RB67 Question

Tom16 · Aug 2, 2020

Hey,

Probably a stupid question but here goes...

I was shooting with my RB67 on ‘N’ mode yesterday and I must have taken 7 shots and re-cocking the lens by pushing the lever on the side of the camera forward when I realised I hadn’t been winding the film on as well. Upon realising this I wound the film to the second frame and took all of my shots again, this time remembering to winding on the film as well. Will I just have multiple images on frame one and the rest will be fine or will I have completely ruined the whole film?

Donald Qualls · Aug 2, 2020

The frames after the first should be fine. As you note, just cocking the body doesn't advance the film, so all of those you shot before noticing will have gone on one frame. You might see some light on the next frame that leaked "around the corner" from the massive overexposure -- but that's the worst you're likely to encounter.

FWIW, I consider this a "feature" on this camera; I've got a fifty-year habit of advancing the film immediately after exposure, so I don't really have to think about double exposure avoidance -- but the RB makes it really easy to intentionally make a double on the rare occasions when I want one.

BTW, if you just got the RB67, you probably want/need to redo the light seal foams in the body and film back. Mine leaks light through the shell hinge in both 120 backs (for now, I've just put black tape over the hinges).

Tom16 · Aug 2, 2020

Donald Qualls said:
The frames after the first should be fine. As you note, just cocking the body doesn't advance the film, so all of those you shot before noticing will have gone on one frame. You might see some light on the next frame that leaked "around the corner" from the massive overexposure -- but that's the worst you're likely to encounter.

FWIW, I consider this a "feature" on this camera; I've got a fifty-year habit of advancing the film immediately after exposure, so I don't really have to think about double exposure avoidance -- but the RB makes it really easy to intentionally make a double on the rare occasions when I want one.

BTW, if you just got the RB67, you probably want/need to redo the light seal foams in the body and film back. Mine leaks light through the shell hinge in both 120 backs (for now, I've just put black tape over the hinges).

Thanks for the reply and also putting my mind at rest. I’m sending the film of to get processed next week, so hopefully will have something to show for it. I’m so used to shooting with a Bronica, that when it comes to the RB I need to remember to wind the film on as well.

Donald Qualls · Aug 2, 2020

Easy solution for that: shoot nothing but old folders for a year, and you'll get an ironclad habit of some kind to ensure film is advanced -- either just before or immediately after exposing.

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 2, 2020

I've been shooting the RB67 for 30 years and still screw it up. What usually happen is when I shot half a roll and then pull out the camera weeks later, I don't remember if I advanced the film or not. There's a little red dot that I keep forgetting what it means. I don;t trust it anyway. So sometimes, I just advance the film another time wasting a shot because I had already advanced it weeks earlier the last time I was shooting it. Now that I'm older, I can tell you it doesn't get better with age.

Donald Qualls · Aug 2, 2020

Red dot is simple. If it's red, stop. Don't shoot.

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 2, 2020

Donald Qualls said:
Red dot is simple. If it's red, stop. Don't shoot.

I think I got confused with this. When I put the camera away, I would release the shutter button while the dark slide was still in so that the red dot would show whether I advanced the film or not. Then months later, I couldn;t remember if I advanced the film. So not being sure, I would advance it. OF course, if I had already advance it months earlier, than I wasted a shot.

Donald Qualls · Aug 2, 2020

Mine (a ProS, so with fewer interlocks than a ProSD) won't release the body and lens with the dark slide in, but it will with the back removed (probably specifically because there were non-roll backs that didn't have dark slides or the interface for them, including any standard 2x3 Graflok accessory). If you have the Pro, you might be able to do this. Of course, the ProSD won't let you release if the dot is red, unless you have the toggle (under the advance lever) set to "double exposure" mode. I quite like the dark slide interlock -- especially since the camera is still pretty new to me, and I'd otherwise have a tendency to forget to pull the slide and potentially shoot whole blank rolls. Not a big fan of the double exposure toggle on the ProSD backs, or the interlock in the bodies that goes with it -- but if I were new to film or to medium format, I might well think differently.

narsuitus · Aug 2, 2020

Some of my RB67 film backs are 120 backs; some are 220 backs.

Some of my RB67 film backs are ProS backs; some are not.

Some of my RB67 film backs have a functional red dot; some do not.

Some of my RB67 film backs have a functional double exposure prevention feature. some do not.

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 2, 2020

I have the old Pro. I know you can pull the dark slide just enough to release the interlocks and then snap the shutter but not far enough to allow, light to get to the film.

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 2, 2020

narsuitus said:
Some of my RB67 film backs are 120 backs; some are 220 backs.

Some of my RB67 film backs are ProS backs; some are not.

Some of my RB67 film backs have a functional red dot; some do not.

Some of my RB67 film backs have a functional double exposure prevention feature. some do not.

Good luck.

RB67 Question

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