Eratic film advance on Grafllex 4X5 120 "23" Roll film adapter

[tom thomas]

I just shot a roll of Kodak 120mm color and one roll of Ilford BW film in my Graflex 4X5 Pacemaker Speed with odd results. The spacing between the negatives on the Kodak color negatives was the same and about 5/16th of an inch. The images overlapped on the Ilford BW film by as much as 1/4th inch, basically making them much shorter than 3 1/4 inch when cut.

Also, the vertical shadows just left of center. Is this processing bath damage or improper tension on the negative in the adapter?

Here is a scanned negative, check out the black borders left and right of the negative scanned in the 2.25X3/25 scanner mask.. The rest of the image is double exposed on both adjacent negatives.

This adapter has the winding knob rather than the lever so doesn't have the pressure rollers that the later model with lever does. I wound to the "click" and stop between shots on both rolls, I don't suspect my technique at the moment. I've checked the winding mechanism, it seems to be OK, no slippage under pressure.

What might be causing this? Thickness or slippage of the Ilford film in the paper backing? Or differences between the diameter of the film spools?

Tom Thomas

[Gem Singer]

Are you sure that you set the black arrows on the film's paper backing to the proper "start" mark?

[tom thomas]

Yes Gem, I aligned the arrow on the film with the arrow inside the frame. I'm a MF Rollei guy too so understand the film load technique. I guess it is the Ilford film.

[jnantz]

hi tom

i wish i knew what to say ...
can you take a roll of film and just put it through
not on the camera and mark the film with a pencil
while looking at it ? put the film through, then rewind it by hand
and do it a few times ...
then with a second roll to see if it is an intermittent thing that happens
with the back or if it has to do with the film ...

i have a wind knob 23 back that i have put hundreds of rolls of film through.
once in a while i get negatives with barely any spacing between them but never overlapped
or problems like you are having. the only real problem i have, is with
tri x pro pack film. the paper is so thick that it is really really hard to wind the film.



good luck !

john

[tom thomas]

John,

Thanx for the idea to run the film through, marking each stop point. I'll try taking a couple more rolls with another brand film to see what happens.

Tom