For Sale SOLD - Sawyer Mark IV 127 TLR - SOLD

Tel said:

Edit: I just pulled the frame counter wheel out of a junk Primo parts camera. There is a large toothed gear attached to the back of the counter wheel and there's a follower arm riding along this that tells the camera when a full frame has been wound up and stops the film from advancing until the shutter has been fired. I had expected that the gaps between these teeth would get progressively smaller to compensate for the takeup spool filling up, but they don't. (I think my Mamiya C3 does this...) So I don't know how these cameras make the necessary compensations, but somehow they do. So framing might be a problem.

Click to expand...

Progressive shortening of the spaces is how turns-counters (like the ones in Graflex roll backs and my Super Ikonta B -- and the telescoping Minolta and Kiev 16 mm cameras, too) compensate for thickness buildup on the takeup spool. The ones that drive the counter with a friction roller (like an RB67 roll back or my Kodak Reflex II, and lots of other cameras including any that can switch between 120 and 220) don't have to compensate, because they're measuring the actual film that's rolled past the counter roller.

Of course! (D'oh) Thanks for the explanation--as usual I overlooked the simpler (and more elegant) answer. The designers at Tokyo Kogaku really were good, weren't they? If I had the skills (and the fine-motor coordination) I would try to swap the taking lens from a Rollei Baby into a Primo Jr.

Back on topic: though we did drift off the original topic in this discussion, I notice that the camera is sold. So, goal achieved.

Another wrinkle. I loaded up one of my Primos and shot a roll of Portra NC this afternoon, and I was reminded of a design flaw in 127. A 12-exposure roll with backing paper fills the spool right up to the outer edge of the flanges. I've often had some light strike damage to the end frames because the film didn't wind up tightly enough and light got into the interior where the film overran the spool flange. Trying to get 18 frames (i.e., 50% more film) onto a 127 spool is probably not going to work unless the camera is loaded and unloaded in a dark bag and the film put into a light-tight can in the bag too.

If you try for more film, try striping the entire length of a trained 120 roll, of it's paper below the leader, and cut that leader back by about a third so you still have a leader to feed the take-up spool and shoot that to see if you can get a full roll shot.

Alternatively, if using bulk 64mm, try adding a few extra frames at a time until you reach the practical limit.

All this film is loaded in a changing tent or a clean, darkened darkroom, of course, but if you can see by them, a Kodak green film inspection filter can help.

I have nuclear cataracts that take away a stop or more if my night/darkroom vision so I have too hard a time using mine but you may be fine with the greenlight.

By-the-way, I can get surgery after New Years for both the cataracts AND correcting my vision at the VA, so, Brother Veterans, if you need help, go to the VA and see if and what they can do for you.


I suspect you will find someone in this form has tried doing similar and had reached conclusions of their own, which they've shared.

Cheers and Happy Holidays to all.

When I've recut 120 to either 127 or 828, I've found it helps a lot to trim both the tail and leader to approximate the lengths of those on original film in each format (rather than use the full 120 leader and tail length) -- this reduces the amount of backing rolled onto the spool and, in my experience, keeps the roll small enough to avoid significant light strike (at least within the image area). FWIW, however, I've actually done the cutting in room light and found only the tiniest rim of black along the actual cut line (and couldn't tell for sure whether that was light strike in the line of the cut or pressure marking from the blade). Respool in the dark, obviously...