Zero fotos on B&W Film??

Ok: This is where some of you can give me the horse's laugh for buying so

cheap!

I loaded a [A-12 back] with Ilford 125ISO film ,I set the PME-VFC-6 for 125iso

I set the dial on the side of the camera at 125 iso and set the PME at F4, I

loaded the film in back wards as required for Hasselblad backs ! I know the

553ELX is working fine

I had David look at it when I got it , the back advanced the film, the only

problem I had with the back is when I came in from the cold air ,It was stiff

to wind the film to the film to the End! There was no light leak on the edges

of the film! But absolutely no images on the negatives?

So Is it the Lens ? or is it the film back ? or what is it ?

 

I am open to suggestions:

Lauren, does the film have edge data markings (like Ilford 1, 2, 3, etc.)? That would at least eliminate the problem of proper development.

 

Have you taken the back off and fired it to see if it at least "looks" like light is coming through both the shutter and baffle?

 

What does the counter tell you during shooting and when winding it to the end? I can't explain it, but I've had stiffness in running Ilford B&W film through my A12s as well, but it always went through. I don't know if their paper is thicker. Can you blow another roll and just see what happens? I can't imagine your exposure being so far off that you wouldn't get something on the film.

Michael: Yes there is the information on the side edges of the Film stating type of film and production # and frame Numbers show quite well:

And you're <i>sure</i> you loaded the film correctly, with the black side of the leader paper showing across the film plane?

I think you should indeed not have loaded the film <i>"back wards"</i>.<br/>The proper way is described in many of the camera and film magazine manuals you can find <a href="http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/HW/HWVSys.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>.

<p>Films don't go into an A12 magazine 'backwards'. At a stretch you could describe them

as being upside down since the labelling is the wrong way up, but 'backwards' implies you've

loaded it on the wrong reel.</p>

Winding the film was stiff because you put the feed roll in upside-down. Try again, following

the directions which you can find online,

I believe My terminolgy is in error [ To to load the hassey its like putting film in backwards as opposed to loading a Kowa magazine which in past have loaded a lot of film thru!

Ok: First you remove the film back off camera:

then you open the film back: Now you move the empty spool to the orther position: Now you load a roll of film in the empty spool slot: and in doing so now you place the film in the m agazine and its [uPSIDE DOWN] or [backWards] so as not to have the lettering or numbers of the film showing? all you have is the black underside showing:

Now I believe that is the way I loaded My film: But who real knows for sure : so its back to the drawing board and reload another roll of film!

<i>Ok: First you remove the film back off camera: then you open the film back:</i><p>

FWIW, even Hasselblad suggests that you not remove the back just to change film. If you have

multiple backs to use, then you remove the back, otherwise put in the dark slide, open it and

load. It's about the wear thing.

Dear Lauren,

 

This answer may completely demonstrate my ignorance of the Hasselblad system as I have only recently bought into it. Others have addressed the issue of misloading the film but I was trying to pick up on your comments about the PME finder. When I have used my PME45 I have set the aperture for the lens as appropriate (f2.8 for the 80 mm or f4 for the 150 mm) and I have set the filmspeed. The meter displays the expsoure measured but you then need to transfer that reading to the lens thus setting the shutter speed and the aperture. I am using a 503CW and have not had any problems with this - indeed during a recent shoot I found that the meter reading was accurate enough that I didn't need to bracket. I assume the 553ELX works in a similar way.

 

Hope this helps

 

Ian

Lauren,<br><br>Sounds like you did it the right way.<br>But maybe not this time? ;-) Maybe you did something else to cause a blank film, or maybe there is a fault with your camera.<br>A first check: take the back off, an fire the camera several times with shutter different speeds set on the lens. Looking through the open back, you should see the rear shutter and lens shutter open and close (the rear shutter does that, as you will know, when you let go of the release button).

A common beginner fault is to load the film with the paper backing facing the wrong way.

The easiest memory aid I use is that the surface of the paper that is visible on a new roll of

film is the surface that should be in contact with the pressure plate on the back. This will

have the paper and film bending against the normal curve of the wound film (more like an S

than a C). A common instinct is to load the film with the curve, not against it. I got lucky my

first time, as I had instructions with a good photo of the proper film path. It can be

frustrating trying a new camera, and getting no exposures.

 

Taras