Mamiya 6 - alignment of arrow when using 120 film

[ornate_wrasse]

My Mamiya 6 just arrived yesterday and I took it out today for the first time using 120 film. My question has to do with the black line on the paper backing to the film and it's placement when loading the camera with the film.

A friend of mine, who is more familiar with medium format cameras than I am, loaded the camera with the film and he placed the black line near the spool with the film. Later, after he'd loaded it, and when I was back home, I had a chance to download the manual and print it. I discovered that, unbeknownst to both of us, the black line is supposed to be aligned with a mark on the camera midway between the take up sppol and the spool with film, in other words, right in the center.

I was wondering how this would affect the pictures I took today. I probably won't have them developed until sometime this week, but I find myself wondering if one or more of the images would be chopped off.

Thanks.

Ellen

 

[Finder]

You may lose the first frame if aligned with the film spool or last frame if aligned with the take up spool. Many modern medium-format cameras have a film start mark.

 

[ornate_wrasse]

Then I probably lost the first frame.

I think my friend just wasn't familiar with this particular camera.

I now know where to put the black line when I load film in the future!

Thanks!

Ellen

 

[Richard Ross]

Align the black line with the start mark, then close the back and wind on from there until you reach the stop. Best to treat the wind-on lever gently as the Mamiya 6 has a reputation for trouble with the winder mechanism. I've had no trouble with mine however (fingers crossed!)

Regards
Richard