Clarification on use of Ilford B&W in A12 back

<p>I know that the topic of Ilford film compatibility with the Hasselblad A12 has been covered here, and have read the archives. I've used Ilford film some years back in the latest version A12's following Hasselblad's instruction for aligning the Start arrow with a different index mark on the insert and it worked fine. Now I am about to embark on a new project with Ilford film, using a combination of older B&W from the freezer (pre-2005) and new HP5.<br>

From what I've read, it sounds like Ilford has corrected a problem with their spool compatibility (which I believe was the cause of the special loading instructions?). Can anyone tell me if new Ilford film can now be loaded like any other, or should I still use the separate index mark as Hassy instructions say?<br>

My second question: If Ilford is now loaded like any other film, approximately when did the transition occur. Since I'll be using both old and new film, I'm thinking that I might have to load them in different ways, depending on their date of manufacture.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>i'm glad with this post since i was about to load a Illford delta 125 in my 500c/m. i don't know the proceders of older illford film. maybe you can post that to. just in case...<br>

my film i think it's from last year but if it isin't what should i do?</p>

<p>PS: sorry for my english.</p>

<p>What you can do with both old (must be very old - though i don't know when exactly Ilford changed back to spools that are 'in spec') and new Ilford film, is give the spool another 1/4 turn, i.e. wind it past the start mark by that much.<br>

Nothing bad will happen when you do that with film on 'correct' spools.<br>

Then you'll have no need to figure out what type of take up spool (the problem only occured when using those incorrect Ilford spools as take-up spool) you are using.</p>

<p>Q.G.: After reading your advice, I am wondering if I have inadvertently mixed up two different issues. My 30212 backs, manufactured in 2001, came with a supplement sheet that instructed the user to load Ilford black and white (not color) film with the start arrows aligned about 1/8th turn <em>before</em> the index triangle on the insert, basically lining the arrow up with the outer corner of the spring clip that holds the spool in place. It also doesn't mention anything about the spool type used for take-up. The current instruction manual for new 30212 A12's makes no mention of having to load Ilford B&W differently, which was the reason for my question.<br>

So, perhaps I am wrong and the issue of which mark to align current Ilford B&W has no correlation with the old "out of spec" spools, but was caused by something else. Hasselblad has no info on this on there registered user's support site either.</p>

<p>Maybe I just need to run a few rolls through the camera and see which way of loading works...</p>

<p>I've been using Ilford FP4+ "forever" and I have no clue what you folks are talking about. You must have some strange series of A12 backs that are different. I have maybe 8 and they all work fine at the arrow.</p>

<p>Rick,</p>

<p>You're right, i was wrong: the Ilford mark was before the regular start mark, not after.</p>

<p>The problem does indeed only occur when the out-of-spec Ilford spools are used as take up spool. So if you toss all your Ilford spools away after exposing, and only use the many other spools you must have lying around, you are fine.</p>

<p>Dave,</p>

<p>Ilford did, for a brief period (i forget, was it 2004 or thereabouts?), use spools that did not comply with the standard, causing spacing problems.<br />Hasselblad added an extra start mark to their magazines to accomodate these Ilford spools. But that also for a little while only, because Ilford stopped using these off-spec spools.<br />There was a public announcement by Ilford at the time, acknowledging the problem and announcing the return to proper spools.</p>

<p>Apart from the extra start mark, Hasselblad magazines have not changed construction. So you must not have used Ilford at the time. ;-)</p>

<p>OK, I think that clears it up for me.<br>

Thanks for your help!</p>

<p>Q.G. I understand now. I just didn't run into this. Last A12s I bought were 1998, had a lot of Ilford film from that era, 1999. Then I bought a batch dated 2005, which I still have a dozen or so rolls to use. So I missed all the excitement :(</p>