Loading film into ETRSi with ETR back

[nicole_song]

Hi everyone,

I recently acquired an ETRSi but found it came with an ETR back. No problem,

just took me an extra two hours to figure out how in the world to open it. I've

gone through all of the ETR/ETRS/ETRSi manuals, but can't figure out how to load

film for the life of me. All of the illustrations are useless. If anyone could

help me, I would appreciate it so much. Thank you!!

[johnw436]

The ETR, ETRs, and ETRsi all use the same backs. True, the backs did progress a litte over the years but they all work on all of the cameras.

 

The easiest way to load the film:

 

1. Insert Dark Slide

 

2. Remove the entire film back

 

3. Squeeze the tab(s) on the top. The door swings open and hangs down.

 

4. Remove the film insert

 

5. Make sure you have an empty take up spool on the bottom spindle

 

6. Load a new roll of film on the top spindle. The door on the left pops out to allow easy mounting of the new film roll. Pop the little door back in to hold the roll in place.

 

* The new film roll goes on such that the roll unwinds toward the top with the black side of the paper backing facing the roll, or you, if you are looking at it.

 

7. Pull the paper up, then over the backside of the insert, and up around the bottom.

 

8. Stick the end of the paper up through the slot of the takeup spool.

 

9. Rotate the takeup spool to wind the paper. It helps to keep some pressure on the top roll to keep it wound tightly.

 

10. Using the takeup spool film advance knob, take up on the film until the film roll peels off enough to show the black arrow. You want to wind enough film so that the black arrow lines up with the red mark on the left side of the film insert.

 

11. Put the insert into the film back. Close the film back. It should clip in easily. No force is needed to close the back. If it binds at all, re-seat the film insert and try again.

 

12. With the film back on the camera body you advance the film until the counter on the film back reaches "1". The shutter will cock and you will not be able to advance the film any more.

 

13. Remove the dark slide and you are ready to go!

[DEGREEFOTO]

Hi Nicole,

 

Lets see if I can word this in a simple manner for you. Firstly make sure there is a spare empty plastic spool on what will be the bottom sprocket so as to be used to wind the film onto. The roll of film is placed on the top sprockets with the black coloured inner part of the paper leader facing outwards. In other words making sure that the film brand name would not be seen once you install the film.You will need to pull enough of the leader over the face of the film holder and down and under so as to have it fed into the plastic spool I mentioned earlier. Once you have gotten the paper leader or tongue into the slot, bend it with your fingers so it stays there, then with the winder which is located on the side of the film holder wind the film on until you see the indicator which is written with the word and arrows 'Start', making sure that you match this indicator with the markings on the inner part of the film holder.

 

I usually then place the film holder into what will be the outer casing, shut it tight and wind the film until you see the number 1 in the small window which is located on the top part of the film holder. You will need to wind the film to the num,ber 1 position either by using the speed grip if you have it or the cranking lever a few times, firing the shutter each time until you have the first frame in the window. Making sure that the dark slide is in at all times thus far but you may have to remove it once you have closed the film holder in the outer casing to fire the shutter each time.

 

Once you have wound the film onto the first frame...you are ready to take the dark slide out and off you go. I hope I haven't confused you...but just remember that the inner part of the paper sleeve which makes up the roll must be facing out. The film is not attached to this sleeve and hence it will also be in the right position once you have wound it on.

 

All the best

 

Artur

[nicole_song]

John, you are a godsend! Thank you SO much. Wonderful. In a matter of five minutes, I managed to load the film. I wish they wrote it in clear English like that on the manual. Thank you thank you thank you!

Best regards

[nicole_song]

Oh boy.. okay nevermind. I can't get the S to change to a 1. Artur, thank you very much for your response as well! I didn't see it until after I posted. I will try it again... I'm glad they sent me a lot of film so I can practice with it. This is so frustrating.. I hope the back isn't broken. They sent me the camera loaded with a roll and it was actually in the reverse that you both have described so that's what confused me in the start. I'll try again. Thank you guys!

[nicole_song]

Okay .. the winding lever on the film case won't catch the film unless I'm putting pressure on it with my fingers. There's nothing pushing the roll so it just winds without catching it. Is the back broken? I guess the little metal clip that's pushing toward the take-up spool isn't close enough or forceful enough.

[johnw436]

Hi Nicole,

 

Glad to help!

 

If the film advance is not taking up film then most likely the takeup spool is not properly engaged on the spindle. This will make perfect sense if you open the film back while you read this. Since you're not at "1" yet you won't even hurt your unexposed film.

