Hasselblad Film Back Anomaly

[mark_urban]

I have two questions for Hassy vet's. Today I finished off a roll of

film and replaced it with another. But when I went to crank the film

up to it's first exposure position, it never stopped. It just kept

cranking until all the film went from one spool to the other. I tried

another roll of film thinking that something might have happened to

my film magazine, but the next roll worked okay. So, my two questions

are: Was it something that I did wrong that caused the film magazine

to not stop when it should? And question number two, can I still use

the film - since it hasn't been exposed yet, would it be okay to just

put it back in the film magazine and spool it up as if it were a

fresh roll?

[roland_schmid]

Mark - you can use that roll again, but first spool it back to its old bobbin in a dark room, otherwise you will end with film-salad in your back.

[hasselblad technician]

Mark,

 

There is a mechanism within each film back that stops the film winding crank from turning when the first frame is in position. If it fails to work properly, it will allow you to wind the entire roll through the film back, as happened to you. You did nothing wrong. The fact that it worked ok on the next roll of film indicates that it is working intermittently. This is a condition that can be corrected by a Hasselblad technician.

 

If you roll that roll of film back onto the supply spool in a darkroom or a dark bag, you can use that roll again. Just be sure not to touch the film itself. You can avoid this by wearing a pair of white cotton gloves.

 

Dave Odess

Factory trained Hasselblad technician

28 South Main Street #104

Randolph, MA 02368

(781) 963-1166

[wai_k_ho]

Mark,

I experienced the same problem with my old magazine. My solution to this is to crank very slowly and watch the number window. I slow down further when the number is approaching # 1. Then you will feel the stop. It works for me every time.

 

Other thing you can try is to crank the magazine without film for serveral times - this will work the lubricant a bit and you may not have the problem anymore. Do this everytime after the magazine is not used for some time.

[peter_rosenthal]

Mark-

 

The stop for the wind lever is a small lever who's edge rides on the counter disk as the film advances. Magazine insertion activates this lever. When #1 comes up on the counter wheel, the white film flag should show and immediately after, the lever drops down into a notch on the counter wheel. This allows the other end of the lever to fall into a notch (one of many) on the windlever disk and stop the wind lever. After you shoot your first frame and wind the film, the notches and lever are never to be seen again until the next roll.

 

A very common and predictable problem is that oil congeals on this little low-power spring lever and keeps it from falling into the notch and locking the wind lever. This is why winding REALLY slowly can allow the lever to fall, slowly, into the notch. Until you get the oil removed (the rest of the back should probably be serviced as well while apart) you can just stop winding as the white flag shows. This indicates the first frame is in place and you can shoot!

 

It has to be rewound before you put it in the magazine as the film is not loaded symmetrically on the paper. 9" from the dead end and 17" or so from the start end. As far as rewinding the film goes... not too easy with 120 if you've come to the end. 220 you can just rewind. On 120 the film is only taped at the start end. I'd try practicing on a dead roll first, in the light. I found taping it on the dead end helps. It works best if kept very tight. If it doesn't come out even at the start end, it can cause problems while going through the magazine. Practice.

 

Just for the sake of info... and good luck!

 

Peter / PR Camera Repair, Flagstaff, AZ

[mark_urban]

Thanks for all the responses. This has been educational for me. After reading the responses and thinking about it, I think maybe I was in a hurry when I was changing film because I had just walked up on a basking alligator. It sounds like I might have just been cranking a little too quickly. I'll try to contain my enthusiasm next time and slow down a bit. If it happens again I'll get the film back serviced. Thanks.

[squareframe]

> I had just walked up on a basking alligator

 

trust me, if I walked up on a basking alligator, winding my Hasselblad too fast would have been the least of my problems.