Meleica
Well-known
my first roll from a Fuji GS645S 60/4, wound off the 120 spool and ruined a roll of images...anyone experience similiar issues ? The film was loaded taughtly and I am a long time roll film user...
I'd think this is likely to be a relatively simple problem, if I understand your description, with a mechanical latch in the winding mechanism, also having to do with double-exposure prevention. Sounds like it's just not latching for some reason, so either the shutter is not getting cocked or the system doesn't "detect" that it's cocked... behaving like the automatic advancing to the first frame just never detects that it's arrived...?
I have one of these cameras, bought used at a camera swap meet, and I did not discover several problems until later. But your film wind issue was not one of them. In my case, the RF was "sticky", the meter response was non-linear, and there were broken internal plastic parts in the lens mount. A professional repair shop in Seattle advised it was infeasible to repair, so I set it on the shelf.
I later heard online about Frank Marshman, an expert in Fuji repair. He accepted the job, fixed everything, and charged $135. Which I thought was a bargain, as it now works like new. You might give him a call...
Camera Wiz Camera Repair
169B Pleasant Hill Road
Harrisonburg VA 22801
800/471-8133; 540/434-8133
I have one of these cameras, bought used at a camera swap meet, and I did not discover several problems until later. But your film wind issue was not one of them. In my case, the RF was "sticky", the meter response was non-linear, and there were broken internal plastic parts in the lens mount. A professional repair shop in Seattle advised it was infeasible to repair, so I set it on the shelf.
I later heard online about Frank Marshman, an expert in Fuji repair. He accepted the job, fixed everything, and charged $135. Which I thought was a bargain, as it now works like new. You might give him a call...
Camera Wiz Camera Repair
169B Pleasant Hill Road
Harrisonburg VA 22801
800/471-8133; 540/434-8133
Meleica
Well-known
Doug, I loaded film, took 15 shots, opened the camera up and found the film was loose and over the edge of the take up spool... I have re-read the manual and it does mention specifically to hold the film taught while loading...
I guess I misunderstood your description of the problem. 
Now it sounds like the camera worked ok, except that the takeup spool has spooled the film loosely, and when you opened the back the film nearest the outside of the roll was exposed to light?
I'm surprised that there wasn't noticeable tightening of the film-wind as you neared the end of the roll. Or maybe there was...?
You've probably noticed that roll-film cameras have some kind of retarding method -- a brake -- at the supply-spool side of the camera. This is supposed to promote tight wrapping of the film & paper at the takeup spool side. Maybe your camera's brake isn't working?
Now it sounds like the camera worked ok, except that the takeup spool has spooled the film loosely, and when you opened the back the film nearest the outside of the roll was exposed to light?
I'm surprised that there wasn't noticeable tightening of the film-wind as you neared the end of the roll. Or maybe there was...?
You've probably noticed that roll-film cameras have some kind of retarding method -- a brake -- at the supply-spool side of the camera. This is supposed to promote tight wrapping of the film & paper at the takeup spool side. Maybe your camera's brake isn't working?