stupidity and impatience

Ed_Davor · Mar 14, 2006

Hi

The subject line concerns me

I got my first bunch of 120 film (never seen a 120 roll before)
today, and I couldn't wait so I opened one box on the street,
removed the candy wrapings, cut the tape holding the roll and started
unwraping the leader expecting to get to some kind of a plastic
cassete inside or something, when when I got to the actual film tape
I realised that I am holding a core with film wraped around it and
a paper leader around it (no cassetes or anything)

The first thought was: crap, you idiot, you have crewed up this roll, it should have been unwraped in dark.

Then when I got home at took another look, It seems that the
actual film sticks hard to itself and does not unwrap by itself, like the paper does. So my second thought was: maybe I didn't screw up the whole roll

I don't remember wheather the film unwraped by itself like the paper leader did the first time I opened in on street, I just remember realising in shock that I'm suddenly unwraping film so I but it back in the box quickly

SO my question is:

What is the chance that I screwed up this roll? does the film usually hold tight to itself around the core and you can unwrap the leader in daylight, or does the film around the core loosen itself when there is no pressure from the paper leader (so you have to do it in total dark) ?

I should have read something before opening my first roll of 120 film..

David A. Goldfarb · Mar 14, 2006

You've screwed up at least the first couple of frames. Load it and advance, say, to frame 4, and start shooting there.

Okay--120 film is taped to a paper backing. You should load and unload it in subdued light, but total darkness is not necessary.

Different cameras load in different ways, but there are a few general options.

If the camera has an automatic frame counter (most modern cameras and SLRs) load the film on the feed side and attach the paper leader to the takeup spool (a used feed spool from a previous roll of film--you don't rewind medium format film), and advance the film until you see two large arrows oriented perpendicularly to the direction of film travel. Those arrows should point to two dots or arrows in the film chamber that indicate the start point. Close the back and advance to frame 1.

If the camera is an old camera with a red window, like a folder or older TLR, do the same thing, but there won't be a start point indicated inside the camera. When the paper backing is securely attached to the takeup spool, close the back, and advance the film until you see the number "1" in the red window. Note that this is strictly a manual operation, so it won't stop automatically, and if you miss it, you miss it. Some films (Kodak and most of the East European films) have clear markers indicating that the number is coming up. With some films, the numbers can be a bit hard to read, and they are easier to miss.

Silverpixels5 · Mar 14, 2006

You don't unwrap it at all until its already exposed and you're ready to develop. You take off the tape, as you did, to release the paper leader and then use that to load your camera. I'm not sure what camera you are using so I can't really say how exactly to load it. But once you have the leader fed into the taking spool in your camera you advance the roll until you see 'Start' with an arrow that lines up with a certion position in your camera...usually indicated by a red dot or arrowhead. Then you close the camera up and and advance until you get to the (1) frame, and you're ready to shoot. Sorry to be so vague, but I don't know your particular camera model....thats the jist of it though.

htmlguru4242 · Mar 14, 2006

You should be fine - as has been said, the first few frames will be exposed, but oh well. The film tends to stay pretty tightly wound around the spool, so it shouldn't be too bad ...

The only thing I would reccomend is that you remember to close the "exposed" tape on the end of the roll after exposing the whole thing. I've fogged half a roll by forgetting to to close the tape and having the roll unroll itself.

have fun with your foray into medium format ...

blansky · Mar 14, 2006

I'd use this role as your practice roll and waste it. Unroll it all the way and examine how it's put together. Then roll it back up and run it through your camera just wasting the shots.

Then unroll it again and examine how you would place it on your spools for development.

This may be a good leaning tool to see how to use this kind of film so that you don't screw up one with pictures you care about.

When I develop it I put it on the spool all the way to the tape then at the end strip off the tape and wind on the remaining few inches.

Michael.

chorleyjeff · Mar 14, 2006

Bin it and start again - it's hardly a fortune for one roll of film and youir checking to see if it's fogged is probably not worth the time. Use it as a practice roll for loading your developing reel which probably is a good use of your time because that is something that needs practice!
Cheers
Jeff

Helen B · Mar 14, 2006

In case this thread is ever used for reference, there is a third way of loading up 120 and 220, found on many Rolleiflex TLRs and SLRs: there is a feeler roller to detect the beginning of the film. All you do is attach the end of the backing paper to the take-up spool after threading it under the feeler roller if necessary, check that it is on properly, and close the back. There is no lining up of arrows.

