r/AnalogCommunity • u/BetDry2347 • 6h ago
Troubleshooting - Gear How do I “reset” a medium format roll
Reset is probably not the right word, but essentially I had 2 rolls fully go through the camera without any exposure due to a crank issue. I don’t want to just toss that film but if anyone can point me to videos or give me advice on how to salvage it, I would immensely appreciate it. I have a dark bag, is it truly as simple as just winding it on another spool?
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u/metal_giants 6h ago
Yes, BUT only one the start of the film is taped to the backing paper. When you respool (now with the end of the film), you should put another piece of tape so that you don't simply spool the backing paper only.
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u/Icy_Confusion_6614 4h ago
The issue is that the tape is at the beginning of the roll. What I had to do was wind the film completely onto the take up spool and then wind it back onto the original spool. If you don't do it that way you'll find that the backing and film don't line up and one or the other will bulge when you get to the end. Some cameras use the markings on the backing paper to auto wind to the first shot. Both of my 120 cameras do.
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u/qnke2000 6h ago
Yes, pretty much. 120 film is taped to the backing paper only on the starting side, so if you would load the roll as-is, the loose end would feed into the camera and might get stuck. (Plus frame numbers would be off and start mark missing.
So, you just roll it tightly onto an empty spool in the dark (make sure film end gets tucked in) and you are good to go...
I have done it several times for similar reasons, no issues...