Fed 1g, stuck film

[oscroft]

Well, it's not quite stuck - it's just very tight. Inserting the film canister into my recently-acquired Fed 1g tooka bit of pushing and I was surprised it was so stiff (cutting the leader, threading it onto the take-up spool, and getting the film in its path was easy enough though). But getting it out was even harder - I had to use a small pair of pliers and use more force than I was really comfortable with (and the end of the film can almost popped off!).

Has anyone heard of similar problems? Is there anything that can be done?

 

[Jocko]

Has anyone heard of similar problems? Is there anything that can be done?

.

Hallo Alan - I think such problems are not uncommon - I have a FED 1g which hates Ilford film cassettes (I had to use pliers too) but is fine with everything else. Were you using Ilford by any chance? If so, a change of brand might help.

I believe early Zorki's are especially prone to these difficulties, but those were constructed from a softer metal, which sometimes distorts. FEDs (as we FED fans know!) are made of stronger stuff! 😀

Cheers, Ian

 

[oscroft]

Hi Ian,

Hallo Alan - I think such problems are not uncommon - I have a FED 1g which hates Ilford film cassettes (I had to use pliers too) but is fine with everything else. Were you using Ilford by any chance? If so, a change of brand might help.

That's interesting, thanks. It was a cheapo roll of Max Spielmann film that I had lying around - I just used as a first test film. I mostly use Fuji Velvia, so I'll try that next (and if that's stiff, I'll try Kodachrome).

I believe early Zorki's are especially prone to these difficulties, but those were constructed from a softer metal, which sometimes distorts. FEDs (as we FED fans know!) are made of stronger stuff! 😀

Hehe, yes, this one feels like it's make of the same stuff they made the tanks out of.

Cheers,

 

[reagan]

But getting it out was even harder -

So where was the bind? At the spindle? or the side of the body... or both? Does your 1g have the correct spindle? (Some FSUs are pieced together from diverse bodies of questionable origin. 😉 ) Although, there is more than one type of spindle that works fine on many FSU models. Make sure the film cassette itself wasn't malfunctioning - maybe a little burr or something inside the spool or...? Did you try inserting a second cassette?

 

[oscroft]

So where was the bind? At the spindle? or the side of the body... or both? Does your 1g have the correct spindle? (Some FSUs are pieced together from diverse bodies of questionable origin. 😉 ) Although, there is more than one type of spindle that works fine on many FSU models. Make sure the film cassette itself wasn't malfunctioning - maybe a little burr or something inside the spool or...? Did you try inserting a second cassette?

It's binding against the sides of the film compartment - the body casing one one side and the shutter assembly block on the other. It feels as if the film compartment needs to be filed out a bit, but that would be a bit drastic.

I've now tried with a roll of Fuji Provia, and that's also very stuff pushing it in and needs the pliers to get it out (though it's not quite as bad as the first one - it doesn't partly pull the end off the cassette when I pull it out.

Cheers,

 

[Nickfed]

I have had this. It seems more likely with Fuji than Kodak but there are no obvious differences in the cassettes. What riles me is that there is no suggestion it's going to happen when you load the film. I have wondered if it is a problem of orientation of the cassette within the camera.

 

[reagan]

I have a Zorki.1b that is reputedly a "tight fit" on the film cannister. Mine is snug on Fuji cannisters - absolutely no wriggle-room - but it does come out with a little tug.

If I had this problem, being me, I'd have to slip the body off and see what's up; give it a good look in there for rough places or burrs on the body and shutter crate in the cannister space. Just a leeeeedle rough spot would be enough on my Zorki to bind things up good.

Sorry I'm not much help.

 

[Nickfed]

HaHa, been there, done that (I think). I dropped the body off to get at the rangefinder arm. I did not know about the problem then but I did have good look around, and it all seemed kosher. Maybe running a dummy roll of film with the bottom plate removed may reveal something.

 

[pvdhaar]

Same here, I can't get a 35mm canister from the FED1 without resorting to pliers. Adds to the charm of an FSU, I guess..

 

[oscroft]

Thanks all for your thought.

It seems more likely with Fuji than Kodak but there are no obvious differences in the cassettes.

Interesting - I think I'll try Kodachrome in it next.

If I had this problem, being me, I'd have to slip the body off and see what's up; give it a good look in there for rough places or burrs on the body and shutter crate in the cannister space. Just a leeeeedle rough spot would be enough on my Zorki to bind things up good.

Yeah, I think I'm going to have to do that. I've had a closer look and a feel around inside the case, and firstly it's clear that this has been a problem for a while - there has been a lot of scraping of film cassettes along the very end of the case (and it lines up with the scrape marks on the cassette ends). Also, it feels as if there's a bit if a "flat spot" right at the end of the case - as if it hasn't been properly rounded out (hope that makes sense). So maybe I do need to do a bit of filing.

Maybe running a dummy roll of film with the bottom plate removed may reveal something.

Good idea - I just tried it, but unfortunately nothing obvious. The cassette stays snug (very snug), and the film winds on smootlhy with nothing obvious going wrong.

Adds to the charm of an FSU, I guess.

Hehe, yes 🙂

Anyway, thanks again. I've got a roll of Provia in it now, so I'll shoot that first before I try any more fiddling with it, and then I'll be away for a little while. But when I'm back I'll take the body off and have a closer look.

Cheers,