Wista roll film back 120 or 220?

Kyle M.

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I just bought a Wista 45D that also included the sliding 6x9 back and one 6x9 roll film holder. I'm trying to figure out if the holder is 120 or 220 though as it has no markings that I can find and the previous seller really didn't know much about the camera.

Also the sliding 6x9 back is missing the pop open focusing hood. I'd like to find one but something tells me that may be difficult as every sliding back I've seen for sale so far was missing the hood.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 

Donald Qualls

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If there's a frame counter, does it run 1-8 or 1-16? The latter might be both, but 1-8 is 120 only. If there's a red window, it's 120 only.
 
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Kyle M.

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Donald Qualls said:
If there's a frame counter, does it run 1-8 or 1-16? The latter might be both, but 1-8 is 120 only. If there's a red window, it's 120 only.
Click to expand...

No red window, I haven't run anything through it to see what the frame counter does. I couldn't find my test roll that I keep for such things. I don't believe it's both as there doesn't seem to be a way to switch it although the pressure plate is removable which would make me thing it's both. No markings on the pressure plate either.
 

Donald Qualls

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Is the frame counter driven by a roller or integral with the film advance mechanism? That is, will the counter advance just from operating the knob/lever? If the counter is tied to the takeup spool, it's 120 only. If it's operated by a friction roller (as in RB67 backs) it could be either or both.
 
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Kyle M.

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The counter is tied to the take up spool, it will not advance just from operating the lever.
 

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Kyle M.

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Thanks, mine does not have the 120/220 selector on the top, it seems like every manual I've come across is for the back in the linked ad. I'm guessing mine is 120 only, glad I didn't accidentally end up with some kind of 220 only back. I'll know for sure as soon as I get home and find that 120 test roll I keep for these occasions.
 

Donald Qualls

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Kyle M. said:
I found my test roll. It’s a 120 back.
Click to expand...

Most times, 220 or 220-capable cameras and roll film backs were pretty clearly marked as such, because before digital took over professional photography, for some environments 220 was preferred (weddings and model shoots, for instance).

For the kind of photography where you'd use a 612 back, that was much less the case, but apparently Wista did make a 220 switchable version. Mechanically, this isn't a great deal harder than a 120 transport with a counter, but 220 and 120 cannot easily coexist on a turns-counter system (as found in, for instance, Graflex 22, 23, and RH10 backs) -- the film builds up thickness on the spool at a different rate, so the stops need to be spaced differently; you'd therefore have to switch stop cams between the two formats, or change to a length-counter system (like the one in RB67 backs), which just requires changing where the wind-through freewheeling trips in.
 
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