I cannot have been the only one...

[sr1200]

So, there I was, on a trip to Jeju island last week (an island off the south coast of South Korea) with the sole desire to take photos of the Haenyeo women divers with my new to me Rolleiflex 3.5f.

These women, despite their age (almost all are in their 60-s to 80s now, still diving) move FAST. And have no time or patience for a camera-clicker. Outta the ocean, pack it up, and off to the market. Don't get in the way.

So, there I was, like I said, having made a nice first contact and clicking away, hoping I got my exposure and focus right as I rushed the shots.

Then my film ran out (of course)..

And I grabbed the next roll (of course)...

Loaded it...

And the crank didn't stop at 1.


I couldn't figure it out, and wasted about a minute staring at my camera, then realized I'd missed the transport bar.

In retrospect, I could have kept shooting, but I didn't, and I wish I had. Let's hope those shots come out, and that I learn this very painful lesson...

 

[hanskerensky]

Happened to me also 1 time on a Rolleiflex Automat when I put the film over the rollers instead of between them :bang:

Well, a good lesson learned. Will not happen again 🙂

 

[miragem5]

All part of owning an Automat, I have only done that the once and from then on you remember. I have just done a similar thing with a Mamiya M645, loaded the takeup spool back to front, another film to hit the bottom of the bin.

 

[Ong]

I've done the opposite on a Rolleicord. Saw everyone talk about threading the film under the rollers, so did the same before realising my mistake. A very scratchy negative in the end.

 

[farlymac]

That's one feature I'll not be missing on my recently purchased 'Cord V.

PF

 

[Greyscale]

It gets to be natural to thread the film between the rollers on the Rolleiflex after a while, so much so that loading other TLRs seems wrong.

But when it happens, just wind the film all of the way through and swap the spools and start again, the Rolleiflex does not care which end is which.

 

[Richard G]

Not guilty

 

[sr1200]

It gets to be natural to thread the film between the rollers on the Rolleiflex after a while, so much so that loading other TLRs seems wrong.

But when it happens, just wind the film all of the way through and swap the spools and start again, the Rolleiflex does not care which end is which.

I sure wish I had thought of that...

 

[Dan Daniel]

But when it happens, just wind the film all of the way through and swap the spools and start again, the Rolleiflex does not care which end is which.

Have you done this and had it work?

The film is not taped to the backing paper at the end of the roll. So reversing it could lead to the film following a different path than the backing paper which could lead to quite a jam-up. For example, the film itself could curl under itself as it comes off the spool rather than follow the backing paper through the Automat rollers.

 

[sr1200]

Have you done this and had it work?

The film is not taped to the backing paper at the end of the roll. So reversing it could lead to the film following a different path than the backing paper which could lead to quite a jam-up. For example, the film itself could curl under itself as it comes off the spool rather than follow the backing paper through the Automat rollers.

Also, I was curious about another thing when running it backwards... there's no tab I assume, and no start line. I have no idea how the camera actually "knows" where 1 is, even going forward, does it know where 1 should be going backward? how?

 

[Dan Daniel]

Also, I was curious about another thing when running it backwards... there's no tab I assume, and no start line. I have no idea how the camera actually "knows" where 1 is, even going forward, does it know where 1 should be going backward? how?

It will find frame 1 the same way that it does going forward- by the extra thickness of the film kicking the Automat mechanism into engaging the film metering system. The start line means nothing to a Rolleiflex with the Automat system.

THis aassumes, of course, that you load the film BETWEEN the two rollers, eh?

There is a tab at the end of the backing paper, by the way.

 

[robert blu]

No you were not the only one, I did the same mistakes time ago...lesson learned.
robert

 

[sr1200]

It will find frame 1 the same way that it does going forward- by the extra thickness of the film kicking the Automat mechanism into engaging the film metering system. The start line means nothing to a Rolleiflex with the Automat system.

THis aassumes, of course, that you load the film BETWEEN the two rollers, eh?

There is a tab at the end of the backing paper, by the way.

Sweet! I will definitely remember this (I hope)!

 

[znapper]

You cannot just change the rolls over and roll the film thought backwards, as explained, due to the missing tape.

However, you can easily roll the film to the end, then find a dark room and spool the film back on the original core and then try again.

It's very easy, but a practice-run with a test roll first, can be smart, as you need to figure out how to tighten out the inevitable kink/slack in the film at the tape end.

 

[FrankS]

Happened to me on the very first roll that I loaded while still in the camera store right after buying my Rollei from there.

 

[sreed2006]

I guess I am the only one willing to admit I have done it more than once? Experience is that thing that allows you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

Speaking from experience, winding a mis-loaded roll all the way through, then swapping spools so that the film winds backwards through the camera does not work. I tried it (on one of the occasions when I didn't put the paper between the roller bars), and it jammed up and damaged the film. As znapper says, take both spools out and in a very dark place, rewind the film back to the original spool. Take care to keep the winding very tight (as if a machine were doing the winding). If the film still bunches up at the tape, remove the tape from the backing paper, get the film flat again, and re-tape the film onto the paper. Since the tape is what causes the feeler to activate and start the film counter, this is perfectly safe to do - the repositioned tape is not more than 1/4" from its original location, anyway.

P.S. The film that jammed going backward was Efke, which holds its rolled up shape extremely well. Other films that aren't as nasty might work backwards.

 

[nikon_sam]

My Yashicamat doesn't have that...but I once shot a roll of 120 in a Mamiya m645 with the camera set at "Multi"...didn't even get one shot...

 

[znapper]

I have experienced it too btw ^^

My 2.8F refused to trigger on thin films like Acros, triggered fine on i.e. Fomapan.
Was a recent purchase, so the camera was sent to CLA, after that, no more issues.

 

[Srono]

I have done it once when loading film absent minded

 

[oftheherd]

My experience was a little different. I didn't have an instruction manual. I kept trying to figure where in the film path there was anything that would keep me from needing a little red window I was familiar with, or a registration mark anywhere like on my Yashica MAT 24!

It must have taken me at least a couple of hours over several days to finally notice there were two rollers, not just one, to get the film up to the 6x6 box. 😛 A quick try with a roll of experimental film I try to always have on hand, and bingo!