came out fine.

 

[benjiboy]

Thanks, Ben. The second and third roll came out fine.

Pleased to help,Whitey, I hope you get as much pleasure from your FTb as I have from mine, they have never needed servicing, and I bought them second hand more than twenty years ago, it makes you wonder how many of today's all singing and dancing SLRs will still be around in twenty years.