Rolleiflex TLR: film advance seems stuck after opening the back slightly
Asked 6/11/2019
1 views
2 answers
0
I was shooting with a Rolleiflex TLR and, in a dark room, I accidentally cracked the back open slightly before realizing I hadn’t finished the roll. I closed it again quickly, but now the camera seems stuck on frame 1 and I can’t "rewind" the film. What likely happened, and what should I do to safely finish or remove the roll?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
2
Unlike 35mm, you don't rewind 120 film. Keep advancing the film until it is fully loaded onto the take-up spool. Then take out the exposed film with the take-up spool. The old spool becomes your new take-up spool.
If you're not sure and just want to play it safe, you can use a dark room or changing bag. If you don't have access to a dark room, you could try crawling under a comforter in a closet in a hallway with no windows at night.
See YouTube: Loading and Unloading 120 Roll Medium Format Film
Originally by user75526. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75526
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
With a Rolleiflex using 120 film, there is no rewind like with 35mm. The film is advanced until the entire roll is wound onto the take-up spool, then you remove that spool as the exposed roll.
Opening the back may have confused the camera’s film-sensing/advance mechanism, especially on later Rolleiflex models. A practical fix is to keep shooting blank frames: fire the shutter, then try advancing the film, and repeat until the roll winds fully onto the take-up spool.
If you want to be extra safe, unload it in total darkness or in a changing bag. Then you can remove the exposed roll without risking more light leaks. The spool from the fresh roll becomes the new take-up spool for the next roll.
Because you opened the camera, some of the film may already be fogged, but closing it quickly likely limited the damage.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI7y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Film on Canon AE-1 Program didn’t rewind into the cassette
Did forcing the rewind on a Canon AE-1 without pressing the release button damage it?
Film leader still sticking out after rewind — are my photos ruined?
Did opening the back of my Canon Sure Shot after a roll was finished ruin the film?
Why did my camera count 36 shots on a 24-exposure film roll?