120mm film loading in folding camera

[Laci]

Hi all,

I’ve a folding camera and the manual says it only takes 8 pictures. I’m wondering how to load the film then? Should I turn it till number five and spoil first four or should I start from one and spoil the last four and how will I take it out then to avoid any light to destroy the film? If I can turn it till the very last than why it only takes just eight (though I haven’t tried it yet)?

 

[Ryewolf]

Hiya Laci, I've moved your topic Equipment and Settings Advice as this was more appropriate than the Welcome Centre. JamesT is our resident film guru and he has much more knowledge about this... I've only every used a 35mm film camera (Pentax K1000 and my own Canon 300) or a medium format film - and that was only the once.

[Laci]

8 minutes ago, Ryewolf said:

Hiya Laci, I've moved your topic Equipment and Settings Advice as this was more appropriate than the Welcome Centre. JamesT is our resident film guru and he has much more knowledge about this... I've only every used a 35mm film camera (Pentax K1000 and my own Canon 300) or a medium format film - and that was only the once.

Thanks. Sorry I also felt that this topic is in an inappropriate place but I still haven’t used to the site though I’m on it. 

[Laci]

Okay, I’ve found it.

[Ryewolf]

2 minutes ago, Laci said:

I still haven’t used to the site though I’m on it.

No worries, it takes time to navigate a new forum and work out were posts should go, that's why we have Mods and Admins... (if you're a nightowl type of person then it'll be myself or Clicker that will be usually around, otherwise it will be Korky....)

[Laci]

Okay, thanks!

[Clicker]

Hi again Laci... I 'll send a message to JamesT to get him to see if he can help you when he next logs on...as Ryewolf said ...... He's one of our members  who uses  old cameras all the time .. Hopefully he can help you  with this ...eanwhile  you are allowed to  just  join in with the banter  and  chat ...  .

[JamesT]

Hello Laci,

120 film actually has three rows of numbers, appropriate for 12 (6x6), 8 (6x9) and 16 (6x4.5) exposures per roll. So assuming that there is only one window on your camera all you need do is wind on to number 1, then advance 1 frame at a time and after frame 8 you will get to the end of the film.

If the camera has multiple windows, let me know and I'll indicate which one is appropriate

[Laci]

7 minutes ago, JamesT said:

Hello Laci,

120 film actually has three rows of numbers, appropriate for 12 (6x6), 8 (6x9) and 16 (6x4.5) exposures per roll. So assuming that there is only one window on your camera all you need do is wind on to number 1, then advance 1 frame at a time and after frame 8 you will get to the end of the film.

If the camera has multiple windows, let me know and I'll indicate which one is appropriate

Hi James, 

Thanks for your quick response! The camera has two windows. I tried to attach a picture but it did not let me to do it but I haven’t used up my space. So the windows are on the same level right under the framefinder. 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Laci

[JamesT]

8 minutes ago, Laci said:

So the windows are on the same level right under the framefinder.

When there are two windows at the same level, that is either a very early 6x4.5, (from before the 16-frame numbers were printed on the film) or a dual-mode camera that has (or had) an insert to convert between 6x9 and 6x4.5. 

If the area where the film is exposed is about 9cm long then you just use one of them, in principle I would say the right hand one but there is probably enough margin in film length to use either, If however the exposure area is only about 4.5cm then you move "1" first to the left window, then to the right, the "2" to the left etc.

19 minutes ago, Laci said:

I tried to attach a picture but it did not let me to do it

I'm not sure what formats the forum accepts, but jpeg less than 1Mb should work.

If you post the make & model there are probably images online, unless it's something very obscure.

[Laci]

Yea, I just reduced the size a tiny bit. Camerapedia says:

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Bettax

The only thing what I couldn’t get is if there’s 12 exposures in the negative then how I can only take 8? Where do the rest go? 

5 hours ago, JamesT said:

 

[JamesT]

4 hours ago, Laci said:

The only thing what I couldn’t get is if there’s 12 exposures in the negative then how I can only take 8? Where do the rest go? 

Aha, I think I see the problem.

Any roll film is just a rectangle of sensitive material, there is no intrinsic subdivision into exposures/frames/images, that comes from the camera (and whoever does the processing to find the gaps between exposures). If a roll of 120 is described as 12 exposures, that is just because 6x6 format is the commonest format, so "the other 4" are distributed at a rate of half a 6x6 frame to each 6x9 frame.

Actually 8 6x9 frames is the original 120 format, using 120 for square images came later, I think mainly because  Franke & Heidecke chose to use 120 rather than 117 format (which was the original 6x6 film, that had the same size film but with different spools) in their TLR cameras, probably 120 was easier to get in inter-war Germany . Had they selected 117, I'm sure that 117 would be the format that survived.

P.S.  Comparing the window locations with the window on my only 6x9 camera (Moskva 5)  I think the left-hand one is the correct one for full-size images.

Edited June 20, 2019 by JamesT
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[Laci]

Wow. Thanks for your reply James. I have to think about it and I get back to you!