Bronica ETRS — grey mould (?) in film back

[justjasper]

Hi folks, I just took a Bronica ETRS out of its case for the first time in a while (year+) and discovered a grey deposit of some sort inside one of the film backs on the rollers.

It looked like this, and mostly affected one roller although there was a small amount on the other one too:



It was easy enough to remove with some 97% IPA and a cotton bud, but seems to have eaten into the paint on the roller, as can be seen here:




I've looked at the rest of the camera and lenses, and it doesn't seem to be anywhere else. The case that the camera was in is also seemingly unaffected.

Does anyone have any idea what might have caused this, how to prevent it happening again, or how to restore the film-back back to a usable state?

Any thoughts much appreciated!

 

[santino]

Probably some sort of detoriation of the roller material. It is not uncommon. My Nikon binocular focusing wheel developed it too. I don‘t think it is mould.

 

[justjasper]

Probably some sort of detoriation of the roller material. It is not uncommon. My Nikon binocular focusing wheel developed it too. I don‘t think it is mould.

I think you’re right. Do you think there’s a way of fixing it? Been contemplating repainting and varnishing it.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Looks a lot like corrosion, which can appear in unpredictable places (even when they are painted). Do you live in a damp climate, or near water?

 

[justjasper]

Looks a lot like corrosion, which can appear in unpredictable places (even when they are painted). Do you live in a damp climate, or near water?

Not particularly? Could be corrosion, but odd (and fortunate) that nothing else that was in the case was affected similarly.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Whatever the cause, remember: silica gel is your friend. Sealed camera cases are not. All cameras benefit from regular exercise and a good visual inspection, ideally once a month. So, since the rollers only contact the backing paper on your Bronica, I'd guess that, as long as they're turning smoothly, it's merely cosmetic damage. But yeah, if you're as OCD about your cameras as I am, even cosmetic damage will grind your butt!