Film Variations - brand to brand

I have been using a few different 120 cameras and I have found that

the Ilford film that I like is not treated the same as others by the

cameras I use. I don't think this is my imagination but it might be.

 

I use FP4+ in a Mamiya C330, an RB-67 and a Horseman 980. I have

also run this film through Koni Omega backs and Mamiya Universal

backs. If I have difficulty with the film not winding properly I

use one of the junk test rolls I have lying around to check the

back. I just shot two rolls of FP4 in my Mamiya Universal and got

blank frames from starting at the wrong place and skipped frames in

the middle.

 

Then I did yet another test of this back with a junk roll of

Fujicolor, marking the frames with a Sharpie through the front of

the roll film back and everything was just fine. I had similar

problems with my Koni Omega Rapid 200.

 

Any ideas? Anybody?

Well, I wouldn't suspect the film. Chances are, you have cameras of varying age and usage. Those which are older and have higher hours of usage on them will tend to be more problematic with film advancing. This is due to normal or excessive wear, lack of cleaning, etc. If you find you shoot with one of the more problematic cameras often, you might want to consider a CLA at a minimum. Mamiya is good about servicing their equipment. Horseman, I unfortunately, don't have any repair experience with them.

Sometimes there are variations in the take-up spools, so the problem may not be in the film that you have in the camera, but the reel from the film you had in the camera BEFORE.

 

Anyway, you said, "Any ideas?"

 

RJF