Stupid Robot (ii) question

[jodys]

<p>I recently found (ha!) a Robot II (1939) with a couple of lenses, I'm trying to figure this thing out. I got the German manual from Butkus (well I looked at the Robot 1 and Star Robot's, he doesn't have Robot II), I was able to load a couple feet of film and go out shooting. Don't have any results yet.</p>

<p>How do I know when it has run out of film? In the dark, I cut about 2ft of my standard B&W emulsion, rolled it up by hand and shoved it into cassette 'A', trimmed the lead into a point and started it on the insert in cassette 'B' (had to tape it or it would just come off the spool). I go out shooting, and probably did an extra 20 or 30 shots past where I ran out of film, because I wasn't thinking and the thing just keeps going. Sort of like the Energizer bunny. The end of the film after the last exposure isn't fastened to anything in cassette 'A'. Am I missing a matching insert for the supply cassette (I only have a machined brass insert in the take-up spool)? Do I have to cut a measured amount of film, calculate the number of frames, and use the frame counter? I could probably trim the plastic insert from a modern 35mm cassette to make a center for the supply cassette, if there is supposed to be one?</p>

<p>Finally, doing color.... I haven't tried yet to see if a standard 35mm cassette will fit in the supply side of the camera. There was something in the manual about the spring-loaded special cassettes that are forced open when you close the back, so as not to scratch the film on the felt light seals. Has anyone ever tried? It seems like it will fit in the space. Otherwise, to do color, I have to pull out the length of film from the factory cassette, in the dark, load the camera, shoot, re-open in the dark and remove the exposed film, re-fasten to the stub on my factory cassette, rewind, send for processing. This sounds like a recipe for scratched & dusty film. Is there a better way I haven't thought of?</p>

[mukul_dube]

<p>Scratches may not be such a problem: my C-41 lab accepts cut pieces of film, and maybe your lab will too. Seems to me that what you need, over all else, is a manual for the camera.</p>

[chuck_foreman1]

I have no idea, I don't know much about the model.. just what you said about special cassettes ec . I think your approach would be the same way I'd do it too. I have regular 35mm cassettes for loading I'd assume the labs could accept that as C-41 if marked accordingly.