 

The bottom spool (the takeup spool) has to seat with the rectangular bar engaged in the slot. The rectangular bar is like a screwdriver. It goes into the rectangular slot on the side of the spool. Sometimes you can put in a takeup spool, but the bar doesn't go into the slot, and therefore when the bar rotates it can't turn the spool.

 

This is what it sounds like since you said it appears the little tab isn't putting enough pressure on the spool. Look at the right side of the spool and make sure it lines up with the rectangular bar. Slide the bar into the slot and then flip the tab on the left closed.

 

The key is you should be able to rotate the takeup spool and the film advance knob on the film back will rotate, too. If not, then it's not engaged properly. If you know for a fact that the bar in engaged with the spool, then you might have some stripped gears in your film back. That's pretty unlikely. It's probably a poorly seated spool.

 

Let me know.

[johnw436]

Just thought of something:

 

When you inserted the film into the bottom spindle and then rotated the spindle, you could have rotated the spool the wrong way.

 

I suggest pulling the paper out of the takeup spool and starting over. It will only take a second.

 

Look at the right side of your film back. The little knob has a white arrow telling you which way it should be rotated. With the takeup spool engaged on the bar and the little door tab closed to hold it, rotate the knob. See which way it makes the spool rotate. That is the direction you want to rotate the spool after you stick the black paper up through the slot.

 

Bronica film backs can be a little confounding until you've loaded them a few times. Artur brought up a really important point: You should always see black paper as you unwind a new roll of film. You should not be looking at "KODAK 160NC" as you pull up the paper. Another way to think of it is when you have brought the paper around the insert and put it into the takeup, the black side of the paper is all you should see wrapping around the film insert.

[nicole_song]

Yes, I have the black side out. That much I was able to get from the manuals. I did also notice the screwdriver openings on the spools and lined those up accordingly. I also spun the spool to make sure I was winding everything the right way. What it sounds like is the spool turning inside the roll of paper. So you just hear a slight scraping noise against the paper when it's all shut. I'll try undoing it a third time and see if I have any luck. I've done everything you guys have said thus far including snapping a few frames and whatnot. I'll write back with the result. Thanks for your time!

[nicole_song]

Okay, same thing happens. The winding crank wind, gives a little resistance, then keeps winding and repeats itself with the resistance. Numbers do not change.

[johnw436]

Aaaaaahhhhhhhh.... I think I might know what's going on. It sounds like you have the lever by the winding crank set to multiple exposure. It won't advance the film, but it keeps cocking the shutter.

 

Your ETRsi has two levers on the right hand side next to the film advance crank. If you hold the camera so that you are looking directly at the film advance crank, lens to the right, you see the two levers. The one at 12 o'clock is the single/multiple exposure lever. This lever needs to be pointing up to advance the film. This is the normal position for this lever.

 

If the lever is pointed to the right, you should see a red dot. That is a warning to remind you that you have the lever positioned for a Multiple Exposure.

 

The second lever is at 3 o'clock to the film advance crank. That is your mirror lockup lever. Its normal position is pointed to the right. If you flip it up it will release the mirror. After taking the shot, you must flip the lever back to the right to use your viewfinder again. If you don't the mirror will stay released. (Locked up position.)

 

I think you are in multiple exposure mode. Make sure no red dots are showing.

[nicole_song]

No red dots showing, still nothing.

[johnw436]

This is exactly the reason everyone should have a couple of film backs and lenses. When a problem pops up like this the easiest thing to do is swap film backs and see if the problem goes away.

 

Try this with the film back on. Just open the film back cover and let it swing down. I think we're past worrying about ruining a roll of film. We need to see what is actually going on.

 

Dark slide out, film back open. Keep some pressure on the roll of film so the insert won't fall out. Advance the film. If the film crank on the body is going around but the film isn't advancing, then we need to look at the gears.

 

If the film did not advance then take the film insert out of the back.

 

The film advance crank has a big gear attached. If the film advance crank moves the gear has to move. That's the first thing to check. You should see it coming through a slot on the right side of the body. With the film insert removed, you'll see it down in the slot of the film magazine on the right side. Crank the film advance and make sure this gear rotates.

 

The insert has a gear that meshes with the gear of the film advance lever on the body. If the insert is not seated correctly then these two gears cannot mesh, and therefore the film won't advance.

 

If all of that checks out then it's time to focus on the film insert. Rotate the knob on the outside of the film insert. The film has to advance or else the film insert needs to be replaced. A whole back costs about 40 bucks on ebay and a body is about twice that. Either way, it's not the end of the world.

 

When you put the film insert into the film back, the gear on the right side sticks through the slot so it can engage the gear on the film body. I still think this is the likely point of failure if you are not in multiple exposure mode.