r4a film frustration

[audible]

hi, i've noticed that it can be a little hard to rewind my film... it's very tight when i get to the end (or beginning, depending on how you look at it) of the roll. is this normal?

more worryingly, i often find that i have trouble loading the film onto my developing tank reels afterwards. i use a plastic AP tank and reels. i have a total of four reels and it's happened to all of them. i've never had this issue with my slr.

the film will start rolling fine then it starts to get a bit tight, then just not load. it's very worrying because i have to unload the reels and reload them, increasing the chances of scratching the film.

would it help if i rewound the film then let it sit in the canister for a day instead of developing it soon after? maybe it's to do with the way it curls or something. like i said, no issues with the slr, only with film shot in the bessa.

 

[rover]

I have not had any additional issues loading the R4 than I do with any swing back camera. I have to admit (again) I prefer the Leica bottom loading.

For your plastic reels, check the little metal pressure point where you load the film. Make sure it is free. I have had trouble with a couple reels which have bound becuase this was too tight.

 

[mr_phillip]

I've no idea about the stiffness in the camera you mention, but the loading issue you mention is almost certainly a reverse-curl issue. All Bessa cameras I've owned have put a pronounced reverse curl into the film, which usually results in problems once the film is about 3/4 of the way loaded onto the reel.

There are two ways 'round this. The first (and my preferred approach) is to rewind the film all the way back into the cassette and leave it there for AT LEAST 24 hours, in order to recover it's original curl. If you really can't wait however, you could reverse-load the film onto the reel – in the darkroom withdraw the film entirely from the cassette, trim at the cartridge-end and load the film from that end onto the reel. That way the end with the strong reverse curl will be the last thing to go onto the reel, not the first.

 

[oscroft]

I have not had any additional issues loading the R4 than I do with any swing back camera. I have to admit (again) I prefer the Leica bottom loading

Ditto on both counts. The first couple of rolls in my R4 felt a bit stiff when winding but now it's nice and smooth, and I haven't had any problems loading films from it into my dev spools. Loading films into it is no harder than with my Olympus OM cameras, but I have to confess that I'm a firm convert to bottom-loading after having had my M6 for only a few months.

 

[audible]

but I have to confess that I'm a firm convert to bottom-loading after having had my M6 for only a few months.

there's the answer right there - i need an m6!

ok seriously, thanks for the responses. i think it's not a problem with the reel because a) it's happened on every reel that i've had. b) it never happens with my other cameras

the reverse curl thing sounds about right, especially the bit about having issues 3/4 into the roll. i'll try waiting a day.

yes, the winding thing has gotten better with time. i'll see how it is after a few more rolls.

 

[goo0h]

I've no idea about the stiffness in the camera you mention, but the loading issue you mention is almost certainly a reverse-curl issue. All Bessa cameras I've owned have put a pronounced reverse curl into the film, which usually results in problems once the film is about 3/4 of the way loaded onto the reel.

Well I'll be. I bet that's at least partly why I was having some difficulty in loading the film onto some plastic reels I was using. Oh well. Have since switched to using Hewes stainless steel reels and I think I like those better anyway. Interesting nonetheless. Now I feel a tad bit less stupid. 😀