Best,
Helen

Ed_Davor · Mar 14, 2006

Since I discovered that I need an empty spool anyway, I've decided to use this roll as a practice roll, so I've unrolled the entire roll to see how the other end looks like.
I've also practiced attaching it back to the spool and rolling it back.

Since the film is intentionally ruined now, I'll use its spool as the starting spool (you only need one empty spool in your lifetime for starting MF photography)

Soeren · Mar 14, 2006

Ed_Davor said:
Since I discovered that I need an empty spool anyway, I've decided to use this roll as a practice roll, so I've unrolled the entire roll to see how the other end looks like.
I've also practiced attaching it back to the spool and rolling it back.

Since the film is intentionally ruined now, I'll use its spool as the starting spool (you only need one empty spool in your lifetime for starting MF photography)

No empty spool in your camera ? There should be one left behind in it.
Any way what kind of camera is it ? Do you have a manual for it ? Try and google the camera name and see if you can find any info on it. I have seen some site showing how to load different cameras so you should be able to find something.
BTW that was a great tip Blansky came up with.
Cheers Søren

MattKing · Mar 14, 2006

Naivete and enthusiasm

"stupidity and impatience"

No, it should be "Naivete and enthusiasm".

This may be the best, least expensive lesson you'll learn all year

In one step, you may have learned more about how 120 roll fill works than in weeks of more timid approach to the issue.

One piece of advice, which mirrors the other posters - see if you can find a manual somewhere. How to load a film is one of the most important parts of any manual.

Oh, and have fun!

Matt

bill schwab · Mar 14, 2006

Ed_Davor said:
I've also practiced attaching it back to the spool and rolling it back.

Also use it to practice rolling it onto your wire reels for development. That is IF you use wire reels. Can also use it on those plastic reel things for practice, but I find these much more difficult to use.

Bill

JHannon · Mar 14, 2006

billschwab said:
Also use it to practice rolling it onto your wire reels for development. That is IF you use wire reels. Can also use it on those plastic reel things for practice, but I find these much more difficult to use.

Bill

Practice in room light first 20 times, then in room light with your eyes closed 20 times, then in a changing bag 20 times, then in a changing bag with your eyes closed 20 times. You will be an expert.

blansky · Mar 14, 2006

JHannon said:
Practice in room light first 20 times, then in room light with your eyes closed 20 times, then in a changing bag 20 times, then in a changing bag with your eyes closed 20 times. You will be an expert.

When I was first dating, I tried it this way, but I could never convince my date to get into a changing bag.

So we just ended up doing it with our eyes closed.

Michael

JHannon · Mar 14, 2006

blansky said:
When I was first dating, I tried it this way, but I could never convince my date to get into a changing bag.

So we just ended up doing it with our eyes closed.

Michael

sajianphotos · Mar 14, 2006

JHannon said:

Yep, there's only one Blansky and we got 'im.

FFIW most of the time I don't untape or break the seal tape until I have the film set well in the spindles. More than once (especially in a Kiev) I have had the end of the roll loose while trying to set the roll into the camera and it has slipped out and unrolled.
Now that's stupid and impatient.

Woolliscroft · Mar 15, 2006

Ed_Davor said:
I've also practiced attaching it back to the spool and rolling it back.

Just in case this means what it looks to. You don't have to rewind the film back on to its original spool when it has been exposed, in the way you do with 35mm. You just wind it all the way on to the take up spool when it is finished, then take that out and replace it with the now empty spool your film came on. In other words, the take up spool is always the release spool from the last film that went through the camera. Sorry if I misunderstood here and am trying to teach anyone to suck eggs.

David.

Soeren · Mar 15, 2006

Hey I don't know how to suck eggs

sajianphotos · Mar 15, 2006

Hey I don't know how to suck eggs

There's probably different ways depemding whether they're small, medium or large. But then you're a multi-formater

stupidity and impatience

Ed_Davor

David A. Goldfarb

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Silverpixels5

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Ed_Davor

Soeren

MattKing

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bill schwab

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JHannon

blansky

JHannon

sajianphotos

Woolliscroft

Soeren

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stupidity and impatience

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